2026/27 Premier Sports Cup Fixtures Announced
The Premier Sports Cup is back on the calendar, and Scottish football barely has time to catch its breath.
Days after the dust settled on an “unforgettable” 2025/26 campaign, the SPFL has locked in the full fixture list for the 2026/27 group stage – 80 matches, five rounds, one early-season sprint to find form, fitness and a bit of silverware momentum.
Television cameras will be out in force again, with Premier Sports confirming five live ties and more to follow on its app. The story begins at Forthbank.
New faces, old pressures
The curtain-raiser comes on Saturday July 11, when Stirling Albion host Dundee United at 5.30pm. It is a bold first assignment for new Binos boss Steven Whittaker, up against Jim Goodwin’s United in front of the live TV audience. A League Two club, a fresh manager, a top-flight scalp in their sights – the competition rarely waits long for a narrative.
A week later, on Saturday July 18, Premier Sports rolls out a double header that leans heavily on history and expectation. Six-time League Cup winners Aberdeen welcome Queen’s Park to Pittodrie at 5.00pm, before Dundee United face Arbroath at Tannadice at 7.00pm. One ground steeped in trophy memories, another braced for a noisy Tayside night.
Queen of the South’s new era under Nicky Clark gets the spotlight next. On Wednesday July 22, Palmerston hosts Stephen Robinson’s Aberdeen at 7.45pm, another live pick that pits a fresh managerial project against a side with designs on going deep into the tournament.
The group stage’s televised schedule closes in Paisley, where holders St Mirren begin their defence with a demanding assignment. On Sunday July 26, the Saints meet Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic at 3.00pm, a tie that feels far more like a knockout clash than a group game.
The SPFL has again left room for flexibility. Several other matches will be streamed on the Premier Sports app, with those selections to be confirmed. Some fixtures may move as clubs juggle major summer pitch works and venue availability, a familiar juggling act at this time of year.
Eight groups, one opening gauntlet
The structure remains unchanged. Thirty-seven SPFL clubs are joined by Lowland League champions Linlithgow Rose, Highland League winners Brora Rangers and runners-up Brechin City, spread across eight groups.
Group A offers a sharp mix of pedigree and ambition. Aberdeen share a section with Queen of the South, Queen’s Park, Kelty Hearts and Brora Rangers. Pittodrie’s side face Queen’s Park in that televised July 18 tie, but their campaign also runs through a tricky midweek trip to Brora on July 14 and a potentially decisive visit to Dumfries on July 21. Queen of the South, meanwhile, open at home to Kelty and close away to Queen’s Park, with Clark’s side given no time for a gentle bedding-in.
In Group B, Dundee United headline a competitive cluster with Stirling Albion, Arbroath, Montrose and The Spartans. United’s journey starts under the Forthbank floodlights and gathers pace quickly: Montrose away on July 14, Arbroath at Tannadice on July 18, then The Spartans at home on July 21. For lower-league sides, these dates are circled in red – the kind of evenings that can define a season before the league ball is even kicked.
St Mirren’s Group C defence begins with a trip to Dumbarton on July 11, followed by Cove Rangers away on July 18 and East Kilbride at home on July 21. Dunfermline Athletic lurk as their main threat, with the two meeting in that live finale on July 26 in Paisley. East Kilbride and Cove, meanwhile, will fancy a shot at an upset, especially with early-season sharpness often tilting towards the underdogs.
Group D looks balanced and awkward. Ross County, Dundee, Airdrieonians, Annan Athletic and Clyde are packed into a schedule that will test depth and organisation. Dundee open away to Airdrieonians, then travel to Annan before a trip to Dingwall on July 21. Ross County’s own path includes a final-day visit to Airdrie, a fixture that could carry real weight if the group remains tight.
Group E throws together Livingston, Partick Thistle, Brechin City, Stenhousemuir and Forfar Athletic. Partick host Brechin on day one, then head to Forfar and Livingston in quick succession. Brechin, back on the national stage as Highland League runners-up, get Livingston at home under the lights on July 14 – exactly the kind of night that can ignite a cup run.
Group F carries one of the most intriguing subplots. Linlithgow Rose, the Lowland League champions, step into the limelight against Greenock Morton, Inverness CT, East Fife and St Johnstone. Morton at Cappielow on July 11 is their first test, but it is the home tie with St Johnstone on July 14 that will draw attention. A non-league side, a Premiership club, a tight ground – Scottish football has seen that script before.
Group G lines up Ayr United, Falkirk, Alloa Athletic, Edinburgh City and Stranraer, a section that promises travel miles and competitive edges. Falkirk start away to Edinburgh City before hosting Ayr on July 14, then Alloa on July 21 and Stranraer on July 25. Ayr’s own route includes trips to Falkirk and Edinburgh, with little room for error.
Group H completes the picture, with Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers, Hamilton Accies, Peterhead and Elgin City. Kilmarnock’s first outing comes at home to Raith on July 14, then away to Elgin and back at Rugby Park for Hamilton on July 21. Raith, who open at home to Elgin on July 11, also face a long midweek journey to Peterhead on July 21 – the sort of tie that has tripped up many a fancied side in this competition.
Knockout dates locked in
The stakes are clear. Only the eight group winners and the three best runners-up will progress, joining Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Motherwell and Hibernian – all exempt due to European commitments – in the last 16 on August 15/16.
From there, the calendar tightens. Quarter-finals are set for the weekend of September 12/13, with semi-finals pencilled in for October 31 and November 1. The final lands on Sunday December 13, a familiar winter showpiece now firmly rooted in the Scottish football landscape.
SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie underlined the sense of continuity and momentum as he welcomed the new schedule and thanked Premier Sports for its continued backing. The message is simple: the break is short, the stakes are real, and July will not be a gentle warm-up.
With the fixtures now in black and white, managers, players and supporters can start plotting routes, circling danger dates and dreaming of December. The question is not whether there will be shocks.
It is who delivers the first one when the ball rolls at Forthbank on July 11.
