Latest news with #artificialpitches
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Premiership pitch debate 'about standards & criteria'
Requiring clubs to have grass pitches in the Scottish Premiership "is about standards and criteria", says SPFL chief operating officer Calum Beattie. Top-flight clubs voted to phase out artificial surfaces in time for the 2026-27 season. Advertisement Kilmarnock have announced plans to return to grass at Rugby Park in time for that deadline, while promoted sides Falkirk and Livingston have recently put down new synthetic pitches. Beattie says the league will "engage" with Falkirk, Livingston and Kilmarnock over their long-term plans. And he said on BBC Sportsound: "This debate isn't just about artificial pitches, this is about standards and criteria across the league. "In England, you've got to have a grass surface in League Two to get promoted into professional football. "The league recognises the place for artificial surfaces in the game in Scotland, the community benefits are clear. Advertisement "It's whether or not they have a place at the top table of the game in Scotland and that is where the debate has gathered pace over the last couple of years." Responding to a question over whether there had been any legal challenge from Falkirk about the rules on pitches, Beattie explained: "There's been no legal challenge because we're working with them about what we can do to help them address the challenges they've got with their surface. "I've got real sympathy for Falkirk. They put down their artificial pitch in full compliance with the rules at the time and they had a legitimate expectation that they could've used that for a longer period of time. "Livingston, clearly put down a new artificial surface this summer. That came off the back of us doing a spot check at Livingston. It became clear that their surface would not meet the testing that is required in the Premiership. Advertisement "Livingston didn't have a choice for this season. In the Premiership, there's already a higher bar that's applied for testing and that is every Premiership club with an artificial surface has got to pass spot checks unannounced at three points during the season. "They then had a decision to make. They had permission to use an artificial pitch this coming season. From our perspective, grass would've been the preferred option. "But Livingston, rightly from their perspective, had the option to put down a new one and we'll be engaging with them about their wider plans going forward."
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Premiership pitch debate 'about standards & criteria'
Requiring clubs to have grass pitches in the Scottish Premiership "is about standards and criteria", says SPFL chief operating officer Calum clubs voted to phase out artificial surfaces in time for the 2026-27 have announced plans to return to grass at Rugby Park in time for that deadline, while promoted sides Falkirk and Livingston have recently put down new synthetic says the league will "engage" with Falkirk, Livingston and Kilmarnock over their long-term he said on BBC Sportsound: "This debate isn't just about artificial pitches, this is about standards and criteria across the league."In England, you've got to have a grass surface in League Two to get promoted into professional football."The league recognises the place for artificial surfaces in the game in Scotland, the community benefits are clear."It's whether or not they have a place at the top table of the game in Scotland and that is where the debate has gathered pace over the last couple of years."Responding to a question over whether there had been any legal challenge from Falkirk about the rules on pitches, Beattie explained: "There's been no legal challenge because we're working with them about what we can do to help them address the challenges they've got with their surface."I've got real sympathy for Falkirk. They put down their artificial pitch in full compliance with the rules at the time and they had a legitimate expectation that they could've used that for a longer period of time."Livingston, clearly put down a new artificial surface this summer. That came off the back of us doing a spot check at Livingston. It became clear that their surface would not meet the testing that is required in the Premiership."Livingston didn't have a choice for this season. In the Premiership, there's already a higher bar that's applied for testing and that is every Premiership club with an artificial surface has got to pass spot checks unannounced at three points during the season."They then had a decision to make. They had permission to use an artificial pitch this coming season. From our perspective, grass would've been the preferred option. "But Livingston, rightly from their perspective, had the option to put down a new one and we'll be engaging with them about their wider plans going forward."
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Artificial football pitches: Why are they hated and are they bad for health and environment?
Artificial football pitches - made primarily of plastic - have several significant drawbacks that make them widely unpopular at elite level. Though the surfaces have improved dramatically since the 1980s, there is a perception of increased risk of injury, plus an impact on a team's style of play and - more broadly - the environment. Artificial pitches tend to be harder than real grass, which can increase the risk of injury to players. Turning is made harder on the knees and ankles by the tougher ground, and falls can lead to heavier, more damaging impacts. In 2022, then Roma manager Jose Mourinho blamed the surface after defender Gianluca Mancini was injured during a Europa Conference League match with Bodo/Glimt. Tottenham visit the Norwegian side in the Europa League on Thursday. "The thing that worries me the most is the injury for Mancini," Mourinho said after a 2-1 defeat. "It's something caused by playing on plastic turf." Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has also gone public with his criticism of artificial surfaces. Speaking after a Champions League defeat by Young Boys in 2021, he told TNT Sport: "These pitches, they shouldn't be possible. It's dangerous. It's hard to turn on. "It's artificial grass... you can't turn properly... it's not good for the knees." Despite the criticism from those playing and managing on the surfaces, research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, external concluded there was no evidence of a greater risk of injury on artificial turf when compared with natural grass. However, the pitches can lead to differences in the way the ball moves, typically rendering play slower because of increased friction. Teams who usually play on grass pitches can have their style of play badly compromised when travelling to face a team with an artificial surface.
