⚽ The Kick-Off | Friday 5th December 2025
World Cup draw reminders. Neil Lennon receives length touchline ban. Mark Wilson named Championship Manager of the Month. Auchinleck Talbot confirm home game against Celtic to be played in Auchinleck.
🌎 Days until the World Cup: 188 ⏳ Days until the World Cup draw: 0
📒 Random Scottish Football Fact #205: There are six countries in today’s World Cup draw (excluding potential play-off winners) that Scotland have never played before - Senegal, Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, Ghana, and Haiti.
NEWS
🌎 Coverage of the World Cup draw begins at 5pm today on BBC Two. With various musical performances expected, as well as the actual draw it could go on a bit.
Some draw reminders for you:
12 groups of four teams will be drawn.
Pot 1 will be drawn first, followed by Pot 2, Pot 3, and then Pot 4.
Countries from the same confederation cannot be drawn together unless they are European countries. A maximum of two UEFA nations can be drawn in a group.
A total of four groups will have two European teams.
The best draw for Scotland, if it were purely based on rankings, would be Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The worst draw for Scotland, if it were purely based on rankings: Argentina, Morocco, and a European Play-Off winner.
A novelty draw for Scotland would be: Mexico (played once before), Senegal (never met), and Jordan (never met).
If we are drawn in a group with a host nation, we will know exactly where we will be playing and on what days.
We have a 1-in-11 chance of playing in the opening game against Mexico.
Venues and kick-off times will be confirmed on Saturday from 5pm.
⚫️ Dunfermline Athletic manager Neil Lennon has received a six-match touchline ban following comments he made about the standard of refereeing.
Lennon will serve an immediate four-game ban, with two additional games suspended. The club released a statement expressing their extreme disappointment at the outcome and how mitigating factors around the match were not taken into account. - Iain Collin, The Courier
🏅 Partick Thistle manager Mark Wilson was named Glen’s Vodka Championship Manager of the Month for November for the second month in a row. - SPFL website
🟡 Partick Thistle chairman and director Richard Beastall announced his intention to step down with immediate effect following a change in personal circumstances. - Partick Thistle website
🏟️ Auchinleck Talbot have confirmed their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Fourth Round home game against Celtic will be played at their Beechwood Park ground. - Auchinleck Talbot on X
🗓️ The SPFL announced key dates for the 2026/27 season.
The league action will begin on the weekend of the 1st August, with the Premier Sports Cup group action kicking off the weekend of the 11th July. - SPFL website
🗓️ The SWPL also did the same.
SWPL 1 and SWPL 2 will begin on Sunday, 16th August. - SWPL website
🟢 Hibernian have submitted planning permission to build a new full-sized indoor pitch, a new first-team changing building, two new full-size external pitches, two new seven-a-side pitches, and a new car park area. - Patrick McPartlin, Hibs Observer
⚽️ Scotland Under-16s drew 3-3 with Spain in a friendly.
Dundee United’s Kai Hutchinson scored twice, and St Mirren’s Marcello De Barros was also on the scoresheet for James Grady’s young side.
The match was played in Spain.
✍️ Efe Ambrose has signed for West of Scotland Football League Third Division club Port Glasgow Juniors.
The 37-year-old was most recently with Glasgow United. - Martin McMillan, Glasgow Times
💰 West of Scotland Premier Division club Kilwinning Rangers had to issue a statement to address rumours that were circulating about their club lottery being fixed. - Kilwinning Rangers website
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FIXTURES TODAY
➡️ William Hill Scottish Championship
Greenock Morton v Queen’s Park (7.45pm)
➡️ Park’s Motor Group Lowland League
Heart of Midlothian B v Cowdenbeath (7.45pm)
plus North of Scotland Football League, East of Scotland Football League, and various cup competitions. View all fixtures on the Scottish Football Fixtures website.
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ON TV THIS WEEKEND
📺 Friday
FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw (BBC Two: 5pm)
Sportscene: World Cup Draw Draw Special (BBC Scotland: 7.10pm)
Greenock Morton v Queen’s Park (BBC Scotland: 7.45pm)
📺 Saturday
Sportscene: Open All Mics (BBC One Scotland: 4.30pm)
Kilmarnock v Rangers (Sky Sports 2: 8pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC One Scotland: 10.20pm)
📺 Sunday
Celtic v Heart of Midlothian (Sky Sports: 3pm)
Sportscene: Premiership Highlights (BBC Scotland: 7.15pm)
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