GLASGOW Warriors will be playing on an artificial pitch at Scotstoun next season - as long as the city council’s executive committee agrees to a new plan for the stadium when it meets on Thursday.

The timing will be tight, but provided the committee gives the plan the green light and contracts can be agreed on time, work on the stadium will begin later this month. That should then leave enough time for everything to be in place for next season.

So far the Warriors have only announced two pre-season games in England, against Harlequins and Gloucester. With the PRO12 fixtures yet to be announced, an away opening match would give the former champions a valuable extra week to get everything sorted out.

The new plan, if approved, will be funded by the city council, Scottish Rugby and Sport Scotland. As well as the installation of the artificial pitch, it proposes the improvement of the running track and of training facilities for both athletics and rugby, and the creation of a throws area.

Once everything is in place, athletics events should be able to take place from April to September. At present, they can only be held from June to August.

The existing grass pitch was badly damaged by heavy rain last season, forcing the Warriors to move or postpone several matches. In previous seasons, too, it has been unreliable in periods of bad weather.

The Warriors are already used to playing on artificial pitches - they played their European tie against Racing 92 at Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park earlier this year, while PRO12 rivals Cardiff Blues have had one in place for some time. Gregor Townsend is confident that his team will enjoy playing on such a surface.

“It’s fantastic news that we’re close to securing a brand new pitch at Scotstoun next season,” the Glasgow head coach said. “We’ve played a lot on the Cardiff Arms Park surface over the last few years and we enjoyed playing on the Rugby Park pitch last season. We aim to play high-tempo rugby, and this state-of-the-art artificial surface will help us produce a faster game.”

Councillor Archie Graham, the depute leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life, Councillor Archie Graham OBE, said: “Over the years Scotstoun Stadium has been the scene of some incredible sporting moments. This investment would ensure that this remains the case for years to come, providing a lasting legacy for future generations.

“The planned improvements will meet the very highest standards set by both World Rugby and the IAAF. It will provide Glasgow Warriors and the local athletics community with access to enhanced provision all year round, while at the same time benefitting other local sports clubs and schools.”

Meanwhile, former Warriors winger Sean Maitland has finalised his move to European champions Saracens from London Irish, who have just been relegated from the English Premiership. The 27-year-old admitted yesterday that he had hoped for better things when he joined Irish at the start of last season.

“It has been a tough year,” he said. “When I signed at the club I didn’t expect to find myself in a relegation battle. It’s a shame the way things turned out.”

Maitland is currently training with the Scotland squad who will fly out to Japan on Saturday for their two-Test tour.