By Sohaib Shams
Scottish fifth-tier club Johnstone Burgh have been forced to play two cup ties on the same day, with kick-offs only 30 minutes apart on Saturday, 21 November.
Fixture clash details
The club must field a team away to Tayport in the Scottish Communities Cup third round at 14:30 GMT and another side at Dunipace in the Lowland League Cup first round at 15:00, a distance of 65 miles between the venues.
Failed attempts to reschedule
In a statement on X, Burgh said they explored every option, including rearranging league fixtures, moving the Tayport tie to a Friday night or Sunday afternoon, and offering to play the Communities Cup match immediately before or after the Lowland League Cup fixture. They also offered to forfeit their share of gate revenue. However, neither opponent nor other clubs were willing to shift from traditional Saturday afternoon kick-off times.
Club background and current standings
Johnstone Burgh, who won the Scottish Communities Cup two seasons ago when it was known as the Scottish Junior Cup, currently sit eighth in the Lowland League West after promotion. Dunipace are second bottom in the Lowland League East, while Tayport sit sixth in the Midlands Premier League. All three clubs have had fixtures postponed due to their progress in the Scottish Cup, with Burgh's home tie against Formartine United rescheduled for this Saturday.
The club expressed disappointment at being unable to compete in both games with their strongest available squad and thanked Tayport and other clubs for considering the proposals.
