Gers fans’ fury at early trip to Pittodrie

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WARNING: Aberdeen captain Scott Severin.

RANGERS fans are furious the SPL fixture list has sent them to Pittodrie on the third Saturday of the campaign.

But Dons skipper Scott Severin warned they will be shown no sympathy when they clash in the Granite City on August 23.

“It’s a game that all the players will be looking forward to, and hopefully the new boys that come in will be as well,” said Severin.

Three of the Gers’ first four SPL games are away from home, including visits to Celtic and Pittodrie.

Sandwiched between those two clashes is a Champions League qualifier, which will determine whether Walter Smith’s men join Celtic in the lucrative group stages.

That has sparked a furious reaction from the Rangers Supporters’ Trust, who criticised the way their fixtures were organised last season as well.

Spokesman Stephen Smith said: “It is mystifying.

“One of the Champions League qualifiers will also be away from home, so there is a 50% chance of having three consecutive games away from home.

“There is a school of thought among Rangers supporters that what happened at the end of last season cost Rangers the title.

“Fans will not be happy at all, and if the Scottish football authorities are looking to provoke a backlash, they are going the right way about it.”

The Dons ended Rangers’ title dreams with a 2-0 win at Pittodrie on the final day.

Severin says they are delighted to get a rematch with the Ibrox men so early in the campaign.

Severin said: “It’s a special game and, with it being at home as well, there is going to be a terrific atmosphere.

“We are determined to do well again in the new season.”

The Dons start with a home clash against Inverness Caley Thistle, who have yet to beat the Reds in any competition.

But Severin has warned against any complacency in that August 9 encounter.

“They are always hard games,” said the former Hearts midfielder.

“Hopefully we will have a big support and we can kick on from where we left off at the end of last season.

“It was a bit of an up and down campaign last time around. We had four or five really difficult games, and then we played against teams who were in the bottom six.

“We struggled for four or five weeks of the season and then picked up maximum points for four or five games.

“It was just the way the fixtures were scheduled, so with it being a bit different this season, hopefully we can get a bit more consistency over the whole campaign.”

Severin is also aiming for a better season personally as he prepares to wear the captain’s armband for the second year running.

He added: “There were times last season when I was enjoying being captain and there were times when I wasn’t.

“This will be my second campaign as captain, and hopefully I have learned a few things from last season that I can take into the new campaign.”