Historic football club Berwick Rangers says they could be forced to close due to being “let down” by the SFA and FA.
With the Lowland League club applying in the latest round of the Scottish FA’s Pitching In Fund, chairman Kevin Dixon and North Northumberland MP David Smith spoke about the difficulties created by their unique geographical position.
Berwick, who famously beat Glasgow Rangers in 1967, are struggling to gain public funding due to playing in the Scottish leagues but being based in England.
Exclusive: Berwick Rangers “could close” due to being “let down” by the SFA and FA.
The club has struggled to gain public funding due to playing in the Scottish leagues but being based in England.
The Wee Gers famously beat Glasgow Rangers in 1967. https://t.co/hrqzJXN7VQ
— Andrew Quinn (@AndrewJQuinn97) March 18, 2026
Dixon said via the Scotsman: “If we don’t get some sort of help that other clubs are getting, we could be forced to close our doors.
“When we went to the Football Foundation in England, we could get a little bit of funding for the kids’ teams because they play on the pitch next door.
“We can’t get anything for the women‘s team, because the women play on the same pitch as Berwick Rangers men‘s team.
“With Berwick Rangers men’s team being in the Scottish leagues, the Football Foundation deemed that that it was not suitable.
“We went in for Scottish FA funding on energy efficiency grounds, but when I asked about applying and said we were from Berwick-upon-Tweed, I was told it is a solely Scottish-funded project.
“We’ve just filled a grant in for the Scottish FA’s Pitching In Fund which will be interesting to find out where we’ll go with that.
“When we filled it in and submitted it last week, there was a drop down box where you select your local council, but Northumberland isn’t listed.
“When I emailed them, they said to just leave that part blank. But I do fear that it’s going to come back, the same as… ‘your ground is in England, you play in Scotland.’
“We’re pretty much in no man’s land.
“If you take the last three, four months, I’ve probably had to put in over £50,000 over my own money. I’ve done it for the last three years, put £60,000 or £70,000 in. But I haven’t got those sort of funds to put it in every year.
“Over the last three years we’ve made a £213,000 loss. Last year we made a £76,000 loss.”
“If we don’t get some sort of help that other clubs are getting, we could be forced to close our doors.”
Berwick Rangers is ‘falling between two stools.’
I spoke with the Scotsman about the Wee Gers and their difficulties getting funding from either the FA and SFA. It should not be this hard for the club to get the support they need! https://t.co/5gZ1LO7I96 pic.twitter.com/q9yzWJ7VxH
— David Smith MP 🌹 (@dsnorthnorth) March 18, 2026
North Northumberland MP David Smith said: “Berwick Rangers is obviously a historic Scottish football club, known for its historic result against Rangers in Scottish Cup back in the 1960s.
“It’s still something that the club itself and the fans really hold on to, and that’s how its known in Scotland and England.
“But the club, because it’s in the Scottish league system in the Lowland League, orientates itself towards Scotland. But Berwick-upon-Tweed is an English town, a mile or two south of the border.
“The problem is that when it comes to accessing the support from the football and authorities and the sporting authorities.
“What we find is that the SFA in the past has said, ‘No, you’re an English club, so we can’t give you support. You’re south of the border.’
“But equally, the Football Foundation said: ‘No, you’re a club that plays in the Scottish leagues, so we can’t support you either.
“It should be a double benefit for the club but actually they’re falling between two stools.
“They are being let down.
“They really are an institution. They’re a very historic club.
“It should not be beyond the wit of man and the authorities to be able to say: ‘Yes, we understand you’re a slight anomaly, but we can nevertheless support you.’
“Whether that’s a grant for maintenance of the pitch or even replacement of the pitch – which is something that the club are interested in.
“If the club could get an all weather pitch, or better facilities, then it could be an all-year round training facility for them, but they could also monetise it and use that to get a new flow of income into the club.”
Here’s how fans reacted as the historic football club could be forced to close due to being “let down” by the SFA and FA…
@TheDB30: Their geographical location is extremely awkward. About halfway between Newcastle and Edinburgh but still a fair way from both and in a sparsely populated area so always gonna be tough for them, disadvantages whether they’re in the English or Scottish system.
@realcolinquinn: Berwick Rangers are unique. They are a “quirk” that should celebrated. Every away fan loved that trip. Why is Scottish football intent on getting in its own way?
@ConalGTracey: Would be a crying shame to see Berwick’s uniqueness be the reason for them going under, rather than it being talked up and promoted. Such a great wee club and Shielfield is a cracking day out just a short trip down the A1.
@keijoteras: Just move the signposts
@dannypea: Bit leftfield but could the club not apply to play in England? Might revitalise interest and provide a better catchment pool for players as well as gain new sponsors? Presume they would initially suit the Northern League level but could soon march up the pyramid??
@DMac1876_: Berwick shouldn’t be forced to close because they play in England. They’ve played in our leagues for decades now so why now is it a problem. Welsh clubs play in the efl, English clubs play in the Welsh league and it’s not a problem. SFA and The FA are idiots for this.
@DMac1876_: As per someone from a gc im in. they applied to both the Scottish FA funding and the English FA funding. Seems to have been a bit cheeky with it
@tom__3k: as someone who lives in berwick almost everyone agrees that berwick should still play in scotland. we have for most of our history and not a single person around the club has a problem with it. the fa and sfa on the other hand 🙄
@mattleslie74: Idiots with a love of red tape look like ending the life of Berwick Rangers FC
@fcislocheng: It’s a pity this kind of cross-border quirk is penalised rather than celebrated. Perhaps Berwick could participate in one English competition such as the Northumberland Senior Cup and qualify for funds that way. Maybe in a minority of one here but I’d be all for it.
