More than 40 dog feces were spread over the weekend along the length of the pitch of a cricket field being installed at Doxey Park by the City of Manteca.

It came on the heels of social media postings that ran the gamut from calling for Mayor Gary Singh to resign for allowing a cricket field to be created in the park to racist innuendos dealing with those that play the game that’s birth is rooted firmly in the 16th century during Saxon or Norman times in what is now southeast England.

Councilman Mike Morowit denounced both the vandalism and racist postings stressing “there is no justification for either.”

Morowit, who represents District 4 where the cricket field is being placed, was the elected official who led the effort to secure the additional recreation  amenity for Manteca’s growing and diverse community of 90,000.

The dog feces, that were only on the pitch and were spread about, were likely dumped there using a bucket or other container.

“It’s wrong and unacceptable,” noted City Manager Toni Lundgren.

Some of the online animosity — as well as face-to-face feedback council members have received in the past few days — is rooted not in racism, but the belief the city is squeezing soccer players out of the park.

It also reflected displeasure that input wasn’t sought from the community as a whole and that the council made their decision based on the request of “one group” of people.

City officials Monday confirmed the reason why Doxey Park was recommended to the council for a cricket field after elected leaders decided to add one, was that Parks & Recreation hadn’t had the space formally requested to be reserved for soccer play for close to two years.

Several people indicated there “is soccer played” every weekend and that people “bring ice chests with them to enjoy themselves.”

Besides the fact that drinking beer or any alcohol beverages is  prohibited in neighborhood parks and in community parks except by permit, city officials note a number other parks have areas reserved by request or a drop-by basis for informal soccer games and practices.

Lundgren noted the city “has 68 other parks” many of which are available for impromptu soccer matches.

She added the city works diligently with organized soccer groups to provide fields for organized games but at the same time there is a need to provide a more variety of offerings to serve interests in recreational sports activities that go beyond  baseball, soccer and softball.

Initially, when soccer groups started pushing for dedicated city fields instead of just unlined grass areas more than 30 years ago, they were met with resistance from baseball and softball enthusiasts that were worried neighborhood parks with backstops would no longer be accessible for their sport.

“It’s a growing sport,” Morowit said. “A lot of people play it.”

Morowit noted the city has fielded a number of requests for cricket fields in recent years as have other nearby cities including Lathrop, Mountain House, and Stockton that have added them  to meet the growing demand.

The councilman believes Manteca should expand its recreational amenities.

Morowit said the city already has facilities for baseball, softball, soccer, football, basketball and tennis and needs to add more as well as the city grows.

But at the same time he believes facilities should be added for other recreational sports.

It was the reason behind converting the Center Street tennis courts for pickleball and decisions to add a second skate park, an interactive water play feature using recycled water at Woodward Park, and lighted basketball courts at Woodward Park over the coming year.

And it is why the city is requiring new neighborhood parks developers are putting in place that can be accessed by the entire community to include features such as a disc golf course and other recreational amenities that are not simply duplicates of what can be found in existing municipal parks.

Singh, for his part, said the city will proceed with completing the cricket field.

The mayor is hoping to christen it with a  game made up of Manteca firefighters police officers coached and officiated by current cricket enthusiasts.

The sport is being added to the Summer Olympics when the 2028 games are hosted in Los Angeles,

Cricket is the world’s second largest participatory sport behind soccer.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com