Every game's a cup final - two teams play three in 10 days
Dalbeattie and Stranraer Reserves in Scotland's sixth tier play for three trophies in just over a week.
Every game is a cup final is one of the great football cliches. However, it has literally come true for two south of Scotland football sides between now and the end of the season. Dalbeattie Star and Stranraer Reserves are going head to head in not one, not two but three cup finals in the space of 10 days In the process, they will decide the Potts Cup, Cree Lodge Cup and Tweedie Cup competitions.
The South of Scotland Football League (SOSFL) - the country's sixth tier - has just 11 teams but they take part in no fewer than eight cup competitions run by the SOSFL, Southern Counties FA and Wigtownshire and District FA. Although some of them include sides outside the SOSFL, it does increase the chances of clubs meeting more often. In addition, Dalbeattie and Stranraer are probably the strongest two sides in the set-up having finished first and second in the league.
Nonetheless, their fixture list is a remarkable one in such a short space of time. The first clash took place on Wednesday night with Stranraer winning 1-0. The second was scheduled for Friday while the final encounter of their three game showdown is on 29 May.
League secretary Richard Osborne said he could not remember such a run of cup final clashes between the same two teams in such a short space of time. "It is very unusual for the same two clubs to be competing in three cup finals within 10 days," he said. "I am not aware of a similar occurrence in my past 14 years as secretary.