Rangers manager Steven Gerrard calls for ‘dangerous’ plastic pitches to be removed from Scottish football

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard calls for ‘dangerous’ plastic pitches to be removed from Scottish football
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has backed the Premiership players who are calling for artificial pitches to be removed from the Scottish game.PFA Scotland, the players’ union, announced on Thursday that 100 per cent of players at nine Premiership clubs want plastic pitches to be banned.The nine clubs surveyed all play on grass, with the three not included – Hamilton, Kilmarnock and Livingston – all using artificial surfaces at their home stadiums.2

Killie’s Rugby Park home is one of three Premiership stadiums to use a synthetic surface

A petition calling for action over artificial pitches with the players’ signatures is expected to be sent to sent to the Scottish Professional Football League.Rangers suffered the negative consequences of playing on a plastic pitch earlier this season when Jamie Murphy, the winger, was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a knee ligament injury suffered at Kilmarnock.Gerrard criticised the synthetic surface in the wake of Rangers’ 3-1 defeat of Killie, and has echoed his sentiments today.In a press conference the former Liverpool captain said: “I agree with the majority of the players [on plastic pitches] in terms of trying to get them out of the game at elite levels. “I didn’t like playing on them, I think they are dangerous.“I believe the game would be in a better place if there were no plastic pitches.“I think the people that won’t agree to take them out of the game have to think about the players and player safety. We have had to adapt our player selection and recovery around plastic pitches.”2

Murphy, centre, has been ruled out until the summer with an injury suffered on a plastic pitch

Gerrard went on to negatively compare the Premiership’s stance on plastic pitches with other elite leagues across the world.“I respect the financial positions of clubs,” he continued, “but I believe that the people that run this league should do more to make sure the games are played on grass.“These games are broadcast worldwide. Every other elite league plays on grass so why shouldn’t Scotland.“Whether it be TV, the PFA, the SFA or bigger clubs trying to support others I would be all for that as I think at the top-level we should be on grass.”

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