Over three decades, 33 matches and counting - Dundee's time running out to end sorry record v Celtic at Dens Park

Dundee have revealed revised plans for a new stadium in 2025 – which means ending a long winless run against Celtic at Dens has taken on new urgency

A rested Dundee up against an out-of-sorts Celtic, whose eyes might be straying towards a crunch match against title rivals Rangers. Is there a chance Dens Park could stage a significant shock this afternoon in Scotland's sole senior fixture?

Widespread attention is further guaranteed by the presence of live television cameras. It’s the first time this season that newly promoted Dundee have featured in a live TV game. It’s been longer still since they last beat Celtic in a competitive fixture at Dens Park, the ground that is now firmly on Death Row. When did Dundee last taste a home victory over Celtic is a question that not even the Dundee manager Tony Docherty could answer as he previewed today’s Premiership clash following the disappointment of Saturday’s late postponement against Aberdeen. “I don’t want to know!” he said.

He would have been a youth player at Dunfermline at the time. Skipper Joe Shaughnessy, meanwhile, was not even born. It was September 1988 when Tommy Coyne bundled the winning goal past 36-year-old 'keeper Alan Rough to give Dundee a 1-0 victory. Dave Smith – who died last year aged 88 – was manager. Smith and his players repeated the trick at Parkhead the following month, winning 3-2. But although Dundee have triumphed once more in the east end of Glasgow, it’s been a remarkable and somewhat dismaying run of winless league and cup encounters with Celtic at Dens currently standing at 33 games and counting. Time is very much of the essence if they want to rectify this record.

Kyogo Furuhashi in action for Celtic the last time the side visited Dens Park for a league fixture in November 2021. They won 4-2. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Dundee are of course seeking to move away from Dens, the ground that saw another black mark placed against it at the weekend when the match against Aberdeen was postponed little more than an hour before kick off after heavy rain left parts of the pitch unplayable according to referee David Munro. Dundee remain angered by the decision although some of the fury might be assuaged by a home win on Boxing Day – weather permitting. “Time is running out,” acknowledged Shaughnessy, who was born in 1992 – four years after Coyne's noteworthy winner. "Maybe there's only a few chances left. It would be a nice Christmas present I suppose."

Time is indeed running out if Dundee hit their target of moving into a new stadium in the summer of 2025. Providing Dundee stay up, they might only have one more season when they are guaranteed to play Celtic at Dens. If they do not reach the top six, they might not play against them at Dens again in this current campaign. It’s possible this could be the penultimate league clash at the stadium against Celtic. If Dundee are relegated, it could be the last.

Little Docherty’s side have done this season suggests they will go straight back down. Indeed, sitting seventh with at least two games in hand on many of their rivals, they are looking up the way. The match against Brendan Rodgers’ side seems as good a chance as any in recent times to post an elusive home victory over the visitors.

“We’re at home and our home form has been good,” noted Docherty. “I was gutted for the fans on Saturday because there was a real feel around the city with Aberdeen bringing down a big away crowd. Unfortunately we didn’t have that but we have another big game, with another big crowd, on Tuesday.”