Second pitch inspection scheduled for Dens Park ahead of Premiership clash

Dundee and Motherwell fans are facing an anxious wait to see if their Premiership meeting on Saturday will go ahead.

A pitch inspection was held at Dens Park at 11am but no definitive decision could be reached and a second check will now take place at 1pm, just two hours before the game is scheduled to kick-off.

It comes after a weekend of heavy rainfall in the Tayside area and Dundee already having four league games postponed this season.

On Thursday Dundee said the pitch had passed an initial inspection and would be covered by rain covers until Saturday morning when officials would have another look.

But that was inconclusive and they could yet face another postponement, which will create a fixture headache for the league ahead of the split next week.

A statement from Dundee on Saturday said: “Following this morning’s (11am) scheduled pitch inspection the referee has deemed there will be a further inspection at 1pm this afternoon.”

Motherwell chief executive Brian Caldwell had voiced his concerns about the Dundee pitch this week, calling for the Scottish Professional Football League to postpone the Premiership’s post-split fixtures should the game be called off.

Well have two games remaining before the split, with their final fixture coming at home to Hibernian next Saturday.

The SPFL has been working on various contingency measures should the game be called off, with Caldwell revealing plans included delaying the game to Sunday or Monday or even playing it behind closed doors at Airdrie.

Caldwell said: “Our position is quite clear, we play Saturday at Dens or we reschedule the game for another time and if that means the post-split fixtures are delayed then so be it.”

With Dundee due to host Rangers on Wednesday – in a rescheduled clash that was contentiously called off 90 minutes before kick-off last month – the SPFL would be left with little room for manoeuvre in terms of fitting in any further fixtures before the post-split schedule is confirmed later this month.