Hearts, Hibs and other clubs braced for major change to Scottish Premiership in coming years

Premiership clubs have voted in favour of phasing out the use of artificial pitches in the SPFL top flight (Pic: SNS) | SNS Group

Artificial pitches will soon be a thing of the past in the Scottish Premiership after SPFL clubs voted in favour of phasing out the ‘plastic’ surfaces.

A resolution seeking to phase out artificial pitches in the top flight was recently brought forward and issued to all Premiership clubs. The SPFL have today confirmed that resolution has passed.

However, they wont be going anywhere in time for the 2024/25 season as the SPFL board has granted a two-year period to allow clubs with an artificial pitch to plan for the phasing out. In a statement, the governing body said that this period of grace is in line with recommendations of the SPFL Competitions Working Group, which represents member clubs across the SPFL. 

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The statement continued: “The SPFL Board recently approved plans for a Premiership-wide project to work with a leading pitch consultancy firm, which is regularly used by UEFA, to improve the standards of grass pitches in the cinch Premiership. The SPFL will be engaging with Premiership clubs on this project ahead of the new season.”

Last season’s Scottish Premiership had Livingston and Kilmarnock both using artificial surfaces while several other clubs across the top four divisions also use ‘plastic’ surfaces. Earlier this month a joint statement from Raith Rovers, Falkirk, Hamilton Accies and Queen of the South described the plan to phase out artificial pitches as unfair and "fundamentally flawed".

They said: "Our view is that this decision is poorly thought through and we do not believe it is acceptable for just 12 clubs to make this decision," the clubs stated, claiming it threatens the solidarity achieved when the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League merged to create the SPFL.

"The costs associated with achieving the highest possible standard of grass pitches, year-round, could be more than £750,000 per annum, with a large percentage of this attributed to the electricity required to fuel grass growth lamps. It is therefore very difficult for the majority of Scottish clubs to achieve the highest possible standard of playing surface, as it is cost prohibitive.

"There's no question that a top-quality, Uefa-approved artificial surface is far superior, in every respect, than a sub-standard grass pitch, which we routinely see in the winter months of Scottish football."

However, those complaints seem to have had no bearing on the final decision to ban the surfaces in the top flight being voted through today.