It’s the news that the majority of non-league football wanted to hear. The Football Conference has approved 3G and artificial turf pitches in their three leagues from the 2015-16 season.

The ground-breaking news will be music to the ears for all at Maidstone United, who sit one tier below the Conference South in the Isthmian Premier League and have a 3G pitch that attracts an average of 1,000 fans every home game.

But it’s not been all plain sailing for the Stones and Conference — the two found themselves embroiled in a battle just seven months ago after an extraordinary general meeting saw Conference member clubs vote against allowing 3G pitches. Any proposed changes for the 2014-15 season were voted down 21-11.

At the time Maidstone were in the race for a league win that would have sent them into the Conference South but seen their ground banned from use.

The Kent side ended up finishing seventh, two points out of the play-offs, but the recent news will give added incentive to their promotion campaign next season.

Since member clubs vetoed 3G pitches at the turn of the year, the FA have taken matters into their own hands. In March the English game’s governing body announced a rule change that would allow non-league clubs to use artificial 3G pitches in all FA Cup matches, as opposed to just qualifying rounds.

It looks like the U-turn from the Football Conference has been due to the FA and Football League’s influence.

The argument within non-league football seems in favour of 3G based on the financial benefits, matches not being postponed due to foul weather and, of course, teams playing in the Champions League, Europa League and even at international level playing on artificial pitches on competitive matches.

I can understand the support for artificial pitches but the dynasty of football has always been 11-a-side on a green grass pitch.

Artificial and 3G pitches have generally been allocated for five, six and seven-a-side games.

Besides, the argument of it being in the Champions League and not in non-league shouldn’t be up for debate. What other country in Europe has the volume of clubs, supporters and attraction to their semi-professional level as we do in England?

While I am not 100 per cent behind the idea of football in the higher echelons of non-league football being played on 3G, the financial climate that such clubs have to contend with makes it a no-brainer for them.