Club devastated as children's pitches vandalised

A grassroots football club in West Bromwich is "devastated" after its football pitches were vandalised - with huge ditches carved into the ground.

Bustleholme FC said five of its pitches at Charlemont Playing Fields were destroyed, with ankle-deep tracks believed to have been caused by quad bikes.

All matches at the club have been postponed indefinitely - leaving 34 teams consisting of 650 young players to find elsewhere to play.

The non-profit club, which is trying to raise £5,000 to repair the ground, said it would not be likely teams could access the fields before Easter.

Three nine-a-side pitches and two 11-a-side pitches were hit - leaving all nine-a-side tournaments in the Walsall league to find elsewhere to play.

Club secretary Michelle Gannon told BBC Radio WM that the fields were targeted over two visits before Christmas - with the wet weather making the impact to the tracks worse.

She said: "The first time wasn't severe - but a few days later they came and churned up the ground more and more.

"It's that deep that it comes up to our ankles when we walk in it."

The playing fields hosts players from the age of four to 16 - and the club is trying to raise £5,000 to fix the issue as soon as possible.

A crowdfunding appeal has already raised almost £4,000 towards the target.

Ms Gannon added: "It was devastating for us at the club to see all our efforts in the summer to just be destroyed in a few minutes.

"Something like this isn't what we'd budget for as we're a non-profitable club.

"Membership fees go towards games, referees and upgraded facilities for children to use."

Grassroots Football UK posted about the incident on its Facebook page.

It said: "It's devastating that this has happened and not for the first time. The repair costs are going into the thousands, leaving hundreds of children without a pitch to play on."

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