Barton puts blame for bore draw on plastic pitch

Partick Thistle midfielder Adam Bar t on unequivo - c ally blamed the lack of entertainment on offer in his side’ s 0-0 draw with Hamilton at the Superseal Stadium on Tuesday on the poor quality of the artificial surface.

The former Preston, Coventry and Portsmouth player insists that it is impossible to play football on it and he believes that plastic pitches should not be allowed in the Premiership.

Barton argues that route one is the only option teams can adopt when they play on them and that, consequently, spectators are being cheated.

“It’ s a difficult place to come because of the pitch,” said Barton .“It would be nice to see something change about these pitches. No matter how much ability or talent you’ve got, you have to forget about that when you go to Hamilton because you won’t get a game of football.

“We had to change our style completely and basically just hook the ball forward – and that’s what it is when you go there.

“I’ m surprised these pitch es are allowed in top- flight football: they’re banned in England for a reason. It’s even little things like sliding on it, as I ended up grazing my knees. I don’t understand it.

“I wouldn’t pay to go and watch a match on a pitch like that. I don’t think it’s football. It’s about who can have the best luck from a long ball, that’s all it is.

“You never see teams passing out from the back and, even if there are a couple of passes, the ball’s then hoofed up the pitch. You can’t play four or five passes out from your own area; it doesn’t work like that.”

Barton claims that even Brendan Rodgers ( no fan of these surfaces) will have no choice but to order his players to play in a similar fashion on them.

“I’ll be interested to see Celtic play there,” he said. “They’ re still very good at what t hey do but even they will need to change in some ways. You have to concentrate on your first touch and you have less time to pick a pass; everything is against you .”