Elland Road To Become Plastic?

The Telegraph report that, a generation after they were banned for being too dangerous and inferior to natural grass, the FA are on the verge of lifting their 21-year ban on synthetic pitches in the four professional divisions, offering Leeds and other cash-strapped clubs a financial lifeline.

Shaun Harvey, Leeds' chief operations officer, said: "Technology has moved on at such a speed that if the regulations change, we'd have to consider the additional revenue streams that could be generated.

"We already have a state-of-the-art artificial pitch at our training ground which is as near to grass as it can be. The players are delighted with it and a lot of clubs, especially in the lower divisions, would benefit from replacing their grass pitches because they'd be able to use them seven days a week."

The FA are awaiting a UEFA ruling on Thursday as to whether to allow teams qualifying for Europe to play on synthetic surfaces from next season. If, as expected, the decision is yes, the FA could follow suit, allowing any team from county level upwards to play on artificial grass.