SPFL quick to punish Dundee, but in no rush to deal Celtic’s Ibrox concerns

After all it’s only been two weeks since we seen the safety of Celtic players and management were yet again put at risk in the Glasgow derby at Ibrox when ‘supporters’ threw coins and bottles on to the field of play and in the direction of the dug out, and not for the first time either.

And while the SPFL played a role in brokering the deal that will allow away supporters to return to Glasgow Derby matches next season, it should be noted that the reason there are no fans at these games is because Celtic refused tickets for that away corner at Ibrox after reporting seven instances of Celtic supporters being struck by missiles, including bottles.

What fine did the SPFL impose on theRangers for these previous incidents, of the broken glass being thrown into Joe Hart’s goalmouth at the start of the second half in the Glasgow Derby at Ibrox in April 2022? That was the same game where a member of the Celtic coaching staff was hit by a glass and as a result the perpetrator is currently residing at His Majesty’s Pleasure.

Yet there’s never been a peep from the powers that be or theRangers for that matter, although to be fair Philippe Clement did condemn the recent two incidents. Yet a game is postponed twice in the same season and it’s whipped up a hysteria which has led to a club being punished. Funny that eh?

There’s a link running through some of this and it’s Sky Sports. They wanted the fans back into the Glasgow Derby, as did everyone else expect the diehard Ibrox fans. They have serious clout with the SPFL due to their broadcasting deal, so Neil Doncaster gets involved. Fair play to him it’s probably the best solution possible in the circumstances.

And Sky Sports were looking to hit the SPFL with their costs of sending crews to Dens Park for the postponed games. When the games were called off, Sky still got coverage around the postponement via Sky Sports News. They have signed a broadcasting deal for Scottish football and games do get postponed up here, more so than down south. Meekly accepting Sky’s compensation demand and passing the cost onto Dundee looks like the coward’s way out.

Dundee were in the Championship last year at a time when income was low and energy costs high. They were worried about balancing the books to turned their undersoil heating off, resulting in the current problem. There should have been more compassion for Dundee’s predicament and remember that Dens Park was always one of the best playing surfaces in Scottish football.

Sky got the drama, an even bigger audience when the game was played that they would have achieved first time around, and then they have indirectly fleeced Dundee for their costs via the feeble SPFL. Working with a smaller league, will always through up these kind of situations that you won’t see in the English Premier League, where Sky throws unbelievable sums of money that the teams down there.

Nowhere else beats Scotland for the proportion of money paid to Sky every month in subscriptions and only a small percentage is returned to our game via our modest media deal with the broadcaster.

Doncaster should have told Sky Sports to do one and he is now facing legal action as an enraged Dundee point out via a statement on their official website, that the SPFL’s own statement on the penalties imposed on them by the SPFL doesn’t even get the sums involved right. Dundee FC make their point below…