Raith Rovers boss addresses potential £1.2 million grass pitch bill

Should Raith go up from the Scottish Championship this season or next, they could face an initial £1.2 million outlay on getting a replacement grass surface installed at Stark’s Park, as well as £750,000 annual maintenance costs.

This is as a result of Scottish Premiership clubs having passed a motion to phase out artificial pitches in Scotland’s top flight by summer 2026, a decision disputed by Raith and fellow plastic pitch users Falkirk, Hamilton Accies and Queen of the South, who have branded the plan “fundamentally flawed”.

"I don't know about a headache,” Potter said. “I just think it means we've got to plan and that's what we'll do as a club.

"There's guys at the club that are taking that on board in terms of Andy (Barrowman, Raith chief executive) dealing with the SPFL and SFA, speaking to them, that's his department.

"If it means that we have to do it, then we have to do it. It's as simple as that.

"We've got time to try and plan. That's the difficult bit, planning, because you don't know where we'll be in two years' time, we don't know where we'll be in a year's time.

"I think plastic pitches should be allowed as long as they are of a good standard.

"If the pitches tick boxes, they are of a good standard and they're changed constantly every few years then I think astroturf pitches should be allowed but it's not my call."