From BBC:
Scotland's professional footballers have voted Hamilton Academical's pitch as the worst in the country.
In a survey conducted by Professional Football Association Scotland, the Scottish Football Association and Sports Labs, League Two's Stirling Albion claimed the top spot.
Two of the three lowest-ranked were artificial pitches used by Premiership sides Hamilton and Kilmarnock.
Accies plan to lay a new surface this summer.
Throughout the season, players from all 42 professional sides rated each surface post-match with a score of one to five on an app called 'Pitch Rater'.
Top of the rankings was the pitch at Stirling Albion's Forthbank Stadium, ahead of Peterhead's Balmoor Stadium and the national stadium at Hampden.
"We want to have a proper debate about the level that artificial surfaces should be used," said PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart.
"The results of this survey say the players in the Premiership don't want to play on it.
League Two's Stirling Albion's pitch was voted best in Scotland's top four leagues"Of course, as you go down the leagues there is perhaps a place for them but we need to have regulation in place that means clubs are putting aside a sinking fund, money which means they can be replaced sooner because they do deteriorate.
"We need to open up a proper debate and club owners and decision-makers have to listen to what the players are saying.
"They have voted in numbers to say they don't like artificial surfaces and that is something that should be looked at."
Results 1 to 26 of 26
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04-06-2018 02:29 PM #1
beginning of the end for artificial pitches in the top flight ?
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04-06-2018 03:08 PM #2
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Alloa athelic have the worst pitch I’ve ever seen.. not fit for purpose..
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04-06-2018 03:19 PM #3
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I really hope so, its crazy they're allowed in the top flight
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04-06-2018 03:29 PM #4
I was treated a bout 3 years ago by a physio who was at Hampden about 2-3 years ago when they were discussing artificial surfaces and injuries. He was a bit coy but did agree when put the suggest it causes more injuries, but that the economics meant they would support artificial surfaces.
"We know the people who have invested so far are simple fans." Vladimir Romanov - Scotsman 10th December 2012
"Romanov was like a breath of fresh air - laced with cyanide." Me.
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04-06-2018 03:39 PM #5
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04-06-2018 03:42 PM #6This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-06-2018 04:49 PM #7
Admins..just noticed the Pitch ratings thread..might be worth merging..apologies for starting a new thread, I didn't notice the other one.
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04-06-2018 04:51 PM #8This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-06-2018 05:05 PM #9
The respondents to the survey were players. There are no responses from SFA or SPFL, or from club owners for that matter, in that article.
Players and fans can moan and greet all they want, but until dialogue with ruling bods, nothing will happen.
It will probably take a career ending injury, proved to have been brought about by the pitch, to get action. It's up to officials like Fraser Wishart to start the ball rolling on behalf of the players. He may well have done so, but brick walls are for banging your head against.
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04-06-2018 06:25 PM #10This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-06-2018 06:33 PM #11This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-06-2018 07:12 PM #12This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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04-06-2018 07:39 PM #13This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote"We know the people who have invested so far are simple fans." Vladimir Romanov - Scotsman 10th December 2012
"Romanov was like a breath of fresh air - laced with cyanide." Me.
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04-06-2018 08:14 PM #14This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I remember a lot of Celtc Fans were quite critical of it at the time, getting behind their Manager (I think) who criticized it for having the potential to cause serious injury.
A Celtc Fan of my acquaintance at the time wasn't happy with my reply to his rant about the pitch, that it was a bit hypocritical from a group of Fans that used to sing "Bobo's gonna get ya!"
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04-06-2018 09:22 PM #15
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Top pitch is Stirling-what kind of pitch?
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04-06-2018 09:38 PM #16
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Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk
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05-06-2018 12:56 AM #17This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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05-06-2018 06:40 AM #18This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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05-06-2018 06:42 AM #19
Artificial surfaces should be banned from the Premiership.
"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.' - Paulo Freire
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05-06-2018 06:48 AM #20
The problem isn’t the artificial pitches themselves, but more that clubs are seemingly allowed to install pitches of a lower grade and aren’t pressured by the SFA/SPFL to maintain them properly. The real top drawer 4G pitches as used in Russia and the like and at a few sites in the UK show hardly any difference to grass but obviously the cost of maintenance means the economic benefits are much reduced.
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05-06-2018 06:53 AM #21This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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05-06-2018 07:45 AM #22This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Football is for the fans, and 99% of football fans hate plastic pitches, and i'd say 100% of the players prefer grass.
As a spectator sport, games on plastic are not the same game, until such times as they are, they should not be allowed in my opinion.
I understand the financial aspect for these smaller teams, but Kilmarnock have one, Hamilton too. Whats stopping Hibs and Hearts next, or Dundee?
I dont want to watch football on the current quality 3G pitches, and i have not even mentioned the advantage they give to those who have them.
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05-06-2018 08:32 AM #23This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
"If we install a fairly cheap artificial pitch we can hire the ground out for concerts and other sports..we can sack the groundsman...we can make some money !"
-yes but the players will get injuries, the fans will hate it, the standard of football will be effected, good players will be reluctant to come and play here and other teams will think we are a Noddy club.
" Yes, but, no ,but...we can make money and have concerts and American football and lacrosse and stuff...does football and the fans really matter that much ? did I mention the money ?"
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05-06-2018 05:42 PM #25
We play on them from a young age over here, and it's not held any of the scandi countries back.
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06-06-2018 06:39 PM #26
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We had a pitch with a slope in it, and mid winter it could be a quagmire the same as most other pitches at the time.
The pitch that came out on top Motherwell, has a slope from one side to the other and dips into the bottom corner in front of the away stand, how can that be the best playing surface?
The injuries that happen don't just happen on plastic pitches, the same injuries happen on grass.
The main problem of grass over plastic will always be usability, away from match days and lack of maintenance throughout the season for the plastic pitch.
Hold a concert at the stadium with fans on the pitch, takes weeks to repair, while on plastic it remains playable.
Its all down to finance!!!
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