Award-winning groundsman Scott Tingley has confirmed he is joining German giants Borussia Dortmund as Head of Grounds after announcing his Watford departure a fortnight ago.
The Watford Observer was told at the time that Tingley had been rewarded for producing an exemplary Vicarage Road surface for a decade with a big job offer - and he has now revealed he is heading to Dortmund.
The departure of the grounds manager has been accompanied by two more members of ground staff leaving the club this summer, with assistant head groundsman Jonathan Blakie and another groundsman George Starling also on their way.
All of the departees are taking up new roles elsewhere.
Charlie Lewis is the one remaining of the previously four-man Vicarage Road grounds team, with the club now advertising for two new members of staff to join the club and attempt to maintain what has been one of the most impressive pitches in the country.
Tingley headed a team that won the EFL's Grounds Team of the Season prize for the Championship in May 2025.
And the stunning pitch dates back to the Hornets' time in the Premier League, when they also won the award for the Premier League Grounds Team of the Season at the highest level in 2017/18.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pep Guardiola were among the stars Tingley received praise from during the club's time at the top level, while the quality of the surface has been maintained even as the team has gone backwards in recent seasons.
The departing groundsman told fan podcast Do Not Scratch Your Eyes last year: "We get praise every week, to be honest.
"Most times it comes from coaches but it can come from players, weirdly quite high-profile players will be the ones who talk to us personally.
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one who was very complimentary.
So my time at Watford FC has come to an end, I’d like to thank everyone who I have worked with for helping me through this journey the last 4 years! I’ve made some of the memories and learnt so much along the way. It’s created me as a person and Looking forward to what’s next! pic.twitter.com/LCRpMx4NFk
— george starling (@GeorgeStars29) July 17, 2026
"Pep Guardiola was one that would always send a message out to us every time Manchester City played at Vicarage Road. I guess he was quite grateful for what he had received.
"Mark Noble came out and I think his words were, 'Groundsman, f***ing amazing'. I take a lot of pride from that.
"They're the people who use your product and your job is to provide a pitch for professional footballers.
"If they're going to compliment you, that means you're doing it right."
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