A couple of weeks ago I made a comment that I wasn't seeing many interviews with any professional sports people saying they would prefer to play on artificial surfaces.

Well one cropped up this week - partly.

Simon Weaver, the manager of Harrogate Town FC of the National League North, told the Tamworth Herald a couple of days ago that grass pitches have actually been hampering how his team have been playing. The club are currently installing a 3G pitch in time for the start of next season.

Simon told the local paper, "When it comes to our pitch probably for eight months of the season it isn't great. It always goes down the middle and you end up having to play on the wings and even at times changing the whole way that you play with you having to design a plan for difficult pitches.

"I've been interested in finding out more about it [artificial surfaces] for a couple of years now. The quality of the surfaces have improved massively over the years.

"Sometimes little injuries suffered by players on the surfaces perhaps overshadowed how good they are. You only have to look at pitches like Maidstone, Sutton and a number of Scottish and Irish sides to see the benefits."

Simon, whose multi-millionaire father Irving Weaver owns the club, also spoke about the financial benefits which he sees coming from the installation. He is quoted as saying, "I am dealing with agents and players on a daily basis and the wage demands go up every year.

"I've always been interested in business and you either keep living like you are as a club or become a full business.

“It takes a lot to keep a business running but an investment like this can be pivotal.

"If myself or my dad were to move on then when it comes to selling the club it makes it a much more attractive proposition for the people coming in as they can see it as an income generator.

"For me you see some clubs spending twenty thousand a season seeding and preparing their pitch each summer.

"Although this is a big investment it is a logical move and the only real way to do it."

Being a life-long supporter of a non-league football team myself I have seen my fair share of dodgy and cut up pitches - which have of course at times affected how the game has been played. So Simon Weaver does have a point that his team's style of play will on occasion be dictated by the surface.

I have a feeling we will start to see more and more non-league clubs, who can afford it, moving down the artificial route. Yes, so their players have a more consistent surface to play on - but probably more importantly for the club owners, to have a surface which they believe won't cause so many fixture cancellations and which they will be able to generate additional income from by hiring it out to the local community.

Is this what the players and the fans want to see though? I suppose in the harsh reality of non-league football, anything which might help keep a club financially viable will be considered worth trying.