⚽ The Kick-Off - Monday 27th April 2026
Weekend round-up. Scales & McCowan sign new contracts at Celtic. Rangers refused an away allocation at Celtic. Goals for McTominay, Robertson & Conway. Sean Crighton signs new deal at Queen's Park.
📒 Random Scottish Football Fact #296: Stirling Albion last played in the top flight in the 1967/68 season
WEEKEND ROUND-UP
➡️ WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP
Hearts now lead Celtic by three points and Rangers by four points. Four games left to go. Aberdeen should now be safe from any relegation fears. Livingston picked up only their second league win of the season. They are nine points behind Kilmarnock, who remain in 11th.
Celtic 3-1 Falkirk
Hibernian 1-2 Heart of Midlothian
Rangers 2-3 Motherwell
Aberdeen 1-0 Kilmarnock
Dundee United 3-0 Dundee
St Mirren 0-2 Livingston
View the Premiership table here
➡️ WILLIAM HILL CHAMPIONSHIP
With one game to go, Ross County can only finish ninth at best. They are one point behind Airdrieonians and three behind Greenock Morton. Morton host Airdrie on the final day. Ross County are away to Raith Rovers. Dunfermline Athletic secured the final play-off spot.
Airdrieonians 2-1 Ayr United
Arbroath 0-0 Partick Thistle
Queen’s Park 0-2 Dunfermline Athletic
Ross County 4-0 Greenock Morton
St Johnstone 2-0 Raith Rovers
View the Championship table here
➡️ WILLIAM HILL LEAGUE ONE
Given their goal difference advantage, Inverness Caledonian Thistle need one point at home to Hamilton to win the title. However, Accies need a win to avoid the relegation play-offs. The two teams above them, Cove Rangers and East Fife, play each other on the final matchday on Saturday.
East Fife 1-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Hamilton Academical 3-1 Peterhead
Kelty Hearts 0-2 Cove Rangers
Queen of the South 2-2 Montrose
Stenhousemuir 1-0 Alloa Athletic
View the League One table here
➡️ WILLIAM HILL LEAGUE TWO
Just like League One, the League Two title is going down to the final day. And like Inverness, East Kilbride need one point at home to Clyde to win the title. EK are three points clear after The Spartans dropped points at home to Elgin. Forfar Athletic have secured the final play-off spot with a game to spare.
Clyde 3-1 Annan Athletic
Dumbarton 0-1 East Kilbride
Forfar Athletic 4-0 Edinburgh City
Stranraer 1-1 Stirling Albion
The Spartans 1-1 Elgin City
View the League Two table here
➡️ SCOTTISHPOWER SWPL 1
Will Hearts do the men’s and women’s title double? Hearts are two points clear of Glasgow City and four ahead of Rangers. Aberdeen will be playing in this season’s relegation play-off.
Hibernian Women 1-0 Celtic Women
Partick Thistle 0-2 Glasgow City
Rangers 1-2 Heart of Midlothian
Aberdeen 0-1 Montrose
Hamilton Academical 0-3 Motherwell
⚽️ THE LATE GOALS SOCIETY
(goals scored in the 85th minute or later)
Blair Spittal (Heart of Midlothian- 86’), Emmanuel Longelo (Motherwell - 90’)
Charlie McArthur (Airdrieonians - 85’)
Ewan Simpson (Hamilton Academical - 86’), Billy McKay (Inverness Caledonian Thistle - 89’)
Stuart Morrison (Forfar Athletic - 88’), Charlie Maxwell (Annan Athletic - 89’)
Mason Blyth-Clark (Motherwell Women - 86’), Calliste Brookshire (Rangers Women - 90+1’)
🔴 THE RED CARD CLUB
Raphael Sallinger (Hibernian), Felix Passlack (Hibernian), Jordan Stuart (Stranraer), Shelley Campbell (Hamilton Academical Women),
NEWS
🟢 Liam Scales and Luke McCowan have signed new deals at Celtic. The reaction to the news could be described as mixed, at best.
Scales has signed a two-year contract extension, with his contract now due to end in 2030. McCowan is now signed until 2028. - BBC
🎟️ It was hard to miss the news on Friday, but Celtic refused Rangers an away allocation for their visit to Parkhead next month.
Celtic had asked Rangers not to allocate seats to the Union Bears. This was refused, and as a result, no away fans will be in attendance. - Callum Loudon, STV
Like this email?
The Scottish Football Kick-Off is sent for free every weekday morning before 7am. Subscribe below.
📝 Queen’s Park manager Sean Crighton has signed a two-year contract extension. - Queen’s Park FC website
⚫️ St Mirren brought in St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair on an emergency loan to face Livingston at the weekend. - St Mirren FC website
📝 Young St Mirren goalkeeper Grant Tamosevicius has signed a new contract after making his debut in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final against Celtic. - St Mirren FC website
🌎 In a BBC article about Scotland fans going to the World Cup, or not going as the case may be for some, there was a quote from Scottish FA President Mike Mulraney.
He said, “Our job isn’t to go to America and tell them how to do their business; the presumption of that is not something I’m comfortable with.
“Our job is how we mitigate the costs for our fans, and that’s something we’re working on.”
What the article fails to mention is that Mike Mulraney is also the chairman of the FIFA Finance Committee.
It will be interesting to see the plans for mitigating costs, given that the vast majority of those going will have already booked everything. - Chris McLaughlin, BBC
🎟️ In better World Cup news, Scotland fans have set up a World Cup ticket exchange website as a way of combating FIFA’s fees on the resale market.
There are no fees or commissions. The website is also raising money for the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal in the process. - Ticket-Exchange website
⚽️ Andy Robertson scored with a great finish in Liverpool’s 3-1 home win over Crystal Palace.
Tommy Conway scored twice in Middlesbrough’s 5-1 win over Watford.
Liam Lindsay also scored a double as his Preston North End side beat Sheffield United 3-2.
⚽️ Scott McTominay was on the scoresheet again for Napoli at the weekend. He scored the opener in their 4-0 win over Cremonese. It was quite the game for McTominay, who also missed a penalty and played a massive role in Kevin De Bruyne’s goal by keeping the ball in play with a bicycle kick.
🏆 Scott McKenna has won the Croatian League Title with Dinamo Zagreb.
👏 Kenny McLean has been named the Norwich City Player of the Year.
🔵 Montrose chairman John Crawford is to step down at the end of the season after 10 years in the role. - Montrose FC website
🏆 Largs Thistle will face Auchinleck Talbot in the final of the Scottish Communities Cup at Broadwood.
📄 Drumchapel United, Renfrew FC, and Largs Thistle have all had their applications for Scottish FA Licences approved. The clubs will be eligible to play in the Lowland League West if they finish high enough in the West of Scotland Football League Premier Division. They will also get entry to the Scottish Cup.
🌎 Days until Haiti v Scotland at the World Cup: 47
BOOK YOUR TEAM FOR THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL KICK-OFF WORLD CUP QUIZ
Monday 1st June 2026
The Clubhouse, Princes Square, Glasgow
Hosted by Rory Hamilton
Arrival from 6pm for a 6.45pm start
£10 per person - maximum team size of five.
Join Nutmeg Magazine, Scotland’s Coefficient and SPFL Mediawatch in entering a team.
Four team spaces left.
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FIXTURES TODAY
Matches in the Midlands League, West of Scotland Football League and South of Scotland League. View all fixtures on the Scottish Football Fixtures website.
🙏🏼 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: 2833 🆓 The daily kick-off will always be free.