A COMPLETE preview of the 2026/27 William Hill Premiership

Millions of eyes from all around the world were fixed on the Scottish Premiership last season as Hearts bid to end the Glasgow-centric dominance that has reigned over Scotland since the 80s. Celtic got the title over the line at the last minute, which many will find disappointing, but the global attention on Scottish football can only be a good thing. Hearts’ weren’t the only underdog story of last season with Motherwell and Falkirk providing excellent stories in their own right. Whilst the 2026/27 season certainly has a hard act to follow in terms of entertainment factor, here’s everything you need to know about the league heading into the next season. Aberdeen: It’s a first full season in charge for Stephen Robinson who replaced Jimmy Thelin in March. It’s always hard to predict how Aberdeen will fair as life post Derrick McInnes can best be described as a rollercoaster. Aberdeen have flirted with relegation the past few years before proving to be too big to go down. But of course, there is the third place season of 2022/23 and the Scottish Cup win in 2025 to counter. It’s been a busy summer in the North East with 10 signings thus far. Stephen Robinson has re-united with Connor Ronan from their time at St. Mirren. They’ll hope the force is with them after signing Obi Wan Kenobi’s great-grandson in Nesta Guinness-Walker, Tony Yogane’s positive loan at Dundee has rewarded him with a move to Aberdeen. They’ve also added household Premiership names in Lewis Mayo and Brad Lyons to name a few. Incomings: Connor Ronan, Alexander Briedl, Lewis Mayo, Brad Lyons, Toyosi Olusanya, Nesta Guinness-Walker, Dan Happe, Ayoub Mouloua, Marius Müller, Tony Yogane. Outgoings: Topi Keskinen, Alexander Jensen, Graeme Shinnie, Ryan Duncan, Marko Lazetic, Tom Mcintrye, Per Kristian Bratviet, Elvis Bwomono, Vicente Besuijen, Alfie Stewart (loan), Alfie Bavidge (loan). What to expect: Mid-table finish. Celtic: Celtic are now five-in-a-row champions, but it somehow feels like a dark cloud is hanging over the club. Despite the drama from the end of last season, it’s fair to say that last season’s Celtic side are probably the worst title winners in recent memory. Although, that speaks to just high the bar is for Celtic. Martin O’Neill will lead Celtic out for another season after signing a further one-year deal, somewhat delaying another managerial appointment. Despite criticisms surrounding their performances or style of play, O’Neill’s Celtic have shown that they can really turn it up when it matters, You can look ash their second half dismantlement of St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final, or snatching the title from Hearts with just minutes remaining, or their comeback against Rangers in the split and much, much more. Unfortunately for Celtic, the fall-out between the fans and the board continues after a lack of signings, with Celtic fans standing firmly behind the ‘not another penny’ campaign until they see change. Failures to secure new deals for Marcelo Sarrachi and Kelechi Iheanacho only add fuel to the fire too. It truly feels like a lot of discontent hangs over the club at the minute. Incomings: Camilo Duran Outgoings: Luis Palma, Maik Nawrocki, Kelechi Iheanacho, Stephen Welsh, Hayato Inamura, Josh Clarke, Shin Yamada (loan), Kasper Schmeichel (retired) What to expect: Title contenders Dundee: When Stephen Pressely was appointed as Dundee boss last season, many eyebrows were raised from Dundee fans and neutrals alike, many even tipped them to go down, but Pressely kept them up at a canter. They’ll be without last season’s star man in Luke Graham after the defender departed for Stoke in a club record deal. Losses of Trevor Carson and Jon McCracken in the goalkeeping department may force the club to look for a replacement between the posts. Incomings: Idris Odutayo, Zan Besir, Alan Forrest, Ryan Finnigan, Owen Bevan Outgoings: Luke Graham, Jon McCracken, Ethan Ingram, Clark Robertson, Paul Digby, Billy Koumetio, Emile Acquah, Lewis Montsma, Trevor Carson (retired) What to expect: Bottom-half/ relegation candidates Dundee United: Much like his former club Aberdeen, Jim Goodwin’s recent career is another rollercoaster. When he took the Tannadice helm in 2023 the club was as good as relegated. Goodwin led them back to the Premiership at the first time of asking, before securing European football upon their Premiership return, even going toe-to-toe with Rapid Vienna in the conference league. They seemed to revert to the mode with a bottom six finish last year. It’s been a busy window on the other side of Dens Road so far. Jack Walton has returned to the club, there’s also been promising signings from Australia whilst Dylan Tait is an impressive signing from their competitors in Falkirk. Incomings: Jesse Randall, Lachlan Rose, Joshua Rawlins, Dylan Tait, Michael Forbes, Jordan Amissah, Jack Walton, Medhi Merghem, Idjessi Metsoko (loan) Outgoings: Craig Sibbald, Ryan Strain, Ashely Maynard-Brewer, Johnny Russell, Kristijan Trapanovski, Dave Richards, Lewis O’Connell, Owen Stiron (loan), Ruairidh Adams (loan) What to expect: Mid-table finish Falkirk: Falkirk returned to the Premiership after 16 years last season, marking a double-promotion with a top-six finish. A side who built on solid home performances last season and nearly secured European football in the process. Falkirk are on the up at the moment and they can build on this success. Or, whatever goes up can come straight back down. They’ve lost star men from last season in Barney Stewart and Calvin Miller, Filip Lissah hasn’t returned to the club following an impressive loan spell. It could well get worse with John McGlynn being one of the leading contenders to replace Steve Clarke as Scotland boss. Incomings: Lewis Nielson, Jack McMillan, Deniss Melniks, Craig Sibbald, Scott Tanser, Jay Hogarth, Ethan Laidlaw, Paul McGovern Outgoings: Barney Stewart, Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait, Jamie Sneddon, Gary Oliver, Brian Graham, Rhys Walker, Sean Mackie What to expect: Bottom-half finish Heart Of Midlothian: Hearts were mere minutes away from becoming the first non Old-Firm cub to win the league in over 40-years. Derrick McInnes has since departed for Rangers and its a completely new look Hearts side for the Wouter Vrancken era. Numerous new signings

