IT MAY be sunny now but before long footballers will face the same problems as last season.

No matter what your age, what your ability, what day you play on or which foot you kick with, every footballer in Sussex would have had last season rudely interrupted by prolonged rain delays and waterlogged pitches.

My experience of three months without kicking a ball during the winter months would speak the same for almost everyone across Sussex.

However, I feel the problem isn’t the weather. We can’t simply file this one under act of God.

We have to place the blame, not on the quality of the pitches, but in the lack of alternative, Astroturf pitches.

Let’s be honest, groundsmen work tirelessly through rain or shine, and their efforts are appreciated, but there is next to nothing a grass pitch can do to avert nature’s wintry onslaught.

Hence, the key to prevent future footballing delays lies in Astroturfs.

What I’m calling for isn’t the sand spiked, gravel–esque, mere second generation Astroturf, which is arguably nothing more than a rich man’s concrete.

It is the realistic, rubber glazed third generation Astroturf that best fits the bill.

You may think I’m being fastidious, but I speak from the experience of grazed knees and bloody elbows after taking but one tumble on a second generation Astroturf.

With recycled rubber through it, rather than sand, not only will the third generation take a stud to give the most grip, but it also won’t take a sample of skin every time you hit the deck.

It’s flat and without bobble, which will deprive many footballers of their excuse to why their 35 yard long shot flew straight over the bar.

Most importantly, the Astroturf will not be affected by rain. One can play on it all year long – no delays, no boredom, no extended season and no waterlogged pitches. Surely third generation Astroturf paves the way for the future of the beautiful game?

Ross Cusdin, Sussex resident