Hampden Park's pitch will be replaced before the League Cup final

Hampden Park's much-criticised pitch will be replaced before next month’s Scottish League Cup final between Celtic and Dundee United.

The turf at the national stadium in Glasgow was laid in November following last summer’s Commonwealth Games.

Two League Cup semi-finals were played on it within 24 hours. The pitch started tearing up during the first match between Dundee United and Aberdeen, and by the midway point of the second game involving Celtic and Rangers it had deteriorated further.

Players and coaching staff from all the semi-finalists were scathing in their criticism of the pitch, with Celtic skipper Scott Brown describing it as "shocking".

And the Scottish Professional Football League complained to Hampden Park bosses about the "highly unsatisfactory" pitch after the semi-finals.

Peter Dallas, managing director of Hampden Park, confirmed that the damage to the surface last weekend means the pitch is beyond repair.

The new turf will be put in place in time for the League Cup showpiece on March 15, and Scotland's games against Northern Ireland and Gibraltar in the following fortnight.

Dallas said: "We brought independent sports turf consultants in last week and they have reported that the current condition of the pitch is a result of a combination of weather, use, and the timing of the pitch having to be laid 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.

"We have now had considerable detailed discussions with the SPFL, the Scottish FA and Queen's Park Football Club, and have decided to invest in a new pitch.