Derek Dooley Sports and Community Centre has been closed since the pandemic. Councillors in Crookes want to see the space, owned by Sheffield United, used by the community once more.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Hi, I'm Kirstie at the Sheffield Star and I'm here today in Crookes.
00:05 So this is the Derek Dooley Community Sports Centre and this area is managed by Sheffield
00:10 United Community Foundation.
00:13 So since Covid this area has been primarily out of use.
00:17 To my left there is a building, it used to be the gym, it's boarded up, it has unfortunately
00:23 been vandalised, it's got graffiti on it, but it is believed that this could be a real
00:28 asset to the community.
00:30 So we've spoken to some of the councillors in Crookes to find out a little bit about
00:34 the future of this area and they have tried to have some discussion through the council
00:41 with Sheffield United to find out what's happening, but it appears that communication has been
00:46 a little bit slow.
00:47 We're not sure what's happening at the moment with Sheffield United who own the ground and
00:54 what kind of future they have in mind for it.
00:57 So we've been asking questions as local councillors about what might happen in the future, whether
01:01 we might be able to get it re-established as a community use ground.
01:07 So we've got grassroots football organisations that are interested in using this and would
01:11 be booking it if it was available right now.
01:14 So we're really keen to get it back if we can.
01:18 So as you can see behind me there is a sign tied to the fence which reads that you must
01:22 have express written permission from Sheffield United in order to use this space.
01:28 Now some residents of the community have approached the star with some concerns about this, that
01:33 Sheffield United may be trying to prevent children from entering this area to play football
01:38 in an area that we don't have in Crookes.
01:41 I know Crookes isn't unique in this but there are so few spaces for young people, whether
01:47 that's teenagers or adults, we fund as the council a youth club at Wesley Hall but that's
01:54 one youth club every week.
01:57 I think places like this need to exist and need to be built and sustained by actors like
02:03 our football clubs.
02:06 I really hope Sheffield United will work with us to try and see something like that because
02:09 it would be incredible to have.
02:10 [wind]