⚽ The Kick-Off | Friday 17th October 2025

Dundee United post a financial loss. SPFL withhold £70k from Hamilton Academical. Steven Smith to take interim charge of Rangers. Scottish Amateur Cup winners Steins Thistle withdraw from league.

Oct 17, 2025

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

📒 Random Scottish Football Fact #170: 
Dougie Samuels, manager of The Spartans, is currently the longest-serving manager of any SPFL club (since 2012), with Montrose boss Stewart Petrie (since 2016) in second place.

NEWS

🟠 Dundee United have posted a loss of nearly £1 million after tax for the financial year ending June 2025.

Total accumulated losses now stand at £15 million, although the Tannadice club has announced that turnover has risen to over £10 million. Up from £6.5 million in the previous financial year. - Alan Temple, The Courier

The graph below is taken from Kieran Maguire on X.

🔴 The SPFL has withheld a £70,000 payment to Hamilton Academical, citing concerns about the club’s potential ability to complete its fixtures for the remainder of the season. - Stephen McGowan, The Herald

Share The Scottish Football Kick-Off

🔵 Steven Smith, Brian Gilmour, Rhys Owen and Sal Bibbo will take interim charge of Rangers game against Dundee United tomorrow. - Andy Coyle, STV

🏆 Motherwell have sold more than 7000 tickets for their upcoming Premier Sports Cup semi-final against St Mirren. - Motherwell FC website

🔵 Cove Rangers have signed free agent forward Reuben McAllister. The youngster was on loan from Hibernian for part of last season. - Cove Rangers website

📝 Scottish goalkeeper Callan McKenna has signed a new contract at Bournemouth. The 18-year-old signed for the English Premier League side from Queen’s Park last year. - AFC Bournemouth website

⚫️ Elgin City have named Russell Dingwall as their new captain with Jack Murray named vice-captain. - Elgin City website

⚖️ Jim McIntyre is on trial accused of attacking a Rangers fan in January this year. - Connor Gordon, The Herald

🚔 Police Scotland has charged Scottish football clubs nearly £9 million over the last four seasons to cover policing costs. - Norman Silvester & Ruaraidh Britton, Aberdeen Live

🔚 Scottish Amateur Cup winners Steins Thistle have withdrawn from league duties this season, citing a lack of available players. The club, who are based in the village of Allandale near Bonnybridge, played in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Preliminary Rounds for the first time this year. - Steins Thistle on X

📺 East Kilbride v Celtic B in the KDM Evolution Trophy has been selected for live coverage on Premier Sports next month. - SPFL website

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FIXTURES TODAY

➡️ William Hill SPFL Championship

Dunfermline Athletic v Raith Rovers (7.45pm)

➡️ Park’s Motor Group Lowland League

Heart of Midlothian B v Linlithgow Rose (7.45pm)

plus fixtures in the East of Scotland Football League and North Caledonian League. View all fixtures on the Scottish Football Fixtures website.

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ON TV THIS WEEKEND

📺 Friday

Dunfermline Athletic v Raith Rovers (BBC Scotland: 7.45pm)
A View From The Terrace (BBC Scotland: 10.30pm)

📺 Saturday

Sportscene: Open All Mics (BBC One Scotland: 4.30pm)
Peterhead v Queen of the South (BBC Alba: 5.30pm)
Kilmarnock v Heart of Midlothian (Premier Sports 2: 5.45pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 7.15pm)

📺 Sunday

Dundee v Celtic (Sky Sports Football: 12pm)
Celtic Women v Glasgow City (BBC Alba: 4.10pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 7.15pm)

ENJOY THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL KICK-OFF?

The weekday Kick-Off will always be free, but if you would like to receive the Saturday Kick-Off and support The Scottish Football Kick-Off in general, join the growing number of paid subscribers via the button below.

Don’t want to become a paid subscriber, but want to support? You can ‘buy me a pint’ via the button below. (I know the normal thing to say here is ‘buy me a coffee,’ but I’ll be honest, I don’t drink coffee.)

'Buy me a pint'