26 Feb 2009Fitzpatrick defends Fir Park pitch

Football Referees, Players, Managers and Media | Football Technology and Stadia

Motherwell defender Marc Fitzpatrick has today (February 25th) leapt to the defence of the Fir Park pitch, claiming that it gives the club's players an advantage over their opponents, the BBC reports.

The Scottish Premier League has already criticised the surface heavily and warned that Well will face a £20,000 fine if they call off another home fixture this season.

Similarly, Celtic defender Gary Caldwell labelled it "terrible" after the Bhoys slipped to a 1-1 draw on Sunday, but Fitzpatrick has suggested that teams need to learn how to deal with it.

He told the news provider: "Everybody knows it's not the best surface, but it's just something you need to handle. Teams won't want to come here, which could be an advantage to us."

Fitzpatrick added that if Motherwell's opponents arrive at Fir Park and are preoccupied with the pitch, they are "never going to win a game".

Motherwell were handed the suspended fine after they postponed a match against Hearts in December as a result of under-soil heating problems.

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