Vandals target Bognor football club

The most recent damage done at Predators home pitch

New dugouts at Predators Football Club’s home pitch have twice been smashed to bits in the last few months.

Frustrated club members again found part of the nearly completed brick dugouts knocked down last week at their ground at the University of Chichester’s Bognor Regis campus.

Club volunteers had been carrying out the replacement work after identical damage was carried out by vandals in August as the club try to get their pitch up to scratch to meet the requirements for promotion.

As well as damage to the brick dugouts, windows have also been smashed and goal posts stolen

Paul Harris, chairman and first-team manager, said windows had also been smashed at the ground and goals stolen.

He said: “Whoever it is they just keep knocking down our dugouts.

“We play on the University of Chichester’s Bognor campus and the uni have been unbelievably supportive in investing and improving the facilities so we can go to the next step and have a team in the Sussex County League.

“It’s just so frustrating because it’s all being done to improve the club for the whole community from the youngsters all the way up to the adults.

“Then you see walls again knocked down and it means more money, more investment and more time spent doing the work by volunteers and all for no good reason.”

The Predators’ first team is currently close to the top of the West Sussex Football League Premier Division.

They only missed out on a first ever promotion to the County League because the changing rooms were too small, but Mr Harris said the university had taken it upon itself to make the necessary improvements.

But the club’s efforts to do its bit is being undermined by the continued threat of vandalism.

“I can’t believe that it’s being done by adults with some sort of vengeance against our club so I can only imagine it’s bored kids,” Mr Harris said.

“We are trying to do something for the whole community but it’s being undone by a small number of that community which is such a shame.”

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