Skip to content

Stirling Albion win title for best pitch in Scotland

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Stirling Albion groundsman Graeme Glen - who has been named Groundsman of the Year - says the club installing an artificial pitch would 'horrify' him

Stirling Albion are today celebrating being named as the best club in Scotland - for the quality of their pitch.

The League Two side came out on top after a study of the playing surfaces at all 42 of the Scottish football league sides, and Stirling groundsman Graeme Glen received the Groundsman of the Year award.

Hamilton's New Douglas Park pitch has been branded as the worst in the country, with visiting players clearly not enjoying the plastic pitch.

Motherwell are unhappy are two penalty decisions which against them in their games with Celtic
Image: Motherwell's Fir Park has the best pitch in the Premiership, according to the players

For once, both Celtic and Rangers found themselves way off the pace in the league table. Celtic Park was ranked 11th in the standings, while Ibrox was found to have the 14th best pitch.

Players were asked to rate the pitch after every away game on a specially commissioned app called PitchRater APP.

The study was a joint venture between PFA Scotland, the Scottish FA and Sports Lab, a company specialising in sports surface development and testing.

Peterhead came second in the study and Queen's Park were third, meaning lower league clubs held all of the top three places.

Also See:

Motherwell were rated as having the best pitch in the Premiership.

Celtic fans hold aloft scarves ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group C football match between Celtic and Manchester City at Celtic Park
Image: Celtic are used to winning, but they only have the 11th best pitch in Scotland according to the study

Fraser Wishart, chief executive of PFA Scotland, said: "Too often players' views are overlooked within football. In this case alterations are made to pitches and different surfaces laid without any thought of, or consultation with, our members.

"It is often forgotten that the pitch is our members' place of work and for that reason we are delighted to partner in this ground-breaking research with Sports Labs and the Scottish FA."

The parties involved in the study will now sit down with the clubs to discuss recommendations to improve the standard of playing surfaces in Scotland.

World Cup Super 6
World Cup Super 6

Could you be the next Super 6 winner? Enter your predictions for free here.

Around Sky