Sour Milk, Straddle or side step The Art of Line Marking - The Apprentice Groundsman

Friday saw the pitch being marked out by Ian at the Abbey Stadium. See photographs taken by Alan Burge

The pitch is marked out before matches. See below some facts about marking out lines and some further general information

• when Ian first started marking out pitches he would use a chalk solution or sour milk which smelt badly

• he had to decide if his action was to straddle the line or to be a side walker to prevent leaving footprints along the line.

• it takes a container and half of marking fluid to mark out the pitch each time it is done

• a heavy dew or rain can completly wash away the solution

• the pitch has to be marked out regularly to avoid the original lines being lost completed and having to commence again from the start

• the centre circle should line up with the six yard boxes.

• string is used to ensure the lines are straight

• Law now bans the use of lime and creosote.

• The application is added using a Transfer Wheel Marker. A reasonable amount of grass cover is required to produce a good line. They  do not produce good lines when the ground conditions are very wet and muddy. A problem can also arise if loose grass clippings are picked up by the marker wheel.

CFU purchased the line marker being used in January 2015 see the photo below of the marker and new lawn mower being presented at the time