Mark Warburton, the Rangers manager, has accused Hampden bosses of laying the national stadium pitch on the cheap.
The Ibrox manager watched his side comfortably win the Petrofac Training Cup with a 4-0 win over Peterhead yesterday afternoon, but the biggest talking point was the announcement that the much criticised pitch will be relaid today ahead of the two William Hill Scottish Cup semi-finals this weekend. Hibs and Dundee United will play at Hampden on Saturday, before Celtic and Rangers play less than 24 hours later on the same surface.
READ MORE: Rangers striker Kenny Miller: We are a match for Celtic on our day
“How much does it cost to relay a pitch?” asked Warburton. “Do you put down the more expensive option in the beginning which proves to be the cheaper option in the long run?”
Hampden Park Limited are the company from whom the SFA rent the national stadium, a lease that runs until 2020. They will start work today in preparation for this weekend, meaning that the pitch will have been relaid five times in the last seven years.
Warburton, however, has expressed his concern about what the underfoot conditions will be like by the team Celtic and Rangers meet on Sunday at lunchtime.
“The pitch was difficult,” he said. “You could see in the first 10 or 15 minutes that we couldn’t get the ball down and play. It was hard to play on. I know a lot of work is going on, I appreciate that, but you have to question how a new pitch can go down.
READ MORE: Rangers striker Kenny Miller: We are a match for Celtic on our day
“My concern is if we have any adverse weather. If we have adverse weather Thursday or Friday, Hibs v Dundee United on the Saturday and then Celtic v Rangers on Sunday. I’m not sure how you bed a new pitch in over three days but I’m not an expert on surfaces.”
Asked if the better option was to stick with the current pitch, Warburton said: “That’s not my call. Today was difficult and that must have been recognised because they are making changes. I saw the words ‘deemed necessary’.
“We played on a difficult surface. When you have 45,000 or 50,000 fans at the national stadium, you want the best game of football possible don’t you?
“I think it was five weeks ago that the pitch was relaid. I understand that problems can occur and you have to find a solution to deal with them as swiftly and properly as possible. I understand that.
READ MORE: Rangers striker Kenny Miller: We are a match for Celtic on our day
“But there are some big games coming up on the pitch here and it is the national stadium. I think surprising would be the obvious word. We need to come here next week, prepared for another tough challenge.
“ Right now, we are not going to worry about things that are outside our control. We’ll turn up here, deal with the surface and hopefully deliver a performance.”
Meanwhile, Warburton believes that yesterday’s victory against Peterhead has laid the foundations for next Sunday’s Cup game against Celtic, with the preparations for the encounter set to be duplicated.
“This weekend has really helped us in terms of the timings, the hotel, the menu, the food – all the small details which make a big difference,” said the Rangers manager. “The stadium, the changing rooms and so on. The boys are now familiar with the surroundings and the schedule so that is really helpful.”
And he will look to add a third trophy to the two that Rangers have secured already this term.
“We have won the league, we have won the Petrofac,” said Warburton. “We will train well this week and look forward to what we know will be a very tough game.
“Harry [Forrester] took a whack halfway up his leg but touch wood he should be fine. Lee had a problem with his shoulder but again nothing too serious. The rest of the guys are unscathed.
“It’s a tough game next week against a team that is number one in the country, has had Champions League football and has a squad packed with international players. We know all that. All we can do is come here, be the best we can be and deliver a performance. That is our aim next week.”
READ MORE: Rangers striker Kenny Miller: We are a match for Celtic on our day
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