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Artificial pitches WILL return after crucial FA vote
THE FA have won their battle to bring back artificial turf to the upper echelons of the English game after the Challenge Cup committee voted in favour of removing a 20-year ban on the surface in the FA Cup.
Express Sport revealed exclusively earlier this month that FA chairman Greg Dyke is fronting a move to embrace the technology in a country scarred by memories of the pioneering “plastic pitches” installed at Luton and QPR among others.
And as we revealed, their first target was their own competition unanimous support of the FA board has been enough to force through a rule change in their blue riband competition which means Premier League clubs could be forced to play ties on artificial turf as early as January.
FA general secretary Alex Horne said: “There was a very positive discussion at our recent board meeting about the use of 3G pitches in the FA Cup from the first round proper for next season.
“I welcome the FA Challenge Cup committee’s decision this week to endorse that view. The proposal will now go to the Professional Game Board meeting on March 20 for ratification.”
That caveat is little more than a rubber-stamping exercise. Four of the eight-man Professional Game Board are part of the main FA board who voted for the move in the first place. With Challenge Cup committee chairman Darren Eales also a member a majority have already played some part in the ‘yes’ vote.
Furthermore, the FA Cup ban on artificial pitches was seen as an important factor in Football League clubs voting against their reintroduction in 2012. The FA Conference is also currently “grass-only”.
Several clubs, though, including Wycombe Wanderers, Burnley and Torquay have expressed an interest recently in looking once again at the issue.