Premiership teams are expected to vote on outlawing plastic pitches. The move becoming more probable with date also set for clubs to vote.

Synthetic surfaces are an important source of revenue for clubs, but they may soon become obsolete in the top flight.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, top flight clubs will vote on whether to ban artificial pitches in the Scottish Premiership at next month’s SPFL general meeting.

The issue has sparked heated debate, and the Scottish Daily Mail reports that a resolution has been reached ahead of the clubs’ next meeting at Hampden on April 24.

Kilmarnock and Livingston are currently the only two top flight clubs playing on artificial pitches, with Kilmarnock already announcing plans to transition back to natural grass by the 2025/26 season if certain things fall into place. Raith Rovers and Airdrie are the only two Championship clubs that play on plastic, with 15 of the 20 clubs in the other two senior divisions having synthetic surfaces, which provide a valuable source of income.

According to the report, “privately, there is an acceptance that a ban is now increasingly likely” but that Raith Rovers have “harbour concerns” as well as “have joined forces with Livingston, Falkirk, Airdrieonians, Montrose, Cove Rangers and other lower-league teams with plastic pitches to try to find a compromise agreement” .

The SPFL board has not yet determined whether a 9-3 majority will suffice or if an 11-1 majority is required to pass the issue.

Livi manager David Martindale stated, “I’d rather have a grass park and if the authorities want to give us a couple of million then we’ll have one with undersoil heating and a separate training ground.

“Realistically, it’d cost us between £2m-£3m.We’re paying for VAR and energy costs have increased. Overall, we’re handing out £300,000-400,000 extra and our incoming revenue doesn’t match that. It’ll be five or 10 years before we can be where Kilmarnock are now.

“We’re the only team in the Premiership that doesn’t own their stadium – the only licence we own is the one from the SFA – and since returning to the Premiership in 2018 we’ve spent £600,000 upgrading the ground.”