Councillors call on Sheffield United to let Crookes community use boarded up sports centre

The Star, Sheffield

Derek Dooley Sports and Community Centre has been closed since the pandemic. Councillors in Crookes want to see the space, owned by Sheffield United, used by the community once more.

Transcript

00:00 Hi, I'm Kirstie at the Sheffield Star and I'm here today in Crookes.

00:05 So this is the Derek Dooley Community Sports Centre and this area is managed by Sheffield

00:10 United Community Foundation.

00:13 So since Covid this area has been primarily out of use.

00:17 To my left there is a building, it used to be the gym, it's boarded up, it has unfortunately

00:23 been vandalised, it's got graffiti on it, but it is believed that this could be a real

00:28 asset to the community.

00:30 So we've spoken to some of the councillors in Crookes to find out a little bit about

00:34 the future of this area and they have tried to have some discussion through the council

00:41 with Sheffield United to find out what's happening, but it appears that communication has been

00:46 a little bit slow.

00:47 We're not sure what's happening at the moment with Sheffield United who own the ground and

00:54 what kind of future they have in mind for it.

00:57 So we've been asking questions as local councillors about what might happen in the future, whether

01:01 we might be able to get it re-established as a community use ground.

01:07 So we've got grassroots football organisations that are interested in using this and would

01:11 be booking it if it was available right now.

01:14 So we're really keen to get it back if we can.

01:18 So as you can see behind me there is a sign tied to the fence which reads that you must

01:22 have express written permission from Sheffield United in order to use this space.

01:28 Now some residents of the community have approached the star with some concerns about this, that

01:33 Sheffield United may be trying to prevent children from entering this area to play football

01:38 in an area that we don't have in Crookes.

01:41 I know Crookes isn't unique in this but there are so few spaces for young people, whether

01:47 that's teenagers or adults, we fund as the council a youth club at Wesley Hall but that's

01:54 one youth club every week.

01:57 I think places like this need to exist and need to be built and sustained by actors like

02:03 our football clubs.

02:06 I really hope Sheffield United will work with us to try and see something like that because

02:09 it would be incredible to have.

02:10 [wind]

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