⚽ The Kick-Off - Monday 22nd June 2026
Scotland head to Miami. New signings across the SPFL including at Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and St Mirren. Paul Hartley signs new Cove Rangers deal. Liam Gordon leaves Motherwell.
Random Scottish Football Fact #331:
Jim Leighton holds the record for most Scotland appearances at a World Cup - nine
WORLD CUP
🏟️ The players are back at basecamp in Charlotte, and the fans have made their way down to Miami. Despite Friday night’s narrow defeat, we can still qualify with a top-two finish or as one of the eight best third-place teams.
📺 Aaron Hickey, Scott McKenna, and Lewis Ferguson were all missing from the group at Sunday’s training. Steven Naismith has said Scott McKenna is “fine”. He also said, “Lewis Ferguson has ran most in the tournament for us, so he is just taking a rest,” and that Aaron Hickey will be monitored in the upcoming days. - Football Park Scotland on X
📱 The president of the Boston Red Sox wrote a letter to the Scottish FA to say thank you.
✍️ The Boston Globe newspaper also penned a thank you letter.
OTHER NEWS
🏆 It has been a busy weekend of SPFL signings:
Aberdeen signed Brentford winger Tony Yogane. The 20-year-old was on loan at Dundee last season. - Aberdeen FC website
Cove Rangers made a quadruple signing. Forward Destiny Oladipo joined after leaving East Fife, while the League One club brought in Mark Souter from Highland League side Inverurie Loco Works. They also signed Aberdeen youngsters Aaron Fraser and Tristan Stephen. - Cove Rangers website
Kilmarnock signed Queen’s Park goalkeeper Calum Ferrie. The 28-year-old has signed a two-year deal. - Kilmarnock FC website
St Johnstone have signed Logan Chalmers following his departure from Partick Thistle. - St Johnstone website
St Mirren have signed Spanish midfielder Samuel Ramos from Slovakian top-flight side Zemplin Michalovce. - St Mirren website
✍️ Liam Gordon has left Motherwell at the end of his contract to sign for EFL club Gillingham. - Motherwell FC website
✍️ Motherwell also confirmed that Paul McGinn and Callum Hendry will miss the first few months of the new season due to injury. - Motherwell FC website
✍️ Cove Rangers manager Paul Hartley has signed a new three-year deal at Balmoral Park. - Cove Rangers website
🏟️ Kilmarnock and Dumbarton have switched venues for their Premier Sports Cup Group Stage games. Kilmarnock will host Raith Rovers and Hamilton Academical at Auchinleck Talbot’s Beechwood Park. Dumbarton will welcome St Mirren to Albion Rovers’ Cliftonhill. - SPFL website
✍️ There were a handful of notable contract extensions over the last few days:
Partick Thistle extended Aidan Fitzpatrick’s and Lewis Budinauckas’ contracts. - Partick Thistle website
St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair signed a new contract. - St Johnstone website
Declan John has signed a new two-year deal at St Mirren. - St Mirren website
🔵 Dumbarton have made Michael Doyle their new club captain. - Dumbarton FC website
🆕 It was also a busy weekend for kit launches:
St Mirren have gone with the thin black stripes for their new home shirt.
Partick Thistle revealed their new home shirt.
Arbroath launched their home and away shirts. Their away is a dedication to the Declaration of Arbroath.
Livingston launched their new home shirt.
Hamilton Academical unveiled their home and away shirts.
Elgin City launched their new home and away shirts.
🆚 Rangers will host West Ham United in a friendly at Ibrox next month. - Rangers FC website
WORLD CUP FIXTURES TODAY
🏆 GROUP I
France v Iraq (10pm - live on BBC One)
Norway v Senegal (1am - live on BBC One)
🏆 GROUP J
Argentina v Austria (6pm - live on STV)
Jordan v Algeria (4am - live on STV)
🙏🏼 Thank you for reading today’s Scottish Football Kick-Off. 🗣️ If you like getting this email, please recommend it to a friend, work colleague or family member or consider becoming a paid subscriber. The Scottish Football Kick-Off is reader supported. 📱 Latest subscriber number: 2984 🆓 The daily kick-off will always be free.