TonyRice1872

There's no artificial pitches in England's 92 clubs, I think that if we don't regulate the quality of artificial pitches in Scotland and allowed poor standards to creep in (/continue to creep in), and if we didn't make them be replaced and maintained when they need to within the rules for example (because they need replaced every few years) - if we didn't regulate it properly like doesn't seem to be the scenario right now, surely talented players from the English leagues and beyond would be less likely to sign for a Scottish club if all of our leagues had some poor quality synthetic pitches which weren't regulated enough

PLAYERS’ union chief Fraser Wishart wants a block put on laying any more plastic pitches — until they are proven to be as fantastic as they’re claimed to be. At present, 12 of the 42 SPFL clubs have installed artificial surfaces. But many managers remain unconvinced by their safety and regularly leave out some of their players — including top scorers — when they visit certain grounds through fear of injury. Players have suffered injury on plastic parks Now PFA Scotland wants to find out if players are more likely to be crocked on plastic pitches as opposed to grass ones. In 2013, more than 700 players replied to a survey conducted by Wishart on behalf of the SFA. Most wanted to avoid artificial pitches — but the SFA kicked the results into the long grass. But with more clubs queueing up to install plastic surfaces as a money-raising venture, Wishart is demanding answers before they are given the go-ahead. He said: “We know artificial surfaces are here to stay. “They have been sanctioned by Fifa, they are in the laws of the game and they are used in the Champions League. “So it’s not as though we want to reverse that process. “But, while there’s a clamour at the top of the game for these surfaces to be rolled out everywhere, there are issues. “As things stand, a quarter of our clubs play on plastic pitches — but we would like the authorities to take stock and ensure they should all be of a similar standard. “It’s important the views of players and managers are listened to. “It is about achieving the best possible surfaces because, at the moment, the variance in quality is a cause for concern. “We’re not aware of any medical research that has been done and we believe that should be addressed. “Right now, no one can say that artificial surfaces cause more injuries to players or whether there are fewer problems than there are with grass. “As a union, we’d like this area to be examined. We already know that there are certain players who can’t play on plastic. “I know of one of our members who had to leave his club because he’s been told by his doctor that he can’t play or train on Astroturf. Consequently, we would like an official review to determine what the long-term effects of playing on these pitches will be.” Wishart also fears fans are being turned off by the quality of football being produced on shoddy surfaces, arguing that only the very best artificial pitches should be allowed. He added: “They already produce a different type of game because there is a different bounce. “Players tell us it’s harder to change direction and that it makes closing down opponents more difficult. “Artificial pitches wear out. If you use them for 80-100 hours per week, they need replaced in a few years. “I go to games all over Scotland and I can see some surfaces aren’t as good as they were three years ago. They are quicker and the ball doesn’t bounce like it used to. “We want to ensure the standards are as high as possible because there is a huge gap between the best and worst ones at present. “Clubs don’t install them to have a better surface on a Saturday. If that was the case, they wouldn’t be using it non-stop for the rest of the week. It’s about fundraising and we’re not against that, but these pitches need to be properly maintained.” The 92 league clubs in England are not allowed synthetic pitches and PFA liaison officer Stuart Lovell said: “We have always been concerned with performance, playability and safety. “It’s been suggested by someone at the SFA that clubs should install pitches which are IRB compliant. “But we know of at least one lower-league club which has an artificial surface without shock pads. “Players feel leggier and stamina becomes an issue on artificial pitches. “The energy that goes from your body into the pitch doesn’t come back from 3G. It’s like running on sand. “The manufacturers are trying to find ways around that and, if they can do that, they will receive far fewer critical comments. But the players are the experts here — not directors or club secretaries.”

http://www.<No links to this website>/sport/football/football-news/rangers-ace-david-templeton-ill-1480950#GmSmYWhVoBDezsl9.97 if you read that article it proves that you have a serious chance of getting injured on artificial pitches if you don't change the boot type you wear to play on them, that article basically hints that players themselves don't particularly fancy it either, (bar the 'any pitch is a pitch' people who only say that because their club have an artificial one) Maybe if the artificial pitches in Scotland were regulated to be consistent quality instead of being 3 different types Without taking the biscuit, for all we know Temps could have scored 100 Rangers goals by now if it wasn't for artificial pitches which started his injury crisis which has stopped him playing in more than 100 matches probably

I just pointed out mate, it's easy to say a footballer is made of wet paper. But no-one who says that about Temps even seen the long term injury that put Templeton out this time, for all we know a 200kg weight fell on him when he was benching it .. I think the only injury we have seen him get injured easily was 4 years ago in Div 3 when he first played on an artificial pitch and it looked like he twisted his ankle when no-one touched him, the artificial pitch was probably the reason he became injured from my memory as it seemed like his boot got caught in the pitch, and apparently the boots he was wearing weren't the perfect ones for that pitch and that's why the injury happened apparently, which was stated at the time from my memory. If that happened to him it could happen to anyone unlucky, it's not as if Rangers or Celtic or any team for that matter want to carry all different types of boots and all different styles of play and new training methods every few weeks etc. just to play on an artificial pitch when it could have been grass. That's not withstanding that there's also no consistency on what an 'artificial' pitch is (could it be made out of any felt lol...) , as the 3 ones in Scotland are different, they should at least be regulated to be a consistent type so it is always the same level of quality when they are artificial.

