Tough playing conditions

Westside Panthers president Tony Martin discovered the burnt out remains of a vehicle on the oval earlier this week and admits the club has become frustrated by the ongoing damage to the ground since moving back to their spiritual home last year.

"There's been ongoing issues with people in cars doing circlework, we put a fence in but there wasn't a lock on it so they came back a second time," Martin said.

"Then someone has got in between the childcare centre and the guide hall and done circlework on both fields and then left the car there burnt out."

The Panthers returned to Pioneer last year to train and are getting ready currently to up the ante during their pre-season training for the 2015 season.

Martin said he has been pleased with the work council has done and the help they have offered but he fears if it continues to happen then council will be unable to continue repairing the ground so regularly.

Wes Giddings, Dubbo City Council Sporting Facilities Manager, admitted his own organisation has been disappointed by the ongoing destruction of the ground and said he felt for Martin and Westside club after all their hard work.

"It's frustrating from our point of view but more so for them, they've put in a great effort there and put up a fence to try and stop this kind of activity and Tony (Martin) is very active there out putting down some top dressing on the ground but unfortunately the last two weeks there's been more incidents on the ground," he said.

"It's frustrating to work with sporting groups and see the work they put in and then certain people come along and do these acts of vandalism."

Giddings hoped the construction of a fence all the way around now would stop vehicles being able to enter the ground but he did admit if problems continued then the possible installation of security cameras would become an option.

The Westside Panthers haven't been the only club affected by the Pioneer Park damage with the Dubbo Hockey Association office also broken into in recent weeks while Council's sprinklers and sprays have been damaged or stolen as well.

"It was 1.30 in the morning when they smashed a glass panel in the door to the office," Dubbo Hockey Association president Simon Callaghan said.

"The place was ransacked, they were obviously looking for cash but there was nothing taken, they were clearly just looking for it but we don't keep any cash or alcohol or anything of value in there."

Callaghan said the break-in at the Hockey Association office had been reported to the police and the Hockey Association, which already has six foot high chain-link fences topped with barbs around their facility, was looking at the possibility of more screens and security cameras.

"It's a cost to us but it's also a cost to the community," Giddings said from a council perspective.

"The sprays cost about $50 each so that cost and the manpower could be used elsewhere, there's a couple of thousand dollars that could be spent somewhere else that needs it to help the community."

The damage by vehicles in recent weeks has been even more severe due to rain making the ground even softer but Martin said his club won't give in and will continue to train at the ground.

"It's frustrating for us and council as well but we're not moving," he said.

"We're going to keep working and keep liaising with council, who have been good so far, so hopefully we can keep getting things repaired and then we could reach a point when it won't happen anymore."