FOR any soccer fan, the sports ground his team plays on should be a kind of shrine to legendary accomplishments, players, and memories. However, a sports ground in Greenwood Park has earned the ire of local soccer clubs who say the dilapidated grounds have been nothing short of a nightmare to their season so far.
Four soccer clubs, Greenwood Park Friends, Neighbours United, New Orleans and Effingham Sporting who play in the Central Castle League stream, with more than 300 players across various age groups, currently use the dilapidated grounds for home matches.
The sports ground situated on Workington Road has had all of its electrical cables stolen, no running water, a less than functional fence with missing concrete slabs and sanitation facilities which have been vandalised.
“The only thing left is the asbestos roofing over the change rooms because it is of no use to anyone,” says chairman of Greenwood Park Friends Angus Abrahams.
Red card for urinating
Abrahams has led the fight for the quartet of clubs for some semblance of sanity to prevail. “We used to train and play our home games at the Havelock Road Grounds for the last 15 years but were asked to pay R8 000 a month last season for the use of the facilities by the custodians of the grounds. We refused and we had no alternative but to move to Workington Road and share the facilties with the three other teams which has been to the detriment of our clubs.
“Last week we had a player sent off for urinating outside the grounds because the change rooms and toilet facilities don’t exist. Our fans who come to watch the games either leave the grounds or have to walk with an escort to the bush to use the toilet. It’s ridiculous.
“We’ve contacted the Parks Department on a number of occasions and the standard reply has been ‘we will come back to you’, in recent months, the excuse has been a lack of budget,” Abrahams said. “All we want is meeting with them in finding a way forward in having the water and lights reconnected.”
Colin Abrahams from New Orleans football club said his team have to travel to Newlands East just to train. “The lack of lights is a huge problem. We now face the prospect of losing our night matches and having to travel to the opposition grounds because of not having the basic facilties as water and toilet facilties.
A solution is in sight
One thing the clubs have pleaded to the municipality over is the control of the toiletry facilities and the permission to reconnect the light poles.
“We’ve had more than 10 meetings over a period of two years with the Parks Department but to no avail. We are willing to connect the lights around the ground at our own costs but we were told that we could face legal action if we did.
“We take pride in what little Greenwood Park has and this is totally unacceptable. The ground needs to brought up to an acceptable standard and maintained,” said an exasperated Abrahams (Angus).
There has been no response from the Parks Department despite attempts to reach them.
