Johnstone Burgh face cup ties 65 miles apart with kick-offs 30 minutes apart

Johnstone Burgh face having to assemble two teams for cup matches on the same afternoon after efforts to resolve a fixture clash failed. BBC Sport reported that the Scottish fifth-tier club are scheduled to play away at Tayport and Dunipace on Saturday, 21 November, with only 30 minutes between the kick-offs and 65 miles separating the venues.

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Their Scottish Communities Cup third-round match at Tayport is due to begin at 14:30 GMT. The Lowland League Cup first-round tie at Dunipace follows at 15:00. Burgh said in a statement on X, cited by the BBC, that their existing schedule was full and they had been unable to secure an alternative arrangement despite approaching opponents about several possible changes.

The options explored included moving league games and South Challenge Cup ties to create space. Burgh also proposed travelling to Tayport in midweek, or playing that match on a Friday evening or Sunday afternoon. Their latest suggestion was to stage the Communities Cup game immediately before or after their forthcoming Lowland League Cup fixture. None of those proposals produced a solution.

Burgh said they had additionally offered to surrender their portion of gate receipts to help meet costs arising from a rearrangement. According to the BBC, neither the two cup opponents nor clubs involved in other weekend fixtures were willing to move away from Saturday afternoon kick-offs. Burgh expressed disappointment but acknowledged the preference for traditional match times and thanked the clubs that had considered their requests.

The congestion follows Scottish Cup runs for all three clubs, whose progress to the second round had already caused postponements. Tayport were subsequently beaten by Stranraer, while Dunipace lost to Largs Thistle on Saturday. Burgh's home meeting with Highland League side Formartine United was postponed and rearranged for the coming Saturday, adding another commitment to their calendar.

Burgh are eighth in the new Lowland League West after promotion from the West of Scotland League Premier Division. They won the competition now called the Scottish Communities Cup two seasons ago, when it was the Scottish Junior Cup. Dunipace are second bottom in the Lowland League East, while Tayport sit sixth in the Midlands Premier League, one tier below. Burgh said the unresolved clash prevents them from contesting both ties with their strongest available squad.