Lack of municipal services hampers soccer training
Brettenwood Old Boys Football Club has had endless problems related to the upkeep of the Radford Gardens field.
THE year got off to a rocky and slow start for members of the Barnes Football Academy and Brettenwood Old Boys Football Club (BOB FC) that trains at Radford Gardens field in Hillary.
Soccer training was set to begin early last month, however, it was halted due to the field not being cut until Monday, January 24. The club has had endless problems related to the upkeep of the area and members feel as though their plight has fallen on deaf ears.
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“For two weeks we did not have the field cut and the eThekwini Municipality kept saying that the tractor was broken. However, they eventually cut the field. The banks outside have not been cut for ages and we have to spend thousands of Rands per season on lost soccer balls, because the fence is so low that they go over,” said BOB FC committee member, Clint Nel.
According to Nel, the club is trying to keep soccer alive in the area but members continue having issues with the field.
“We also have a problem with sewage that we reported to the municipality several times. We have change rooms and showers here and the state of the area is unacceptable. There is an overflow and nothing has been done regarding the problem. We only have two soccer clubs in the area and it is sad to see the state of the field.
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“The light poles around the field have been condemned due to them being hollow inside caused by wood rot.
It is concerning because if there is a strong wind while the children are training it could fall and injure someone. A work order has been issued by the municipality and the club takes care of the clubhouse. The season will start around April and we are trying to promote junior soccer in a safe and secure environment. The club is around 25 years old and we want it to be in a good condition,” added Nel.
The eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment by the time of going to print.
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