Dundee v Rangers to be played at Dens Park after pitch inspection as contingency plan scrapped

Rangers have already made the trip to Tayside twice – on March 17 and April 10 – only for the pitch to be deemed unplayable, and contingency plans had been drawn up for the game to be moved to St Johnstone’s McDiarmid Park if the pitch failed its latest inspection. However, the Scottish Professional Football League have confirmed the match will be staged at Dens Park.

A statement from the SPFL said: “The SPFL can confirm that the cinch Premiership game between Dundee and Rangers scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday April 17, is set to go ahead as planned at the Scot Foam Stadium, Dens Park. On the basis of the weather forecasts and following discussions with the SPFL-appointed pitch consultants, who have been at the stadium for a number of days, no further inspection is planned ahead of the match. Contingency plans had been put in place by the league to switch the fixture to McDiarmid Park should the pitch have been deemed unplayable today, but these will no longer be required and the game will go ahead as planned at Dens Park.”

The fixture has taken on extra significance in the wake of Rangers’ shock defeat to Ross County at the weekend, which has left them four points adrift of Celtic, with this fixture their game in hand.