Artificial pitches

[Donegal Hibby]

Last night Livingston's game was called off one hour before kickoff ( which left fans furious) with there all weather pitch falling victim to the weather. McCoist heavily criticised kilmarnock's pitch in a article I read saying ' it's rubbish, just rubbish and in his opinion top flight football should only be played on grass. Is McCoist not moving with the times or is he right on this ? Are there less pros than cons with plastic pitches in our game and does it give the teams that have them any advantage over teams that don't? Have me own views on this but am interested in hearing what everyone else thinks .

[OldEast]

For me I wouldn't allow any team in the top division to have an artificial pitch.

[CL0762]

Plastic pitches are awful.

I play 11s and it’s always on Astro. even though I’m not a professional athlete (no laughing) it takes me at least a day sometimes 2 to feel somewhere normal again and I’m nowhere near the level of intensity or cover as much distance as pros do.

[where'stheslope]

Does this mean that artificial pitches don't include underground drainage or heating?
I would have thought it would not have been removed when the grass pitch was removed!

[Green Man]

As Livi fans are always at pains to point out, it’s not an all weather pitch. Just because a pitch is made of artificial grass, it can still be frozen or flooded (when I used to play at Meadowbank, the Astro and 3G pitches were regularly closed in the winter).

I can see the positives and negatives of artificial pitches - the positives probably lie more at the grassroots level, where my son has a much better chance of his training going ahead on artificial rather than real grass. And his kit gets far less dirty on the 3G as well. For professional football I’m not so keen.

[McSwanky]

I still don't understand how humans can't construct something at least as good as grass, which has been naturally occurring for eons, to play football on. Surely it shouldn't be that difficult?

[where'stheslope]

Found this from 2019.
Artificial pitches: The good, the bad and the regulations - BBC Sport (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45903364)

[Rick Rude]

Can't help but think these pitches are mostly used now just to gain an advantage as they know teams that want to get the ball down and play will struggle to do so.

Shouldn't be allowed in the top league but Scottish football does like to reward anti football tactics.

[GreenCastle]

Livi get the pitch through the foundation therefore through grants and therefore don’t have to pay for it.

Basically more money to spend on team.

It’s a shambles and the worst part is for travelling fans wasting money.

[CMac1988]

Been saying it for years. There shouldn't be any artificial pitches used for competitive games in the top flight. Hybrids? Yes. Fully artificial... No.

Small bit of money put aside to help any team coming up who has one to replace it should be provisioned for. Can start by having the SPFL helping replace the ones we've got just now also.

[GreenCastle]

Been saying it for years. There shouldn't be any artificial pitches used for competitive games in the top flight. Hybrids? Yes. Fully artificial... No.

Small bit of money put aside to help any team coming up who has one to replace it should be provisioned for. Can start by having the SPFL helping replace the ones we've got just now also.

I’ve been saying not enough clubs spend money on infrastructure in Scottish football to improve it.

Killie and Livi pitches are used by community etc which is a positive but there should be criteria in top league what is expected or at worst you don’t get any extra funding if you don’t change.

Clubs worried they get relegated and then are stuck with a grass pitch - can’t see it changing sadly.

[heretoday]

Plastic pitches make for plastic football.

[Since452]

Plastic pitches make for plastic football.

And tinpot clubs

[Donegal Hibby]

I wouldn't be a great fan of artificial pitches and I do agree with McCoist that all top-flight clubs in Scotland should be playing on grass. When there's a game on TV with Livingston or Kilmarnock at home I often think it's abit embarrassing that two clubs in the premier league have two pitches that look like a badly worn carpet, I don't know how long both clubs have had these pitches but to me they both look well past being fit for playing on and has me wondering about the safety of the players on them also.

[chippy]

Can't help but think these pitches are mostly used now just to gain an advantage as they know teams that want to get the ball down and play will struggle to do so.

Shouldn't be allowed in the top league but Scottish football does like to reward anti football tactics.
I wouldn’t have them in the Championship either. Top 2 divisions however big they may become should just be natural grass

[overdrive]

I wouldn't be a great fan of artificial pitches and I do agree with McCoist that all top-flight clubs in Scotland should be playing on grass. When there's a game on TV with Livingston or Kilmarnock at home I often think it's abit embarrassing that two clubs in the premier league have two pitches that look like a badly worn carpet, I don't know how long both clubs have had these pitches but to me they both look well past being fit for playing on and has me wondering about the safety of the players on them also.