Hibernian bolster defensive options with arrival from Millwall

Millwall wing-back Adam Mayor has become Hibernian’s fifth signing of the summer, joining on an undisclosed fee.  The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Cambridge United in League One, making 35 appearances, scoring on three occasions and assisting on four. The Englishman is expected to provide competition to Nicky Cadden and Jordan Obita at left wing-back in David Gray’s favoured back three. Speaking on his arrival, Gray said: “We’re delighted to bring another exciting young player into the building and welcome Adam to Hibernian FC. “He is a promising young player to add to the group, and he has already made successful strides in his career so far. “There’s no doubt Adam will bring real athleticism to the squad. He’s a wing-back who really loves attacking and putting crosses into the box and can contribute at both ends of the pitch. “We’re all looking forward to him joining the group and working with him going forward.” In Mayor’s first interview as a Hibs player, he said: “I’ve known [of the interest] for a few weeks now, and as soon as I heard about it, I was really interested, so I’m just happy to finally get it over the line. “I think it’s just the different opportunities [that attracted me here]. “You’re playing in front of big crowds here at home, and you get the chance to push to play in Europe every season, so I think it’s just a different challenge and a lot of bigger opportunities as well. “My aim is to just go and create and score as many goals as I can, and obviously as a team we want to go and do well in Europe and finish as high as we can in the league. “Personally, I want to create and score as many goals as I can. As a team we want to do well in Europe and win a few derbies! Mayor joins fellow youngster Nathan Lowe as Hibernian’s second signing of the day and the fifth incoming so far this season. All of Hibs’ signings plied their trade in League One last season.

