Source: Team_Talk
McGhee urges artificial pitch boycott
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee thinks clubs should refuse to play on artificial surfaces as he blamed Alloa's pitch for Fraser Fyvie's knee injury.[LNB] The 17-year-old looks certain to miss the rest of the season after suffering cruciate ligament damage during Aberdeen's 3-0 Co-operative Insurance Cup win at Alloa on Tuesday.[LNB]McGhee blamed the artificial pitch for the injury and three others to his players, which proved to be minor, and feels the surface is not conducive to competitive football.[LNB]"I think it was avoidable," said McGhee, whose Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders host Kilmarnock tomorrow.[LNB]"He wouldn't have had that injury if he hadn't played on that pitch and we shouldn't be asked to play on it.[LNB]"This is my personal view, we are still establishing how we feel as a club, but players like Fraser who play with such power, when they change direction it's very difficult to do that on that surface.[LNB]"They are great surfaces for training purposes, passing the ball, but for dynamic movement it's a dangerous surface.[LNB]"When we train at the Aberdeen village, it's a great facility, but we still have players who have had previous injuries which prevent them from training.[LNB]"I left Peter Pawlett out the other night - he wasn't injured, he simply can't play on that surface. We were handicapped by not being able to play these players on that surface."[LNB]Artificial surfaces are banned in the SPL but several other clubs in the Scottish Football League, such as Stenhousemuir and Airdrie, also play on artificial surfaces.[LNB]And McGhee wants his club to protest to the authorities if they are drawn away against such a side in the future.[LNB]The Dons boss said: "What I'm going to advocate, and this is my own personal position, is that we should contact the authorities and protest that we don't think we should be asked to play on these pitches.[LNB]"If necessary, seek support from other clubs and take it forward that way.[LNB]"I'm not making any unilateral statement but it has to be considered."[LNB]McGhee rejected suggestions that Fyvie contributed to his own injury by wearing boots with blades against advice.[LNB]"The suggestion he was not wearing the correct studs is ludicrous," the former Wolves boss said.[LNB]"First of all we got no guidance as to what studs we should wear. We were left to our own devices.[LNB]"I went down to Alloa on the day before the game to see the pitch. The referee said some players wear metal studs, some rubber, some blades.[LNB]"We were certainly given no information that some boots were more suitable than others and if the suggestion is that blades are not suitable, then we should have been told that.[LNB]"We were left to our own devices to find out what boots individual players were most comfortable with."
