Governing bodies back Pars pitch

World football's governing body and its European counterpart will back Dunfermline Athletic in their bid to keep their artificial pitch.

Representatives from Uefa and Fifa have requested to give a presentation to the Scottish Premier League as the five-man board takes a vote on 21 April.

Most of the clubs on the board have expressed opposition to such pitches.

But Pars director Frank McConnell said: "It's a very hopeful sign. There's a degree of special pleading here."

The 12 SPL clubs voted 9-3 in March to back a Dundee United motion, seconded by Rangers, to give the league's executive board the power of veto over artificial surfaces.

Dunfermline had to apply by 31 March for permission to use their current surface next season.

Now it will be up to representatives from Dundee United, Hibernian, Kilmarnock and Rangers to take a decision.

Dunfermline's Uefa-funded experimental pitch received much criticism from opponents, but the Fife club last month replaced it with an improved version.

"Uefa are the driving force behind the development of these surfaces and have set the standards," McConnell told BBC Sport.

"They have given the go-ahead for European games to be played on them, while Fifa say World Cup qualifiers can be played on them too."