Latest news with #MaghullCricketClub
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Teenagers fighting with hammers and knives on cricket pitch forces club to build protective fence
A cricket club plagued by groups of teenagers fighting with hammers and knives on its pitch has been forced to build a fence around its ground. Maghull Cricket Club in Merseyside has reported 25 incidents to police of people harassing players, setting off fireworks and vandalising equipment since July 2024. Workers have said the years of 'disgraceful incidents' have left children training at the club in tears. In order to block further disruption from rowdy teens, they now plan to hold a fundraiser to build a fence around to grounds. In early May, a fight broke out between teenagers on a cricket pitch where about 50 children aged nine to 13 were waiting to play. The session had to be called off to rush the children back to safety, according to the club's Facebook page. The post said: 'Sadly, we must report to the people of Maghull another in a long list of disgraceful incidents that have blighted our club for several years. 'Tonight, during a junior section practice evening, a number of youths have congregated on our pitch and engaged in organised fighting, delaying the start of the session. 'A short while later, more youths appeared, fighting and threatening each other with hammers, knives, a garden spade and a stump stolen from our practice area.' Speaking to the BBC, the chairman of the club, Adam Lloyd, said the fight had been 'traumatising' for those witnessing it and that the club had 'no option' but to build the fence. He said 'The kids had never seen anything like it before, some were crying,' he said. He described it as a family club, saying multiple generations of his family have been involved and that they all love being part of it. At a community meeting organised by the club, it was shared that the violence had left children shaken and led some parents to think about not bringing their kids back to training due to safety concerns. According to the Telegraph, a mother who witnessed the fight described it as 'truly terrifying', adding: 'I would like to just say a massive thank you to the adults, especially the men/fathers, involved with the club, who quickly stepped in ushering the children to safety and stepping in bravely to defend them if needed. 'You didn't hesitate to take action and it didn't go unnoticed.' Merseyside Police confirmed a 14-year-old boy from Maghull was arrested on suspicion of fighting, carrying a weapon in public, and having a Class B drug and has now been released while the investigation continues. A 17-year-old boy from Kirkby also came in for a voluntary interview about having cannabis and a public order offence. The police investigation is still ongoing. Labour MP for Sefton Central, Bill Esterson, called the fight a 'real wake-up call' and said it was 'disturbing and hugely upsetting' for the children who were there to play cricket. He called for intervention and more youth activities, suggesting that 'maybe some of them can play cricket and football instead of threatening and fighting each other.'
Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Teenagers fight with hammers on cricket pitch
A cricket club has been forced to build a fence around its ground after being plagued by groups of teenagers fighting with hammers and knives on its pitch. Maghull Cricket Club in Merseyside has seen 25 police reports of people harassing players, setting off fireworks and vandalising equipment since July 2024. Officials say they have suffered years of 'disgraceful incidents' that have left children training at the club in tears. They now plan to raise money to build a fence that will block violent teenagers from accessing the ground. Emily Spurrell, Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, told a community meeting that building the fence would help 'design out crime'. Neil Dutton, the club secretary, told the BBC: 'It's not just kids strolling around and then doing it on a whim. It's like they're coming to the cricket club to cause trouble. 'I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if some kids did not come back and I couldn't blame the parents either. 'It hurts our standing within the league we play in and it's not a good look for us or the community as a whole.' Practice had to be abandoned Earlier in May, around 50 children aged nine to 13 were waiting to play cricket when a fight broke out between teenagers on the pitch. The practice had to be abandoned and the children were escorted to safety, officials said on the club's Facebook page. They wrote: 'Sadly, we must report to the people of Maghull another in a long list of disgraceful incidents that have blighted our club for several years. 'Tonight, during a junior section practice evening, a number of youths have congregated on our pitch and engaged in organised fighting, delaying the start of the session. 