Scottish Premiership Fixtures for the 2024-25 Season Announced
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has released the fixtures for the upcoming 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season. Reigning champions Celtic will kick off their title defence at home against Kilmarnock on Sunday, 4 August. However, it is runners-up Rangers and third-placed Heart of Midlothian who will start the season off with a televised match at Tynecastle Park on Saturday, 3 August.
Dundee United, who won the Championship last season, will make their return to the top flight by hosting city rivals Dundee on the opening Sunday. The fixtures have also revealed that the first Old Firm derby of the season is scheduled for Saturday, 31 August at Celtic Park.
One interesting aspect of the fixtures is that the opening weekend is split over three days, with only Motherwell’s game against Ross County having a traditional Saturday 15:00 kick-off. The first Dundee derby will be televised on Sunday with a 13:30 kick-off, while Kilmarnock’s visit to Celtic Park will also be shown live at 16:30.
In terms of the Edinburgh derby, the first match between Hearts and Hibernian is not until the weekend of 26 October at Easter Road, with the second taking place at Tynecastle on Boxing Day. The Premiership season will conclude on the weekend of 17 and 18 May.
One notable change this season is the absence of a winter break due to the expansion of UEFA’s club competitions. The new league phase of the Champions League and Europa League will run until the end of January, putting additional pressure on the domestic calendar.
The SPFL season officially kicks off on Friday, 2 August, with League 1 champions Falkirk hosting Queen’s Park in a live televised game on BBC Scotland. Relegated Livingston will begin their campaign in the second-tier on Saturday, 3 August, against Dunfermline Athletic.
Overall, the release of the Scottish Premiership fixtures has generated excitement among fans as they eagerly anticipate the start of another thrilling season. With Celtic and Rangers expected to once again compete for the title, the Old Firm derby matchups are highly anticipated, providing a highlight reel for football enthusiasts.