SPFL BOSSES are discussing a ‘lay and play’ option with the three Premiership clubs who’ll have artificial surfaces in the coming season.
Kilmarnock and promoted pair Falkirk and Livingston all have to abandon synthetic surfaces before the 2026-27 season starts.
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But SPFL Director Operations Calum Beattie admits there are options available to the clubs, with whom they are in discussions.
However – as SunSport reported yesterday – Livingston were told they had to put down a new high-tech woven MX Elite surface as SPFL analysts told them there was “no chance” their current surface would pass the stringent tests held in the course of a season.
Falkirk were understood to be taking legal advice about the rules, but Beattie told BBC Sportsound: “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.
“We’ve appointed a pitch consultancy firm to work with each of the clubs that are looking to transition to grass.
“There are ‘lay and play’ options – as they do at Wembley, where you put down a new grass surface, you pull it up, you have a concert, you put it back down again.
“Do you need to take out all of the infrastructure that’s underneath the artificial pitch, or can you lay a grass pitch on top of it?
“The answers to those questions will very much depend on the infrastructure at each club, which is why a kind of one-size-fits-all approach is difficult.
“This isn’t about artificial pitches, it’s about standards across the league.
“There’s always been a recognition that the Premiership could and perhaps should have different standards to the rest of the league.
“In England, you’ve got to have a grass surface to get promoted into professional football. Right now, up until the vote last year, clearly you could have artificial surfaces in the Premiership.
“The league recognise the community benefits of artificial surfaces in Scotland.
“It’s whether or not they have a place at the top table of the game in Scotland.
“Last summer, eleven out of the 12 Premiership clubs voted to phase out artificial pitches.
“The board, to allow all clubs time to prepare, granted a two-year period of grace. We’re now going into Season 2 of that period of grace.
“The circumstances of the three clubs who will have them in the Premiership in the coming season are very different.
“We are engaging with each of those clubs about their plans going forward.
“Kilmarnock have announced they’re looking to go to grass next summer so I’m fully expecting this to be the last season where they have an artificial 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 have used it for a longer period of time.
“They’re back in the Premiership, and they’ll receive revenue from the Premiership this season which will help them with their plans going forward. We’re going through a process with them at the minute.
“And Livingston have put down a new artificial surface this summer, which came off the back of us doing a spot check there.
“It became clear their surface would not meet the testing required in the Premiership, because there’s a higher bar applied for testing.
“The advice we received from the professional consultants we use was that there was no chance that that pitch was going to last a season in the Premiership, so they then had a decision to make.
“They’ve put down a new one and again, we’ll be engaging with them about their wider plans going forward.”
Beattie also defended the SPFL opening-weekend calendar which has attracted criticism because just one of the six fixtures is a 3pm Saturday kick-off – Kilmarnock’s game against Livi.
But both games involving Hibs and Dundee United – the latter Falkirk’s first Premiership fixture in 15 years – had to be moved to Sunday because of their Europa League and Conference League fixtures the previous midweek.
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Beattie added: “I’m delighted with the opening weekend.
“We’ve got four games live on Sky Sports, culminating with Derek McInnes’ first game in the dugout at Tynecastle against the Scottish Cup holders.
“We’re very aware of the traditional kick-off slot at 3pm, and we’re really keen to protect that. I would say we do that more than most European leagues.
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“We try to get the balance right when selling games, which brings in revenue for the league.
“The opening weekend is quite unique for us, because there’s an opportunity for Scottish football to be showcased across the world, because we’re one of the first leagues to start.”
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