Fixture pile-up puts heavy burden on team and fans

After Dundee play Hibs on Saturday at Easter Road they have another near two-week break – and to say they will need to recharge their batteries during that time without a game would be an understatement.

The Dark Blues face a potentially bleak midwinter run of seven games in 24 days next month. That gruelling schedule of a match every 3.42 days will stretch Jim McIntyre’s squad to the limit.

In contrast, St Johnstone “only” have six games in the same period while Dundee United have just four.

It all starts for the Dark Blues with a proverbial six-pointer against Hamilton at Dens on December 5, with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers the visitors the following Sunday.

There is then a truly daunting triple header of away fixtures at Kilmarnock on Saturday December 15, a trip to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen on the Tuesday evening, then a visit to the east end of Glasgow on Saturday December 22 to the home of champions Celtic – who put five past the Dark Blues the last time they met.

The following Wednesday – Boxing Day – Dundee will try to find some Christmas cheer against Livingston which will be far from easy as this season’s shock troops beat Dundee 4-0 in October.

The final game of the month – if the Dundee players haven’t all been dragged off to the knacker’s yard by this time – is on the 29th, a Tayside derby with St Johnstone. There is then the winter break which means Dundee will have just two league games in January towards the end of the month.

Considering they only have three fixtures in November it beggars belief that they must cram in seven Premiership games next month.

I know cup finals and internationals have to be fitted into the fixture schedule but the pile-up going into the festive season is ridiculous.

It will put a huge burden on a group of players trying to turn their season around after a disastrous start.

And as for the fans...even the most committed Dundee diehard would struggle to find the will, let alone the financial wherewithal, to travel to Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Glasgow all within the space of a week and pay good money to watch football just a few days before Christmas.

Bah, humbug!

Picture: SNS. Kenny Miller and team-mates face an arduous December, playing seven games in just 24 days.