2 Mar 2010Wembley pitch not good enough, say players

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

Aston Villa's James Milner is one of several players to have criticised the surface at Wembley following the Carling Cup final on Sunday (February 28th).

The midfielder, who opened the scoring for his side before goals from Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney secured a 2-1 victory for Manchester United, said the pitch at the national stadium was not up to the expected standard.

Wembley's playing surface will be under scrutiny again on Wednesday night, when it hosts the international friendly between England and Egypt.

"You work as hard as you can to get to a cup final at Wembley and it was probably one of the worst pitches you will play on all season," Milner commented.

The former Newcastle United player said that the pitch compared unfavourably with the surface at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and even some lower league grounds.

Milner's team-mate Carlos Cuellar was also unhappy with the conditions at Wembley, describing the pitch as "very bad".

According to the Guardian, the turf has been re-laid eight times since the stadium opened in March 2007.

Written by Tom Jenkins

Join the FFC and Have Your Say on Football

© Copyright