Plastic pitches could be banned in Scottish Premiership next season as Neil Doncaster leads 'grass only' vote

Plastic pitches could be banned in the Scottish Premiership before the start of next season, according to a report.

The Daily Record claims SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster is leading talks over the possibility of scrapping astroturf surfaces from Scotland's top-flight, with clubs expected to hold further discussions in the New Year ahead of making a final decision.

It's believed a 'grass only' vote will be proposed to all 12 Premiership teams this term, with Livingston and Kilmarnock the only two impacted sides who have all-weather pitches in their stadiums. Both clubs would be granted time to complete the necessary renovation work to install grass if Doncaster's plan is given the go-ahead.

Kilmarnock chairman Billy Bowie has already confirmed the club's plans to rip up Rugby Park's 3G surface during the 2025/26 season, but that timeframe could change drastically. Meanwhile, Livingston have yet to make an announcement regarding their pitch at the Tony Macaroni Arena, which fell victim to the wintry conditions on Saturday as their home clash with Ross County was postponed due to a frozen surface despite using covers and sprinkling 200 kilos of salt across the park.

Manager David Martindale has recently admitted he would be keen to see a grass pitch back at Almondvale, but only if the club receive strong financial backing from the SPFL to make the change. He stated: "I'd rather have a grass park and if the authorities want to give us a couple of million then we'll have one with undersoil heating and a separate training ground.

"Realistically, it'd cost us between £2m-£3m. We're paying for VAR and energy costs have increased. Overall, we're handing out £300,000-£400,000 extra and our incoming revenue doesn't match that. It'll be give or 10 years before we can be where Kilmarnock are now. We're the only team in the Premiership that doesn't own their stadium - the only licence we own is the one from the SFA - and since returning to the Premiership in 2018 we've spent £600,000 upgrading the ground." Supporters and senior figures in Scottish football have expressed their frustration over synthetic pitches in recent years, but 11 of the 12 top-flight clubs must vote in favour.