It was when the black rubber pellets flew up off the pitch everywhere at Livi. I was reminded of that the other week when we had a NFL game on (can't remember which game) and it was a similar thing. I thought "surely they aren't using the same crap carpet Livi have"

[Helensburghhibs]

It takes the piss that junior clubs can maintain grass pitches but full time clubs can't. It's nothing more than an attempt at a money grab

[Helensburghhibs]

As Livi fans are always at pains to point out, it’s not an all weather pitch. Just because a pitch is made of artificial grass, it can still be frozen or flooded (when I used to play at Meadowbank, the Astro and 3G pitches were regularly closed in the winter).

I can see the positives and negatives of artificial pitches - the positives probably lie more at the grassroots level, where my son has a much better chance of his training going ahead on artificial rather than real grass. And his kit gets far less dirty on the 3G as well. For professional football I’m not so keen.

The indefensible part is livis pitch has been called off on several occasions when the school 5 mins away manage to keep theirs playable.

[Onceinawhile]

The indefensible part is livis pitch has been called off on several occasions when the school 5 mins away manage to keep theirs playable.

Well, training was off at St Margaret's last night, so does that mean it's OK now?

[Gatecrasher]

The thing that gets me is that it's not even that bad outside, we had snow about 3 or 4 days ago but it was just a dusting. no excuse for the game being off last night. I was just a normal January night.

[Onceinawhile]

The thing that gets me is that it's not even that bad outside, we had snow about 3 or 4 days ago but it was just a dusting. no excuse for the game being off last night. I was just a normal January night.

It has been -3 in West lothian all week, barely getting above 0.

Most 3g pitches are unplayable. Certainly the one at bathgate xcite and academy, as well as St Margaret's in livingston.

[Gatecrasher]

It has been -3 in West lothian all week, barely getting above 0.

Most 3g pitches are unplayable. Certainly the one at bathgate xcite and academy, as well as St Margaret's in livingston.

Those temps are quite normal for Livingston/West Lothian at this time of year, we're talking about a so called professional football club here, no your local gym.

If they can't be played on in these temps then the arguement for binning them is only strengthened.

[Onceinawhile]

Those temps are quite normal for Livingston/West Lothian at this time of year, we're talking about a so called professional football club here, no your local gym.

What do you want them to do? They can't make it warmer just because they're a football team.

[Gatecrasher]

What do you want them to do? They can't make it warmer just because they're a football team.

Have a pitch that's suited to the weather in the country? Or is that too much common sense for Scottish Football?

[Onceinawhile]

Have a pitch that's suited to the weather in the country? Or is that too much common sense for Scottish Football?

Dundee have postponed 3 games in a week.

Should we ban grass pitches?

[Gatecrasher]

Dundee have postponed 3 games in a week.

Should we ban grass pitches?

And they have been rightly given pelters for it. They didn't even switch their underground heating on.

[basehibby]

For me I wouldn't allow any team in the top division to have an artificial pitch.

THis 100% - as well as looking hideous and thereby detracting from the actual spectacle of watching a game, they provide an unfair financial and sporting advantage compared to clubs that invest in maintaining a proper grass pitch.

They are horrible - ban them from the top flight asap!

[Helensburghhibs]

Dundee have postponed 3 games in a week.

Should we ban grass pitches?

If Dundee were in the premiership their game would be on as u dersoil heating would be a requirement..

[Onceinawhile]

If Dundee were in the premiership their game would be on as u dersoil heating would be a requirement..

They have undersoil heating.

[Carheenlea]

I’ve seen lots of games on plastic pitches over the years, and haven’t seen what could be described as a very good game on one yet.

Ticket prices to attend games on plastic pitches should be at least half the price to that of games played on a grass pitch.

[Bridge hibs]

Anyone remember Dunfermlines tiled disaster of a pitch that was endorsed by Platini

Even funnier when the hibs fan done a ‘Klinsman’ and shed a layer of skin in the process 🫣

[Jones28]

They’re a joke. Awful for the environment as well.

