Dundee deserve all the criticism coming their way for the Rangers fixture debacle as they have “let down everybody associated with Scottish football”, says Hugh Keevins.
The Daily Record journalist tore into the Dark Blues on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (12 April) over the twice-postponed visit of the Gers to Dens Park, blasting them for their “unacceptable” inability to play the match at their home ground.
And in a dispute with a caller he called out the suggestion that the game should have been played a week earlier, accusing them of seeking to get Rangers “taxed” ahead of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox last weekend (7 April).
Referring to the caller Keevins said: “To borrow [his] expression about Dundee being kicked about like a burst ball – deservedly so, it’s simply unacceptable, there is no other way of looking at it.
“30% of their home matches this season have been postponed. They have used money on players to the detriment of pitch.
“They have let down everybody associated with Scottish football. Every word of condemnation coming their way is deserved…
“Is your whole premise here that Rangers should have been taxed ahead of the Celtic game? Is that what’s getting under your skin?”
Daily Record journalist destroys Dundee over Rangers controversy
Perhaps unsurprisingly this issue has descended into accusation and counter-accusation, and any club with linked is being dragged in.
At the heart of it is a pitch that has been deemed unsafe to play on multiple times this season, and twice now for the Rangers game in the space of a month.
Dundee’s defeat to Motherwell last weekend was also touch-and-go until the last minute, with Stuart Kettlewell unhappy with being obliged to use the surface despite the victory.
Although the implication from rivals is that it was the Light Blues who avoided the game being rescheduled in the previous midweek because of it disrupting their preparations to face Brendan Rodgers’ side at Ibrox, it has been reported that it was Dundee who asked for the game to slot in a week later as the pitch wasn’t ready [Jim White, 12 April].
If Rangers had gone to Dens Park on 3 April it would surely have then had a knock-on effect on their game against Motherwell days later, suggesting there would be an issue ahead of the split either way.
It is quite obvious why a club would rather spend money on players than the pitch, and why their fans would also choose that, but they leave themselves wide open for criticism if they are then caught out by their facilities, which is exactly what has happened.
Clearly Dundee fans won’t like it and will feel like their club is being picked up from all angles, but with the issue becoming so awkward for so many parties it was never going to be simply brushed off.
Keevins clearly didn’t hold back, after the Gers were ready to play twice now and Don Robertson had to prevent them from doing so, with even the third attempt potentially at risk from the same problem still.
In other Rangers news, the reason why the most obvious alternative venue couldn’t be used will infuriate many fans and enrage Michael Stewart.
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