Mark Hughes supportive of artificial pitches

Former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has supported the possibility of reintroducing artificial pitches to the English game.

League sides Accrington Stanley and Wycombe Wanderers are reportedly keen to install the third-generation pitches in a bid to cut costs.

Hughes said that he could understand the reasons for opting for an artificial surface.

"The cost of maintaining a pitch for a year and possibly up to 40 games if the reserves play there is prohibitive," he told BBC Sport.

The 48-year-old played on the artificial pitches of the '80s and early '90s but more recently managed Blackburn at a 3G pitch in Salzburg.

"I used to dread playing on the old plastic pitches at QPR and Luton. They were concrete carpets and it was utterly unnatural," Hughes added.

"But when we played in Salzburg with Blackburn it was just a world away from what I remembered and there could be no excuses from the players."

The Football Supporters' Federation, while not against the proposal, says that fans and players should be consulted before any decisions are made.

Spokesman Michael Brunskill said: "Sadly it might end the tradition of fans having their ashes scattered on the pitch - we can't see many people choosing to scatter their ashes on the hallowed plastic."