Sutton have to dig for victory
SUTTON UNITED have been told they will have to dig up their artificial pitch if they get promoted to League Two at the end of the season.
The rulebook of the National League has another whammy in store if they decline promotion – their reward will be relegation to National League South.
Discussions took place late last year between League One and League Two clubs about a number of stadium issues, including allowing 3G surfaces.
But as the season enters its latter stages, EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey was eager to place on the record the fact that the earliest they will be accepted back in the top four divisions is 2019, despite the obvious financial benefits of multi-use stadia.
Harvey said: “We want to support our clubs to maximise their potential and the potential use of synthetic or artificial grass surfaces is currently being discussed as part of an ongoing stadium criteria review.
“Any change in regulation, though, could only be brought into place at our June AGM, to be effective from 2019-20.” SOUTHAMPTON are lining up a move for Atletico Madrid playmaker Nicolas Gaitan.
Manager Mauricio Pellegrino wants to sign his fellow Argentinian, who has fallen out of favour at Atletico, on loan but faces competition from Crystal Palace and Everton. The Saints are still confident of bringing Arsenal’s Theo Walcott back to St Mary’s.