Wembley admits pitch not at its best for England Euro 2016 date
WEMBLEY chiefs have admitted the pitch will not be in prime condition for England’s match against Slovenia on Saturday, but denied that a trio of recent NFL games at the stadium were to blame.
Hodgson last week raised concerns about the staging of gridiron fixtures, such as Sunday’s clash between Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars, just days before a Euro 2016 qualifier.
“We strive to deliver the best possible surface so I’m slightly disappointed that the surface isn’t as good as it should be but I’m confident it will be back to its pristine state after a winter renovation,” said Wembley managing director Roger Maslin. “This isn’t so much a problem of the NFL but of our summer renovation.”
England’s newest goalscoring hope Saido Berahino is not for sale, meanwhile, according to West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace. “I wish to assure our supporters that Saido Berahino will not be going anywhere in January or, I hope, next summer,” he said.
Scotland No2 Mark McGhee says they have prioritised beating the Republic of Ireland in Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier over Tuesday’s friendly against England at Celtic Park. He said: “The Ireland game is much more important to us, although England will be special for obvious reasons.”