Johnstone Burgh to split squad for two cup ties

Johnstone Burgh says it will divide its squad between two away cup ties scheduled for November 21, with kickoffs 30 minutes apart, after efforts to rearrange either fixture failed. The Scottish club is due to play Tayport in the Scottish Communities Cup at 2:30 p.m. and Dunipace in the Lowland League Cup at 3 p.m. Both matches are scheduled for the same Saturday afternoon. The club says it will field separate teams, but the fixtures have not yet been played. Johnstone Burgh said it explored alternatives because its schedule was already full. The options included moving the Tayport match to a midweek date, Friday evening or Sunday afternoon, rearranging league and South Challenge Cup fixtures, or playing the tie immediately before or after the Dunipace game. The club also said it offered to forgo its share of the gate money to help cover inconvenience caused by a rearrangement. It reported that no alternative could be agreed, and thanked Tayport and other clubs for considering its proposals. The account of those discussions comes from the club’s statement. The decision means the club will need to distribute its players across two matches being played at different grounds. One...