Soccer pitch vandals jeopardise free coaching for kids in Navan

Vandals who are causing damage to all-weather pitches in Navan are jeopardising free coaching courses which have been offered to over 100 children around the town. A series of pitches across Navan have been vandalised, with one requiring its astro-turf surface to be replaced following an incident in which a fire was lit on it. Netting surrounding many of the other grounds have been torn down. Drinking parties are also being held at the grounds with the discarded beer cans strewn across the pitches, which are used by young children. The vandalism has led to calls from the FAI Development Officer in Meath, Mark Scanlon, and local councillor Shane Cassells for Navan Town Council to act and repair the damage before it's too late. One of the pitches affected is located at the Boreen Keel Park, which was opened a little over two years ago by Irish soccer legend Packie Bonner and FAI CEO John Delaney. The netting which surrounds the ground has all been damaged, while the basketball hoops at either end of the multi-use facility have been torn down. Now the free coaching courses which were run at the pitches by three FAI coaches over the course of the Halloween holidays are being placed in jeopardy by such mindless acts of vandalism. Shock "It is shocking to think that people are destroying the investment that has been made for kids in our town," said Cllr Cassells. "Our funding relationship with the FAI has resulted in free coaching courses for kids during the various school holidays over the year and this is a hugely positive thing for the community." Mark Scanlon spoke of how 127 children participated in the free courses offered by his coaching staff in the last month. "Any child who turned up at the pitches was allowed to join in these courses by our trained coaches and, in total, we had 127 avail of the free sessions," he explained. "Our funding relationship with the FAI, RAPID and Meath Local Sport Partnership allow us to get into communities and provide this type of professional coaching for young kids and help them develop their game," he added. Mr Scanlon warned that if the free sessions are to continue, pitches are needed to play on. "I would appeal to whoever is carrying out these acts to think of the consequences and the fact these acts end up hurting the prospects of young kids," he added.