Scottish fifth-tier club Johnstone Burgh have been forced to schedule two cup matches on the same day, with kick-off times just 30 minutes apart, after efforts to rearrange the fixtures proved unsuccessful.

As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the club are due to face Tayport away in the Scottish Communities Cup third round at 14:30 GMT on Saturday, November 21, before travelling to face Dunipace in the Lowland League Cup first round at 15:00, approximately 65 miles away.

The unusual fixture clash means Burgh will struggle to field their strongest available squad for both matches, with the club unable to find an alternative date despite exploring several options.

In a statement on X, Johnstone Burgh said they had made extensive efforts to secure a suitable arrangement that would allow them to fulfil both fixtures outside the traditional Saturday afternoon kick-off window.

“We have explored every possible option to find a suitable solution that would allow us to play the tie outwith a Saturday afternoon as our schedule is already full,” the club said.

Burgh disclosed that their attempts included seeking changes to league fixtures and South Challenge Cup ties, proposing a midweek trip to Tayport, and offering Friday evening or Sunday afternoon kick-offs.

The club also said they had proposed playing the Communities Cup tie immediately before or after their upcoming Lowland League Cup fixture.

In a further attempt to resolve the situation, Burgh offered to forfeit their share of the gate money to compensate for any inconvenience caused by changing the fixture.

However, none of the proposals produced an agreement.

“Despite exhausting every option available to us, we have been unable to reach a solution that allows us to play outwith a Saturday afternoon,” the statement added.

The club expressed disappointment at being unable to compete in both matches with their strongest available squad but acknowledged the desire of other clubs to retain traditional Saturday afternoon kick-off times.

“We are extremely disappointed that, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a reasonable solution that would allow us to compete in both games with our strongest available squad,” Burgh said.

The club also thanked Tayport and the other teams involved in discussions for considering its proposals, while assuring supporters that every possible avenue had been explored.

Johnstone Burgh currently sit eighth in the newly formed Lowland League West after gaining promotion from the West of Scotland League Premier Division.

They won the Scottish Communities Cup two seasons ago, when the competition was known as the Scottish Junior Cup.

Their opponents present contrasting league positions. Dunipace are second-bottom of the Lowland League East, while Tayport occupy sixth place in the Midlands Premier League, one tier below.

All three clubs have already had fixtures postponed because of their participation in the second round of the Scottish Cup.

Tayport were subsequently eliminated by Stranraer, while Dunipace suffered a heavy defeat against Largs Thistle on Saturday. Johnstone Burgh’s home match against Highland League side Formartine United was also postponed and rescheduled for the following Saturday.

With no agreement reached over the November 21 fixture clash, Burgh now face the challenge of managing two important cup commitments scheduled to begin just half an hour apart.