20-02-2016, 10:53
Does what you read extend only to false headlines, because while Warburton said his personal opinion was they shouldn't be used in the top flight, I don't think he called for a ban at all.
I agree about the financial realities of the situation, and we're likely to see more rather than fewer plastic pitches in the top flight in future. His reasoning can't really be faulted though - if plastic pitches were as good as well conditioned grass pitches everyone would use them, and FIFA and UEFA wouldn't have to carry out regular inspections of them to make sure they're fit for purpose. People have moaned here about the state of pitches cutting up and how it affects play, particularly in the winter, for decades, and part of the reason for using AstroTurf is to mitigate that, but I don't think any of the clubs that use it would rather use it than a high quality grass pitch.
I also said at the time Waghorn's injury looked like a typical plastic pitch knock, so I'm of the opinion that that pitch did contribute to the injury. I've done the same thing on AstroTurf and you feel the impact hard. I've never hurt myself like that on grass. Admittedly some of it is probably due to the way you instinctively carry yourself when you land, expecting certain feedback from the surface but getting something different. The more you play on it the more you adapt, but while Rangers players do some of their training on plastic, it's more likely to be drills and passing exercises than diving into full blooded tackles and getting battered to the ground.
I agree about the financial realities of the situation, and we're likely to see more rather than fewer plastic pitches in the top flight in future. His reasoning can't really be faulted though - if plastic pitches were as good as well conditioned grass pitches everyone would use them, and FIFA and UEFA wouldn't have to carry out regular inspections of them to make sure they're fit for purpose. People have moaned here about the state of pitches cutting up and how it affects play, particularly in the winter, for decades, and part of the reason for using AstroTurf is to mitigate that, but I don't think any of the clubs that use it would rather use it than a high quality grass pitch.
I also said at the time Waghorn's injury looked like a typical plastic pitch knock, so I'm of the opinion that that pitch did contribute to the injury. I've done the same thing on AstroTurf and you feel the impact hard. I've never hurt myself like that on grass. Admittedly some of it is probably due to the way you instinctively carry yourself when you land, expecting certain feedback from the surface but getting something different. The more you play on it the more you adapt, but while Rangers players do some of their training on plastic, it's more likely to be drills and passing exercises than diving into full blooded tackles and getting battered to the ground.