Jim McAlister says the Dundee players were stunned when they discovered today’s crunch Championship clash at Dens with Dumbarton is a sell-out.
The Dark Blues are just 90 minutes away from glory with at least a draw against the Sons almost certainly securing the title and promotion to the Premiership at the expense of nearest challengers Hamilton and Falkirk.
The Dundee fans have responded magnificently as they try to roar their favourites over the finishing line and McAlister admitted the backing has inspired the players, making them even more determined to secure the Championship trophy that will be delivered via helicopter.
The midfielder, who has a busload of 30 friends and family travelling through from Rothesay for the game, said: “Throughout the season, even away from home we have had fantastic support.
“We had been told the crowd would maybe be 8,000 but when we heard it was a sell-out on Wednesday, we were taken aback by it. It has made us want to finish the job even more.Follow live coverage from Dens this afternoon right here“The fans have waited a long, long time for a day like this so it is massively important that we go out and hopefully do it. It will be difficult to treat it like a normal game.
“It is important that you just spend some quiet time with your family and go through your usual routine as much as possible. But it will still be hard not to think about the importance of the match.”
McAlister is good friends with two of the Dumbarton players and will even holiday in Florida with one of them this summer.
However, he is expecting no favours from the duo this afternoon.
He said: “I was with two of the Dumbarton boys on Wednesday. I am good friends with their centre-backs, big Andy Graham and Mark McLaughlin.
“I was playing squash with Andy so I was trying to run the legs off him. Marko was then round for dinner so I was trying to give him food poisoning!
“Seriously, they are both good pals and I am going on holiday with Andy and his wife-to-be for the second week of their honeymoon in Florida.
“I was telling Andy and Marko to go light on us but they are determined to come and win.
“They are the spine of the Dumbarton team and they will make it difficult for us, that’s for sure.
“It is important that we get off to a good start, get the big crowd on our side and hopefully kick on from there.
“The fans will be massively important for us. You see it at a higher level with bigger stadiums how much of a help they can be.
“Things might be a bit nervy early on but hopefully they can be the extra man for us.”
The fans certainly were the “extra man” last week in Dundee’s game at Alloa. The Dark Blues simply had to win against the Wasps and hope that Hamilton slipped up.
Paul Hartley’s men did what they had to do while Accies imploded at Dumbarton.
When asked if he felt the chance of title glory had gone before the visit to Alloa, McAlister replied: “To be honest, I have felt that five or six times this season.
“The different emotions throughout this campaign have been incredible. I have never known one like it.
“One week we have been sky high and then the next, like when we lost to Morton, we are thinking, ‘Have we thrown it away?’
“But it is back in our hands now which is the important thing and we are at home.
“We would have taken this situation at the start of the season. But the last two times we have played Dumbarton, they have made it very difficult for us, especially the game down there, so we will have to be on our toes as they will be coming here looking to spoil the party.”
Dundee will be without Iain Davidson, who is suspended, and the injured Stephen O’Donnell.