The chair of Sheriff Youth Club has said members of their youth football club have been left "devastated" after their pitches in Fairview in Dublin were left vandalised and damaged by track marks.
It is the third such incident in the last four months. Damage was previously caused to the pitch by a car which was driven across it.
Dublin City Council believes two stolen motorbikes caused the latest damage in Fairview Park at the weekend.
They say the damage is superficial and will be repaired, but it is not the first time that this has happened.
As well as Sheriff YC, Belvedere youth football club plays in the area while East Wall Bessborough FC has had similar problems with vandalism over the last year on the nearby Alfie Byrne Road pitch.
Dublin City Council has installed some new barriers which would prevent cars from entering the site, but people using bicycles and motorbikes can still gain access.
Chair of Sheriff YC Hugh Richardson said: "It's happened two to three times in the last couple of months, but six or seven times in the last year."
He said a footpath that runs right around the pitches is now making it more accessible.
"The cycle lanes and paths were leaving it wide open and vehicles can still get in near the bridge," Mr Richardson said.
"All football has stopped."
Many of the playing pitches were declared unplayable last weekend due to the weather and now the latest incident has left a wide series of criss-crossed muddy track marks behind, churning up the grass.
Devastated that's how our club is feeling right now yet again our pitches in Fairview have been vandalised this time by motor bikes DCC have put new surroundings in place to try to stop this but these people still manage to get into the park and leave the place like this all pic.twitter.com/Gy1mlc9m9N
— Sheriff YC (@Sheriff_YC) February 10, 2024
Sheriff YC said the damage will leave the pitches unusable again in time for this weekend.
"It's costing a lot of money to get travel on mini-buses and the girls clubs are having to travel as well," Mr Richardson said.
He said the over 12s are being particularly affected as it is not possible to play 11-a-side matches on alternative astroturf pitches.
The whole club is being run by volunteers, he said, and it is hard to hold onto them when home matches cannot be scheduled and not all parents are able to travel or deliver their children to away games.
Dublin City Council said an alternative pitch at Belcamp is now on offer to the club.
It added that the two motorbikes gained access to Fairview Park through pedestrian and bicycle entrances.
The motorbikes have since been removed by gardaí who are investigating the incident.
"Unfortunately, Fairview Park has suffered a couple of such incidents in recent weeks," the council said.
"The first incident involved a stolen car which gained access to the park through an opening which arose from the Clontarf to city centre cycle and bus priority project."
In recent weeks Dublin City Council officials have met with Sheriff YC to discuss a number of the club's concerns and described the outcome of the meeting as "very positive".
"It is unfortunate that there has been another incident which has impacted on the pitches in Fairview Park but the city council is working with the gardaí and the clubs to address the problem insofar as a public park can be protected from stolen motorbikes," a council spokesperson said.
Belvedere FC has two pitches in Fairview Park and is also concerned by the frequency of such incidents.
"Eight teams every Saturday are being affected," John Hayden, chair of the club, said.
He said opposition teams also cannot travel to play there, with the uncertainty being one of the main problems.
"Three weeks ago the pitches were also destroyed," he said, adding that games were cancelled only last weekend, because of the weather.
"What's going to happen is parents will take their kids out of the clubs and take them elsewhere," he added.
'Field of dreams' has been destroyed
Local Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam said there had been vandalism in the park on a least four or five occasions in the last nine months.
"You've seen around us where the pitches have been destroyed," Mr McAdam said.
"You've under 11s, under 13s, boys and girls here ever Saturday and Sunday. They are the future of Irish soccer and their pitch, their field of dreams has been destroyed."
He says working with the gardaí an emergency motion was passed by Dublin city councillors last month to ensure that there is a policing plan for the park and to take steps to better protect it.
Mr McAdam says since the incident in January, involving a stolen car, that motorway dividers have been put in place to make sure that this type of vehicle cannot enter the park.
However incidents with scrambler, fast electric and motor bikes have continued.
"Tonight at the City Council I'll be asking the Parks Department and the Chief Executive to see what more action needs to be done to make sure this type of activity is prevented in the future," Mr McAdam said.
Describing Fairview Park as "the jewel of the northside" he said those in Fairview, Clontarf, the East Wall and Ballybough needed to know that their kids were safe there when they come to play football at the weekend "and my fear is, and the reality is they're not," he said.
Stephen Dunleavy, Secretary of Sheriff YC Football Club, was also out assessing the damage today and said the mood among club members was low.
"The feedback we're getting from our volunteers is 'What's the point?'", he said.
"We've had to call off games. Kids are getting disillusioned, saying why have we not got a match at the weekend?"
Mr Hayden of Belvedere FC said they had 16 teams that play on the pitch between the ages of seven and 11.
However he said teams that come to play away there are also affected, meaning up to 30 teams are affected when play has to be called off on a weekend.
He said Dublin City Council had been very positive and it was a hard matter to police but that some kind of solution, possibly fencing off the pitches, needed to be looked at.
