Alan Pattullo: Just where exactly do Dundee stand on league reconstruction?

Dundee managing director John Nelms. Picture: SNS

There’s a growing list of those who have enjoyed a good lockdown. Joe Wicks leads the way, with Tim Burgess, the Charlatans lead singer and host of Twitter listening parties, close behind. Then there’s Marcus Rashford of course.

To this list there’s certainly no reason to add Dundee FC. What in the name of Alan Gilzean is going on there? There’s been more flip-flopping than on the beach at Broughty Ferry.

Contrary to indications elsewhere, it seems Dundee did not reject the proposal for a change to 14-10-10-10 in Monday’s indicative vote on league reconstruction but they did not approve it. They supported a variation of it.

You may remember the little drama from Good Friday. After switching from no to yes when a technological glitch held up their original vote on curtailing the season, Dundee eventually explained it was because of a desire to get a better deal for Scottish football. The delay was spent extracting an agreement to consider the question of reconstruction.

But what happened when reconstruction did in fact next come up for serious discussion? Dundee did not commit.

It’s difficult to comprehend the thought process. The presence of Hearts in Dundee’s league will not help their own chances of promotion.

Meanwhile, any hope of a payday when Hearts come visiting – and providing supporters are allowed in – has also been thrown very much in doubt with fans of the Tynecastle side now talking about boycotting this away fixture. A statement implying the likely harsh consequences of 
the shutdown released by the Dens Park club yesterday made no mention of the latest SPFL controversy.

Perhaps managing director John Nelms will find he is bound by law to explain the club’s part in Scottish football’s summer of shame after the joint petition lodged by Hearts and Partick Thistle at the Court of Session earlier this week.

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