Johnstone Burgh have parted company with first team manager Murdo McKinnon.
The club confirmed the decision in a statement released on Friday, saying they had decided to move in a different direction following recent results.
McKinnon’s final game in charge came on Wednesday 15th April 2026, when Burgh were beaten 3–2 by local rivals Renfrew in a Renfrewshire derby.
Speaking after that defeat, McKinnon was critical of his side’s performance, describing it as “unacceptable” and admitting mistakes had cost the team on the day.
The result was the latest in an inconsistent run for Burgh in the West of Scotland Premier Division.
Across the league campaign, Burgh recorded 10 wins, one draw and 11 defeats, leaving them in a mid-table position with little chance of pushing towards the top end.
That marks a drop from last season, when McKinnon guided the club to a third-place finish in the Premier Division, recording 16 wins, seven draws and seven defeats from 30 matches.
McKinnon joined the club in March 2024, taking over from Jamie McKim, and oversaw Burgh’s promotion to the Premier Division during the 2023/24 season.
While there were positive results at times this season, including wins over Cumnock Juniors, Largs Thistle and Hurlford United, those were offset by heavy defeats and an inability to build momentum.
In the cups, Burgh reached the quarter-finals of both the West of Scotland League Cup and the Scottish Communities Cup, but were unable to progress further. They also exited the Scottish Cup at the second round stage and were knocked out of the South Region Challenge Cup before the latter stages.
However, McKinnon’s time in charge also included a major success, leading the club to victory in the Scottish Junior Cup in 2025, described by the club as “one of the greatest days in the club’s history”.
In their statement, the club said: “We would like to thank Murdo and his staff for their time and efforts at the club and we wish them well for the future.”
Development team manager Graeme Ramage will take interim charge of the first team.
The decision comes with seven league matches still to play this season, including fixtures against Auchinleck Talbot, Beith Juniors and Renfrew.
Looking ahead, the timing of the move is significant with changes coming to the Scottish football pyramid next season.
A new Lowland League West division will be introduced at tier five next season, with up to nine clubs from the West of Scotland League expected to be promoted. Some clubs already hold the required Scottish FA licence, while a number of others, including Johnstone Burgh, are expected to be awarded Scottish FA Entry Level licences in the coming months.
If Burgh move into the new division, the club would be just one tier below the SPFL, placing them within reach of Scottish League Two.
Reaction to the news has begun to emerge, with Scoreboard Spotlight pundit Davie Welsh saying: “Sad to hear of Murdo’s departure, to be honest. He will always be the man who brought home the Scottish Junior Cup in our lifetime. For me, the board have been very lenient for as long as possible with Murdo, but I felt the writing was on the wall for some time. Performances had been erratic and the defending was very poor. We seem to always be chasing games, trying to get back into them from 2–0 down. We have been shipping goals far too easily.
“Change was definitely needed. A very big good luck to Murdo in his footballing future, and thanks for all the fond memories that we will never forget. We now look to the future and making sure we cement our place in the Lowland League next season, and I’m excited to see what changes come after this decision.”
Photo: Murdo McKinnon lifts the Scottish Junior Cup after leading Johnstone Burgh to victory over Tranent in June 2025
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News