Dundee issue pitch statement on Motherwell venue speculation fears as Rangers watch on with interest

Heavy rain is forecast on Friday ahead of Dundee’s home match against Steelmen

Dundee remain confident that they will be able to stage Saturday’s cinch Premiership match against Motherwell as normal, as opposed to taking it to an alternative venue.

The Dark Blues have had four home matches postponed due to a waterlogged pitch this term and heavy rainfall across the country this week has raised fears this weekend’s match may suffer a similar fate. With Dundee due to host Rangers next Wednesday – in a rescheduled match that was contentiously called off last month – the SPFL would have little room for manoeuvre in terms of fitting in any further fixtures before the post-split schedule is confirmed later this month.

It was reported by The Scottish Sun on Thursday that if Saturday’s match fell victim to the weather, the Tayside club could be forced to play it somewhere else, with St Johnstone’s McDiarmid Park, Dundee United’s Tannadice and Hampden Park put forward as potential options. However, Dundee have assuaged such fears.

Dundee have had numerous problems with their pitch next season.

“Dundee Football Club want to respond to media speculation regarding the club being forced to move Saturday’s match against Motherwell away from the Scot Foam Stadium,” read a statement on the club’s website. “The club want to clarify the situation regarding this. As we all know there has been heavy rainfall in the Dundee area since the start of the week.

“The club have had a full grounds team along with consultants working on the pitch since the postponement of the Rangers match along with all the associated machinery and this will continue right up until Saturday. Rain covers will then be put down covering the whole pitch. The club are doing absolutely everything in its power to get Saturday’s match on and is expecting Saturday’s match to go ahead as planned. The club are in regular discussions with the league but no decision to move the match away from the Scot Foam Stadium has been made. The stories circulating in the media are very much media speculation. The club will provide another update to supporters later on today.”