The Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL) has issued a statement in response to criticism from Johnstone Burgh manager Stevie Farrell, insisting the club is responsible for its upcoming dual fixtures on November 21.
Last week it emerged that Burgh must play Tayport in the Scottish Communities Cup and Dunipace in the Lowland League Cup on the same day, with kick-offs just 30 minutes apart. Burgh will now send two separate squads to fulfil the ties after all avenues to rearrange one of the games were exhausted.
Farrell had branded the situation "madness" and criticised a lack of strategic planning from the football authorities, in a season where former Junior leagues were amalgamated across the fifth tier, causing cup competitions across the West of Scotland and Lowland Leagues to clash.
League response
The SLFL has now responded, insisting the claims made by Burgh are "incorrect" and that "the responsibility for this situation rests entirely with Johnstone Burgh FC, who entered the external competition fully aware of SLFL priority rules and their SLFL fixtures."
Their statement read: "The Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL) wishes to clarify the facts surrounding recent public comments and media interviews given by representatives of Johnstone Burgh FC regarding fixture scheduling for Saturday, 21st November 2026.
"Under long-standing league rules official SLFL competition fixtures hold absolute priority over unaligned, external competitions.
"At the SLFL Annual General Meeting on 25th May 2026, attended by two representatives of Johnstone Burgh FC, this position was re-emphasised in detail. The AGM minutes explicitly record that while clubs are free to participate in the Scottish Communities Cup, those fixtures must be scheduled around SLFL commitments.
"The Board also highlighted the established league protocol allowing clubs to mutually agree to move fixtures to a preceding or following midweek slot to accommodate external ties.
"Claims that there was a lack of strategic planning or advance notice regarding these fixtures are demonstrably incorrect.
"On the 1st July 2026 the complete SLFL fixture calendar for the season 2026/27 was issued to all member clubs, explicitly designating Saturday, 21st November 2026, as the date for the First Round of the Lowland League Cup.
"On the 20th July 2026 the draw for the Lowland League Cup First Round was conducted, with Johnstone Burgh FC in attendance.
"Johnstone Burgh FC have had full knowledge of their SLFL Cup fixture on 21st November for four months.
"The SLFL must directly correct inaccurate comments made during a recent national radio interview, in which it was claimed that the league had refused a request from Johnstone Burgh FC to postpone a Development / U20s fixture on Friday, 20th November.
"This assertion is completely false. The club’s request regarding the U20s match was submitted on the evening prior to the radio broadcast. Before the SLFL Development League Secretary had even been afforded the opportunity to review or respond to the correspondence, the manager went on national radio and falsely claimed the request had been rejected. At the time of the broadcast, no decision had been made, nor had the request even been processed.
"The SLFL exists to manage a fair, structured, and competitive environment for all member clubs. League rules and fixture protocols apply equally to every participant and cannot be set aside or subordinated to accommodate third-party tournament scheduling.
"While Johnstone Burgh FC plan to fulfil dual fixtures on 21st November by splitting their playing squad, the Board notes with disappointment that fielding split teams across simultaneous fixtures inevitably risks devaluing the sporting integrity of both competitions.
"The responsibility for this situation rests entirely with Johnstone Burgh FC, who entered the external competition fully aware of SLFL priority rules and their SLFL fixtures."
Farrell stands by criticism
In response to the statement, Farrell told the outlet he stands by his comments and feels the whole debacle is tarnishing the game at their level.
He said: "If the Scottish football authorities think that is a good look for the game - tier five and our professional setup playing two games at the same time on the same day - then my opinion differs because I don’t think this is a good look at all.
"They have quoted what I said on the radio and my concern remains. If their meeting in May 2026 a few weeks before the season started, if that’s what constitutes strategic planning... that’s their opinion, it’s not mine.
"When I spoke about strategic planning I was asking why could all the associations not come together, look at the amalgamation of the leagues and look for a happy medium that would allow the Scottish Junior Cup to continue in some form, like it has done for over 100 years.
"What has happened is a meeting has taken place when they have told club representatives at that meeting what is going to happen and you just need to put up with it - that is quite different from a strategy.
"What should have happened would be the Junior Cup continuing in its current guise, support that the best they could whilst working on a strategic plan that looked at the longer term, in terms of that competition amalgamating with a more strategic national competition of all the leagues.
"But, for me, it is done. We need to get on with it and the reality is we need to play the two cup competitions on the same day."