'A short while later, more youths appeared, fighting and threatening each other with hammers, knives, a garden spade and a stump stolen from our practice area.' Club chairman Adam Lloyd told the BBC the fight had been 'traumatising' for those who witnessed it. 'The kids had never seen anything like it before, some were crying,' he said. 'It's a family club – when I was a kid my dad dragged me along to the cricket – his dad was the same. I've got my kids playing cricket, we are all invested in this club because we love doing it.' Truly terrifying A mother who witnessed the fight said: 'I was there this evening with my eight and 10-year-old. It was truly terrifying. 'I would like to just say a massive thank you to the adults, especially the men/fathers, involved with the club, who quickly stepped in ushering the children to safety and stepping in bravely to defend them if needed. You didn't hesitate to take action and it didn't go unnoticed.' Merseyside Police said that a 14-year-old male from Maghull, who was arrested on suspicion of affray, possession of weapon in a public place and possession of a controlled Class B drug, had been released under investigation. A 17-year-old male from Kirkby later attended a voluntary interview in connection with being in possession of cannabis and a public order offence. A police investigation is continuing. Bill Esterson, Labour MP for Sefton Central, said the fight was a 'real wake-up call' that was 'disturbing and hugely upsetting for the children playing cricket'. He told the BBC: 'Thankfully the adults intervened and prevented something much worse from happening. Goodness knows what would have happened if people had used the weapons they were carrying.'
BBC News
25-05-2025
- BBC News
Maghull cricket club to put up fence after young people fight on pitch
A cricket club plagued by anti-social behaviour has said the only way to prevent young people from causing trouble on its pitch is to build a large fence around the 25 police reports of people harassing players, setting of fireworks and vandalising equipment have been made at Maghull Cricket Club, near Liverpool, since July last year An incident earlier this month saw young people fighting on the cricket field, some armed with hammers, during a junior coaching chairman Adam Lloyd said there was "no option" but to build a fence and block access to the ground. A 14-year-old boy from Maghull was arrested on suspicion of affray and possessing class B drug cannabis and a weapon in a public place after the fight on 2 May. Merseyside Police said he had been released under investigation, while a 17-year-old had also been questioned over the fracas. A community meeting organised by the club heard how the violence had upset children and prompted some parents to consider not returning to training sessions over safety Lloyd said witnessing the fight had been "traumatising". "The kids had never seen anything like it before, some were crying", he said, adding the violence "had to stop".He said the club would seek funding to help with costs of building the fence, but he said he would much rather youngsters took an interest in the sport. The father-of-two said, "It's a family club – when I was a kid my Dad dragged me along to the cricket – his Dad was the same. I've got my kids playing cricket – we are all invested in this club because we love doing it." Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell went to the club meeting and said building the fence would help "design out crime".She said her office could also look at helping with the cost, but added there was a wider issue to address about engaging with the young people responsible for the anti-social behaviour. 'Threatening' Labour MP for Sefton Central Bill Esterson said the fight was a "real wake-up call", which was "disturbing and hugely upsetting for the children playing cricket". He said: "Thankfully the adults intervened and prevented something much worse from happening. "Goodness knows what would have happened if people had used the weapons they were carrying."The MP said cricket had been "a big part of his life", and he had seen the joy it could bring. He called for an intervention and more activities for young people, and said "maybe some of them can play cricket and football instead of threatening and fighting each other".Spurrell said: "A lot of these kids get pulled into this lifestyle and they are vulnerable themselves so how are we intervening? "We need to identify them, but then find out why are they getting involved in this activity and then can we get them involved in something more constructive." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- BBC News
Maghull cricket club fears antisocial youths are driving out members
