Chattanooga FC players won’t start scoring “golazos” until their season opener in May, but fans already have reason to celebrate.
That’s because Finley Stadium, home of Chattanooga FC since 2009, is installing new field turf and purchasing new equipment designed to allow Finley Stadium’s Davenport Field to be alternate between football-specific field markings and soccer-specific field markings starting this spring.
“This is a game-changer for sure, not just for the team, but also for the fans and the Chattanooga soccer community,” says Sean McDaniel, General Manager of Chattanooga FC.
The combination of football lines and soccer lines on the same field create a dizzying array of colors and field markings that players and spectators can find confusing and distracting.
So when the discussion arose between Finley Stadium, UTC, and Chattanooga FC to replace the ten-year-old field turf after 2013’s football season, consideration was given to Chattanooga FC and the possibility of a soccer-specific field. Soccer purists’ dreams became reality when the decision was made earlier this year to not only replace the entire 100,000 sq. ft. of aging field turf, but also to invest in a machine capable of transforming a football-lined field into a soccer-lined field, and vice versa.
Say hello to The Mantis, a paint hydro-extractor developed in Seattle and named for its insect-like appearance (think floor buffer meets stretch limo.) As Finley Stadium Venue manager Brian Wright explains, The Mantis is what makes the field transition possible. “It was originally developed to allow Century Link Field [home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the MLS’s Seattle Sounders] to change between football and soccer swiftly without allowing paint buildup or creating shadows.” Since both soccer and football lines will be permanently tufted into the new field turf, the lines will not actually be removed, but instead first covered by a clear coat of paint, then painted green to match the field color. To remove the paint, a remover solution is applied, and then The Mantis goes to work, extracting the green paint, while keeping the turf soft. This transformation process, according to Wright, takes 1-2 days and is completely water-based and environmentally friendly.
Potholes and general unevenness in the ten-year old turf necessitated the changes, and Wright adds the finished product will be “much more visually appealing to fans, players, recruits, etc.”
Aside from providing a purer experience for soccer players and fans, it will also open the door to Finley Stadium hosting soccer events and teams which require soccer-specific fields that are free of any other sport field markings. Many local soccer fans recall the record setting attendance mark of 13,081 at the US Women’s National Team soccer match against Sweden in 1997. The new world-class, soccer-specific turf will allow teams like US Soccer to compete in Chattanooga, bringing in revenue that would add to Finley Stadium’s already growing profit margin.
Wright expects the new turf to be ready in time for UTC’s Blue & Gold game on April 18. In the meantime, excitement about the dual-sport playing surface is mounting. “Having a true soccer field is going to add to CFC’s growing popularity and will further legitimatize the soccer scene in this soccer-crazed town,” according to McDaniel. And when asked how he feels about the new turf, Wright’s reply was short and sweet: “Can’t wait!”