Do artificial pitches give non-league clubs a competitive edge? Dorking Wanderers' Meadowbank Stadium is one of many grounds in non-league with an artificial playing surface Across the non-league football pyramid, clubs play on a mixture of traditional grass pitches and modern artificial surfaces. Some clubs playing on artificial surfaces have significantly stronger home records than away, while others perform just as well – or even better – on the road. This investigation examines whether artificial pitches provide a competitive advantage, analysing the 2025/26 home and away records of 20 artificial-pitch clubs across five divisions, from Step 2 to Step 6 of the English football pyramid, using the following leagues in the analysis: Step 2: Enterprise National League South Step 3: Isthmian League Premier Division Step 4: Isthmian League Division One North Step 5: Essex Senior League Step 6: Eastern Counties League Division One South The Enter...