The Adelaide kids who just want to play cricket: Eastern Suburbs Junior Cricket Club seeks new home

THESE young cricketers just want a pitch to call their own — something they haven’t had for two years since a rugby club took over their oval and removed the cricket pitch.

A JUNIOR cricket club that hoped to find a permanent home as part a new $5.3 million Glenunga sporting hub is in limbo after Burnside Council failed to offer it a space.

Eastern Suburbs Junior Cricket Club president Jim Tsouflidis expected the council would accommodate his club at Glenunga Hub after kicking it out of its former home in Linden Park in October 2013.

The 120-player club has not had a home base since the council handed the licence for Tregenza Oval to Old Collegians Rugby Club, which removed the cricket pitch.

It has since been training at a Stepney indoor cricket centre and playing at various grounds, including in Kensington Gardens and North Adelaide.

Mr Tsouflidis said he had been left out of negotiations about how the hub would be split.

Glenunga Cricket Club — which recently announced it would introduce junior teams for the first time — Glenunga Football Club, Old Ignatians Soccer Club and Eastern District Little Athletics had been guaranteed spots at Glenunga Hub.

“I want to know what’s going on with the use of the clubrooms instead of being an outsider,” Mr Tsouflidis said.

“We want to be able to use the clubrooms and nets.

“Now we’re a fourth-grade party — Glenunga (Cricket Club) has more rights than us.”

His club wanted a place to hang its honour board, store its equipment and occasionally hold functions.

“New clubrooms are being built and we’ve been telling our sponsors we’ll have new clubrooms,” Mr Tsouflidis said.

“Now all we can have is a flag in the middle of the clubrooms.”

Burnside chief executive Paul Deb said the council would “continue to work with both clubs” and he was “confident that both needs will be met”.

“(The) council is looking forward to welcoming all members of the community to the Glenunga Hub facility, when it opens its doors in December,” Mr Deb said.

“(The) council has committed to provide facilities and times to its existing sporting groups that are similar to their previous use, prior to the construction commencing.

“We look forward to junior cricket having a home at the hub and both clubs working together, in collaboration, to promote and provide healthy activities for young people in Burnside.”

Glenunga Cricket Club secretary said his club had no issue with Eastern Suburbs Junior Cricket Club playing or training at the oval.

He said the club had no control over who was allowed to be based at the hub.

The Multicultural Sports and Community Club, which was also based at Tregenza Oval, has also not found a new permanent home.