ANGE POSTECOGLOU has made his disapproval of plastic surfaces public ahead of Celtic’s trip to Kilmarnock. The boss understands why some clubs have the astroturf pitches but believes in Scotland’s top flight there shouldn’t be any.
Plastic pitches in Scotland are horrible to play on. The flow of the game is non-existent and encourages teams to play long-ball football.
The argument to remove plastic pitches from the top flight has always been simmering away, but with the Celtic boss’ latest comments it might be brought to the boil.
Expressing his disapproval, quoted by The Herald, Ange Postecoglou spoke out against plastic pitches and backed his statement up with evidence.
“I’ve experienced them in the past, I’ve experienced them at international level when I was national team boss – we had to go to certain countries where that was all they had.
“You understand the reasoning behind it, but do I like them? No. I think they change the game. Do I think the top league should have them? Preferably not, but I understand why there are there and while they are there you have just got to deal with them.
“There’s enough evidence around the world that some nations went that way, the Dutch certainly did, and they are understanding and reverting back to grass pitches because it’s just more of a natural game.
“As much the artificial pitches try to replicate what happens on a grass pitch, it’s a different game. That’s my preference, I don’t like them, I don’t think it’s as good a spectacle for the supporters, which is really the ultimate business we are in, but I can understand why clubs have them. There are financial considerations that thankfully our club doesn’t have to deal with. Others do, and that’s why they make those decisions.”
It’s unlikely we’ll ever see a change in Scottish football; it wouldn’t be voted through at the moment.
Celtic’s Toughest Away Days
Celtic always struggles when they go to the Tony Macaroni and Rugby Park; it’s because they are stopped from playing their football because the standard of the surfaces is that poor.
However, it’s something that Celtic will just have to put up with. There are some plastic pitches at Lennoxtown, albeit of a better quality, that the Bhoys can prepare on.
It could have been voted on last season when only one club had an artificial surface (Livingston). That would have been enough for the required 11-1 vote