Cammy Devlin joins Rangers following Hearts departure

Following the expiration of his Hearts contract, Cammy Devlin has joined Rangers on a two-year deal. A fan-favourite at Tynecastle, Devlin made 176 appearances for Hearts over a five-year spell after joining from Newcastle Jets in 2021. The 28-year-old has been capped five times at senior level for Australia, making his debut in 2022. The midfielder was included in the 2022 & 2026 Socceroos World Cup squads, but did not play at either tournament. Hearts announced yesterday that Devlin was given a deadline to commit his future to the club, but would depart a free agent after that deadline was not met. He now becomes the third man to swap Hearts for Rangers this summer after Lawrence Shankland also departed on a free, with Derrick Iciness taking over at his boyhood club. Offering his first comments as a Rangers player, Devlin said: “It feels amazing. I am obviously so happy to get it over the line; with the gaffer coming here and a lot of change happening at the club, it feels like a great time to be coming here. “It is just an absolute honour and privilege; I am so aware, being in Scotland for a while now, the size of the club and everything that comes with playing at such a massive football club. “To call myself a Rangers player now feels pretty special and I just cannot wait to get started.” Derrick McIness was delighted to welcome Devlin to Glasgow, he said: “Cammy is obviously a player I know, and I am well aware what he will offer to Rangers. “His levels of consistency for me were superb, and he is the type of player that every manager wants in his team. “He is someone who knows the Scottish league, and nothing will surprise him with what lies ahead. I am looking forward to welcoming Cammy to Rangers and working with him again after he returns from his holiday.” Devlin is now Rangers’ sixth summer signing following the arrivals of Lawrence Shankland, Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil, Ivor Pandur and Ben Godfrey.

Hibernian announce third summer signing

Hibernian have announced Leyton Orient midfielder Azeem Abdulai as their third signing of the window. He joins Jason Kerr and Callum Wright who both arrived from Wigan Athletic. Abdulai arrives on a three-year deal signing for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old, who came through the Celtic academy before moving down south has primarily played as a box-to-box midfielder, but has also filled in out wide or in central defence on occasion. The midfielder has also been capped on six occasions for Scotland at under-21 level. Head coach David Gray commented on the signing: “Azeem is exactly the profile we wanted – he’s athletic, aggressive, technically secure on the ball and will play box-to-box. “He gives us more options in the midfield area and that creates a healthy competition for places. We are excited to have him on board, and we’re all looking forward to working with him.” In his first interview with the club, Abdulai mentioned how easy the decision to sign for Hibs was and how excited he is to return to Scotland. He said: “I’m buzzing to be here. It’s a massive club and, as soon as I heard there was interest, I wanted to get the move done straight away. Coming back home is a big thing for me and, like I said, Hibs is a massive club. “I can’t wait. I’ve seen plenty of videos and I’ve been to the stadium before – I think it was actually the first stadium I ever visited. I know the fans have incredible support for the team and I can’t wait to get out there and make them proud. “Everything they said was really positive, so it made the decision easy. Coming back to Scotland was important to me and, being Scottish, I know how big Hibs is. The direction the club is going in and the project they’ve got made it a no-brainer.” Abdulai has already joined up with the Hibs squad for their pre-season training camp in Ireland as the club defeated Norther Irish side Cliftonville 5-1 earlier today.  

