Inverness Caley Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson says football should be played on grass in top two divisions
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INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson says that grass pitches should be used at both Premiership and Championship level.
He believes football in Scotland's top two divisions should be played on grass rather than on artificial surfaces.
His views come after saying that artificial pitches gave an unfair advantage to the home team who are used to playing on the surface.
In the Championship, Airdrieonians and Raith Rovers, along with Premiership clubs Kilmarnock and Livingston play football on artificial surfaces.
However, Kilmarnock have announced plans to return to a grass surface in 2025.
Ferguson is not a fan of artificial pitches, saying he prefers for football to be played on grass.
He believes an artificial surface gives too much of an advantage to the home team who are used to playing on the pitch.
He believes in the top two division of Scottish football at least, grass pitches should be compulsory.
"I don't think football should be played on a plastic pitch as it gives so much of an advantage.
"If you're training and playing on a plastic pitch every day and you have a game on Saturday, it gives an unbelievable advantage. I noticed that against Airdrie.
"That is not taking anything away from anybody else and you have injuries to contend with. I get the financial part of it, but the divisions like the Premiership and Championship, if you can get a grass pitch you should, football is played on grass and too much of an advantage of a plastic pitch.
"It's an advantage, you are playing on a different surface, it has to be. What I saw at Airdrie, our players struggled with the speed of the pitch, if you are not training on that, come across it once or twice in the whole season, it is a disadvantage.
"I would prefer football on grass. Playing in the top flight in Scotland having a plastic pitch, I get it if you are playing in Siberia because of the weather, but it has to be done on grass."
