Dundee 1
Raith Rovers 0
Scottish Cup (3rd Round)

Manager's Programme Notes

It seems strange to be wishing people a Happy New Year on January 23rd, but though these greetings are delayed, they are sincere and I couple with them the hope that Dundee Football Club will have a successful year.

Perhaps we can start on the right road today in our Scottish Cup tie against Raith Rovers who have already visited Dens Park this season for a League Cup game. We will be trying very hard to reverse that scoreline today. Raith I have a few ex-Dundee players in their side and I am sure they will be trying just that little bit harder to go one up on their old club. I hope our long lay-off will make us more determined that won't happen.

Since our last home game on December 12th, we have had mixed fortunes, playing very well at Ibrox and getting nothing from the game and playing not so well at Easter Road and getting nothing again. The game at Ibrox was very heartening from the playing side and I feel that we did more than enough to get one point and perhaps even two from Rangers.

But at Easter Road, things were totally different, although it was two mistakes that gave Hibs their two goals. We did not play half as well as we did against Rangers in Glasgow.

The weather has been a very big talking point recently and I am sure the powers that be will give great thought to their policies on our foot ball season. It is all very well getting a pitch playable and being able to play on a good surface, but if we expect you, the supporters, to turn out in all weathers, we are asking a very great deal.

The players are important in the game and within a club they are the most important people, but so far as football itself is concerned, you, the supporters, are the most important people. Without could not continue. you, football

When I came here, I asked you to be patient during the rebuilding of Dundee Football Club, and it now looks as if I must ask you to be patient until the authorities make a decision on what we should do in the winter months.

A great deal has been said about Rangers' undersoil heating, but they are one of the few clubs in Scotland now with the facilities to accommodate such a system. There is also speculation about the running costs of such a system.

These are frustrating times for the players because we have not trained on grass for nearly seven weeks and when we are trying to work to improve our game we must have facilities.

We hope our rustiness does not show today and that we give you an entertaining afternoon which we always try to do at Dens Park.