Five candidates to replace Steve Clarke as Scotland boss

Following last night’s news of Steve Clarke’s resignation, the hunt for the next Scotland manager begins.  Clarke departs from the National Team after seven years in charge, becoming the highest-capped Scotland manager ever. Prior to him, Scotland had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup, he ended this hiatus by qualifying for EURO 2020. He’d then go back-to-back by leading Scotland to EURO 2024. A historic win against Denmark in November 2025 meant Scotland would finally return to the World Cup after 28 years. However, three disappointing group stage exits have led to the Scotland legend tendering his resignation immediately after their elimination was confirmed. Here are five potential replacements for Clarke in the Hampden hot seat. Ange Postecoglu An early favourite for many, including myself. Postecoglu is currently out of work after an unsuccessful period in charge of Nottingham Forest. Prior to that he ended Spurs’ trophy drought by taking home the Europa League in 2025. Of course, the Australian is best known in Scotland for his hugely successful period in charge of Celtic where he won five trophies in two seasons in Glasgow, playing entertaining, attacking football along the way. Postecoglu has previous success on the international stage as well, leading Australia to the 2015 Asian Cup. Steven Naismith Naismith has been Steve Clarke’s assistant since 2025 and is the current bookie’s favourite. He has previous experience as Hearts’ manager between 2023-24 where he guides the Edinburgh side to third place before being dismissed the following season. Kieran McKenna A potential left-field shout, highly rated Northern Irishman Kieran McKenna led Ipswich from League One to the Premier League after successive promotions, and then after relegation to the Championship, back to the Premier League again. Before leaving the club at the end of last season. McKenna was also previously the Manchester United assistant manager, working under names such as Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The appointment of McKenna would certainly prove to be an ambitious one with the manager previously being linked to managerial positions at clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United. John McGlynn Another man behind a double-promotion. McGlynn led Falkirk from Scottish League One to the Premiership in back-to-back seasons before securing a respectable sixth place finish as Falkirk returned to the top flight for the first time since 2010. McGlynn is also a three-time PFA Scotland Manager of the Year, winning the award in 2011, 2024 & 2025. David Moyes The Everton boss seems a sensible appointment. Moyes has taken charge of just under 600 Everton matches over two spells. He’s since rebuilt his reputation from a poor spell at Manchester United by winning the Conference League with West Ham in 2023. Some question marks were placed over Clarke’s head after EURO 2024 and Moyes seemed the obvious choice back then prior to his return to Everton, but the chance may come for him once more. The SFA are able to take their time in appointing a successor as Scotland’s next match takes place on the 26th September, when they travel to Slovenia in the UEFA Nations League.

Rangers announce return of Ross McCrorie

Rangers have announced the first signing of the Derek McInnes era by confirming the return of Ross McCrorie. The right-back arrives from Bristol City for an undisclosed fee signing a three-year deal in Glasgow. A product of the Rangers academy, McCrorie left to the club for Aberdeen in 2020, initially on loan, but the deal was made permanent in 2021. He’d then leave for Bristol City in 2023 but is now re-united with the manager who brought him to Aberdeen. McCrorie has been twice capped by Scotland, most recently in March’s defeat to Côte d’Ivoire. Whilst he was called up the EURO 2024 squad in Germany, he did not feature. Speaking on his return to Rangers, McCrorie said: “It is a dream come true to come back up the road to the team I support. “I am not that little kid who was at Rangers back in the day. I have changed a lot character-wise, and player-wise, I feel I have changed massively. “I feel like I am ready now, and I want to come back here and win trophies.” These comments were echoed by McInnes, he said: “Ross is someone I signed for Aberdeen from Rangers, and at that time he wanted to go out and prove himself, which I think says a lot for him. “He has developed and improved as a player, he has got that added experience, he is a full international now, and he knows the club inside out. “In the conversations I have had with him, a lot of things I am saying are things he wants from the club as well, so he’s a determined and competitive boy on the pitch, and he is determined to bring good times back to the club.” McCrorie marks Rangers second signing of the season, following Lawrence Shankland’s arrival from Hearts on a free transfer. Rumours also suggest the club are readying a bid for Dundee defender Luke Graham as Derek McInnes aims to rebuild Rangers from last season’s disappointing third place finish, behind McIness’ Hearts side and Martin O’Neill’s Celtic.

Hibs set record breaking price tag on Midfielder

Hibernian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa has been subject to extensive interest lately. Rumours in January suggested that Celtic and Fiorentina would battle it out for the Zambian’s signature, but no such move materialised. It seems Celtic’s interest in Chaiwa has not gone away as Martin O’Neill takes charge of the club for one more season. Early reports indicate that Hibs have no intent on selling Chaiwa and have already turned down two bids for the 22-year-old. Chaiwa arrived at Hibs in 2025 from BSC Young Boys for a rumoured fee of £700,000. A year on, Hibs are set to value him at ten times that amount. If he was to leave for such a price, it would see Hibernian’s record sale broken for the second time in six months following Kieron Bowie’s January move to Hellas Verona for an estimated £6 million. The previous record was held by Scott Brown for 19 years when he joined Celtic for £4.4 million in 2007.

