Dundee could yet be unable to host Rangers for their twice-rearranged Scottish Premiership clash next week.
Ibrox manager Philippe Clement has confirmed a Tuesday mid-day deadline for a call to be made on the club’s dodgy surface with the match scheduled for Wednesday evening (17/04).
The SPFL have also released a sheepish statement which appears to insinuate something other than the horrific surface at Dens Park could force a call off.
The situation has highlighted the woefully incompetent leadership in Scotland’s game with Rangers fans once again treated with nothing but raw contempt.
Philippe Clement awaits Dundee v Rangers confirmation
Speaking ahead of the clash with Ross County in a press conference dominated by Dundee, the concise and coherent Philippe Clement was clear about how unacceptable this situation actually is.
With fans traveling, the team preparing, and a title race going on, this level of disruption should be intolerable and yet Dundee have been allowed to see 30% of their home matches impacted this season without sanction.
Speaking bluntly about the situation, it was Philippe Clement who first broke the news that – no matter how Dundee or the SPFL try to spin it – a final decision is yet to be made on the match.
“The last thing I hear now is that we will know Tuesday 12 o’clock where we’re going to play on Wednesday,” said Clement. “Normally in Dundee, if it’s not possible it will need to be somewhere but that we know now Tuesday 12 o’clock before we travel that we know what’s going to happen.
“Although we need to make several plans so I hope that we know already a few days before where the other venue will be to organise it.
“So it will be next week but if I hear that it’s possible to play in Dundee again. We’ve seen yesterday in the morning it was possible but three four hours later with some rain, because it was not pouring rain or something, but in a few hours it was impossible.
“So who’s going to guarantee that next week it’s not going to rain a few hours? The problem is the pitch. It doesn’t take the water anymore.
“Somebody needs to guarantee that the next five, six days there will be no rain and that the pitch will be good to play. Somebody take that responsibility to say ‘I’m 200% sure that will happen otherwise it’s my fault’.”
Weak SPFL statement fails to mention Dundee’s pitch
As if Rangers fans being messed around twice wasn’t enough – although something tells us Dundee and the SPFL won’t be prioritising supporters – now we’re once again being made to wait.
Fans have to make travel arrangements, personal and professional sacrifices, and spend good, hard-earned money to make this game and there’s no doubt about it, they are being treated with contempt.
Fans – who are apparently the main motivation for not moving the fixture from Dens – are quite clearly an afterthought.
It is genuinely nothing short of disgraceful and both Dundee and the SPFL should hang their heads in shame. Although we highly doubt they will.
Victims the entire way through, the SPFL’s statement is also as contemptuous as it is patronising and proves that really, Scottish football is on to plums with its current set-up.
“We confirmed yesterday that the Dundee v Rangers game is rescheduled for 8pm on Wednesday April 17 at Dens Park, live on Sky Sports,” said an SPFL spokesperson.
“We have been in extensive discussions with both clubs about arrangements if, for whatever reason, the match cannot be played at Dens Park on Wednesday. These include the possibility of the match moving to an alternative venue.
“We will confirm these arrangements as soon as possible, and well in advance of Wednesday’s match.”
You genuinely couldn’t make this up! “For whatever reason”!
Move the game, give both teams and the fans the chance to prepare, and punish Dundee for their incompetence and stinginess when it comes to the surface.
In any logical environment, this would be viewed as the only solution.
In Scotland, it’s a last resort.
