The Scottish Premiership is set to roar back to life this year, kicking off with an electrifying opening weekend that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. From the opening clash between Rangers and Dundee United on Friday night to the final match of the weekend featuring Celtic against Dundee on Monday, every fixture will be available for fans to watch in real time.
After a dramatic conclusion to last season—where Celtic secured the championship on the final day against Hearts—the league enters a new chapter filled with fresh managerial appointments, player movements, rule changes, and a host of other developments. To help supporters navigate the upcoming campaign, we’ve compiled an A‑Z guide that highlights the most noteworthy stories, trends, and trivia for the 2024‑25 season. A – Astroturf: The only remaining artificial pitch in the top flight is at the Falkirk Stadium. Kilmarnock have returned to natural grass at Rugby Park, and Livingston’s relegation means the Falkirk surface is now the sole synthetic field in the Premiership.
B – Broken Hearts: The heartbreak of missing out on a first top‑flight title in 66 years last season has led to a significant squad overhaul. Captain Lawrence Shankland left for Rangers despite being only a year into a three‑year contract, head coach Derek McInnes also departed, and influential midfielder Cammy Devlin followed suit, rejecting a new deal at Tynecastle to join Ibrox. C – Captains: Several clubs will see new leaders this season.
Aberdeen, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Rangers and St Mirren have all appointed new captains after the exits of Graeme Shinnie, Lawrence Shankland, Brad Lyons, James Tavernier and Mark O'Hara respectively. D – Deadline Day: The Scottish Premiership transfer window closes on 3 September at 17:00, two days later than the English Premier League deadline.
This gives clubs a little extra breathing room to finalize signings before the window shuts. E – Europe: Five Scottish clubs entered European qualifying rounds over the summer, but this season the focus will be on securing the top four league spots.
Scotland’s declining coefficient means the nation is likely to lose one of its usual European berths, making the battle for those positions even fiercer. F – Flag Days: Champions Celtic will once again hoist the league flag when they meet Dundee on Monday, while newly promoted St Johnstone will raise the Championship flag at home against Kilmarnock on Sunday. G – Gordon: Goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be absent from Scottish football for the first time since the SPFL’s inception in 2013. The 43‑year‑old Hearts legend announced his retirement after Scotland’s World Cup exit, ending a career that began 25 years ago.
H – Hogh: Celtic have broken their transfer record by signing Danish striker Kasper Hogh from Bodø Glimt for an initial £11 million plus add‑ons. Hogh arrives to fill the void left by Daizen Maeda, who departed for Ipswich Town. I – International Breaks: Following the World Cup, the international calendar has been trimmed to two windows this season, creating an almost three‑week pause for club football in September and October.
J – Johansson: Motherwell’s new manager Alfred Johansson, aged 35, steps into the role after Jens Berthel Askou left for Toulouse. Johansson becomes the youngest head coach in the league and faces the challenge of restoring Motherwell’s fortunes.
K – Kenobi: Aberdeen’s left‑back Nesta Guinness‑Walker boasts a surprising lineage—he is the great‑grandson of Sir Alec Guinness, the actor who famously portrayed Obi‑Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars saga. L – Law Changes: New regulations mirror some World Cup innovations. VAR can now intervene on second‑yellow‑card incidents, players have a five‑second limit to take throw‑ins and goal‑kicks, substitutes must leave the field within ten seconds, and medical treatment breaks are capped at one minute. M – McInnes: Rangers begin their season under a new manager for the fifth consecutive year.
Derek McInnes inherits a side eager to end a long title drought, a task that has eluded the previous five permanent Rangers managers. N – New Mascot: St Johnstone are searching for a fresh face to portray Brogan the Beagle after the original mascot retired after an eleven‑year tenure.
O – O'Neill: At 74, Martin O'Neill returns to Celtic for what is technically his fourth spell at the club. He previously guided Celtic to a league‑and‑cup double last season after taking over from Brendan Rodgers and later Wilfried Nancy.
P – Promoted: St Johnstone have earned promotion back to the Premiership after a single season away, becoming the sole newly‑promoted side following St Mirren’s play‑off victory over Partick Thistle. Q – Questionable Haircuts: Falkirk’s League Cup trialist David Ninkovic may be subject to some light‑hearted ribbing over his new haircut as the season gets underway. R – Robinson’s Rebuild: Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson enters his first full season at Pittodrie, aiming to reshape the squad.
In a parallel move, former Scotland captain and Sky Sports pundit Rachel Corsie has been appointed to Aberdeen’s board of directors, adding a fresh perspective to the club’s governance. S – Six: Six matches from the opening weekend will be shown live on Sky Sports, meaning all twelve clubs will feature on the network during the same weekend for the first time in league history.
T – Transfers: Over 80 new signings have already been recorded across the twelve Premiership clubs, with the transfer window still open for another month, promising further activity. U – Ultras: Every Premiership club now boasts an official ultras group, aiming to amplify the atmosphere and bring passionate, vocal support to the stands. V – Vrancken: Hearts have appointed Wouter Vrancken as their new manager, succeeding Derek McInnes. Vrancken, who was named Belgian Manager of the Year and narrowly missed a league title with Genk in 2023, is tasked with reigniting Hearts’ title ambitions.
W – World Cup: The Premiership season launches just twelve days after the World Cup final. While Spain, the tournament winners, featured no players from the Scottish league, two Spaniards have joined the division: Unax Álvarez at St Johnstone and Samuel Ramos at St Mirren.
X – Xperience: Motherwell captain Paul McGinn, at 35, becomes the oldest player in the division, sharing the same age as his manager Alfred Johansson—a quirky coincidence that adds a touch of experience to the squad. Y – Years: It has been 41 years since a club outside the Old Firm lifted the league trophy. Hearts came close last season, pushing the title race to the final day. This season will test whether another challenger can finally break the Old Firm’s dominance.
Z – Zero: Zero Premiership matches will be omitted from Sky Sports’ live coverage this weekend—all twelve clubs will be featured, starting with Rangers versus Dundee United at Tannadice on Friday night. Beyond the alphabetic rundown, fans can look forward to a season rich with storylines: the resurgence of clubs aiming to dethrone the traditional powerhouses, the impact of new tactical approaches introduced by a wave of youthful managers, and the ever‑evolving fan culture as ultras groups bring fresh energy to the terraces.
With a packed schedule, a competitive transfer market, and rule changes that could affect the flow of games, the 2024‑25 Scottish Premiership promises drama, excitement, and plenty of football to enjoy.