Landscape & Urban Design Issue 39 2019 | Page 28

GROUNDSKEEPING ECOLINE+ HITS THE MARK AT WATFORD FC Pitchmark’s Ecoline+ has become the the University College London The Pitchmark Hybrid overcomes line marking paint of choice for FA Union Shenley Sports grounds in St these problems with a three-wheeled Premier League club Watford FC. The Albans. Home to five full-size and spray design, which is easily demand for using a premium paint at two goalkeeping/warmup natural manoeuvred over wet lines. The the Vicarage Road stadium led to trials grass training pitches as well as a cone nozzles give perfect deep leaf last season, since when Pitchmark full-size artificial turf training pitch coverage, so you only need one pass. have been further developing Ecoline+. and fourteen college/academy natural Watford FC became the first to use the grass pitches, there’s a sizeable improved formula at the opening game amount of line marking required. In of the season against Brighton and the stadium only premium quality is Hove Albion in August this year. acceptable. Ecoline+ offered the ideal In 2018 Scott Tingley, Head Groundsman at Watford FC, set out on what was originally a cost exercise and to see if they could establish the use of one paint for all marking. “We were using top end paint for the stadium and bottom end for the other pitches,” he says, “we wanted to make it one paint but of course the cost had to be taken into account. We looked at Pitchmark and what we found different was their specialisation solely in line marking products.” The club had been using Pitchmark’s Direct at the Watford FC training ground and academy, located at 28 Landscape & Urban Design Issue 39 2019 all-round solution. Ecoline+ is one of the most advanced, low volume, ready- to-use line marking paints available, especially when used in combination with Pitchmark’s Eco and Hybrid markers and special nozzles. Scott says: “we trialled Ecoline+ and we had no issues, only benefits. We use a Pitchmark Hybrid marker which gives us the quality of a spray marker, without compromising the precision and quality of a transfer marker. “It’s easy to use, it feels like a normal wheel marker and you get premium quality.” Scott adds, “it’s quite complex though and needs looking after but if we have any issues Olly Boys, the Turfix rep, gives us second to none service and back-up.” (Turfix is Pitchmark’s recently formed sole UK distribution arm). Using advanced Ecoline+ Watford FC join the many examples of Ecoline+ premium line marking seen every week on TV from the best leagues in the world, including the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League. Fixture dependent, we can mark up to three times a week and with the traditional wheel to wheel and four- wheel spray markers you lose ground cover and it’s too easy to transfer paint.” Pitchmark is a British company based in Bristol +44 (0)1454 776666 www.pitchmark.com