Key dates for Hibernian next season

The fixtures for the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season have now released and many Hibernian fans will look to the schedule to see when the biggest games or toughest fixture run takes place. The openers: The entirety of the Scottish opening weekend will be live on Sky Sports as David Gray’s side will kick off the campaign at home for the first time since 2023. They face a Motherwell side who will look to continue their good form from last season despite the departure of manager Jens Berthel Askou. The match will kick off at 4:30pm on Sunday 2nd August. Hibs’ first away day of this season will be a repeat of their final one from last season as they travel to Ibrox for Derek McInnes’ first home league match as Rangers boss. The match kicks off at 4pm on Sunday 9th August. The derbies: The first Edinburgh of the season will take place under the lights of Easter Road at 7:45pm on Wednesday 2nd September. Hibs then travel to Tynecastle on Boxing Day before hosting Hearts once more in the final pre-split fixture on Saturday 10th April. Festive football: Hibs’ final match before Christmas will take place at home on Saturday 19th December, as mentioned they travel to Tynecastle on Boxing Day before closing out the year at home to St. Mirren on Wednesday 30th December at 7:45pm. They start the new year by travelling to Falkirk on the 2nd January. Other interesting fixtures for Hibs include facing Rangers and Celtic back-to-back in December alongside successive two trips to Dundee in five days and the final pre-split away fixture taking place at Ibrox on the 3rd April. Hibs’ next fixture takes place on the 30th June as they travel to Dublin to take on Shamrock Rovers in a preseason friendly. Their first competitive fixture of the season takes place on Thursday 23rd July as they travel to either FK Vllaznia of Albania or FC Malisheva of Kosovo in the 2nd round of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League.  

‘HAW YOU, TIME TO GET UP!’- Tennents enlists Scotland legends to wake fans for historic World Cup opener

As Scotland prepare for their first World Cup match in 28 years, Tennents Lager have launched a unique campaign designed to make sure supporters don’t miss a second of the action. Steve Clarke’s side are set to kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti at 2AM UK time and many fans are facing a dilemma. Do you stay up all night, or do you set numerous alarms to catch one of the most anticipated moments in Scottish football history? If it’s the second option, Tennents have you covered. The brewery have teamed up with Scotland Assistant Manager Steven Naismith, World Cup hero Gordon Durie and current midfielder Ryan Christie to create a series of downloadable World Cup wake-up calls that fans can use on the night of the big match. Each Scottish football icon delivers a rallying cry aimed at getting supporters out of bed and ready for kick-off. Naismith’s unmistakable message of “Haw you! Time to get up!” is joined by Gordon Durie’s classic “Get OOT your bed!” While Ryan Christie sends an enthusiastic “Come on!” from the United States as Scotland prepare for their long-awaited return to football’s biggest stage. The campaign celebrates a moment that generations of Scotland fans have waited almost three decades to experience. While thousands are making the journey to Boston, millions more will be supporting from home, pubs and fan zones across the country. The wake-up calls, accompanied by animated social media content are available through Tennents’ digital channels and can be downloaded directly for use as phone alarms. Tennents’ initiative is aimed at ensuring supporters are ready for the “Hampden Roar, not the Hampden snore” as Scotland begin their quest for World Cup glory. For many supporters, the unusual kick-off time presents a challenge. But with some of Scottish football’s most recognisable voices now handling alarm clock duties, sleeping through the biggest Scotland game in a generation should no longer be an excuse. After 28 long years, Scotland fans won’t want to hit snooze on history.

