2026/27 Premier Sports Cup Fixtures Announced

The curtain has barely fallen on one Scottish season and already the next one is taking shape.

The SPFL has confirmed the full fixture list for the 2026/27 Premier Sports Cup group stage, setting out five packed matchdays in July and locking in the first batch of live TV games that will usher in the new campaign.

TV cameras roll in early

Premier Sports will open its coverage at Forthbank on Saturday July 11, where Stirling Albion host Dundee United at 5.30pm. It will be Steven Whittaker’s first competitive game in charge of the Binos, straight into a shot at a Championship heavyweight and Jim Goodwin’s rebuilt United.

A week later comes a Saturday double-header on July 18. Six-time League Cup winners Aberdeen welcome Queen’s Park to Pittodrie at 5.00pm, before the cameras head down the road to Tannadice for Dundee United v Arbroath at 7.00pm. It’s a night built for early statements: Barry Robson’s Dons expected to set the tone at home, United tested by Dick Campbell’s stubborn Lichties.

The pressure then shifts to Palmerston on Wednesday July 22. Queen of the South, now under Nicky Clark, face Stephen Robinson’s Aberdeen in a 7.45pm kick-off that should give an early indication of how quickly Clark’s ideas are taking hold in Dumfries.

The group stage’s final televised tie comes on Sunday July 26 in Paisley. Holders St Mirren begin their defence against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic at 3.00pm, a fixture that already carries the feel of a measuring stick for both clubs.

Several other ties will be shown on the Premier Sports app, with those selections to follow. The SPFL has also left room for movement, with fixtures still subject to change if summer pitch works force venue switches.

A sprawling, early-season sprint

In total, 80 matches will be played across five matchdays, involving 37 SPFL clubs plus Lowland League champions Linlithgow Rose, Highland League winners Brora Rangers and runners-up Brechin City. It’s a familiar, sprawling curtain-raiser: regionalised groups, quickfire games, and little margin for error.

The format remains the same. The eight group winners and the three best runners-up progress to the last 16, where they will be joined by European entrants Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Motherwell and Hibernian on the weekend of August 15/16.

From there, the road to Hampden tightens. Quarter-finals are pencilled in for September 12/13, semi-finals for the weekend of October 31 and November 1, and the Premier Sports Cup final set for Sunday December 13.

SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie welcomed the release of the schedule and the continued backing of Premier Sports, noting the swift turnaround from the “unforgettable” 2025/26 campaign to the first competitive action of 2026/27.

Group-by-group intrigue

The detail, as ever, lies in the groups.

• Group A throws Aberdeen into a mix of ambitious lower-league sides. The Dons travel to Brora Rangers on Tuesday July 14 and Queen of the South on Tuesday July 21, with home ties against Queen’s Park and Kelty Hearts bookending their campaign. Queen’s Park open with Brora at home and close away to Queen of the South, a run that could decide which of the chasing pack can trouble Aberdeen for top spot.
• Group B is headlined by Dundee United, but it is Stirling Albion who get first crack at them in front of the TV cameras. United then face Montrose away, Arbroath at home and The Spartans at Tannadice before finishing at Montrose and Arbroath meet others on the final day. It’s a group loaded with familiar foes and awkward away trips: ideal for early-season jeopardy.
• Group C belongs to the holders. St Mirren open away to Dumbarton on July 11 and travel to Cove Rangers a week later, before home ties against East Kilbride and Dunfermline Athletic. Lennon’s Dunfermline, meanwhile, start at East Kilbride, host Dumbarton and Cove, and close with that televised showdown in Paisley. One slip could flip the group.
• Group D looks bruising. Ross County, Dundee, Airdrieonians, Annan Athletic and Clyde are thrown together. County start away at Annan and finish away at Airdrieonians, with a key home game against Dundee on Tuesday July 21. Dundee’s opener is at home to Airdrieonians, and they end by hosting Clyde. For clubs with promotion ambitions and new signings to bed in, this group offers little breathing space.
• Group E features Partick Thistle, Livingston, Brechin City, Forfar Athletic and Stenhousemuir. Partick begin at home to Brechin and travel to Forfar, Livingston and Stenhousemuir. Livingston’s path runs through away trips to Brechin and Stenhousemuir and home dates with Partick and Forfar. Brechin, in as Highland League runners-up, get an early glamour tie at home to Livingston on July 14 and another stern test at Firhill on the opening day.
• Group F carries a romance of its own. Greenock Morton, Inverness CT, St Johnstone, East Fife and Linlithgow Rose collide. Linlithgow Rose, the Lowland League champions, head to Cappielow on July 11, host St Johnstone three days later, then face Inverness CT and East Fife in quick succession. It is the kind of schedule that can turn a non-league name into a national story.
• Group G pitches Falkirk and Ayr United into a tight, competitive section with Edinburgh City, Alloa Athletic and Stranraer. Falkirk start away at Edinburgh City, then host Ayr on July 14, before facing Alloa and Stranraer at home. Ayr, meanwhile, go to Stranraer first, then travel to Falkirk and host Edinburgh City and Alloa. Every fixture has a whiff of a potential upset.
• Group H rounds things off with Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers, Hamilton Accies, Peterhead and Elgin City. Kilmarnock’s first outing comes at home to Raith on July 14, followed by trips to Elgin and Hamilton before a final group test that could decide the section. Raith begin at home to Elgin, then head to Rugby Park, face Hamilton at New Douglas Park and close at home to Peterhead. For both clubs, it’s a chance to set an early tone before league business begins.

The race starts in July

By the time the final whistle blows in Paisley on July 26, the shape of the last 16 will be clear and the first judgments of the new season already forming. Managers will have seen new signings under pressure, youngsters thrown into the fray, and systems tested against stubborn, hungry opposition.

The Premier Sports Cup rarely waits for teams to find their feet. It rewards those who hit the ground running. Who will?