Templeton could probably run for longer and bench more than you, so I don't think it's him who's made of wet paper mate

Aye Falkirk's might be mate, but if you watch Warburton's presser, he states there isn't any consistency with artificial surfaces, and that the 3 ones in Scotland are actually different kinds of artificial surface altogether. With that in mind, it would be better in my opinion if they at least made it consistent.

Warburton has experience of actually living in America going by his Wikipedia "After leaving Enfield in 1985, Warburton later played for Isthmian League side Boreham Wood and also spent time playing in Charlotte and Chicago men's leagues while living in the United States.[6][10] Cruciate injuries ended his playing career.[11]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Warburton

Watching Warburton's honest comments regarding that it's bizarre to change it so significantly mid season actually makes me laugh because it's true

Well done Waggy, and Warburton. Both spoke with class. These pressers are so exciting and enthralling to watch every week, It's better than reading the paper for me. I would much rather wait and hear what MW says in the pressers and on here and the rangers official site

Newspapers and the SFA both make their wages already, without having to put an effort in to make themselves better, that's why mate The SFA seem to have gotten comfortable with the level Scottish Football reached in the 90's and just stopped improving and stopped moving with the times and got left behind

Weel done to everyone going - you know the Rangers are the only show in town when we take half or more of your stadium when we are the away team

Seen this on the internet, it sounds spot on

http://www.hmfckickback.co.uk/index.php?/topic/158160-rangers-not-happy-with-alloa/ the opinion of hertz fans on this, some of them see that Alloa are a club who do petty stuff like this but most of them seem like gonks who believe in the witchunt going by their opinions in that thread 'ha ha Any advantage against Rangers Alloa can get good on them" really off the mark - if that's the sort of gonks we have to deal with week in week out next season then heaven help us

The reason the SFA could have arranged it better (like the English FA did this season) is because the original cup ties this round should have been arranged a week earlier, so that this replay would have been this week, and could therefore have been broadcast because that wouldn't have coincided with Uefa CL broadcasting rules apparently

It's not a matter of if, it's a question of when. In my opinion there's no doubt the team can beat any Prem team, even this season, if our team fire on all cylinders considering all the talent we have even right now. Next season obviously we will have new signings and will instantly be a top 3 side from the first season in my opinion. I think the 2 Prem teams we have faced so far both tried the same defend then counter tactic and we showed in the 2nd game how much we have learned from that already. I think if they try to play attacking we will beat them doubtlessly, and we are learning how to beat the teams that park the bus against us every week.

Hopefully there is an available stream during the game, if not, you can check the live score in seconds on livescores dot com - or else check the match thread which people at the game will probably post in, and the club's official twitter account too for updates

I'd say the League is going to be wrapped up by us anyway, so the Scottish Cup could be just as important for us, as we still have a chance to win a treble this season (we're already in the Petrofac Cup final) and that would give us a chance in the Europa League too next season

It's a bit sad they resorted to this, we're going to beat them anyway If they want to waste cash and time doing that instead of training they can knock themselves out. Hopefully we wipe the floor with them and any other clubs considering this against us won't try it.

Bring Richard Gough in as the leader of a unified fan group and get rid of all these pesky meddling kids who try make themselves famous off of the clubs name

Calling himself a "professional sports broadcaster" oh my! Laugh Out Loud! - Sky and the cameramen, the IT bigwigs at Sky etc. broadcast the sports not you Stan - so that job title isn't even correct, you welt making himself sound like the face of Sky when in reality he's just there to make up the numbers for people who talk about the game - he doesn't even add a good contribution either in my opinion like Shearer or Lineker, so he isn't good at it in my opinion Would be funny if Shtan doesn't get anymore sports contracts and ended up having to work as a labourer or something in Glasgow, that would bring him down a peg & also make him stop thinking he's better than everyone as he's definitely not. Anybody who brought him on as a pundit would lose a viewer in me. Probably thousands of other people too.

Good point from a Bluenose, Hatchet men like Higginbottam also gave Oduwa a knock and stopped Oduwa getting much time for us, during Oduwas last month or 2 at Rangers... Once we're promoted good riddance to hatchet men.

Well done mate for pointing out, maybe we should make a thread for all the dodgy journalism that goes on, and every time something like that happens post the real stuff in there

Remember the Worldie goal Bale scored against Bartra? Where he used the entire width of the pitch to outrun and smoke him? Morton narrowed the pitch which will stop McKay from doing htat^ to them

Agree mate, halfway through a season against us is a bit dodgey to change it, there should be a 'window' each season, like the transfer window where that's the only time you can change pitch size, the SFA are probably not on the pulse with the rules regarding it if the cup draw is something to go by

Higginbottam has clearly embarrassed himself guys, he's had his 5 minutes of fame, good luck to him worrying about his deserved red card after we put them out the cup