I’m sure that the scriptwriters at Hampden are pretty clear about how the 2023-24 Treason Finale should play out.
Get ready for a few episodes that will look eerily similar to the recent trip by Celtic to Tynecastle.
One thing that probably hasn’t been in the script conference, though, is the weather.
Inevitably, it was soon Statement O’clock at Ibrox.
RANGERS has written to the SPFL outlining its position following today’s further postponement of the Dundee Scottish Premiership fixture.
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.
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 4000 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.
The poor dears…
Undoubtedly, the match against the Tayside club WILL go ahead, and dear Philippe will leave the City of Discovery with three points.
After all, it’s in the script.
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If I didn’t know how well run the financial side of that business was I’d swear they were desperate for the sky money to keep paying the bills.
Can’t be the case though….
Dundee supporter here getting really pissed off with the media pile on they are being subjected to.
Pitch is not perfect and needs to be improved but this has never been a major issue until this season due to increase in volume, intensity in rainfall and the timing of it.
The impact of not completing all fixtures prior to league split (we will complete by 28th April) shows how ridiculous splitting the leagu mid season is.
I understand Rangers being a pissed off after 2 late call offs but it’s hardly going to make any difference to their season as their is more than a month to go until league finishes and they are out of Europe. Indeed Dundee may well qualify for too 6 this weekend and will have less to play for.
Hibs complaining is laughable as they need to win tomorrow regardless and they are playing at same time as Dundee. The only difference would have been if Dundee had played and beaten Rangers in midweek Hibs would have had nothing to play for on Saturday.
The only possible beneficiaries are Hearst as Rangers will play midweek before cup semifinal.
Lastly as I went to 2003 cup final when Dundee were beaten by a Rangers team full of players with illegal contracts the only good thing to come out of this is that we have pissed off Rangers and their fans.
PS – not sure Celtic’s covers were up to much?
True, but it does look like your pitch is trying to be an Arabs 2.0? What’s stopping use of McDermaid or Tannadice?
Why should Dundee relinquish their home advantage. It’s hardly the first time in history a games had to be put back a couple of times. There is still time to get it played. A couple of dryer days will allow this. All the waffle is just posturing and manipulating a narrative to unsettle Dundee and suit the rangers. Just get on with it. …. And the irony of the rangers’ statement …. Oft, you couldn’t make it up.
As it turns out the Rangers game doesn’t matter to top six anyway. Storm in a teacup and if anyone benefits it will be Rangers as Dundee have booked top six place. Hibs have shown themselves up complaining when they have shat it themselves.
Hope Tony Docherty uses Rangers criticism as a way of motivating Dundee players!
Why should we move – there is no precedent for this unless stadium is out of use. I am old enough to remember cup matches being postponed on multiple occasions in 70’s & 80’s without all this hooha.
I wonder why?
Can you imagine if the ref checking the surface next week (under pressure) deems it marginally playable. The game goes ahead, the rangers pick up 3 injuries to key players and draw the game as Dundee are up for it after all the criticism levelled at them.
God, the refs and the SPFL all conspiring AGAINST the rangers or is it FOR, I am lost now, cake and eat it time.
I’ve said it since the game was postponed in questionable circumstances the first time, these things have a habit of blowing up in your face and a leg-weary team who played a high intensity match three days earlier taking on an energetic young team on a heavy pitch is never a foregone conclusion….. unless Crawford Allan’s placemen make it so, of course.
Rangers were willing to play on Thursday 3 days before their game with Ross county but Dundee refused as they will be playing on Saturday. Why didn’t rangers play before the glasgow derby? The world knows why.
The real reason the game was not played the Wednesday before the Celtic game is that Tavernier is on 5 bookings, (1 game ban for 6) Soutar is on 5 bookings, (1 game ban for 6) and Goldson is on 11 bookings (2 game ban for 12). If each got another booking they’d have missed the Celtic game. Hell mend them for it coming back to bite their arse
All of the above, plus it seems that thewranglers were in the the process of requesting an earlier kick off due to reports that Dens park floodlights were unprofessional and a wee bit dodgy. They were worried that Silva might trip over his own feet in the dark! Can’t imagine he’d deliberately dive and muddy up his nice hair.
Wow, what about writing to the spfl and complaining about fans throwing bottles at opposition players and staff and fans also signing songs of hate against the Irish citizens,
I’m surprised they haven’t already demanded that Ragers should be awarded a 3-0 win and Dundee relegated to the Lowland League.
Meanwhile a negligent and unprofessional Neil McCann EBT has been caught dodging His Majesty’s Revenue again.
And I wonder when Aye Brokes will stop employing negligent and unprofessional stewards who seemed to miss the coin and bottle throwers at last Sunday’s derby match?
“they have repeatedly breached SPFL rules, continues to have a damaging effect on the top professional league in the country” certainly has a familiar ring about it!
If I’m not mistaken, rules are, the game should have been played at first available opportunity, ie, the Wednesday before the Glasgow derby at Ibrokes, so in effect, the problem lies with the Glasgow team and SFA, who BOTH IT WOULD APPEAR wanted a free week leading up to the derby 🤷♂️
(Dundee) “have repeatedly breached SPFL Rules…”
Would these be the same rules that said the game should have been played last week, before game with Celtic?
Yes Phil, we all know what to expect when it comes to the folks at hampden and the rangers. More of the tynecastle/ govan shenanigans on the way between now and the end of the season, that’s as sure as the
“Penalty rangers ” awards on the way, and the dodgy var decisions on the way.
They are going to need that help because the team on the park are not as good as they seem to think they are. The superiority complex they have about themselves is greater than the sum of their collective parts.
An average team at best, who benefit from preferential refereeing/var decisions far more than the rest of the league put together.
It seems that the Sevco Tribute Act have never heard of the word ‘irony or self awareness.The accusation that “Dundee somehow dropped the ball.” where the weather is concerned is debatable, but what is not debatable is fans of the Tribute Act dropping Glas bottles on top of Celtic Staff/players & the playing surface, to be more specific Joe Hart’s own penalty area. It also seems ironic that Statement F.C are on the same wavelength as the S.F.A. , something to do with incompetence…Sorry my apologies, going off script here…. “Penalty to Sevco.”!