Teenage vandals target football club

The new turnstiles had been installed for just one day when they were targeted by graffiti artists and one of the diggers involved in the site works had its tyres slashed.

Teen tearaways have been a thorn in Glenavon FC's side for the past few years, using Mourneview Park as a base for antisocial behaviour.

The 'MAIL' also learnt in recent months the hoods tried to set fire to the press box again and stole 900 litres of oil from the social club.

Board member and groundsman George Swift spoke of his frustration: "This is happening week after week, night after night," he said.

"The first day they put the doors on the new turnstiles they scrawled all over them. They scribbled over advertising signs as well.

"The attraction seems to be that this is a big place where they can sit in the stand and take drink and drugs. These are not people who drink at home or in pubs. The stand is shelter for them.

"Once the drink and drugs are on board they started wrecking. Every morning when I come in I have to spend the first hour or two of the day tidying up after them."

He continued: "They smash bottles and stones on the pitch. There's bottles all over the stand. They tried to burn the press box again recently. They stole 900 litres of oil from the oil tank at the social club. They're as brazen as get out.

"They don't have respect for themselves never mind anyone else."

George explained how the slashing of a digger's tyres had a knock on effect for the community.

"The contractors had agreed to give a few pounds to Mourneview Community Association, but then they had to pay 400 for new tyres, so they couldn't afford to give the association the money," he said.

"The people that are doing this are young people from the area. What they're doing is having a knock on effect that they don't even realise."