What a horrible incident. I suspect that such incidents are more commonplace than you think. Colin Laity (of Neath and Wales B fame) suffered a similar problem playing for my home town club against either Norfolk or North Walsham quite a few years back in N2S. Barnes, who alternate between N2S and LSE3 seem to see no problem with playing on a pitch that is frequently fertilised by a flock of geese. Further down the pyramid as shared pitches become more commonplace, problems that stem from an inability to control access must get worse. My club Redruth RFC own their own ground (in practical terms) and despite full perimeter fences, face a constant struggle with irresponsible dog owners and cider drinking teenagers. Ultimately, home clubs have a responsibility to provide a safe playing surface for the game to take place upon. Once a problem like this is known about, a club that fails to take sufficient action to deal with the problem (whatever that may be) is playing fast and loose with the safety of their players and opponents and are running the risk of being held liable for their reckless behavior.
