Celtic supporters have welcomed the news that Kilmarnock is considering replacing their synthetic surface at Rugby Park with natural grass. [The Herald]

The shift, expected for the 2025-26 season, addresses a significant grievance for many, including former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers notably attributed Celtic’s defeat at Rugby Park earlier in the season to the artificial pitch, emphasising its impact on the team’s performance. “The pitch. The pitch and nothing else,” he had stated, quoted by Glasgow Live.

This change comes as Kilmarnock advances with plans for their Bowie Park training facility. Majority shareholder Billy Bowie anticipates final planning approval shortly, aiming for construction to begin in the spring.

This training facility is set to feature two full-size pitches, a training complex, and a 250-seat stand. It will serve as a base for the Kilmarnock Women’s team by the end of next year and be the heart of the youth academy.

Bowie envisions the opening of this new facility, likely in the latter part of next year, as a catalyst for lifting the artificial surface at Rugby Park. He plans for home matches to be played on a grass pitch from the 2025-26 season onward.

Kilmarnock first introduced an artificial grass pitch in 2014 and improved it for the 2019-20 season. While the synthetic surface has its supporters, citing lower maintenance costs and durability, many purists, including a significant section of Celtic fans, have long argued for the traditional, natural grass surfaces, believing they offer a purer form of the game.

This move by Kilmarnock could mark a significant shift in Scottish football. There have been talks about votes against plastic pitches in the past, which would need a result of 11-1 for it to pass. That result looks more likely now.

Now that Kilmarnock are switching to grass, it’s only Livingston, out of the teams in the top flight currently, that don’t use or plan to use a grass pitch.