SOUTH Gawler Football Club is worried a spate of criminal activity at its oval could ruin its reputation as a “family club”.
Over the past two months, club officials have been concerned by the occurrence of after hours hoon driving and drug use at the Lions’ home ground, Eldred Riggs Reserve.
However, the most troubling incident happened last month, when some of the club’s female footballers were allegedly chased by a “bunch of youths” wearing masks while they were locking up after training one night.
Club vice-president Dale Lawrence detailed the account to Gawler Council at a meeting last month, asking elected members to consider upgrading security infrastructure at the oval, such as
lights and more secure fencing, to help curb criminal behaviour.
“They (the female players) had a training on a Wednesday night, there was a bunch of youths who live around this way and they put a mask over their faces then started running at the girls,” he said.
“The girls locked themselves in their car and the seven or eight youths were running around and they damaged the car, so the girls rang the police.
“After Saturday’s (April 27) home game, a couple of girls had an after game function here and there was another incident with the same youths, where they (the girls) were accosted near a car.
“Our girls, they were 20 and 21-year-olds, but they felt threatened just locking a gate up – we don’t want that.”
Other alleged criminal activity at the oval included seven reports of hoon drivers using the perimeter of the oval for burnouts and drifting, including one incident where a car crashed into the fence of a home adjoining the oval.
Mr Lawrence also said there were two instances in the past week where himself and Gawler councillor Paul Little found discarded syringes around the oval.
“I did a check last night (on Thursday) and picked up two, police have told us Friday night seems to be the bad night for it,” he said.
“The committee are getting here before game times and doing a sweep of the ground because they are just out in the open.
“I’ve been doing team manager stuff here for a while now and I only found two needles three years ago in the dugouts.
“With the hooning of the cars and the incidents over the last couple of weeks it’s obvious a trend is starting to happen.”
As a consequence of the criminal activity, the club has been told the gate providing vehicle access to the oval will be locked outside of game and training times.
The club is also in negotiation with Gawler Council to install new solar-lights around the oval to deter crime, with Mr Lawrence also saying the police had stepped up patrols in the area.
Mr Lawrence said the club didn’t want parents to be discouraged from attending the ground due to the actions of a minority.
“We want the club to be the family club, we’ve got so many juniors coming through and we don’t want to lose that,” he said.
“We want them to be here all the time and we want their parents to know they are okay.
“The last thing we want to do is shut the gates, we want people to bring their dogs and their kids and have a kick of the footy – that’s what it’s about.”