Four thousand pound bill facing an Arbroath football club to repair vandals damage
Ogilvy Park, home of Arbroath Victoria saw over 20 advertising boards smashed over the weekend
Last updated 22nd Feb 2022
Arbroath Victoria, a football team based in the Angus town, are facing a four thousand pound bill to repair damage caused by vandals over the weekend.
Ogilvy Park, home of the Vics, saw over 20 advertising boards ripped from fences and destroyed.
Club Secretary Neil Hardie says he's devastated by the damage: "It's hugely devastating because obviously we're not a wealthy club and getting advertising boards was a big bonus for us. We were actually in the process of getting back in touch with the advertisers on them to renew it for next season."
He added: "It's a financial thing but it's also labour intensive because, obviously, everyone on the committee are volunteers and the majority of folk on the committee are sixty and upwards.
"It's a lot of work to be able to try and fit in to a weekend because, apart from the ones that are retired, the rest of us are working during the week. "
On where the money to carry out the repairs will come from, Neil said: "Well, we'll just have to try and fundraise from somewhere or other. Obviously, if the people take the boards back on we'll obviously recoup some of the money back that way but obviously we'll have to pay to get the boards re-done by the company that does them."
Whilst the club are facing such bad news, Neil has been pleased to see the community rallying around them. He said: "We've had two expressions of interest from people already. We've got one person who said they'd help us put the boards back up and another person who has offered us CCTV, which is a great help if that comes to fruition."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police received report of vandalism at Ogilvy Park on Kirkton Road in Arbroath which happened between 6pm on Saturday, 19 February, and 1pm on Sunday, 20 February, 2022. Enquiries are ongoing.”
