Brunswick Juventus soccer club targeted by vandals

An inner-city sporting club has again been hit by vandals who have ripped up roller doors and broken windows while trying to break into clubrooms.

Vandals have again targeted an inner-city Melbourne sports club, ripping roller shutters and breaking windows while trying to break into clubrooms.

Brunswick Juventus soccer club president Dominic Montesano said the damage bill was more than $1000, disheartening the many volunteers who help run the Coburg-based club.

“It’s really disheartening...most of our funding comes through sponsors of local businesses and generating fundraising for us to operate and keep the opportunity for young boys and girls to be able to play soccer. This doesn’t help morale, ” he said.

Vandals destroyed roller shutters of the building of Brunswick Juventus while attempting to break in. Photo: supplied.

Vandals tried to break into the building by smashing windows. Photo: supplied.

Mr Montesano said this was not the first time the DeChene Reserve club has been targeted by vandals, with offenders spraying graffiti and attempting to break into the club several times in the past couple of years.

CCTV footage obtained by the Herald Sun shows an unknown man and woman approaching the building on Monday about 8pm.

The unknown man and woman who were caught on CCTV camera. Photo: supplied.

The man then uses what seems like a makeshift crowbar to rip off the roller shutters.

The man, wearing a white t-shirt and black hoodie, attempts to break the glass window before leaving the premises.

The unknown man used a makeshift crowbar to rip off roller shutters and break the window.

The unknown man walks past windows and a door.

Merri-bek city councillor Oscar Yildiz said it was “sad” to see “brazen” vandals attack local sporting clubs already struggling for funding.

“These attacks are really concerning and alarming to me, especially because sporting clubs are doing pretty tough. Having someone do this is very insensitive, brazen, and gutsy. They’re very courageous thieves,” he said.

Mr Yildiz said opportunistic thugs behind attacks on sporting clubs instilled fear in the community.

“When thieves steal something from a club, they’re actually stealing it from the community because those clubs are about supporting the community,” he said.

“The ramifications of attacks like this create fear amongst the community; it’s like an invasion. We don’t want players or their families going into training or to a soccer game fearing that later that night, someone might come in and break into the club...that club means a lot to the supporters and the players and their families.”

A Victoria Police spokesman said they were investigating the attempted burglary.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.