Hampden pitch could be ripped up and replaced with artificial turf for ‘bio hub’

Football chiefs considering plans to rip up the grass at the national stadium

Football authorities say Hampden is well equipped for social-distancing and can handle deep cleaning. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

Football chiefs are considering plans to rip up the Hampden turf in the hope of getting football restarted as soon as possible.

With restrictions set to be lifted on golf, tennis and other non-contact sports, the Scottish FA and the SPFL are set to lay out their action plan. They hope to get players back into training on 10 June, in the hope they can get the new league campaign underway, albeit behind closed doors, in early August.

While many options are being reviewed as a way of dealing with the coronavirus crisis and the ongoing social-distancing issues, the idea of turning Hampden into a “bio-safe hub” has been rolled out, with the prospect of the grass pitch being replaced with an artificial surface to allow it to hold multiple matches in quick succession.

It would allow numerous clubs to play matches at a venue which the football authorities say are best equipped for social-distancing, can handle deep cleaning and where there is the possibility of being able to offer on-site Covid-19 testing.

At the moment only the Premiership seems in broad agreement that the new season can and should kick-off without fans, with the lower league sides adamant that they do not have the financial strength to countenance a return without the prospect of gate receipts or some kind of monetary support from the government, Fifa or Scotland’s top-tier clubs.

Murrayfield, which has a hybrid surface and could cope with several games over the course of a weekend, is another stadium being mooted by the game’s joint response group.

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