After a heap of criticism chucked in the direction of Hampden officials because of the poorly prepared pitch in the League Cup Semi-Final, Hampden Park managing director Peter Dallas has today announced the relaying of the turf in time for the showpiece final between Dundee United and Celtic.
Although the National Stadium's grass was laid last November following 2014's Commonwealth Games, two fiery League Cup Semi-Final's were played on the historic turf within a space of 24 hours.
At first, the pitch looked fresh and suited to a fast paced game, however, after around 30 minutes of the New Firm clash, the grass began to seriously cut up as players from both sides struggled to get to grips with the poor conditions. By the end of the Celtic and Rangers match it was clear the pitch would need drastic improvements to be anywhere near suitable for this month's final.
Coaching staff, players and the Scottish Professional Football League didn't hold back their disapproval of the disgraceful pitch with Celtic's Scott Brown plainly describing it as "shocking" and the SPFL stating it was "highly unsatisfactory".
The new turf will not only be prepared in time for the final but also Scotland's vital home Euro qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.
Dallas announced: "We brought independent sports turf consultants in last week and they have reported that current condition of the pitch is a result of a combination of weather, use and the timing of the pitch having to be relaid in November.
"They also reported that, taking into consideration weather forecasts and planned use of the surface between now and the final, provision for re-turfing should be considered to ensure the best possible pitch for the League Cup Final."