⚽ The Kick-Off - Friday 31st July 2026
Motherwell and Hibs through in Europe. Scottish FA support UEFA's boycott of FIFA competitions. Signings for Rangers, St Mirren, Dunfermline, and others. Stanway signs new Partick Thistle contract.
Random Scottish Football Fact #360:
Ally McCoist is the only Scottish player to win the European Golden Boot. He done it twice in the early 90s. Although no official awards were issued between 1991 and 1996, McCoist was presented with a trophy from adidas.
LATEST SCOTTISH FOOTBALL RESULTS
🏆 UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND - SECOND LEG
Havnar Boltfelag 0 - 3 Motherwell (Agg: 0-5)
Hibernian 4 - 1 FC Malisheva (Agg: 4-3)
LATEST NEWS
⚽ Motherwell are through to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League after they beat Faroese side Havnar Boltfelag 3-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate. Lukas Fadinger scored his second in two games from the penalty spot before goals from Regan Charles-Cook and Dylan Williams.
The Steelmen will now play HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round. The Finnish side beat Northern Irish side Coleraine 8-0 on aggregate. The first leg takes place in Finland next Thursday.
🟢 Hibernian put last week’s dismal first-leg defeat behind them last night as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Kosovan side FC Malisheva. Owen Elding had the Hibees ahead on the night after just nine minutes. By the 35th minute, Hibs were ahead on aggregate after goals from Felix Passlack and Nathan Lowe. Martin Boyle added a fourth in the second half before the visitors pulled one back.
Hibs will face KF Shkendja at Easter Road in the first leg next week. The North Macedonians turned round a first-leg deficit to beat Slovenian side NK Bravo 4-3 on aggregate.
🏆 Hearts will face Benfica in the UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round after the Portuguese giants won 5-0 against St Gallen last night and 6-2 on aggregate.
🌍 The Scottish FA has said it is “fully supportive of the statement issued by UEFA” following a meeting of all UEFA member associations yesterday.
UEFA said no UEFA member association will participate in FIFA competitions while proposals remain in place to establish a privately backed subsidiary to manage FIFA competitions and commercial rights. - Scottish FA website
🔵 Rangers have signed South African defender Olwethu Makhanya from MLS club Philadelphia Union for a £3 million fee. The 22-year-old has signed a four-year deal. - Joshua Barrie, Rangers Review
✍️ St Mirren made the loan signing of Rangers midfielder Paul Nsio yesterday. The 20-year-old was on loan at Raith Rovers last season. - St Mirren website
⚫ Dunfermline Athletic have signed defender Aaron Donnelly on a season-long loan from Dundee. - Dunfermline Athletic website
✍️ Ross County have signed Hearts defender Adam Forrester on loan. The 21-year-old was on loan at St Johnstone in the Championship last season. - Ross County website
🟡 Ben Stanway has signed a new one-year deal at Partick Thistle. The 21-year-old midfielder was expected to move on this summer. - Partick Thistle website
🤝 Hearts and East Fife have entered a co-operation agreement. Striker Connor Dow, who scored eight goals in the Lowland League for Hearts B last season, heads to Bayview as part of the agreement. - Heart of Midlothian website
🔴 Stirling Albion have signed centre back Ali Gould after playing for Northern Irish Premiership side Ballymena United. The 20-year-old began at Motherwell’s Academy before moving to Watford. - Stirling Albion website
⚫ St Mirren manager Craig McLeish has been served with a Notice of Complaint from the Scottish FA for his comments following St Mirren’s 1-0 home defeat to Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday. - Sky Sports
🏟️ Marbill Coaches have acquired the stadium naming rights at St Mirren for the next three years. The ground will now be known as The Marbill Coaches Stadium having previously been known as the SMiSA Stadium. - St Mirren website
📝 Steven Pressley has signed a new ‘rolling deal’ on better terms at Dundee. - Iain Collin, The Courier
🔵 Stranraer have appointed Beejay Coll as their new captain. - Stranraer FC on X
🆕 Kilmarnock launched their new third shirt.
🆕 Cove Rangers were busy with their kit launches yesterday. First they launched their home kit.
🆕 And they also launched their new white away kit.
🆕 SWPL side Glasgow City launched their new away kit in Saint Luke’s in Glasgow yesterday.
🙌 Scottish football is well and truly back this weekend with the return of the SPFL. Every Premiership match will be televised live across the weekend and Monday on Sky Sports.
There is a full card in the lower leagues with league champions Inverness Caledonian Thistle and East Kilbride unfurling their title-winning flags in the Championship and League One respectively.
🏆 It is just not the four SPFL divisions kicking off this weekend. The road to Hampden begins with the first preliminary round of the men’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.
Five ties take place, including Glenafton Athletic v Stonehaven and St. Andrews United v Jeanfield Swifts. - Scottish FA website
🤔 You have until this evening to enter the Pie & Bovril 500 prediction game. There are 25 questions with 20 points per correct answer, and 500 points to be won. It is free to enter.
Over 1000 people are already in the mix for the £500 cash prize for the overall winner.
For the first time, there is also a Scottish Football Kick-Off Mini-League. Use the code 4F80A6 to join once you submit your predictions. - submit your predictions here
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FIXTURES TODAY
➡️ WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP
Dundee United v Rangers (8pm)
➡️ SOUTH OF SCOTLAND LEAGUE
St Cuthbert Wanderers v Gretna 2008 Under-20s (8pm)
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ON TV THIS WEEKEND
📺 Friday
The STV Football Takeover (STV: 7pm)
Dundee United v Rangers (Sky Sports Main Event: 8pm)
📺 Saturday
Falkirk v St Mirren (Sky Sports Football: 3pm)
Aberdeen v Heart of Midlothian (Sky Sports Main Event: 5.30pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 9pm)
📺 Sunday
St Johnstone v Kilmarnock (Sky Sports Football: 2pm)
Hibernian v Motherwell (Sky Sports Football: 4.30pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 7.15pm)
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