You may be familiar with the rock-and-a-hard-place situation which non-league Sutton Utd are currently facing. We discussed it on here a couple of months back, but things have moved on now.

Essentially the club who are going great guns in the National League, currently placed third after a 1-1 with Hartlepool on Saturday, are in a position that if they win promotion at the end of the season they will be forced to rip up the 3G pitch they play on. EFL rules clearly state that artificial pitches are not permissible in their league.

This is compounded by the fact that the National League has a new rule in place which imposes a double relegation on any club playing on 3G which finds itself in a promotion position at the end of the season but refuses to replace its 3G pitch with a natural grass pitch!

As discussed previously this is such an awful quandary for a club at this level to be placed into - however much one's natural inclination is to support the use of real turf playing surfaces. Sutton have always maintained that their 3G pitch has proved a valuable community resource and a successful revenue model.

However, the club has now come out saying that should promotion become a reality they will indeed remove their current surface and replace with a natural grass pitch at an estimated cost of £300,000.

Sutton chairman Bruce Elliott has said that it cost them £420,000 to install their 3G pitch in 2015. The club has been attempting to urge the EFL to change their rules, however that would require the backing of the majority of EFL clubs and Elliott says there is “no appetite” for that.

The Evening Standard quotes Elliott as saying, "It is frustrating because these pitches are clearly acceptable now. They have moved on from those pitches that came in at Luton and QPR many years ago. Technology has moved on. People are not using the same computer they were using 30 years ago and artificial surfaces have moved on with technology.

“It is frustrating that World Cup games can be played on them, as can European games, FA Cup matches but not games in League One or League Two.

“But you have to accept the rules. If we get promoted, we will have to take up our 3G pitch and replace it with grass.

“It would be a sad day because it has been brilliant for us but you always want to play at the best level you can and if we can get into the Football League for the first time in the club’s 120-year history then of course we will do.

“We believe 3G is the way forward, however, if we have to take what we see as a backwards step to move forward then needs must.”

Which is a very pragmatic approach by the club - but it must hurt them.

Most fans of non-league football dream of seeing their team compete in the Football League. So for Sutton to get within touching distance, I suppose they had no real choice but comply with the rules - however much of a financial burden it is on them.

Hopefully if it does come to fruition and the surface is replaced, the gamble will pay off for them. If however, down the line the club finds themselves in financial dire straits, as many clubs at this level have over recent years, some of the blame will surely have to be laid at the door of the EFL and their inflexible rules?