'I hate them with a passion': Robinson wants plastic pitches banned from top flight

Stephen Robinson would back a ban on plastic pitches in the Scottish Premiership and said it would raise the standards and reputation of the game.

The St Mirren boss revealed that he “hates” artificial surfaces “with a passion” amid reports that the SPFL could be considering making grass pitches mandatory in the top flight.

Kilmarnock and Livingston are the only two clubs in the 12-team Premiership that currently use artificial grass at their home stadiums.

Killie have revealed their intentions to replace the pitch at Rugby Park within the next two years

But earlier this week David Martindale said Livi would face substantial costs that would impact their women’s and youth teams if any ban was to come into effect.

On Friday Robinson insisted that while he can understand why they would be used in the lower leagues he doesn’t think there should be a place for them in the top flight and said a ban would be “fantastic news”.

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 Premiership, I think yeah 100%, it’s the same in Northern Ireland there’s a lot of investment in kids’ football and with the weather we suffer from in Scotland and Northern Ireland it makes total sense at the lower levels.

“In the Premiership, I don’t think it should be in the top league, it shouldn’t be in the top league at all. I think for a spectacle and across the world, we should, in terms of the football we are trying to play and to raise the standards of Scottish football, I don’t think they should be in our top league.

“So that would be absolutely fantastic news, but I think they should be kept in the lower leagues because financially it can be a lifeblood for clubs.”

Though it has been reported that a ban on artificial surfaces in the top flight is to be introduced, STV understands that while the subject has been an ongoing topic between clubs for a number of months, commissioning a report into the subject has been put forward as an idea.

St Mirren are looking to halt a three-match losing run, with only one win their last seven games, when they host Ross County in Paisley this weekend.