Celtic and other clubs have spoken on plastic pitches. We can’t be subjected to the tyranny of the minority.

Tomorrow, we head to Kilmarnock to face another game on that dreadful plastic pitch of theirs. Thankfully, this should be one of the final few times we have to deal with it. Still, recent reports suggest that Kilmarnock’s infamous surface could stick around longer than anticipated due to delays in its replacement, even though the top flight is scheduled to be plastic pitch free by 2026.

Unsurprisingly, there’s already backlash against the 2026 deadline, with seven clubs from the SPFL’s second tier now threatening arbitration to contest the top-flight clubs’ decision. While I understand the concerns from both sides, this arbitration talk is a risky path, and clubs would be wise not to pursue it.

Let’s be honest—plastic pitches are dreadful.

They add nothing to the sport and are notorious for causing injuries. We’ve seen it firsthand with players getting hurt on these artificial surfaces. And we’re not talking about the advanced hybrid technologies used by wealthier clubs; we’re talking about cheap synthetic surfaces that have no place in top-flight football. These surfaces are budget-friendly, yes, but they’re also harmful, lacking the quality and safety needed at this level.

The issue would have been tackled sooner if not for the top flight’s archaic voting structure, where two dissenting votes can block any proposal. This rule was originally introduced to protect certain interests back when Rangers played in the top flight, effectively giving Glasgow’s two clubs a veto on league decisions. It’s an absurd, undemocratic system that stinks of an outdated mindset, and it’s high time that rule was scrapped along with several others.

With Livingston’s relegation, Kilmarnock is now isolated as the last top-flight club with a plastic pitch. Finally, we had enough votes to enforce this ban. A simple majority should have sufficed, but we needed a supermajority of the clubs; 11 votes out of 12, and we got them. Now the decision is made, and other clubs should respect it.

It’s clear that the majority of Premiership clubs do not want artificial pitches, regardless of whether Raith Rovers, Cove, Livingston, or any other club with such a surface gets promoted. The Premiership has set standards, and these standards need to be upheld. If the league is to have any authority, it must be able to enforce its own decisions.

The SFA and SPFL have even offered financial support to clubs that struggle to afford a transition to grass surfaces. This is a reasonable compromise, and it’s more than fair to expect compliance from any club aiming for top-flight football as a result of it. Yet some clubs in the second tier are still agitating for arbitration. Many of them have little chance of reaching the Premiership anytime soon, and while I appreciate the need for future planning, the Premiership also has its forward planning to do—and this decision was part of that.

If clubs are now going to challenge the Premiership’s decisions because they don’t like the way the vote went, we’re on a slippery slope. The SPFL must stand firm on this. If these clubs want a proper debate on this there’s a legitimate way to do it; get promotion first and, later, if they still want to roll things back, they can make their case and argue it and hope that they convince enough clubs to vote for it. Lots of luck with that.

In the meantime, if they want to be part of the Premiership, they should start by following its rules.

We’ve had too many league decisions like this put off for far too long. This vote was legitimate, democratic, and fair, and it settled the matter for the foreseeable future. The Premiership clubs are right to expect the 2026 deadline to be enforced, and if anyone seeks arbitration, the league should defend its decision vigorously.

This is the will of the top flight; we cannot and must not have the tyranny of the minority holding back progress and enforcing its will on the rest. It’s time we got past such rubbish.