Maidstone United have welcomed calls from league clubs Accrington Stanley and Wycombe Wanderers for a rethink on artificial pitches.

The Stones are the first club in the country to include a 3G synthetic pitch from the outset of their ground development.

They believe the surface will enable the facility to be used by the club’s first team and around 30 community teams, as well as other local clubs, businesses, community groups and schools.

Representatives of League 2 sides Accrington and Wycombe have voiced their support for the re-introduction of artificial surfaces as a way of reducing costs and increasing revenue and are understood to have raised the issue with the Football League and the topic was discussed at meetings this month and will again be on the agenda in February.

Preston were the last side to reinstall grass in 1994 while QPR, Luton and Oldham saw their pitches banned in 1988 due to injury concerns and worries about even bounces.

Stones chief executive Bill Williams (pictured) said: "For the past few years, we have said that artificial surfaces are the future of the non-league game but it’s great to see clubs in the Football League backing calls for a rethink.

"The greatest obstacle is getting people to see beyond those artificial surfaces that were around in the 1980s and early 1990s.

"Technology has moved on, so much so that football’s world governing body FIFA endorse these synthetic pitches. We have seen World Cup qualifiers and Champions League matches played on such surfaces."