Pride Park pitch 'not fit' for League Cup final

Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert said the pitch at Derby County's Pride Park was "not fit for a final" after her side beat Manchester City to win the Women's League Cup there.

The Women's Super League leaders kept their bid for a historic quadruple alive as they won 2-1.

The pitch at the Championship side's stadium was playable but "cut up" and "bobbly" and Scotland international Cuthbert was one of the pundits and players who were unhappy after the game.

"I don't think this surface was fit for a final to be honest with you," she told BBC One. "We didn't play at our best but we just hung in there."

Sonia Bompastor won her first piece of silverware as Chelsea boss but was not happy with the conditions and said it would not happen in a men's final - which is being played at Wembley on Sunday.

"It is a shame to have this pitch for a final, especially when you expect in England to have the best groundsmen and pitches in the world," the 44-year-old said.

"I'm not sure if it was a men's final game it would be the same. We just need to make sure we have the best facilities and grass to play the games."

Unlike the men's League Cup final, the women's has no permanent home, with organisers wanting to bring the event to different areas of the country.

The final has been played at different stadiums in recent years, with last year's taking place at Wolves' Molineux and the 2023 final at Selhurst Park.

Adams Park - home of Wycombe Wanderers - is the only stadium to host the Women's League Cup final twice, doing so in 2014 and 2018.

The host clubs are required to ensure the pitch is in good condition, with venues identified which have the resources to deliver a high standard during the winter months.

No concerns were flagged by match officials during their pre-match checks at Pride Park.

When the fixture was announced, the women's professional leagues said Pride Park "is fitting for a showpiece fixture",

With a capacity of 32,944, Pride Park is the biggest stadium to ever host a Women's League Cup final.

Chelsea captain Millie Bright said players "are really lucky" to play at such a venue but agreed the pitch was not up to scratch for a major final.

"It's an amazing stadium but when you come to a final you do expect a lot more quality from the pitch," she said.

"It is disappointing, it's a massive game, a massive cup final and as you can see from the state of the pitch I'm guessing it didn't look too good on TV either. It disrupts the game a little bit as well."

Saturday's game was the first of four matches in 12 days between the two sides, with two Champions League quarter-final ties and a WSL meeting coming up.

Nick Cushing, who took interim charge of Manchester City on Monday after Gareth Taylor was sacked, agreed the condition of the pitch was not ideal.

"I would like the pitch to be a little bit better," he said. "It is what it is."

Former England players Rachel Brown-Finnis, Fara Williams and Ellen White all felt the pitch played a part in the type of football that could be played.

Williams said: "There is a real bobble on it, the pitch is really cutting up.

"It's not great quality for the football that we want to see.

"But Chelsea played the conditions. We spoke about the pitch, Chelsea used it to their advantage. They didn't play pretty football but they adapted."

Former goalkeeper Brown-Finnis was even more scathing, saying: "The pitch looks pretty substandard and is not befitting of a Women's League Cup final.

"There is a lot of sand on this pitch."

Ken: I don't watch loads of women's football but I have to say, they deserve to be playing on a much better surface than that. Terrible pitch for a big final.

Dawn: Why is the league cup final being played on such a poor pitch when the men's tomorrow is at Wembley?

Steve: Yes, it's not a great pitch but Championship players and lower league teams have to deal with those types of conditions all the time. Not every club is blessed with the funds to maintain Premier League-quality pitches.

Alex: Surely if we want to promote the women's game the same as the men's, cup finals should all be played at Wembley? I say this as a man with no ties to the women's game.

Mat: Embarrassing for a major cup final to be on a pitch this bad. That Chelsea left back area looks like pure mud. Rest of the pitch isn't much better.