Dundee vs Rangers: Scottish Premiership game off after second pitch inspection – Sky Sports
Football
The fixture will now take place on April 17 live on Sky Sports; Dens Park club may face disciplinary action after a fifth home call off this season; Rangers accuse Dundee of “negligence and unprofessionalism”; post-split fixtures could be delayed
Sky Sports Scotland Editor @SahilJaidka
Thursday 11 April 2024 06:30, UK
Dundee’s rearranged Scottish Premiership match at home to Rangers is off following a second pitch inspection.
The Dens Park surface was deemed playable by referee Don Robertson at around 11am, however, heavy rain followed and he was forced to postpone it once again with four hours until kick-off.
The game has now been rescheduled for April 17 at 8pm, live on Sky Sports.
Covers had been in place over the areas of concern since Tuesday, while groundstaff had been working on the pitch over recent days.
This is the fifth match Dundee have had called off at the Scot Foam Stadium and the club could face action from the league’s governing body – the SPFL – which is currently investigating issues at the ground.
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Dundee’s game at home to Motherwell last Saturday only went ahead after a third pitch inspection two hours before kick-off.
The SPFL revealed contingency measures had been in place since last month and notified both Dundee and Rangers of plans to move the game to next Wednesday – if required.
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It may, however, result in a delay to the post-split fixtures being released with the final scheduled round of games before the Scottish Premiership splits into a top and bottom six taking place this weekend.
Dundee visit Aberdeen next on Saturday, while their challengers for sixth spot – Hibernian and Motherwell – face each other also at 3pm. A win for Dundee at Pittodrie would seal sixth place, regardless of what happens elsewhere.
However, were Dundee to drop points they could fall out of sixth spot – meaning a delay to the post-split fixtures being released.
Hibernian would move into the top half if they better Dundee’s result, while Motherwell need to beat Hibs and hope Dundee lose if they are to go sixth.
Either of those situations would mean the rearranged game next Wednesday at Dens Park would decide who finishes sixth and the post-split fixtures could only be released thereafter.
Following another call-off at Dens Park, Rangers said they had written to the SPFL regarding the developments and in a statement added: “The negligence and unprofessionalism demonstrated by Dundee Football Club, where they have repeatedly breached SPFL rules, continues to have a damaging effect on the top professional league in the country.
“In a week where record TV viewing figures were recorded for a match in the same competition, and this evening’s game due to be televised again by Sky Sports, this episode is deeply embarrassing and has also been eminently avoidable.
“Rangers expects the SPFL to take proportionate and decisive action in accordance with its rules, and the club will continue to make representations to them in the strongest possible manner.
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“The club has been repeatedly putting forward solutions to the SPFL, which have not been taken up. It has again proposed a solution to the preparation and execution of this rescheduled fixture and is awaiting a response from the SPFL. As things stand, the rescheduled match will be on Wednesday April 17 at 8pm. The club considers that this matter has been handled incorrectly throughout by both Dundee and the SPFL.
“At this time, we sympathise fully once again with our supporters, approximately 4,000 of whom were looking forward to attending tonight’s game. Having already been left hugely inconvenienced and out of pocket by the first postponement last month, it is entirely unacceptable and disrespectful on the part of Dundee FC to have allowed this situation to have developed again.”
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Dundee club secretary Eric Drysdale admits the club must address issues at Dens Park – with potential SPFL disciplinary action incoming – and told Sky Sports News: “I can understand people are annoyed and looking at this as being Dundee’s fault.
“What I would say is from the research we have done in the last few days, we noticed this year’s rainfall was 35 per cent higher than the last 10 years’ average – that shows the effects climate change is having on it and we need to urgently do more work on the Dens Park pitch and we are absolutely up for doing that in the summer.
“The pitch is of a very good quality, there have been a number of occasions where our fixtures have coincided with, for example, the storms last October which was the highest rainfall ever recorded in Scotland.
“It is very clear work needs to be done to rectify the situation and we absolutely recognise the challenges we face and the club is up for doing what is needed.”
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Speaking to Sky Sports News, referee Robertson said: “I did an initial pitch inspection at 11am and it was playable at that point. Everyone is aware of the issues Dundee have had with their pitch, it’s not in great condition, but it was playable at 11am.
“There was also forecasts for heavy rain in the area this afternoon so that’s why we agreed on a pitch inspection at 3.30pm to see how the pitch looked after that rain.
“The pitch has deteriorated quite a lot in that time. There was an area of concern just at the bottom of the penalty area, which was wet this morning, but playable.
“They put the covers on but in the hours since, there’s been heavy rain and that area has become waterlogged. In that case, it’s unsafe for the players to play in and the match is postponed.
“This morning, no one would say the pitch was in a good condition, but it was in a playable condition – it was safe for the players to play.
“The ball was bouncing, it was travelling through areas where it was wet, it wasn’t ideal, but it was playable.
“During the second inspection, that wasn’t the case on those areas of the pitch. The ball isn’t travelling through those areas, it isn’t bouncing and the pitch is waterlogged. It isn’t safe for the players to be running or turning.
“It is quite a significant area of the pitch in the middle, it’s not just a small corner. Once I deemed those areas were unsafe for the players then it goes to being postponed.”
Calum Beattie, chief operating officer at the SPFL, said: “The match referee has carried out two detailed pitch inspections today and in light of the forecast for heavy rain later today in Dundee, a decision has now been taken that the pitch will not be playable this evening.
“Whilst this development is extremely disappointing, we have had contingency measures in place since last month and informed both clubs by email on March 21 of our intention, should tonight’s game fall victim to the weather, that we would rearrange the game for Dens Park on the evening of Wednesday April 17. In the last week we have explored other possible options with both clubs but none of them were deemed to be better than our original contingency plan.
“This decision gives this vital fixture the very best chance of being played in front of both sets of supporters and also gives us a week to finalise further contingency planning in the event that the weather unexpectedly deteriorates in the interim.
“There is currently an ongoing disciplinary process regarding pitch issues at Dens Park and the latest developments will form part of those enquiries.”
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