There has been a fair bit of chat this week on the use of artificial pitches and I have to say that I am not totally against their use.

I have a memory of playing against Rangers in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup and it is no exaggeration to see that we were essentially knee deep in mud.

Let’s just say that it was a rather physical game.

In Scotland the clubs that have opted to introduce artificial surfaces have made the decision down to finances and the ease of maintenance.

I have to say that as technology gets better, the pitches will get better and I don’t think that it is all bad to have them.

I played at Wembley once and it was like running out onto a billiards table. It was utterly outstanding and when you are playing on grass like that then there is no doubt that is what you would pick every single time.

But we live in Scotland where the climate can be awful. This winter is has rained solidly for almost three months and it can be difficult to maintain pitches under those circumstances.

What you also have to remember is that back in the 1950s there were debates about whether or not we should be using floodlights in games!

Sometimes you have to accept that there are changes which might actually benefit the game and as science and technology moves forward then so will the standard of the surfaces.