A young driver was caught red-handed driving across the grass soccer pitch at Barrymore Recreation Reserve last Monday.
Greenvale United Soccer Club president Hilmi Mina said a number of club staff members were inside the soccer pavilion just after 9pm on Monday when they noticed a car with its headlights off driving across the grass pitch.
“Fortunately, we were there at the time. We screamed out for him to stop,” Mr Mina said. He said people used the torch functions on mobile phones to catch the driver’s attention but he quickly sped off.
A club member was able to take down the car’s registration details.
Star Weekly was told the driver of the car was about 18.
This is the second time Barrymore Recreation Reserve has been torn up by vandals.
In mid-May, hoon drivers broke in and scarred the lawn with tyre marks. The damage forced the soccer club to forfeit 30 games that weekend and teams could not train there.
Hoon driving on sporting grounds has become an increasingly common issue for Hume police. Over the weekend of May 23-24, another reserve at Craigieburn was damaged.
Offenders used bolt-cutters to access Highgate Recreation Reserve in Grand Boulevard before tearing up the grass.
Hume council officers spent hours last week rolling and cutting the damaged areas. Roxburgh Park Football Club was another victim. The club’s home ground at Lakeside Reserve was targeted on the same weekend.
Hume mayor Adem Atmaca said he was particularly concerned about the attack at Barrymore Road Reserve.
“This brazen attack saw vandals break a padlock from a gate and drive around the pitch like hooligans, and all for no purpose whatsoever,” he said.
“The tyre marks are deep and they will take some time to repair.”
Victoria Police could not confirm whether last week’s offender had been charged.
