Premier Sports Cup 2026/27 Fixtures Announced

The Premier Sports Cup is back – and it barely lets Scottish football catch its breath.

With the dust only just settled on the 2025/26 campaign, the SPFL has confirmed the full fixture list for the 2026/27 group stage, along with the first batch of live TV picks. Eighty matches. Five matchdays. One early shot at silverware – and a few potential landmines for top-flight sides still rubbing the summer out of their eyes.

TV cameras roll at Forthbank

Premier Sports opens its coverage on Saturday July 11 at Forthbank, where Stirling Albion welcome Dundee United in Group B, kick-off 5.30pm. It is a sharp introduction for new Binos boss Steven Whittaker, who faces Jim Goodwin’s United side expected to set the pace in the section.

The pressure ramps up a week later. Saturday July 18 brings a live double header: six-time League Cup winners Aberdeen host Queen’s Park at Pittodrie at 5.00pm, before Dundee United meet Arbroath at Tannadice at 7.00pm. Early statements, or early stumbles – both Premiership clubs will be judged from the first whistle.

Queen of the South, starting a new era under Nicky Clark, get their turn in the spotlight on Wednesday July 22. They face Stephen Robinson’s Aberdeen at Palmerston, live at 7.45pm, in what already feels like a test of Queen of the South’s ambition and Aberdeen’s depth.

The holders close the show. St Mirren, defending the trophy, face Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic in Paisley on Sunday July 26, kick-off 3.00pm, live on Premier Sports. For Lennon, it is an early chance to measure his Dunfermline side against the benchmark set last season.

Several other ties will be shown on the Premier Sports app, with details to follow, and the SPFL has warned that some fixtures may move due to summer pitch works.

New season, familiar gauntlet

The structure remains unforgiving. Thirty-seven SPFL clubs are joined by Lowland League champions Linlithgow Rose, Highland League winners Brora Rangers and runners-up Brechin City. Eight groups. Five matchdays. Only the ruthless will get out alive.

The eight group winners and three best runners-up will join European entrants Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Motherwell and Hibernian in the last 16 on August 15/16. From there, the calendar tightens: quarter-finals on the weekend of September 12/13, semi-finals on October 31 and November 1, and the final set for Sunday December 13.

SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie underlined the quick turnaround, welcoming Premier Sports’ continued backing and pointing straight at July as the launchpad for another packed season.

Group-by-group: storylines everywhere

Group A hands Aberdeen a demanding but manageable path, on paper at least. They open away to Brora Rangers on Tuesday July 14 before the televised clash with Queen’s Park on July 18. Queen of the South and Kelty Hearts round out a group that will quickly expose any rust in Robinson’s squad, with Aberdeen finishing at home to Kelty on July 25.

Group B is Dundee United’s to control, yet it carries real jeopardy. United start live on TV at Stirling Albion, then travel to Montrose on July 14. Home dates against Arbroath on July 18 and The Spartans on July 21 follow, before a potentially decisive final-day trip to Arbroath on July 25. Stirling, Montrose and The Spartans will all fancy upsetting the order.

In Group C, the holders St Mirren must navigate Dumbarton, East Kilbride, Cove Rangers and Dunfermline Athletic. They begin away at Dumbarton on July 11, then head to Cove on July 18. A midweek home tie with East Kilbride on July 21 leads into that live showdown with Dunfermline in Paisley on July 26. It is a group built for drama on the final afternoon.

Group D offers Dundee and Ross County a straight fight for control, with Annan Athletic, Airdrieonians and Clyde looking to disrupt. Ross County travel to Annan on the opening Saturday, while Dundee host Airdrieonians. The pair meet in Dingwall on Tuesday July 21, a fixture that could decide the section long before the closing round of Airdrieonians v Ross County and Dundee v Clyde on July 25.

In Group E, Partick Thistle and Livingston headline a competitive mix with Brechin City, Stenhousemuir and Forfar Athletic. Thistle start at home to Brechin on July 11, then visit Forfar on July 14. Livingston’s first outing comes away to Brechin on July 14, followed by home ties against Partick on July 18 and Forfar on July 21. Every club in this group has enough about them to ruin someone’s summer.

Group F shines a light on the non-league invitees. Linlithgow Rose step into the national spotlight with a trip to Greenock Morton on July 11 and a home tie against St Johnstone on July 14. Inverness CT and East Fife complete a group that feels wide open. St Johnstone’s visit to Inverness on July 21 and Morton’s home match with Inverness on July 25 could shape not just the winners, but the race for one of the best runners-up spots.

Group G is laced with intrigue. Ayr United, Falkirk, Alloa Athletic, Edinburgh City and Stranraer are packed together in a section that screams tight margins. Ayr travel to Stranraer on the opening day while Falkirk go to Edinburgh City. Falkirk host Ayr on July 14, then Alloa on July 21, before finishing at home to Stranraer. Ayr close at home to Alloa. It is the kind of group where goal difference might be everything.

Finally, Group H throws Kilmarnock and Raith Rovers into a tricky mix with Hamilton Accies, Peterhead and Elgin City. Raith start at home to Elgin on July 11, then travel to Kilmarnock on July 14. Hamilton visit Peterhead on opening day and host Raith on July 18. Kilmarnock’s meeting with Hamilton on July 21 and Raith’s trip to Peterhead the same night feel pivotal. There will be no easy route out.

The calendar is set, the paths are drawn, and the first competitive ball of 2026/27 will be kicked not in a glamour European tie, but on a July afternoon in the Premier Sports Cup. For clubs across the country, this is where the season truly begins – and where some ambitions may already be reshaped before the league campaigns even start.