The season has a premature ‘false' ending this week when the SPL splits in half. (What next year? Maybe the league should be decided by a raffle? Probably would be fairer actually – at least we wouldn't know who was going to win before it started). We host Hibernian, whilst Dundee have Dunfermline away before the split. The five fixtures beyond the split have yet to be decided, but will of course be against the other bottom-half teams, and there will now be a fourth Dundee Derby. There will be no Old Firm or in-form teams to play, which will makes the run-in less predictable.
These last five games will be a fair and level playing field in my opinion. The two Dundee teams have been swapping league places all season, their crowds have been similar too. Therefore neither club can realistically claim to be superior in any real way. Both have had good and bad results, both have been dumped out of cups by 1st division opposition (Dundee twice!!!), and both sets of fans are little upset about their teams' lowly status.
Many Arabs and Dees think that finishing above the other is a mere trifle, and we should be focusing on the real issues like winning trophies and progression into Europe. But believe this, whichever club finishes lower in the league, those fans will be on the receiving end of some serious banter all summer and well into next season.
My prediction? As an Arab myself, I cannot predict a Dee victory in this ensuing battle for league placings, but it will be close, and possibly the winner of the derby game could decide it. Hopefully next year I can rewrite this story and both teams will be in the top half?
Bring it on!