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WOODFORD GREEN: Police called after teenage pitch invasion

10:04am Wednesday 14th May 2008

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A GROUP of angry cricketers were forced to call the police after their pitch was invaded by a hundred-strong gang of rowdy teenagers.

Players at Woodford Green Cricket Club took action after the youngsters, many of them girls, brought their first match of the season to a halt by having a waterfight in the middle of the outfield.

The pitch invasion, on Saturday, May 10, held the game up for 20 minutes, before police arrived to disperse the group, some of whom then returned to the club in Woodford Green High Road to cause further disruption.

Even after the game started a crowd of girls began sunbathing on the pitch, forcing his fielders to dodge between them as they tried to retrieve the ball.

Club captain Chris Masters said: "It was a ridiculous situation. These kids were lying on the edge of the field, sunbathing, playing football and having waterfights, and our players had to run around them to get the ball.

"We had already called the police to get them off the pitch earlier on, when they refused to move away.

"One of our other teams had to call the police because of a similar incident on Wednesday, and we're getting a little fed up with it."

Mr Masters, of Pulteney Road, South Woodford, said the teenagers were lucky not to be hit by any stray shots during the game, which saw his side notch up 296 runs during a narrow six-wicket defeat to rivals, West Essex.

He said: "We certainly weren't aiming at the kids, but they were spread out all over the place, and could easily have been hit by the ball.

"I hope they get the message and stay away because if one of them gets hit in the head by a ball it could badly injure them."

A police spokesman confirmed officers had attended the scene to disperse the youngsters and that they would monitor the situation.

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Your Say YourEast London and West Essex Guardian Series

Mr Khalid, Walthamstow, says...
10:21am Wed 14 May 08

The schools in question namely Woodford County High, Trinity and Broadmead need to call an assembly and inform the naughty children not to do it again.

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mr Khalid, walthamstow says...
10:59am Wed 14 May 08

i donts nos why is scools let chidrans plays waters and runeded the crickets match becose the club crickets been longed times menys yaers and no showeded raspects for the parson want play matchs and is ok for the parsons to watcheded the games but no doeded the invations the piths and wasteded the policemans time chaseded the kid froms the pith? is beter let kids playeded the fihgt water inside the played gronds no?

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Abe Russe, Woodford Green says...
9:06pm Wed 14 May 08

There is plenty grass in the area for kids, unfortunately its unkempt and full of dog poo. The cricket ground is clean and maintained. Perhaps some of the other grass areas could be be brought up to the same standard.

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Chingford United Netball Team, E4 says...
9:07am Thu 15 May 08

Abe Russe wrote:
There is plenty grass in the area for kids, unfortunately its unkempt and full of dog poo. The cricket ground is clean and maintained. Perhaps some of the other grass areas could be be brought up to the same standard.
Excellent idea.

Maybe the cricket club could liase with the local schools and work in partnership to clean up the green.

Would anyone from the Cricket Club like to comment?

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Emma, WANSTEAD says...
9:37pm Thu 15 May 08

I do not agree with what these children have done but it brings to a point the lack of free space for our children to use. Why are so many parks closed and full of needles and beer can? what a waste just like the neglected park near Nightingale school.

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trinity pupil, loughton says...
11:52pm Thu 15 May 08

i go to trinity catholic high school, and i would just like to say we do not mean to cause any disruption to the little cricket match but it is not our fault. We have nowhere to socialise because after exams or just in general and to be honest we dont want to go sit in the long grass because there has been a few pupil injurys where the grass is too long to see a hole in the ground. If we had somewhere to socialise things like this would never happen. So do not blame the pupils but blame the schools and also blame boris jonson as there is nowhere to go. Also we apologise for any problems that have been caused.

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woodbridge boy, HoodFord says...
12:00am Fri 16 May 08

bruv we woodbridge is d ones 2 blame for dis all d trinity pupils do nuffin rong... we should be allowed 2 bun a grett after skl
big up ma ppl class of 03 x
lil- nugget

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Mr R.Swype, Woodford Green says...
1:49pm Fri 16 May 08

trinity pupil wrote:
i go to trinity catholic high school, and i would just like to say we do not mean to cause any disruption to the little cricket match but it is not our fault. We have nowhere to socialise because after exams or just in general and to be honest we dont want to go sit in the long grass because there has been a few pupil injurys where the grass is too long to see a hole in the ground. If we had somewhere to socialise things like this would never happen. So do not blame the pupils but blame the schools and also blame boris jonson as there is nowhere to go. Also we apologise for any problems that have been caused.
Grammar is obviously not important in Trinity. Didn't know Vicky Pollard was a Catholic.

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Mr Codgers, Snaresbrook says...
2:14pm Fri 16 May 08

woodbridge boy wrote:
bruv we woodbridge is d ones 2 blame for dis all d trinity pupils do nuffin rong... we should be allowed 2 bun a grett after skl big up ma ppl class of 03 x lil- nugget
Blow me! I understand Khalid more than this idiot!

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Dan G, Woodford says...
2:32pm Fri 16 May 08

Problem we have is that non of the kids have any respect. If you see a football game going on, you don't just go on the pitch and start playing your own game. at the end of the day were not complaining about spectators watching and respecting the game, but to actually be on the puitch is out of order. What made me laugh was when one of our players who is only 18 himself confronted about 25 of the youngters and they all got proper shook up and moved when he did. Perhaps we need to teach you a lesson next time you come and invade our pitch and put our cricket bats to good use.

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Feral Youth, says...
5:56pm Fri 16 May 08

ah, who cares about cricket man. i cant w8 till the next invasion!

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Woodbridge, Woodford says...
9:58pm Fri 16 May 08

'...pitch was invaded by a hundred-strong gang of rowdy teenagers'

Bit of an over-exaggeration?

If the other grass was kept ****-free then teenagers wouldn't have to 'invade' the cricket pitch.


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Mr A Zagikyan, E10 says...
2:48am Sun 18 May 08

In response to Mr R.Swype of Woodford Green. "Grammar is obviously not important in Trinity. Didn't know Vicky Pollard was a Catholic" What has being a Catholic got to do with the girl's obvious lack of Grammer. Surely the fault lies with your LEA, (thats local education authority) you ignorant old fool.

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mark b, woodford green says...
12:38pm Mon 19 May 08

invade the pitch all that will happen is you get a cricket ball to the head , or a bat and dont expect any help from anyone if were lucky 1 of you might die and then maybe you'll learn heres to hoping .

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mark b, woodford green says...
12:38pm Mon 19 May 08

invade the pitch all that will happen is you get a cricket ball to the head , or a bat and dont expect any help from anyone if were lucky 1 of you might die and then maybe you'll learn heres to hoping .

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Mr Khalid, Walthamstow says...
7:37pm Thu 22 May 08

Mr Codgers wrote:
woodbridge boy wrote:
bruv we woodbridge is d ones 2 blame for dis all d trinity pupils do nuffin rong... we should be allowed 2 bun a grett after skl big up ma ppl class of 03 x lil- nugget
Blow me! I understand Khalid more than this idiot!
no mr codgers i not sex you, dirty old man.

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