The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Climate change at fault – Drysdale
Dundee’s urgent need to improve their underfire pitch shows the “effects of climate change” according to a Dens Park official.
The Dark Blues were due to face Rangers last night in a crucial Premiership clash that would play a part in both the title race and the chase for a top-six place.
However, the surface at Dens failed a second pitch inspection hours before kick-off following heavy rain on Tuesday and further rainfall yesterday.
Rangers wasted little time in pointing the finger at Dundee and the SPFL, accusing the Dark Blues of “negligence and unprofessionalism” in a statement.
It is the second time the fixture has been postponed and the fifth called off at Dens Park this campaign.
And club secretary Eric Drysdale accepted the need to sort the surface at Dens but also pointed to excessive rainfall.
He told Sky Sports: “I can understand people are annoyed at this and are looking at it as Dundee’s fault.
“What I would say is that from the research we have done in the last few days this year’s rainfall is 35% higher than the last 10-year average – that shows the effects of climate change on it and it shows the work we have to do urgently on the Dens Park pitch.
“We are absolutely up for doing that in the summer.
“The pitch is of a very good quality but there have been a number of occasions when home fixtures have corresponded with bad weather such as the storms last October which was the highest rainfall ever recorded in Scotland and on the back of Storm Babet between Christmas and New Year when we had the fixture with St Johnstone.
“It’s very clear that work needs to be done to rectify the situation and we absolutely recognise the challenges we face and the club will do what is needed.”
Drysdale also confirmed the SPFL disciplinary process over the number of postponements this season continues next week.
The fixture has been rescheduled for next Wednesday at 8pm.
Referee Don Robertson said the deterioration of the Dens Park pitch between inspections forced him to postpone the fixture.
Dundee were due to host Rangers, a match already rearranged after last month’s postponement.
One of the penalty boxes and an area towards the middle of the pitch caused the referee some concern ahead of the Scottish Premiership match.
After the pitch was deemed playable at 11am, Robertson arranged another inspection due to the forecast of heavy rain.
The Dens Park surface failed that second assessment at 3.30pm and the match has now been rearranged for next Wednesday.
“Everyone was aware of the forecast for heavy rain in the area this afternoon, that’s why they agreed on a pitch inspection at 3.30pm,” Robertson told Sky Sports.
“The pitch had deteriorated quite a lot in that time. It was wet this morning but playable.
“They put the covers on and in the three-and-a-half or four hours since that first inspection, it’s been quite heavy rain and that area of the pitch has become sodden and waterlogged.
“In that case, it’s unsafe for the players to play on and the match was postponed.
“This morning, no one would say the pitch was in great condition but it was in a playable condition.
“It was safe for the players to play. The ball
was bouncing, the ball was travelling through the areas where it was wet.
“When I’ve arrived back at the stadium to do the second pitch inspection, that’s not the case.
“The ball isn’t travelling through those areas. It isn’t bouncing and the pitch is waterlogged.
“It’s not safe for the players to be running or turning in those areas.
“And it’s quite a significant area of the pitch.”
The Scottish
Premiership pre-split fixtures were due to conclude this weekend but Dundee will now host Rangers next midweek.
In a statement, the Glasgow club hit out at Dundee’s “negligence and unprofessionalism” and called on the SPFL to take action.
Robertson said player safety was his “sole concern” when making the call.
“My role is to conduct the pitch inspection when I am asked to by the league and to make a determination on the suitability of the pitch in terms of the safety of the players,” he added.
“It would be logical to assume that with more rain, the pitch would deteriorate further.
“Once I determined that those areas were unsafe, and that’s my concern here, the match was postponed.
“Those decisions are not for me to make, they’re for the clubs and the leagues to decide.”