Hibernian striker Derek Riordan has been fined by the club for criticising the state of the pitch, Sky Sports News reports. Riordan was quoted as describing the Easter Road pitch as a "bog" in comments made in Scottish newspaper the Daily Record last month.

Sources close to the club also told Sky Sports News the rest of the squad are unhappy with the call.

The Hibs team are believed to be calling in the players' union, PFA Scotland, to investigate the matter.

The 11-goal striker told the Daily Record on 5th March: "The results haven't been going for us lately and I think we have to blame the pitch.

"If we are playing on a good and decent pitch, I think we'd give anyone a game. Ours has let us down recently.

"Look at how bad Motherwell's pitch is, Aberdeen's and ours are really bad too. This is the worst I've seen Easter Road in years. It does not suit our style of play as we are not a physical side and we have been getting bullied.

"You can see photos of how good the pitch was back when Tam McCourt was groundsman.

"You'd think they'd have technology to make pitches a lot better and I think a lot have been let down lately. The pitch is not going to get better and basically it needs to be re-turfed.

"I said a wee while ago I felt the pitch could cost us points and I think it has.

"If you look at some of our chances in the St Johnstone game last Saturday, the ball was stuck under feet a couple of times because it is a bog."