The sad degeneration of the Verulam Recreation and Sports Ground

(The ditch in front of the soccer field goal mouth)

(The deterioration of the cricket practice nets) BY SUBRY GOVENDER The Verulam Sports and Recreation Ground used to be the mecca of most sporting activities in the early 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Local, inter-district and even provincial football and cricket fixtures, inter-school sports and other sporting fixtures used to take pride of place and be held with all the pomp and ceremony at this venue. On any weekday and especially at weekends, the Verulam Recreation was full activity with all types of sporting activities - especially football and cricket. The name Verulam Suburbs Footbal Club and its boss and manager, Balu Parekh, used to dominate the scene here at the Recreation Ground. Other sports stars such as Raymond Raghaveloo, Vasu Chetty, Bullet Moodley, Vadi Subrayen, Deva Naidoo and scores of others (whose names miss me now) also gained their prominence and stardom at the Verualm Recreation and Sports Grounds.

(Holes in the soccer field) But now 20 years into our new non-racial and democratic South Africa, the Verulam Recreation Ground complex has become discrepit and fallen into decay. The situation has degenerated to such an extent that there are no more local or inter-district football fixtures for juniors and seniors taking place here any more. In fact the Verulam Football Association(VFA) has become all but defunct. On Friday, March 7 I took a drive to the Verulam Recreation Sports Ground just to "see for myself".

(More deterioration of soccer field) What I found was shocking and disheartening. At the entrance, where there's paved parking for cars, grass was overgrown and litter was thrown everywhere. The place looked discrepit and uninviting. There was more disgust and disillusionment when I walked into the grounds inside the stadium. Once again the grass was overgrown on the soccer field and around the areas outside the main unmarked field. There were mounds of sand and deep holes in several places of the soccer field. There was also a huge ditch at the goal mouth at the north end of the soccer field. It didn't look like a soccer pitch at all. It was more like a grazing ground for goats and cows.

(Mr Leon Martha Narainsamy pointing out the deterioration)

The adjoining cricket field was just as bad. Although it seemed someone had mowed the cricket field, the grass was still overgrown and the area outside the cricket field was also overgrown and unkept. The cricket pitch itself was also overgrown with grass and there was no indication that the pitch was being attended to. An aspirant golfer, who was using the cricket pitch to hit some balls, informed me that he had lost several balls on the field where it appeared to be mowed. "The conditions are demotivating," he said. The cricket practice nets were also in a state of disrepair. Uncut grass in and around the practice nets and the wire fencing appeared to be slowly deteriorating. Despite this deterioration there were a few boys trying to get some practice in the nets. I asked one of the older boys why they were not complaining about the state of the nets and the grounds in general? "What can we do, Sir? Who do we complain to? Nobody listens! The politicians and officials are not interested in maintaining and improving the facilities here," said the young man.

I walked back to the soccer pitch where two groups of players were busy preparing for a match. They were seniors involved in the KZN Teachers Sports Association Soccer League. "This place is in a very very poor and sad state," said Mr Leon Martha Narainsamy, an executive official of the once dynamic Verulam Football Association. "We have taken up the issue of the deterioration of this sports complex with the municipality but they don't seem to care. "The conditions have degenerated to such an extent that young people are no longer interested in playing soccer. It's for this reason we don't have any local junior and senior clubs in Verulam any more. "The situation is bleak. The municipality is only interested in collecting the exhorbitant rates it charges us but is not interested in ensuring that the sports facilities are maintained and renovated," he said.

(Dr Jaya Virrana) Another person involved with the teachers' game was Dr Jaya Virrana of Tongaat. "Verulam is not the only place where sporting facilities are neglected and allowed to generate. Tongaat also has a similar problem," he said. "I don't know what is going on but there seems to be a 'don't care attitude'. It's because of this attitude by the authorities that very few people are promoting sports among the children. "You have some children kicking the football around here but there's no one to promote them. It's all because the powers that be have failed to maintain and look after our sporting facilities. "At one time Verulam and other grounds were 'spic and span'. But now they have just gone to the dogs. I don't know what the future will be for children who are keen on soccer and other sports."

(The overgrown grass at the entrance to the grounds) The atmosphere here at the Verulam Recreation Ground complex is also intimidating. Very few people visit here on their own. There have been several hold-ups and cars stolen and people generally fear to frequent the sports ground area alone. What has happened to such a historical and famous sports complex? A local resident, Mr Reggie Naidoo, does not pull any punches. "It seems the Recreation Ground area reflects what is generally happening in the central business district of Verulam," he said. "Fear, lawlessness, chaos, deterioration, filth and degeneration has replaced a once law-abiding, beautiful and functioning local town. "I am not surprised at what has happened to our famous sports grounds."