Southside Comets Football Club president Keiren O’Brien fed up with break-ins

A southside Cairns soccer club had been broken into for the eighth time in four years, according to its president.

The Southside Comets football club was broken into on Thursday night, with a group of people vandalising the clubhouse and canteen before damaging soccer equipment. Southside Comets president Keiren O'Brien and volunteer Jenni Mayo inspect the damage done while Queensland Police officers collected evidence. Picture: Brendan Radke

A southside Cairns soccer club had been broken into for the eighth time in four years, according to its president.

Southside Comets Football Club president Keiren O’Brien said the Walker Road Sporting Precinct in Edmonton was broken into on Thursday night, and was a “kick in the guts”.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” Mr O’Brien said.

“There were smashed windows and they broke into the canteen, they just smashed up whatever they could.

“All our club merchandise – jackets, jumpers, tracksuits – were strown all over the footpath.

“Plastic containers with our jerseys and uniforms were turned upside down, everything had been ransacked,” he added.

Picture: Brendan Radke

The club has increased their security after every incident with new cameras and alarm systems to no avail.

“No matter what we do to beef-up our security, things keep escalating,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Even with our new alarm system, strobe lighting and audible alarms ringing it looked like they were just walking around casually – like they owned the place,” he said.

He said the break-ins went against the community contributions of the club.

“We’ve got 200 new children playing soccer this year, we’re doing everything we can to get kids engaged with the community,” he said.

“It’s disappointing that all that good is being affected by a few bad apples.”

Picture: Brendan Radke

The extent of the damage from Thursday’s attack is not yet known, but Mr O’Brien said the impact on the club could be significant.

“Every year the cost of crime is being shouldered by a non-for-profit club, we put all our fundraising into education and providing resources and fields for the kids and this is just wasted money that we have to divert to repairs.”

He said community engagement was needed to combat crime in the area.

“I think everyone has to be diligent in reporting when we see these people up to no good,” he said.

“Make sure that we demand the right level of resources are put in place to stop this from happening.”

A Queensland Police spokesperson confirmed police were investigating the break in and initial investigation indicated a number of items were taken.

The spokesperson said no charges have been laid but urged anyone with information or footage of the event to contact police.

Originally published as Southside Comets Football Club president Keiren O’Brien fed up with break-ins