One or more cars skidded around, plowed up the grass and made deep and muddy tracks on the football pitches of four sports teams in Nord-Odal and Sør-Odal this weekend. Kenny Holen, who is the leader of the football group in Nord-Odal, was called by someone who lives right next to the football pitch on Sunday morning. He said that someone had destroyed the track with a car during the night. – It looks as if someone has had a wish to turn the football track into a rallycross track, says Holen. DEEP TRACKS: The car wheels have plowed away the grass and dug into the track at the Myra stadium in Nord-Odal. Photo: Kenny Holen/Geir Mellemløkken – Lack of something between the ears Holen thinks of the children and young people who don’t get to kick a football, and of the volunteers who have put in thousands of hours mowing the grass and keeping the facility in order. The leader of the Slåstad sports club, Erland Nordsetmoen, was told by some elk hunters who drove past the football pitch on Sunday morning. – It’s sad, quite simply, that people don’t have better sense than to engage in such nonsense. There is something missing between the ears of those who do that, he says. IN THE RING: On the football pitch of Slåstad sports club, they have been driving round and round on one half of the pitch. Photo: Erland Nordsetmoen It was the Glåmdalen newspaper that wrote about the vandalism first. The police are investigating. It is the football fields of Nord-Odal IL, Slåstad IL, Sander IL and Galterud IL that have been affected. All the tracks were destroyed on the night of Sunday. The vandalism agency has been notified to the police, but not formally reported yet. Police attorney Christine Lundstein at the police in Kongsvinger says they have received some inquiries and been sent some photos. – We are working on obtaining information and documentation, she says. Lundstein characterizes the vandalism as very unfortunate. – It has a lot to say for the sports clubs, she says. Major damage It will cost several hundreds of thousands of kroner to repair the damage, just on the football field in Nord-Odal. – We have to start all over again, says sporting director Kenny Holen. EXPENSIVE: Kenny Holen in Nord-Odal IL says they have to start all over again and that it will cost many hundreds of thousands to repair the track. Photo: Kenny Holen/Geir Mellemløkken He says that the track must be plowed up with a tractor. Then they have to go in with excavators and straighten out. Maybe they need to top up with more mass. Then they have to hire someone who can sow grass. The sports teams do not know where to get the money from. – We have to look at some solutions to get the track repaired. Absolutely. But it is clear that it is a large cost that may go beyond other things that children and young people in the village could benefit from, says Holen.
ttn-69
Four football pitches in Odalen destroyed by driving – the vandalism has been reported to the police – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
