⚽ The Kick-Off | Monday 5th January 2025
Weekend round-up. All the latest SPFL transfers. Jimmy Thelin sacked by Aberdeen. Hamilton Academical takeover completed. Ian Murray appointed at Greenock Morton.
🌎 Days until Haiti v Scotland at the World Cup: 159
📒 Random Scottish Football Fact #221: Dundee have won back-to-back derbies for the first time since 1999 (via @DensParkChoir on X)
WEEKEND ROUND-UP
➡️ WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP
Hearts have moved six points clear of Celtic and Rangers. Following Rangers’ win at Celtic Park, they are now joint second. Falkirk have moved into sixth. Dundee have moved further clear of relegation and are now only three points behind Aberdeen in eighth.
Celtic 1-3 Rangers
Dundee United 0-1 Dundee
Falkirk 1-0 Aberdeen
Heart of Midlothian 1-0 Livingston
Kilmarnock 1-3 Hibernian
Motherwell 2-0 St Mirren
View the Premiership table here
➡️ WILLIAM HILL CHAMPIONSHIP
Partick Thistle’s 94th-minute winner has kept them five points behind leaders St Johnstone. Airdrieonians have moved up to eighth, although the Diamonds have played two more games than Queen’s Park, who are one point behind in ninth.
Airdrieonians 0-0 Raith Rovers
Ayr United P-P Queen’s Park
Dunfermline Athletic P-P Ross County
Partick Thistle 3-2 Greenock Morton
St Johnstone 1-0 Arbroath
View the Championship table here
➡️ WILLIAM HILL LEAGUE ONE
Only two games survived the weather in League One. Stenhousemuir have gone top following their home win over Queen of the South. Inverness in second are one point behind with two games in hand. Kelty Hearts are three points behind ninth-placed Cove Rangers.
Cove Rangers P-P Montrose
Hamilton Academical P-P East Fife
Inverness Caledonian Thistle P-P Peterhead
Kelty Hearts 1-1 Alloa Athletic
Stenhousemuir 2-0 Queen of the South
View the League One table here
➡️ WILLIAM HILL LEAGUE TWO
The Spartans took advantage of postponements to move eight points clear of East Kilbride at the top. Edinburgh City are now five points behind Dumbarton at the bottom.
Clyde 1-1 Forfar Athletic
Elgin City P-P East Kilbride
Stirling Albion P-P Annan Athletic
Stranraer 1-1 Edinburgh City
The Spartans 2-0 Dumbarton
View the League Two table here
⚽️ THE LATE GOALS SOCIETY
(goals scored in the 85th minute or later)
Jamie McGrath (Hibernian - 90+1’)
Tony Watt (Partick Thistle - 90+4’)
🔴 THE RED CARD CLUB
David Watson (Kilmarnock), Thomas Robson (Clyde)
NEWS
🔴 Aberdeen have sacked Jimmy Thelin. The Swede joined the Dons in April 2024, officially taking the reins six weeks later. After a record-breaking start to last season, his Aberdeen side’s form has been patchy, although he did bring Scottish Cup glory to Pittodrie for the first time in 35 years. - Aberdeen FC website
🆕 Morley Sports Management Group (MSM) have officially completed the takeover of 97.5% of shares in Hamilton Academical in the club from Seref Zengin. - Hamilton Academical website
🔴 The new owners issued a statement to Hamilton fans following their takeover. Key takeaways included:
“Firstly, there has been no agreement relating to the repayment of the loan from The Funding Globe. We had tried to make a reasonable arrangement prior to our takeover but it hadn’t been possible to date.”
“It is important in the short term we put the processes and people in place to ensure the smooth running of the club, while having to make some very difficult decisions on and off field to ensure we can work towards financial stability.”
“We cannot build a community club if it doesn’t play in its own community.” - Hamilton Academical website
🔵 Greenock Morton appointed Ian Murray as their new manager. The former Raith Rovers manager took the 3-2 defeat to Partick Thistle in from the stands with him formally starting at the club this morning. - Greenock Morton website
🔵 The Greenock Morton chairman announced his resignation from the club on Hogmanay. John Laird said he stood down due to “sustained online abuse” towards him and his family. - Matthew Fulton, STV
♦️ Airdrieonians confirmed that Aaron Taylor-Sinclair has gotten the head coach role on a permanent basis after stepping in as the interim manager following Danny Lennon’s departure. - Airdrieonians website
🔝 Hearts have been installed as the favourites to win the title by the bookies. - Blair Meikle, Hearts Standard
🔵 Kilmarnock updated their fans on Hogmanay to let them know that they will appoint a new manager this week. - Kilmarnock FC website
🦁 Livingston Chairman Calvin Ford published a statement to show support for David Martindale while acknowledging that the current form is unacceptable. - Livingston FC website
💷 The outcome of a transfer tribunal to determine how much Rangers are due Dundee for Lyall Cameron will be decided this week. - George Cran, The Courier
🤝 Hibernian and Arbroath have entered a co-operation agreement. - Arbroath FC on X
🔴 Ray McKinnon has resigned as manager Brechin City. The Angus club are currently second in the Highland League. - Brechin City website
⚽️ John McGinn scored a double for Aston Villa in their 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
⚽️ Aaron Hickey played 76 minutes in Brentford’s 4-2 win away at Everton yesterday. Nathan Patterson was an unused substitute for the home side.
