Senior sides could all learn a thing or two from Junior grounds

Mar 17 2011 By Kevin McGoldrick

HAVING graced the hallowed turf of Hampden Park for nine years while at Queen’s Park, I found it difficult trying to use my wand of a left foot at places like Albion Rovers and Cowdenbeath.

I struggle to come to terms with the state of some senior pitches compared to the playing surfaces at Junior grounds.

What are full-time groundsmen getting paid for – growing potatoes?

Motherwell's Fir Park is a total embarrassment and how manager Stuart McCall can encourage players to sign for the club is beyond me.

Newlandsfield is as good as they come and that can be at the start of a season or after a battering throughout a campaign.

Cup finals usually take place at Pollok's home and it should even be considered for our Scottish Cup Final.

I realise Kilmarnock's Rugby Park can host the spectators of both sets of supporters but ask the teams to put on a show on a pitch with no grass? I doubt it.

Irvine Meadow has arguably the best green blaze going around and in my opinion our senior sides should drop the ego and ask the secret to the ever green.

The standard of our senior game gets slaughtered but what do you expect? Teams would be better off playing on an obstacle course – where there wouldn’t be so many hurdles.

Maybe a solution would be the pyramid system to allow Junior sides a chance to move up and let our professional players enjoy the luxury of showing off their skills on a bowling green. Talking about the pyramid system, don't you think it would make the Scottish game more interesting?

I believe the clubs in Division Three have it easy as they know finishing bottom is no big deal. However, I would bet the prospect of dropping into the Junior scene would give them a much-needed kick up the backside.

Any team winning the Super League crown could easily handle senior life and before long I'd bet the lower divisions would be littered with Junior outfits with decent surfaces.

In this week's West of Scotland Cup second-round fixtures, Pollok welcome Glencairn while Petershill travel to East Kilbride. St Roch's face Neilston as Ashfield visit Beith and St Anthony's come up against Yoker.

Good luck to Rob Roy as they attempt to reach the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup when they make the trip to Glenrothes.