One club, two matches: Johnstone Burgh fail to solve the fixture problem

Johnstone Burgh, from the Renfrewshire area of Scotland, moved up to the Lowland League West last season. The club is in the same group as long-established teams such as Clydebank, Gretna and Albion Rovers. The team, whose former players include Frank McAvennie, sits in the middle of the league table.

The problem comes from cup fixtures in the autumn falling on the same date in the calendar. The club has to play its Scottish Communities Cup and Lowland League Cup matches on Saturday 21 November. In the Communities Cup they will face Tayport, and in the Lowland League Cup they will play away to Dunipace.

Club management said they had tried many ways to find a solution. Postponing league matches, midweek travel, and playing on a Friday evening or Sunday afternoon were all considered. None of them worked.

Finally, it was proposed that the Communities Cup match be played immediately before or after the Lowland League Cup match. Following this proposal, it became clear that the club would have to field two teams at the same time. The incident once again showed how difficult fixture planning can be in Scottish amateur football.