[Helensburghhibs]

They have undersoil heating.

They do but under no obligation to use it in the championship and chose not to for financial reasons

[truehibernian]

Anyone remember Dunfermlines tiled disaster of a pitch that was endorsed by Platini

Even funnier when the hibs fan done a ‘Klinsman’ and shed a layer of skin in the process 🫣

I was out the night before they officially unveiled it and Ian Rush was up to promote it - ended up talking about Peter Cormack whilst standing next to him in Mood nightclub toilets 😂 felt like an episode of Quantum Leap minus ziggy 😂

[Jones28]

They do but under no obligation to use it in the championship and chose not to for financial reasons

That’s so ****ing tin pot.

[Green Man]

Anyone remember Dunfermlines tiled disaster of a pitch that was endorsed by Platini

Even funnier when the hibs fan done a ‘Klinsman’ and shed a layer of skin in the process 🫣

I played on it a couple of times as they used to hire it out. I did one slide tackle on it, that was enough to teach me not to do any more :greengrin

[McSwanky]

I played on it a couple of times as they used to hire it out. I did one slide tackle on it, that was enough to teach me not to do any more :greengrinI played on that too, thought it was fairly decent. But then again I was well used to playing 5 a side at Porty Pitz so I'm pretty sure I'd lost all feeling in my knees by that point. Still near the scars.

[Sylar]

I'm not a fan of these pitches, but can fully understand why Livingston put one in - the land the stadium was built on was a bog - in a floodplain. When it was grass, it used to flood frequently and they had a spell of multiple games being called off in sequence the season before they installed it. I don't think they've had a game called off for a waterlogged pitch since (happy to be corrected) but these things still freeze (hence there being no such thing as an artificial pitch!).

Livi and their pitch aren't to blame for the other night though - the referee who inspected it at 3pm said it was playable despite protestation from both Liam Fox and David Martindale who said it didn't seem playable. The temperature was only ever going to go one way from 3pm, so it should have been called off at that point - SPFL should be reimbursing fans for the late call off as it's their cock-up.

[Callum_62]

They’re a joke. Awful for the environment as well.I do wonder about that point

What do clubs who have grass pitches do with there grass, that's being cut with a petrol machine?

I'm not sure the environmental point will be as clear cut as you would initially think

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[The dalmeny]

Dundee have postponed 3 games in a week.

Should we ban grass pitches?

That chose not to switch it on because it wasn't "financially viable"

[Helensburghhibs]

I'm not a fan of these pitches, but can fully understand why Livingston put one in - the land the stadium was built on was a bog - in a floodplain. When it was grass, it used to flood frequently and they had a spell of multiple games being called off in sequence the season before they installed it. I don't think they've had a game called off for a waterlogged pitch since (happy to be corrected) but these things still freeze (hence there being no such thing as an artificial pitch!).

Livi and their pitch aren't to blame for the other night though - the referee who inspected it at 3pm said it was playable despite protestation from both Liam Fox and David Martindale who said it didn't seem playable. The temperature was only ever going to go one way from 3pm, so it should have been called off at that point - SPFL should be reimbursing fans for the late call off as it's their cock-up.

https://news.stv.tv/sport/livingston-vs-aberdeen-match-called-off-due-to-waterlogged-pitch?amp

[Donegal Hibby]

Livingston I think installed there plastic pitch in 2018 , and Martindale admitted in a good result over Celtic that it had been a advantage to them as Celtic weren't use to playing on it at one time. Kilmarnock I think installed there's 2014 but renewed it 2019 . Both look like 4 or 5 years is too long a period for these pitches as they look unfit for playing on. Don't think they should be allowed in the Scottish premier League to be honest , it also does probably give these clubs a slight advantage in games as well.

[Bridge hibs]

I played on it a couple of times as they used to hire it out. I did one slide tackle on it, that was enough to teach me not to do any more :greengrinOuch 😵 I read Dunfermline ripped up and sold the mats for £5 each with golf clubs bulk buying them and also locals to put in their gardens instead of turf 😀

[LunasBoots]

They’re a joke. Awful for the environment as well.

Heard there was some sort of court case in America due to the materials used being linked to cancer.