SNN Sports predict the World Cup

Following Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad announcement, the SNN Sports journalists lodged their predictions for Scotland’s first World Cup in 28 years. Winners Declan: Spain- I’ve swayed between Spain, France and even Argentina. I’m going Spain at the last minute as there’s something about the France squad I’m unsure about and I don’t think an ageing Argentina squad can go back-to-back. Spain have also been absolutely terrific since the Euros and I think they’ll continue that form and win their second World Cup. Mack: Spain- There’s not as many superstars as squads of their past, which can sometimes equate to less egos. They done fantastic at the Euros two years ago. I fully expect them to carry that form into this summer. Fayez: France- I think their strength in depth is simply too strong for everyone else. Liam: Spain- I feel they have so much quality in which they’ll be very strong and win the entire competition. Players like Yamal will be key to their success in winning the World Cup. Top goalscorer  Declan: Erling Haaland- Not only do I think he’s the best striker in the world, I think he’s already one of the best strikers ever. Norway were brilliant during qualifying and scored a lot of goals. I’ve got them to get to the semi-final meaning they’ll be there to the end. I can see Haaland bagging a lot of goals on the way there. Mack: Harry Kane- A bit of a cop out to predict world’s best striker to be the best goalscorer. But even by his own standards he’s scoring at an outrageous rate, and will be leading the line for one of the tournament’s favourites. Fayez: Harry Kane- He’s had an incredible season with Bayern Munich and will rack up a number of goals, especially if England can get some favourable ties. Liam: Kylian Mbappe-  Despite not winning the World Cup, I think Mbappe will be top goalscorer as he’s done for many years with both PSG and Real Madrid. Dark horses Declan: Ecuador- I don’t want to call Haaland that good and then call his team the dark horses. Ecuador have went under the radar for their qualifying campaign, they look a really hard team to beat thanks to a brilliant defence. Mack: Norway- They’ve got such a strong squad and that’s before you even get to Erling Haaland. They never lost a game in qualifying and will go into their first World Cup in 28 years with a loads of momentum. Fayez: Norway or Japan- Norway were brilliant in qualifying and have a number of quality players, I think they could seriously go on a deep run. As for Japan, they’ve really flown under the radar with a solid squad and have shown great form in their friendly wins over Brazil, England and of course, Scotland. I think they can definitely give the big teams a shock this tournament. Liam: Japan- As we’ve seen in recent months, they look a very good squad as we of course saw at Hampden as well as against England and I just feel they may cause a few shocks along the way. Flops Declan: Germany- Granted they’ve not made it out of the groups in the last two World Cups, but that shouldn’t be normal for a country with four World Cups and one of the best footballing histories. Whilst I think they’ll make it out of the group this time round, I’ve got them to finish behind Ecuador and go home shortly after. Mack: France- I just think everything that’s went on with Mbappe at Real Madrid could potentially carry on into the France setup. they are a side that should go far, but I think a lack of cohesion amongst the players will make room for an early exit. Fayez: Belgium-  They’ve always been perennial underachievers. The golden generation never lived up to the hype with many of those players in their prime, I don’t think the squad is strong enough to have the tournament you’d expect from a team like them. I don’t think they’ll have a shock exit like in 2022, but I can’t see them going far in the knockout stage. Liam: Belgium- A team that seems to be declining in quality and a team who I don’t think will do as good as they did in the past. Although they still have KDB and Doku, I still don’t believe they have enough quality to go far in this tournament. How far will Scotland go? Declan: Group stages- The squad doesn’t fill me with confidence, the last international break doesn’t fill me with confidence and our group doesn’t do that either. I don’t think we can beat Haiti by enough goals (beating them isn’t even a guarantee) and I just don’t know where that elusive fourth point will come from. Mack: Group stages- I’m forever a pessimist, I don’t see Scotland performing particularly well. We need to beat Haiti by a lot of goals and I simply don’t think we have the style of play to do that. Fayez: Round of 32- I believe that Scotland will get out of the group stages for the first time. Being one of the best 3rd place teams is most likely. You have to expect the boys will get the jobs done against Haiti (although I think it’ll be a tough watch) and can be competitive in the games against Morocco and Brazil. Depending on how the other teams place we could be in for a difficult first knockout tied I think that’ll be the end for us. Getting into the knockout stages will be the aim for the team and if they do that, I think it’ll be considered a successful tournament. Liam: Knockout stages- I think Scotland will finish 3rd in the group and hopefully continue to progress.