Playing Field Disgrace

Saturday, 21 July 2007 20:00

The Dunsborough Towners football season appears in jeopardy if the rains continue to soak the area. Last Sunday Dunsborough’s three matches at the Recreation Oval were abandoned by the referee because the ground was waterlogged and he considered the pitch unsafe. He had good cause for concern following leg injuries that forced four players from the field in the first-half of the Women’s second division clash between The Towners and Capel.

Two of them occurred simply by the players catching their feet in deep ruts that were hidden by pools of water.

Four leg injuries in the women’s game forced four players, two from each side, to leave the game and substitutes to take their places.

While players from all teams were keen to continue the fixtures for the day the referee said he could not allow the games to continue.

“This ground is an accident waiting to happen and if someone gets seriously hurt there could be all sorts of repercussions”, said Dunsborough Towners Club President, Toby Plum.

While the ground is dry in summer, in winter it cannot handle wet conditions and the long range weather forecast suggests that match officials may well abandon more games in the coming weeks.

Football, unlike Rugby (league and Union) and Australian Rules, relies on a firm surface not only to produce good football but to maintain the safety of the players.

The Oval caters for every field sport in the town, both junior and senior, providing little opportunity to rest the surface during the week because of training schedules while it is under full pressure on the weekends.

To make matters worse both Rugby and football use the same pitch with Rugby using it on Saturday and football on Sunday.

Clearly the Busselton Shire Council cannot continue to ignore Dunsborough’s need for quality sporting facilities and any plans they may have for the future development of grounds in the area must be addressed as an immediate priority.

Dunsborough, will endeavour to re-schedule the three matches against Capel  and Australind. In the meantime The Towners will be without at least three of their key players for the South West Times second division knockout cup encounter with Bunbury United at the Soccerdome in Bunbury on Sunday.

This in turn will affect the selection for the men’s fourth division clash in the first round of the fourth division cup clash with Bunbury United earlier in the day.

The Towners will be without prolific goalscorer Luke Taylor, dynamic midfielder Micky Doyle and resolute defender Clint Thompson.

Taylor and Doyle will be missing for four weeks on holiday in Thailand while Thompson has to work in Karratha for two weeks.

Dunsborough will still be able to field. a competitive side with the return of Cid Richards and Keiran Smith to the squad while the return of Nick Hartwell from a long term injury has provided an additional option following his “Man of the Match display in the 6-3 defeat of Margaret River two weeks ago.