The return of artificial pitches to the
Football League "has been rejected by club chairmen in League One and Two after a tied vote," according to the London GUARDIAN. The proposal "had been expected to be approved, allowing third generation 3G playing surfaces to be used from next season." The vote "resulted in 34 clubs in favour, 34 against and four abstentions." Football League CEO Shaun Harvey said, “This vote is reflective of the fact this issue divides opinion among clubs as much as it does across the football public." Artificial pitches were banned in '95 over problems with injuries and the movement of the ball but backers said that "new technology had alleviated those concerns and could produce new revenue streams" (
GUARDIAN, 11/6). PASTE's Christopher Williams wrote some execs from the leagues, which are the third and fourth tiers of English football, "had previously expressed interest in artificial playing surfaces, citing its financial benefits." Former League Two club Accrington Stanley CEO Rob Heys believed that artificial surfaces were not "as maligned in lower leagues as they once were." Heys said back in '12, “There’s a lot of positive feeling. Not so much that everyone wants one, but there has been a definite drop in opposition" (
PASTE, 11/6).
