Fantastic Plastic

I read with a degree of disbelief in the Falkirk Herald that we are having trouble getting players in on loan because some clubs are reluctant to let their players come to us because we play on an artificial pitch. While George Peat and his fellow cronies within the game bang on about streamlining the administration and removing the self interest that is undoubtedly rife throughout the various administrative boards, what hope is there for the game when attitudes like this persist? In case these people hadn’t heard, the professional game in Scotland, like most other industries is well and truly goosed. Any sort of innovation which will help sustain the game in this country should be embraced and encouraged, but no, all you hear is how the “plastic pitches” (a misnomer if ever there was one) are not what football should be about – the ball doesn’t bounce properly, the pitch causes injuries, the home team gets an unfair advantage etc. Yet, almost every single club who has installed one of these artificial pitches swears by it. For us, I presume, our revenue must have increased dramatically since the pitch was installed, not just from the ground share with East Stirling, which I presume we would not have entered in to if we still had a grass pitch (who can forget the state the pitch was in the season we shared with Falkirk?), but from the various other activities that take place on the pitch through the week. So, while it won’t be the difference between us challenging Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man Utd etc as the biggest club in the world, it should help us make ends meet.