Berwick Rangers to start next Scottish Lowland Football League season facing same opponents they finished against last time round
Berwick Rangers will start their seventh Scottish Lowland Football League season the same way they ended their sixth, against Cowdenbeath, but they’ll be at home next time out rather than on the road in Fife.
Manager Kevin Haynes’s team host opposite number Paul McLean’s Fifers on Saturday, July 26, with kick-off at Shielfield Park at 3pm, and they’ll be hoping for their first fifth-tier win hosting their former Scottish League Two rivals for the best part of three years.
That last league win was by 2-1 in October 2022, with Liam Buchanan and Lewis Barr on target for the Northumbrians in the space of two minutes not far ahead of the final whistle after Sam Newman had put their visitors ahead just after half-time.
Since then, they’ve lost once on home turf, by 2-0 in September 2023, and played out a goalless draw in March this year, as well as going down 2-0 in the Scottish Lowland Football League Cup in April 2023.
Central Park has been a happier hunting ground for Rangers, however, as prior to a 2-0 defeat in April to conclude last term, they’d been unbeaten there since the Fifers’ relegation to the fifth tier in 2022, winning 4-0 in March 2023 and 4-1 a year later.
Berwick’s second match of next season is away to Tranent in East Lothian on Tuesday, July 29, with kick-off at 7.45pm, and that’s followed by five fixtures in August. They’re away to West Lothian’s Broxburn Athletic on the 2nd, Cumbernauld Colts in North Lanarkshire on the 23rd and newcomers Clydebank West Dunbartonshire on the 30th for their first competitive meeting since 2002, all Saturdays with kick-offs at 3pm, and at home to East Stirlingshire on Saturday the 9th at 3pm and Edinburgh’s Civil Service Strollers on Tuesday the 19th at 7.45pm.
Their festive fixtures this time around are away to Gala Fairydean Rovers on December 27 and at home to Midlothian’s Bonnyrigg Rose on January 3, 2026, both Saturday 3pm kick-offs.
They’re due to wrap up the coming season, weather permitting, at home to Bo’ness United on Saturday, April 18, with kick-off at 3pm.
A full list of Rangers’ fixtures for the season ahead, announced on Tuesday, can be found at https://slfl.co.uk/team/berwick-rangers/
Also announced on Tuesday was the draw for round one of this season’s South Region Challenge Cup and it sees Berwick away to fellow Lowland League side Caledonian Braves on Saturday, August 16.
Berwick made it to round three of the region-wide cup last time round, beating Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University 2-1 at home in round two last September after being given a first-round bye but then being knocked out 3-0 by Dumfries and Galloway’s Threave Rovers, also at home, the month after.