The key questions...

THE fears were confirmed yesterday afternoon. Four hours before kick- off, the match between Dundee and Rangers was postponed for a second time.

Philippe Clement had called for the decision to be made on Tuesday. Instead, Rangers had the expense and uncertainty of another wasted trip. They returned home with only anger rather than three points.

Here, we look at the key questions surrounding a fixture that was initially called off on March 17. The clubs will try again next Wednesday evening at 8pm, with the match once again due to be screened live on Sky Sports.

Why did Don Robertson hold a second pitch inspection?

There was an air of inevitability about the whole thing. Robertson, the match referee, highlighted areas of particular concern when he took to the park at 11am and it was clear that the conditions were only going to get worse. As soon as the rain started, events were only heading one way.

The pitch was playable in the morning but come the second inspection, it had deteriorated further and one section in the penalty box had become waterlogged despite the presence of covers. It was therefore deemed unsafe for the players and Robertson was left with no choice but to call a halt to proceedings for the second time. The wellbeing of the players was paramount for Robertson.

Do Rangers have issues with the SPFL’s handling of events?

In short, yes. The club expect the Hampden hierarchy to take “proportionate and decisive action in accordance with its rules” and they vowed to make continued representation “in the strongest possible manner”. Clement was open to the idea of a venue switch when he spoke at his pre- match press conference and Rangers claim a number of potential solutions put to the SPFL were not taken up. The club say they have “again proposed a solution to the preparation and execution” of the fixture and, at the time of writing, are awaiting a response.

Relations between Ibrox and Hampden are still strained at present and this farce will do nothing to ease those tensions.

Have Dundee said anything in response?

The communication from Dens Park was short as “heavy rainfall this afternoon” was blamed for the postponement.

A statement read: “Thank you to all of our wonderful supporters, staff and contractors who have helped us with the pitch in the last week. Unfortunately one area of the pitch was deemed unplayable due to the heavy rain this afternoon.”

This was the fifth time this term that a match has been postponed at Dens Park.

Will the fixture be played on the rescheduled date?

That is now one of the big questions. As it stands, it is impossible to say for certain. The good news is that Dundee are away from home this weekend as they play what is now their penultimate pre- split fixture against Aberdeen. That should, hopefully, give the pitch time to recover.

But the issues are long- standing ones, and they will not be solved in under a week. Given how poor the surface is, will it be able to withstand further rainfall in the coming days? The forecast does not offer much hope for optimism and Rangers now face an anxious wait to discover if it will be third time lucky for this fixture at Dens Park. If it falls victim to the weather once again, the drama will really step up. The SPFL confirmed last month that the first post- split date is the weekend of April 27/ 28. The Premiership will end on May 18/ 19 and the Scottish Cup final will be played the following Saturday. Time is, then, very much against the League to get all the fixtures played.

Dundee could now go into Game 33 with their top- six spot secured or knowing what they need to do to achieve it. Motherwell and Hibernian are unlikely to be enamoured at that given their own ambitions of taking that final spot.

But it is the race for the title that is of paramount importance. Rangers have been denied the chance to go top of the table and could now be four points adrift by the time they face Ross County on Sunday. Given what is at stake in football and financial terms, Clement is well within his rights to be upset at a disaster that is not of Rangers’ making.

Where do the supporters stand in all of this?

Once again, they have been treated appallingly. Around 4000 fans were due to take their seats in the away end and they will have to count the cost of wasted travel money for a second time. Many punters would have had to set off before the first inspection, never mind the second one, and Rangers say they “sympathise fully” with those who have been left “hugely inconvenienced and out of pocket” by both postponements. They added that it was “entirely unacceptable and disrespectful on the part of Dundee FC to have allowed this situation to have developed again”.

Motherwell fans deserved far better at the weekend after their Dens Park fixture was given the go- ahead less than two hours before kick- off. Rangers fans likewise have been poorly treated. The league relies on the lifeblood of the game and some form of recompense should come from Dundee or the SPFL.