Birds back to haunt and taunt Saints
ST MARTIN’S are worried that extensive bird damage may again deny them use of their Blanche Pierre Lane pitch for another extended period.
Having spent thousands of pounds to remedy last season’s damage which closed the ground for many months from October, the FNB Priaulx League leaders have been looking on helplessly as the gulls return in search of grubs.
‘I imagine our pitch will be out of action again as birds have been attacking it all weekend,’ said club official Ben Hunter.
‘Its unplayable for the next week, at least,’ he added.
The ground has been in great order over the first two-and-a-half months of the season but Saints have been wary of the bird threat for a while and for several weeks no sooner have they finished games that various actions have been taken to scare them away, including placing training mannequins and other diversionary tactics.
But the birds have begun coming back in big numbers and even the sight of footballers training just a few yards away has not distracted them. ‘The cheek of the beggars,’ said one club coach who is fed up with the sight of them.
Quite why gulls target Blanche Pierre Lane, and leave many other sports ground alone, is something of a mystery. But the birds have been a headache at St Martin’s for two decades and each time there is prolonged inactivity it hurts the club financially.
