Some clubs are using pub facilities during matches instead of booking changing rooms

The cost of booking both the pitches and changing facilities at the Dodder Valley Pavilion is causing issues for local clubs, with some clubs continuing to use facilities in a local pub during matches and training.

According to data from the council, who operate the pavilion changing and storage facilities for clubs, the Dodder Valley facility has been booked a total of 472 times in the last 12 months.

Up to 195 of these were pitch bookings, while 277 bookings were for the changing rooms.

Sharing the data in response to a question from Cllr Niamh Whelan (SF) at the Tallaght Area Committee meeting on October 28, the council said that of the 277 changing room bookings, 88 of these were bookings by Park Run and Park Tennis which “do not require use of the pitch”.

Under the booking system, the pitch and facilities can be booked together in one-hour blocks.

However, Cllr Whelan said this was presenting issues for clubs as they need access to the pavilion facilities both before and after training and matches, outside of these one-hour blocks.

“What’s come to light is that they’re not actually using the pavilions, particularly because if you have a match, you’ve got half an hour beforehand warming up, and then 15-20 minutes after, that you would need [the changing rooms] for as well.

“Club have said to me that they can’t afford to pay more for the pitch, it would double the price for them to be booking the pavilion as well.”

Cllr Whelan said she is trying to “tease out” a more flexible booking system for the pavilions with the council.

“If they can extend it so if you’re booking a pitch for an hour, you get to use the pavilion say for two hours, and you might cross over with another team that’s finished the hour before you, but that it’s kind of a fluid thing that is resulting for the period of time that matches are on,” she explained.

One club she has been engaging with told her that their members still cross the road to use facilities in Ahernes Pub in Oldbawn.

“It’s a great facility, it’s great that the council have put it in there, but if we have that there to not be used, what’s the point having it there?”

Cllr Whelan said she would continue to engage with clubs and the council over clarity for the booking system and looking for figures on how “many times the actual pavilion has been booked”.

“I don’t know if it’s a booking issue, there might be an error in communication around the way it’s booked, or whatever, I’m trying to tease out with them,” she said.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme