‘Pretty bad’: A-League coach laments state of Spotless Stadium pitch

Newcastle coach scathing as A-League match is ruled fit to go ahead despite concerns over the state of Spotless Stadium.

Plastic shards and a screw found on the pitch. Picture: Fox Sports

Tonight’s A-League game between Western Sydney Wanderers and Newcastle Jets will go ahead as scheduled despite concerns over the state of the Spotless Stadium pitch.

There were fears the game could be called off after ground staff had to remove broken plastic shards some 50 minutes before kick off.

The dozen staff collected handfuls of the shards from plastic cups that were used during an RNB concert last week.

Football Federation Australia, stadium officials, ground staff and officials from the Wanderers conducted two inspections - one on Thursday and the other yesterday. While the FFA and Wanderers were not happy with the state of the pitch, they found no other issues.

However, it is understood that yesterday’s wild winds blew debris, including the plastic shards, onto the pitch causing serious and justifiable concerns over player safety.

Ground staff worked feverishly to remove the shards and were confident they had collected most of it.

Newcastle coach Ernie Merrick was scathing of the condition of the pitch. He produced some shards and a steel screw that he said he found in just two minutes of looking.

“I’m not sure if we are playing on a football pitch or a car park,” Merrick told Fox Sports. “The match commissioner said the pitch is suitable to play on, so it must be. But it is pretty bad.”