Adelaide footy clubs fed up with being left in the dark: Hard-hearted thieves steal copper from oval’s lights

About 40 Adelaide sporting clubs have targeted over the past few months by cold-hearted criminals all after one thing, costing thousands of dollars and ending training. See the CCTV.

Players and volunteers at community sporting clubs across Adelaide’s west are being pushed to the brink by cold-hearted thieves disrupting their training and game-day schedules and costing thousands of dollars.

It’s estimated as many as 40 clubs have been targeted in recent months by robbers removing highly valuable copper cables from lighting on sports fields to sell as scrap for cash.

In one local council area alone, 19 clubs have been targeted this winter sports season.

Flinders Park Football Club has been hit five times, with the club’s sponsorship director, Jeff Dunn, describing the repeat thefts as being like “a dagger in the heart to us”.

While the repair and replacement cost is covered through their local council’s insurance policy, the club is required to pay an excess of $1000 each time it is targeted.

There are also added costs associated with hiring temporary, portable lighting towers – from $200 to $500.

The thefts have resulted in junior and senior players not being able to train, while night games have also been affected.

Flinders Park Football Club chairman John Cousins with frustrated players Jake Macro and Lachlan Fairly. The club has had to hire portable lights throughout this season after thieves have targeted copper from the oval’s light. Picture Dean Martin.

Club president Sam Snowdon said the criminal activity was “incredibly frustrating”.

“Like most not-for-profit community clubs, we make just enough money to keep the club running, and $5000 or $6000 is money we can use elsewhere such as buying footies, buying guernseys, updating equipment,” he said.

“It is a massive hit. We love this club and that’s why we volunteer, but this sort of thing makes it really tough.

“We all have full-time jobs and families and you really don’t want to have to deal with stuff like this when you are trying to work.

“But it’s not just our club. I can reel off a list of clubs from North Haven way down to Plympton that have also been hit by thieves.”

CCTV vision of the crime has been shared with police.

It’s the copper that runs from the lighting tower underground to a main pit, typically ranging in length from 20m to 75m, that is being stolen.

Flinders Park Football Club chairman John Cousins with players Jake Macro and Lachlan Fairly … the club is one of dozens targeted by thieves this winter sports season, seeking copper from oval lights, costing it thousands of dollars. Picture Dean Martin.

Charles Sturt Council, which has had 19 thefts, is so frustrated by the thefts that is moving to replace the copper cables with aluminium – despite copper being the “preferred cable for electricity supply”.

“The copper thefts are devastating to our clubs and to our community,” the council’s asset management general manager, Adrian Ralph, said.

“We need to replace the copper cable … to prevent further theft and disruption to our clubs.”

Originally published as Adelaide footy clubs fed up with being left in the dark: Hard-hearted thieves steal copper from oval’s lights