From the Premier League to the Sunday leagues, football clubs up and down the country share one ongoing battle – how to keep their pitches irrigated and in tip-top condition for optimum player performance. For smaller clubs however, such major financial undertakings may be as much a dream as a successful run all the way to the final of the FA Cup. That’s not to say there isn’t an alternative – a water solution that will help to both improve the pitch and save money in the longer term – as East Grinstead Town Football Club (EGTFC) has found out.
Recently, thanks to support from the Football Foundation and Mid Sussex District Council, it invested in a major pitch improvement project which has seen the installation of new drainage and an automated irrigation system and, thanks to donations, the club also invested in the installation of a borehole.
“Installing a borehole has worked very well. It is already helping us save on our mains water costs and gives us control of our water supply. Not only have we been able to switch off the mains water supply to the sprinklers, but it also means we no longer need to use precious drinking water to irrigate the pitch. And, because the borehole is permanently connected to our irrigation system, we can programme the sprinklers remotely via smartphone rather than having to be on site. Having a top-quality pitch will help us attract better players and we’ll be able to offer the pitch to our youth teams more often. Our aim is to have the best grass pitch in the area.”
Richard Tramontin, EGTFC Chairman
