Putting fire in Dundee bellies
Dundee really need to lawyer up over SPFL disciplinary procedures against them for problems with their pitch, leading to their game against Newco being postponed twice. The game should have been scheduled for Wednesday 3 April, instead of the last midweek before the league split.
Not scheduling a game until the last possible date before the split, makes whoever made that decision culpable for the subsequent postponement and consequential delay to post-split fixture confirmation. There is no legitimate reason the game was not scheduled for 3 April – only one very illegitimate act.
3 April was four days before Celtic’s visit to Ibrox. Dundee were happy to play the game then, Newco wanted a clear midweek before facing Celtic, so wanted their Dens fixture after facing Celtic. Newco and their acolytes got their way.
I don’t mind clubs having an influence over when rearranged fixtures are scheduled. Would you want a game a few days before a cup final or Champions League match? Of course not. Where appropriate, the League should accommodate.
On this occasion, the League were too accommodating to Newco. By delaying the game until 10 April, their post-split fixture plans were at the mercy of a sudden downpour – or even the away side encountering trouble on their journey to the game, as happened earlier this season, when Newco travelled to Dens.
A problem on the 10 April was not certain but the possibility must have been known by the League when they acquiesced to Newco’s wishes. And for what it’s worth, I expect Newco’s belligerence since the game was postponed on Wednesday will put fire in the Dundee bellies when the teams eventually meet.
In the two months since Celtic beat St Mirren in Paisley in the Scottish Cup, the Saints have lost to Livingston, shipped five at Kilmarnock, lost to Hearts, and drawn with Ross County and Motherwell. Their only wins in this period came over St Johnstone and Aberdeen, when they were behind for an impressive 95 minutes before Neil Warnock’s magic touch came into effect in the 96th minute. The champions should have too much tomorrow.
At tomorrow’s game, look out for Eurochamps67’s (Alex McKillop) mention on the big screens.