Antisocial youths driving out members - cricket club Just now Share Save Sarah Spina-Matthews BBC News, Liverpool Share Save Maghull Cricket Club Young people brandishing hammers and stumps fought each other on the pitch A cricket club has said violence and antisocial behaviour it has faced has been "massively damaging" to its reputation and could see it lose members. Maghull Cricket Club, near Liverpool, has made about 25 police reports since July last year about people harassing players, setting off fireworks and vandalising its equipment. Neil Dutton, the club secretary, said an incident on Friday saw young people fighting on the cricket field - some armed with hammers - during a junior coaching session. Merseyside Police said a boy, 14, had been arrested. Mr Dutton told the BBC: "I had to speak to two parents straight away because their kids were that upset. "They were like, 'We don't want to come back'. "The fact that they might not want to play because they don't feel safe is absolutely devastating." Maghull Cricket Club The incident has sparked safety concerns among players and parents Mr Dutton, who has been involved with the club for 25 years, said: "It's not just kids strolling around and then doing it on the on a whim. It's like they're coming to the cricket club to cause trouble." He added that another club's planned match at the club this week was now in doubt over safety concerns. "I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if some kids did not come back, through no fault of ours, and I couldn't blame the parents either," he said. "It hurts our standing within the league we play in and it's not a good look for us or the community as a whole." Mr Dutton said he had been in discussions with the council about potential solutions, including fencing off the club's grounds from the nearby canal towpath. He asked for the community to help deter young people from frequenting the cricket ground. "There's loads of playing fields, there's loads of spaces to play football, if that's what they want to play," Mr Dutton said. "There's no reason for them to be at the cricket club if they're not taking part in the cricket activities, and that's what I'd like parents to be telling their kids." Merseyside Police said boy from Maghull had been arrested on suspicion of affray, possession of a weapon in a public place and possession of cannabis. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Fine the parents' after youths with 'knives and hammers' face off at cricket club
ECHO readers have called for tougher consequences for troublemakers - and hefty fines for parents - after a children's cricket match was interrupted by a gang of yobs. Around 50 youngsters at Maghull Cricket Club were forced to abandon their pitch yesterday, Friday, May 2, after a number of youths appeared "fighting and threatening each other with hammers, knives, a garden spade, and a stump". A statement posted to Maghull Cricket Club's Facebook page said: "Sadly, we must report to the people of Maghull another in a long list of disgraceful incidents that have blighted our club for several years. READ MORE: Man taken to hospital after dog attack READ MORE: Mum tells parents 'please listen' as she issues warning after son's 'most tragic' death "Tonight, during a junior section practice evening, a number of youths have congregated on our pitch and engaged in organised fighting, delaying the start of the session. "A short while later, more youths appeared, fighting and threatening each other with hammers, knives, a garden spade, and a stump stolen from our practice area. "The 50 or so youngsters practicing, aged between nine and 13, had to be escorted off the pitch by our coaches for their safety, some in tears." A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "It was reported that at around 7.30pm a large group of youths aged around 14 years had converged on to the club's field on Old Hall Lane, and some of the males were carrying weapons and began fighting amongst themselves. They then made off towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. No injuries have been reported. "Officers attended and following a search of the area detained a number of youths. They were stop searched and no weapons were found on them." Chief Inspector Sean Harrison said: "A number of youths were detained and no weapons were found in their possession. They were then taken home to their parents by officers." The decision to take the children home without punishment was met with some criticism from ECHO readers. Pauline Price said: "All angels in parents eyes. Would never be theirs. The parents need a fine, and the child needs something on police record." Annmarie Doyle said: "Taken home to parents... what a joke, how about taking them to jail, no wonder these feral rats think they rule the streets." Gwelda Simmons said: "Where has upbringing gone wrong with these children, because that's all they are." Michelle Jenkins said: "Good, take them home to their parents and explain what they DID do because many are deluded on what their kids get up to outside and never believe it and usually blame others. They need to accept responsibility." Danielle Lacey said: "Problem is, police get given more powers, but if they implement them or go too rough with these "little angels" everyone comes for the police can't win. Lock them up and ship them to the army to learn how to behave." Carlene Bell said: "The scary thing is it's the norm now, by the sounds of this, to fight with knives. I couldn't even imagine my 14-year-old thinking of doing that."
