Brown highlights problems artificial pitches cause players

Captain Scott Brown has criticised Hamilton’s astroturf pitch ahead of the Hoops’ clash with the South Lanarkshire side later today.

Brendan Rodgers’ team travel to New Douglas Park to play their seventh game of the month, and will find themselves playing on an unfamiliar surface.

The stadium first had the artificial turf installed in 2004 before changing to grass due to league rules, though The Accies have since changed back to playing on the astro pitch since 2013.

Kilmarnock join Hamilton in being the only other team to have a 3G pitch in the Scottish top-flight.

The 31-year-old Celtic skipper was quoted by Daily Mail speaking about the surface and said:

It’s always hard on your calves, always hard on your body. But we push on to Hamilton — and an artificial pitch now.  It’s horrible. Horrible. It’s always hard going from grass to astroturf.

Hamilton is one of the worst. I don’t mind the Kilmarnock pitch. When it’s wet, you can move the ball and pass it quite well. Then you just have to deal with the stiffness in your body and recover the next day.

It always does affect you, playing on the artificial turf. It takes a bit more out of you, because it’s solid underneath. It’s always harder that way. But you have to cope with it.

Brown joins a long list of people who have criticised the state of Hamilton’s pitch.

Celtic will look to extend their domestic unbeaten run under Rodgers to 22 games when they face Martin Canning’s Hamilton later on, as well as extending their fourteen-point lead at the top of the table.

The teams met each other eleven days ago at Celtic Park, with the home side clinching the points after a 1-0 win thanks to Leigh Griffiths’ strike.