Another week, another spat between the pro and anti artificial turf camps.

In actual fact I spotted more than one this week, as I noticed on Twitter a few groundsmen getting annoyed at the Non-League Paper for running an advert for artificial pitches - but none for natural ones. To be fair to the Non-League Paper I'm sure they would have been delighted to include as many natural turf adverts as anyone was prepared to pay for!

However, the main spat this past week was between PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart and the Scottish FA.

Fraser Wishart had called for the SFA to stop allowing clubs to install artificial pitches. He wants an official review into the pitches and said he was not aware of any medical research into the effects of players using synthetic pitches on a regular basis.

However the Scottish FA hit back at Wishart, accusing him of making "inaccurate and misleading" comments.

In a statement they said, "The Scottish FA is surprised by comments made by the PFA Scotland Chief Executive, Fraser Wishart, in relation to the Professional Player & Artificial Turf survey conducted in partnership in 2013.

"While most players, given the choice, said they would prefer to play on natural grass, it is inaccurate and misleading to say that “the vast majority [of players] wanted to avoid Astroturf”

"In actual fact, 42.5% of respondents supported the use of synthetic surfaces in competitive matches.

"In addition, 52% of respondents supported the use of synthetic surfaces for training on a regular basis.

"In relation to comments regarding artificial pitch standards, all 3G pitches require to be annually certified to FIFA’s highest test standard, 2 star, to satisfy SPFL rules on the use of artificial surfaces and the Scottish FA’s Club Licencing process.

"Furthermore, ‘FIFA 2 Star’ is currently in the process of being superseded by the new FIFA Quality Pro standard, meaning those pitches in operation in the senior game will require to meet even more stringent performance criteria in the future

"The SPFL have also implemented an innovative ‘spot-testing’ protocol to ensure these standards are maintained throughout the season – the only league in the world to do so.

"On the question of available research, a report in the British Medical Journal in 2010, entitled Risk of Injury on 3G Artificial Turf in Norwegian Professional Football, determined no significant difference in injury location, type or severity between turf types: 17.1 injuries per 1000 match hours on natural grass [NG] and 17.6 injuries per 1000 match hours on artificial turf [AT].

"A similar piece of research in 2007 - Comparison of the incidence, nature and cause of injuries sustained on grass and new generation artificial turf by male and female football players. Part 1: match injuries – again showed no major differences. However, the severity of non-season ending injuries was 7.1 days on AT versus 8.4 days on grass."

So quite a robust defence there by the Scottish FA. Whether this will satisfy Fraser Wishart, or indeed the traditional groundsman who doesn't even like to see adverts for artificial pitches in the paper, remains to be seen.