JIM SPENCE: Dundee waterlogged pitch battles cannot continue

Dundee must sort their pitch problems – pronto – for the sake of fans and also their league ambitions.

Many Dark Blues fans of my acquaintance were raging at the call-off of the St Johnstone game on January 2, and are seriously questioning a perceived lack of investment by the club owners in the whole Dens infrastructure.

No blame attaches to the ground staff at Dens, who’ve long fought manfully to keep the pitch in good working order, but they’re fighting a losing battle unless the club owners bite the bullet and invest to upgrade the park.

St Johnstone chief executive Stan Harris’ barbed comment got right to the point after almost 2000 Saints fans had organised their day around the postponed game.

John Nelms took to the pitch with players after Dundee’s clash with Aberdeen on December 23 was called off. Image: SNS

“We do understand the problems that waterlogged pitches can cause and that is why we invested over £100,000 last summer to improve the drainage on our own playing surface,” he said.

In that withering sentence he exposed the failure of Dundee owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms to bring Dens – a pitch which in pre-undersoil heating days was among the very best in Scotland – up to truly adequate standards.

Dundee now must spend the money to do so; as a top flight club they have obligations to their own fans and others to provide top flight conditions.

No-one can control the weather and the best of intentions can come unstuck with monsoon conditions at grounds and on roads conspiring to thwart the fixture list.

But Dundee should be giving themselves the best possible chance to play their home matches – and that’ll require spending some money to sort their pitch travails.

The match was called off due to a waterlogged goalmouth. Image: SNS — The Aberdeen match was called off less than an hour before kick-off. Image: Shutterstock/David Young

The SPFL who may well look into this situation, are currently assessing the possibility of allowing only grass surfaces in the Premiership.

But there’s a glaring fault line if grass pitches aren’t going to meet the required standards and, with the third game of the season postponed at Dens, it’s falling well short of what’s acceptable when the heavens open.

The effect on the team of games called off shouldn’t be discounted.

Tony Docherty’s side have had a stellar season so far, but there are dangers playing catch up with four games in hand over St Mirren and Kilmarnock above them.

Trying to cram those matches in over a short period presents potential issues with possible player injury and fatigue.

Much of the hard work which has taken them to seventh in the Premiership could be squandered if those games take a heavy toll on the squad.

Joe Shaughnessy celebrates after scoring a last gasp equaliser in Dundee’s last outing against Kilmarnock. Image: Shutterstock/David Young

There’s also half-a-million pounds difference in league prize money between finishing fifth and eighth for instance, so if trying to squeeze in those postponed games in a tight window sees them drop points, it could result in a heavy financial penalty.

Dens became the responsibility of American club owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms, through their Dark Blue Property Holdings company, when they bought it from John Bennett in October.

They have major ambitions for a new stadium at Camperdown but first they need to spend a few dollars more on the old place and upgrade the Dens pitch.