Brendan Rodgers pleads with SPFL Premiership to DITCH plastic pitches as Celtic boss insists grass is always greener

Brendan Rodgers has called for grass pitches to be one of the minimum standards for playing in the Scottish Premiership.

His Celtic were less than fantastic on the plastic earlier this season as Kilmarnock dumped them out of the Viaplay Cup. The champions return to Ayrshire this Sunday and Rodgers hopes it will be the last time they have to contend with an artificial surface there. Kilmarnock owner Billy Bowie has submitted plans for a new training ground, which could see them ditch the astro and return to a grass park in time for the start of the 2024/25 season.

Depending on whether Killie finish in the top six or not, that could mean that Sunday's clash will be last between the two that isn't on grass at Rugby Park for Rodgers and his team. Livingston are the only other top flight club with a plastic pitch but Davie Martindale insists it would simply cost the Lions too much to get rid of it. However, Rodgers is keen to make grass mandatory if you want to play at the top level in this country.

"It's a constant conversation," he said. "It's clear that every coach would want to play, I'm pretty sure, on a grass pitch. The sooner that is the possibility up here then the better it would be for everyone.

"I understand the economics of it all and what it would mean for some clubs, but there should be a certain level or a certain standard of which every team, if you are playing in the top flight, should have a grass pitch."

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson left no-one 9n any doubt over how he feels about 5G. He said: “I hate them, I hate them with a passion, I understand why clubs use them and understand the financial implications that you’re able to use the pitch all year round.

“I think the lower clubs, outside the