Union attempts to ban plastic pitches from the top tier of Scottish football are moving forward after a petition of Premiership players showed unanimous backing.
However, PFA Scotland vice-chairman Mikey Devlin doesn't believe 3G and 4G surfaces are to blame for a raft of high-profile injuries in recent years – despite a raft of claims to the contrary.
Every player in the Premiership outside of Kilmarnock , Livingston and Hamilton called for plastic pitches to be binned in the PFAs petition earlier this year. Those three clubs play on artificial surfaces and it was deemed unfair to ask their players to comment.
But the unanimous response from the hundreds of players at the other nine clubs sparked action from the union who have fired in a petition to the SPFL demanding action is taken against the unpopular synthetic surfaces.
Aberdeen defender Devlin has now revealed that the bid to make the players' wish a reality was ongoing - even though he doesn't agree with claims the parks cause more injuries.
Rangers winger Jamie Murphy's ACL rupture at Kilmarnock last August sparked a fresh debate on the safety of top level football on synthetic pitches with Steven Gerrard saying: "We all know that plastic pitches they are not as safe as grass, that’s fact, that’s simple."
But Devlin told the Evening Express : “It’s hard to tell about injuries on artificial pitches.
“The first time I did my knee Danny Ings and Joe Gomez at Liverpool both ruptured their cruciates around that time.
“Those two were playing and training on some of the best pitches in Europe.
“I think it’s difficult to pin-point the pitch – a lot of it is bad luck.
“I haven’t tried to pin-point why it happened because you’d drive yourself insane trying to find a reason for that.
“I don’t think the pitch is a massive contributor because there are a number of factors.”
Devlin - who came through the Hamilton youth ranks on Accies' synthetic surface - says the union will continue to push the players' wish to see plastic scrapped forward.
Although he doesn't believe they directly cause more injuries, the 25-year-old is firmly of the belief the product on a grass pitch is better.
“The petition was a big statement at the time and off the back of that the results were very much in our favour," he added.
“It’s something that will take a bit of time – we are working hard behind the scenes on it.
“I think after asking the players to sign a petition it’s important we use that in the best way we can and look at what the next steps are.
“It’s still very much at the forefront of what we are trying to do.
“As the PFA representing all the players in Scotland we need to work on behalf of them and do what’s best.
“The players signing the petition shows that they aren’t comfortable playing on artificial pitches.
“Fraser Wishart, the PFA chief executive, is in contact with the SPFL and putting ideas forward.
“Communication is important and we need to work with clubs as well and connect with the right people in clubs and try to work with them and the SPFL to come to a solution.
“It won’t be a short-term fix, it will be something that takes a bit of time.”
Devlin added: “It was what I was used to coming through at Hamilton.
“When you’re in an academy at any club generally you train on the artificial surfaces and most of the time you play on it as well.
“I was used to it – but I think everybody would rather play on grass.
“In the Premiership if we can get grass pitches across the board I think it makes for a better product. I also think visually on television it looks better and I think we can attract better players.”
