Wembley Stadium officials are "refusing to blame the poor condition of the field on the decision to stage three NFL games at the venue in a six-week span," according to the London EVENING STANDARD. England Manager Roy Hodgson has "raised concerns about the state of the surface ahead of his team's European Championship qualifier against Slovenia on Saturday." Wembley Managing Dir Roger Maslin said that "this isn't so much a problem of the NFL but slightly too much topsoil (on the surface) during the summer renovation" (EVENING STANDARD, 11/10). The PA reported Maslin admitted the state of the pitch at the national stadium is "below its usual standard." Maslin: "We strive to deliver the best possible
surface, so I’m slightly disappointed that the surface isn’t as good as
it should be but I’m confident it will be back to its pristine state
after a winter renovation." Hodgson met Maslin for talks after his comments last week and the
Wembley chief will "meet the England manager again later this week."
Maslin: "Roy is totally entitled to his opinion" (PA, 11/10).
