⚽ The Kick-Off - Friday 1st May 2026
Several SPFL monthly award winners announced. Kilmarnock sign Kieran Wright on emergency loan. Weekend preview including TV guide.
📒 Random Scottish Football Fact #300: Greenock Morton last played in the top flight during the 1987/88 season
A quick thank you for reading The Scottish Football Kick-Off on what is the 300th daily email.
NEWS
👏 The SPFL started announcing April award winners yesterday. - SPFL website
Glen’s Premiership Manager of the Month: Martin O’Neill (Celtic)
Glen’s Championship Manager of the Month: Simo Valakari (St Johnstone)
William Hill Championship Player of the Month: Jamie Gullan (St Johnstone)
William Hill SPFL Goal of the Month: Kyrell Wilson (Falkirk)
⚫️ St Mirren have re-signed St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair on another seven-day emergency loan. - St Mirren on X
🔵 Kilmarnock have also joined the emergency loan party and have signed Rangers goalkeeper Kieran Wright on a seven-day loan. - Kilmarnock website
We are down to the final spaces for The Scottish Football Kick-Off World Cup Quiz. Every participant gets a copy of Nutmeg Magazine with several prizes to be won.
🧮 With one league game left in the lower divisions, here are your permutations for the weekend.
Championship
There are a few permutations around relegation in the Championship tonight.
The main scenarios to be aware of are that Ross County will be relegated from the Championship if they lose away to Raith Rovers. They will likely be relegated with a draw too, given goal difference.
If Ross County wins and Airdrieonians don’t win, Airdrie will be relegated, and Ross County will go into the play-offs.
Greenock Morton could go down if Ross County wins and Airdrie beat Morton with a four-goal swing between the two games. Morton will at least be in the relegation play-offs should they lose to Airdrie. - view the Championship table
League One
Inverness Caledonian Thistle will win the League One title this weekend with a draw (superior goal difference) or a win at home to Hamilton Academical. Stenhousemuir have to beat Montrose away to have any hope of winning the league.
A win for Hamilton Academical will secure their League One status. Cove Rangers or East Fife, who play each other, would go into the relegation play-off. Cove are currently two points ahead of East Fife and just need a draw to secure their survival.
A draw would be enough for Hamilton should Cove Rangers beat East Fife. - view the League One table
League Two
East Kilbride needs one point at home against Clyde to win the League Two title. Should EK lose, The Spartans would need to win and have a six-goal swing to win on goal difference. - view the League Two table
🏆 It is the Women’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi-Finals this weekend at Hampden. Glasgow City take on Celtic tomorrow, with Rangers v Montrose on Sunday.
🎟️ Dunfermline Athletic have confirmed they have been allocated just under 17,000 tickets for the Scottish Cup Final against Celtic.
Tickets cost between £42 and £57 for adults and £27-£32 for concessions. - Dunfermline Athletic website
🆘 West of Scotland Football League Second Division club Caledonian Locomotives have issued an urgent plea for sponsorship after the withdrawal of agreed funding next season.
The club has said that they have “no agreed sponsors in place and insufficient funds to start next season” and that it would be “irresponsible at the present time for the club to commit to competing again next season”.
📝 Former Scotland international James Morrison has been named the permanent manager of West Bromwich Albion. - Dan Wheeler, BBC
🏟️ St Johnstone are reintroducing their Family Stand at McDiarmid Park next season. - St Johnstone website
📺 BBC Scotland’s extended interview with Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay, ‘Serie A Scots: Return to Napoli’ will be available on BBC iPlayer today from 10am.
🌎 The Panini World Cup sticker album was released this week with Scotland featured for the first time since 1998. Reuters estimate it will cost about £1000 to complete if you were just to buy packets of stickers. - Matthew Fulton, STV
🌎 Days until Haiti v Scotland at the World Cup: 43
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FIXTURES TODAY
➡️ William Hill Scottish Premiership
Livingston v Aberdeen (7.45pm)
➡️ William Hill Championship
Ayr United v St Johnstone (7.45pm)
Dunfermline Athletic v Arbroath (7.45pm)
Greenock Morton v Airdrieonians (7.45pm)
Partick Thistle v Queen’s Park (7.45pm)
Raith Rovers v Ross County (7.45pm)
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ON TV THIS WEEKEND
📺 Friday
Livingston v Aberdeen (Premier Sports: 7.45pm)
Raith Rovers v Ross County (BBC Scotland: 7.45pm)
A View From The Terrace (BBC Scotland: 10.30pm)
📺 Saturday
Celtic Women v Glasgow City (BBC Alba: 12.30pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 7.15pm)
📺 Sunday
Hibernian v Celtic (Sky Sports Main Event: 12pm)
Rangers Women v Montrose Women (BBC One Scotland: 1.30pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 7.15pm)
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