➡️ The full fixture card was postponed in the Breedon Highland League with three games surviving in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League.
Hearts B beat University of Stirling 2-1 on Friday night. Broxburn Athletic’s title challenge suffered a blow following their 2-1 home defeat to Bo’ness United. Caledonian Braves beat Celtic B 4-3 at home. - view the Lowland League table here
🔵 Rangers’ Dujon Sterling was charged with driving offences following a crash after helping his side to victory over Celtic. - Peter Cassidy, STV
📝 Paul McGinn has signed a new contract at Motherwell. His new deal takes him through to the summer of 2027. - Motherwell FC website
🤕 It wasn’t all good news for Motherwell though, the club confirmed Regan Charles-Cook will be out injured for eight weeks. - Motherwell FC website
⚫️ St Mirren will be without Mark O’Hara and Jonah Ayunga for two months. Both players join Keanu Baccus on the sidelines due to injury.
🔵 Kilmarnock striker Tyreece John-Jules has signed a deal to the end of the season. - Kilmarnock FC on X
🆕 Former Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City striker Paul Gallagher has been named manager of EFL League Two side Barrow. Gallagher won one cap for Scotland in 2004. - Barrow AFC website
✍️ With the transfer window opened on Thursday, there have been plenty of comings and goings in Scottish football already since the last Kick-Off email.
Permanent Transfers
Abimbola Obasoto - released by Elgin City - Will Clark, The Northern Scot
Callum Smith - Raith Rovers to Queen’s Park - Queen’s Park FC website
Callum Wilson - Cumbernauld Colts to Forfar Athletic - Forfar Athletic website
Erik Šuľa - East Kilbride to Edinburgh City - Edinburgh City on X
Jack Healy - East Kilbride to East Fife - East Fife website
Jake Hastie - Ayr United to Airdrieonians - Airdrieonians website
Joseph Bevan - Burnley to Dundee - Dundee FC website
Olly McDonald - Elgin City to Edinburgh City - Edinburgh City on X
Shaun Donnellan - released by Livingston - Livingston FC website
Loan Signings
Andy Winter - Livingston to Raith Rovers - Raith Rovers website
Dean Cleland - Hibernian to Stranraer - Stranraer FC website
Freddie Rowe - Dunfermline Athletic to East Fife - East Fife website
Harry Stone - Heart of Midlothian to Airdrieonians - Airdieonians website
Hayato Inamura - Celtic to FC Tokyo - Celtic FC on X
Kenneth Vargas - Heart of Midlothian to Alajuelense - Heart of Midlothian website
Josh Gentles - Rangers to Alloa Athletic - Alloa Athletic website
Julián Araujo - AFC Bournemouth to Celtic - Celtic FC website
Loan Extensions
Callum Burnside - Rangers to Alloa Athletic - Alloa Athletic website
Ewan Wilson - Motherwell to Raith Rovers - Motherwell FC website
Lewis O’Donnell - Dundee United to Cove Rangers - Cove Rangers on X
Zander MacKenzie - Partick Thistle to Queen of the South - Partick Thistle website
End of Loans
Alfie Dorrington - returns to Tottenham Hotspur from Aberdeen - Danny Law, The Press & Journal
Eseosa Sule - returns to West Bromwich Albion from Motherwell - Motherwell FC website
Ewan McLeod - returns to Dunfermline Athletic from East Fife - East Fife website
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey - returns to Manchester City from Celtic - Josh McCafferty, The Celtic Way
Jamie Bradley - returns to Queen’s Park from Clyde - Clyde FC website
Josh Gentles - recalled by Rangers from Raith Rovers - Raith Rovers on X
Lewis Gibson - returns to Raith Rovers from Montrose - Montrose FC website
Ricco Diack - returns to Partick Thistle from Kelty Hearts - Partick Thistle website
Sean McCardle - recalled by Celtic from Partick Thistle - Partick Thistle website
Sonny Hart - recalled by Swindon Town from Greenock Morton - Greenock Morton on X
Tate Xavier-Jones - returns to Luton Town from Airdrieonians - Airdrieonians website
Thomas Horn - returns to Partick Thistle from Peterhead - Partick Thistle website
✍️ Scotland youth international Aidan Borland has moved on loan from Aston Villa to EFL League Two side Swindon Town. The 18-year-old midfielder was signed by the Villa academy from Celtic. - Swindon Town website
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FIXTURES TODAY
No senior Scottish football fixtures today 👎
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Love these updates, superbly put together!!