The new Scottish Premiership campaign is set to launch with plenty of excitement and fresh storylines for fans across Scotland and beyond. Every match on the opening weekend will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, kicking off with Rangers travelling to face Dundee United on Friday night and concluding with Celtic’s showdown against Dundee on Monday.
After a dramatic conclusion to last season—where Celtic secured the championship on the final day against Hearts—the league enters a period of transition, featuring new managers, fresh signings, rule changes, and a host of other developments that will shape the competition. To help supporters navigate the upcoming season, we’ve compiled an A‑Z guide that highlights the most noteworthy updates and curiosities across the league. A – Artificial Surface: The Falkirk Stadium now hosts the sole remaining artificial pitch in the Premiership. Kilmarnock have reverted to natural grass at Rugby Park, and Livingston’s relegation removed their synthetic surface from the top tier.
B – Broken Hearts: The heartbreak of missing out on a first top‑flight title in 66 years last season has led to a major squad overhaul. Captain Lawrence Shankland departed for Rangers despite being only a year into a three‑year contract.
Head coach Derek McInnes also left, and influential midfielder Cammy Devlin followed suit, rejecting a new deal at Tynecastle and joining Ibrox. C – Captains: Several clubs will see new leaders this season.
Aberdeen, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Rangers and St Mirren have all appointed different players to wear the armband 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 shuts on 3 September at 5 p.m., two days later than the English Premier League deadline. This gives clubs a little extra breathing room to finalise deals, meaning fans can still expect activity well into September. E – European Ambitions: Five Scottish clubs entered European qualifying rounds this summer, but this season the focus shifts to securing the top four spots, as Scotland’s declining UEFA coefficient is likely to reduce the number of continental places available.
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 the Scottish game for the first time since the SPFL’s inception in 2013. The 43‑year‑old Hearts legend announced his retirement after Scotland’s exit from the World Cup, 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 moved to Ipswich. I – International Breaks: Following the World Cup, the international calendar has been compressed, leaving an almost three‑week pause for club football across September and October.
This season features only two international windows instead of the usual three. J – Johansson: Motherwell’s new manager Alfred Johansson, aged 35, steps into the role after Jens Berthel Askou’s departure for Toulouse. Johansson becomes the youngest head coach in the league and faces the challenge of revitalising a side that finished near the bottom last term. K – Kenobi Connection: Aberdeen’s newly signed left‑back Nesta Guinness‑Walker boasts a unique lineage—he is the great‑grandson of Sir Alec Guinness, the actor who portrayed Obi‑Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy.
L – Law Changes: Building on the VAR experiments from the World Cup, referees can now intervene on a second yellow‑card offence. Additionally, players must execute throw‑ins and goal‑kicks within five seconds, substitutes have ten seconds to leave the pitch, and medical treatment periods have been capped at one minute. M – McInnes: Rangers embark on a fifth consecutive season with a new manager at the helm.
Derek McInnes is tasked with achieving what his five predecessors could not—capturing the league title. N – New Mascot: St Johnstone are searching for a fresh face to portray Brogan the Beagle after the previous mascot retired after an eleven‑year tenure.
O – O’Neill’s Return: At 74, Martin O’Neill returns for what is technically his fourth spell at Celtic. He guided the club to a league‑and‑cup double last season after taking over from Brendan Rodgers and, subsequently, Wilfried Nancy.
P – Promoted Side: St Johnstone have earned promotion back to the Premiership after a single season away, becoming the sole newly‑promoted club following St Mirren’s play‑off victory over Partick Thistle. Q – Questionable Cuts: Falkirk’s League Cup trialist David Ninkovic has attracted attention for his unconventional haircut, a light‑hearted reminder that new season, new style.
R – Robinson’s Rebuild: Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson begins his first full campaign at Pittodrie. The club also welcomes former Scotland captain and Sky Sports pundit Rachel Corsie to its board of directors, signaling a broader strategic overhaul.
S – Six: Six matches from the opening weekend will be shown live on Sky Sports, meaning all twelve clubs will be featured on the broadcaster’s platform for the first time in a single weekend. T – Transfers: Over eighty new signings have already been recorded across the twelve Premiership clubs, and with the window closing in early September, further activity is expected. U – Ultras: Every Premiership club now boasts an organized ultras group, aiming to amplify the atmosphere and bring a more passionate, vocal support to the stands.
V – Vrancken: Hearts have appointed Wouter Vrancken as manager, replacing Derek McInnes. Vrancken, named Belgian Manager of the Year last season, narrowly missed a league title with Genk in 2023 and now seeks to reignite Hearts’ title aspirations.
W – World Cup Afterglow: The Premiership season begins just twelve days after the World Cup final. While Spain’s victorious squad featured no Scottish players, two Spaniards—Unax Álvarez at St Johnstone and Samuel Ramos at St Mirren—have joined the league.
X – X‑Factor Experience: Motherwell captain Paul McGinn, at 35, becomes the oldest player in the division, sharing his age with manager Alfred Johansson—a quirky coincidence that adds an X‑factor narrative. Y – Years Since Non‑Old‑Firm Triumph: It has been 41 years since a club outside the Old Firm claimed the league title. Hearts came close last season; the question now is whether they or another challenger can break the duopoly.
Z – Zero: Zero Premiership matches will be omitted from Sky Sports’ live coverage this weekend. The action kicks off at Tannadice on Friday night as Rangers face Dundee United, ensuring fans can watch every game. Overall, the upcoming Scottish Premiership season promises a blend of familiar rivalries and fresh intrigue, from managerial appointments and record‑breaking transfers to rule adjustments and cultural tidbits. Keep an eye on the A‑Z guide as the weeks unfold, and enjoy the drama that Scottish football consistently delivers.