Why Stirling Albion vs Aberdeen FC in Viaplay Cup is on a Friday night despite live TV snub

Aberdeen fans have been told why their Viaplay Cup clash with Stirling Albion is to be played on a Friday night - despite not being selected for TV.

The Dons kick off their cup campaign at the last 16 stage and will face League Two champions Stirling away from home in a potential banana-skin tie. Rangers' clash with Morton and Celtic's trip to Kilmarnock were selected as the broadcaster's two televised games and with the six remaining ties, pencilled in for the weekend of Saturday August 19, not to be shown live.

Many Aberdeen fans expected their game to take place on the usual Saturday 3pm slot and were caught by surprise when it was announced for a 7.45pm kick-off on the Friday before. But CEO Alan Burrows has explained it couldn't have been played on the Saturday due to another event at Forthbank, which was arranged previously as the Binos had been due to play Falkirk away in the league that day.

And the Dons requested it be moved to Friday rather than Sunday due to European commitments the following midweek. He wrote on Twitter: "Few fans have asked why the game is on a Friday night, rather than Saturday, when there is no live TV coverage. Forthbank has a pre-arranged (non football) event that is due to take place on Saturday 19 August, meaning there was/is no availability to play on that day.

"We were then faced with the potential for a Sunday afternoon slot, but for multiple reasons (the biggest one obviously being the Europa League play-off game the following midweek, particularly given how volatile the dates of qualifiers can sometimes be), we asked for the Friday night and Stirling Albion have accommodated that."