Alistair Johnston has admitted that Celtic players are struggling with the state of their home pitch.
Over the winter there has been comments made about the declining standard of the pitch with Brendan Rodgers picking up on that issue following Saturday’s 1-0 win at home to Ross County.
With an emphasis on quick passing under both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers a good pitch is highly beneficial in breaking down opponents but over the winter months the hoops have toiled to get into top gear.
Discussing the playing surface, Johnston told the Daily Mail:
It’s patchy? That’s a nice way to describe it! I’m not exactly sure, I’m not an expert on agriculture or landscaping but I think it’s difficult not getting a ton of sunlight given how big Celtic Park is.
The away team coming see it’s difficult and it probably doesn’t play to our favour with how we play. But both teams play on it and we’ve all grown up playing on much worse. It’s flat, that’s all we can ask for. When you come out of winter it’ll be green again I’m hoping.
It is an easy get out to portion some of the blame for sub standard performances on a poor pitch but it will play a factor.
Celtic managers often complain about having to play on plastic at Kilmarnock and Livingston but that argument is weakened when Celtic Park falls short.
The next home match is on February 17 against Kilmarnock which gives the club three weeks to work on improvements.
For many years, we definitely had the best pitch in the league, all winter long. It was obviously well cared for, regardless of expense. I don’t know what’s changed but it currently looks like it’s being maintained by the cooncil parks department – all that’s missing is the broken glass, discarded syringes, rubber johnnies, vapes and dogshit.
Wait until Sevco get their fans back in, Cap,n!
Lol and we have the cheek to laugh at sevco and their stadium,ours is no different to their Steptoe&son set up at ibrox.
We are missing John Hayes and Andy McCann who have probably retired as they won countless awards when they were Head Groundsman and Assistant Head Groundsman respectively…
I remember reading this in The Celtic View during the 31 years that I bought ever copy !
Anyway Brendan has gone and not a mention on here or The Celtic blog about,so much for people in the know.
Looks the groundsmen for ‘The Fifty Pitches’ have come out of
retirement? 🙂
This is a surface requested by Rodgers before his 1st departure, it’s poor and deteriorating.
Some of that profit bonus should have been spent on the pitch long before it was taken by the greedy brigade we call a board.