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Dundee 3-1 St Mirren: Dundee claim vital win over St Mirren

Dundee ran out 3-1 winners over St Mirren on Saturday afternoon to end a run of four defeats in the Scottish Premiership. An own goal from Alex Gogic and goals from Drey Wright and Joe Westley gave Dundee a much-needed victory and lifted them up to ninth in the Premiership table. It was the visitors, St Mirren, who started the brighter of the two sides and looked a constant threat from set pieces in the early stages. They began to create a few half chances inside the Dundee box; however, Luke Graham did well defensively to clear any danger. Dundee’s first chance of the match came on the 15th minute mark when Drey Wright’s delivery into the box was met by Joe Westley; however, the Dundee winger was unable to get a proper connection onto the ball to trouble Shamal George, as he comfortably collected. Following this, St Mirren carved out two chances of their own in quick succession. The first coming when Marcus Fraser looked destined to head beyond Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken until a Dundee body got back in time to clear the ball over the bar. The second coming when Conor McMenamin whipped a powerful ball across the face of the goal for Dan Nlundulu, whose effort sailed narrowly wide of goal. St Mirren had the lead on the 25th minute. Slack passing from Dundee defender Clark Robertson within his own half allowed Mikael Mandron to drive forward with the ball and rifle an effort from distance past McCracken to give his side a deserved lead. Dundee wasted no time in responding to going behind as they had an equaliser within minutes, with an Alex Gogic own goal putting them on level terms. Hearts loanee Yan Dhanda let fly from range; Gogic attempted to put a leg out in hope of blocking the shot; however, all it did was take the ball past the helpless Shamal George. It was an end-to-end affair now with both teams showing a real desire to get forward. Dundee came from behind to lead with five minutes remaining, as Drey Wright’s thunderstrike from the corner of the box went in off the post. Shamal George looked to get a touch to it; however, he couldn’t keep it out as Dundee went into the break ahead. The tempo of the game appeared to slow down in the second half; however, Dundee pushed to add to their advantage early on, when Tony Yogane beat his man with a neat piece of skill before crossing high into the Dundee box for Cameron Congreve, whose headed attempt sailed wide of goal. Moments later, Jayden Richardson’s strike for St Mirren from 20 yards out flew just over the crossbar. Richardson was quickly involved up the other end as his clearance was blocked, leaving Simon Murray with freedom to strike, but his effort was tame and went comfortably into the hands of Shamal George. From that point onwards, St Mirren had Dundee pinned back into their own half for much of the second 45, with Dundee unable to get a proper foothold on the game. Frustrations began to grow for St Mirren as they looked to their bench with twenty minutes to go, making a double change with Roland Idowu and Jonay Ayunga coming onto the park, with Conor McMenamin and Mikael Mandron making way. St Mirren continued to pile pressure onto the Dundee backline, but despite Saints controlling possession, Jon McCracken remained untested. With four minutes of additional time to go, Dundee netted a third to all but secure a vital three points for Steven Pressley’s men. Joe Westley’s curling strike from outside the box completed what was a much-improved performance from the Dees.

November 29, 2025

Dundee v St Mirren Preview

Dundee welcome Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren to Dens Park on Saturday afternoon, with both teams in desperate need of three points. A single point separates these two sides in the Scottish Premiership table, with Dundee sitting in 11th place and St Mirren positioned in ninth. Dundee come into this afternoon’s encounter on the back of a 2-0 away defeat to Hibernian last weekend. Goals from Kieron Bowie and Jamie McGrath meant that Dundee would fall to a fourth consecutive defeat and have also failed to find the back of the net in their last three matches. Victories have been hard to come by for Steven Pressley’s men so far this campaign, having only registered two wins from thirteen matches, both of those coming at Dens Park against Livingston and Celtic respectively. A tough run of games awaits the Dees in the next few weeks, with away trips to Celtic and Livingston and a home match against Aberdeen awaiting Steven Pressley’s side. The visitors, St Mirren, have had their own struggles as of late too, with their last victory coming at the end of September, which was against Dundee, their opponents today. The Buddies are winless in their last six league games, losing five of those, and find themselves two points off the bottom of the table, with only two wins picked up this campaign; however, they have played a game less than Kilmarnock, Dundee and Livingston, who are all below them in the table. Despite their disappointing league form, Stephen Robinson’s men convincingly defeated Motherwell 4-1 at Hampden Park at the start of November to book their place in December’s Scottish League Cup final against Celtic. The Paisley outfit also came into one on the back of a defeat, as they fell to a frustrating 1-0 defeat at home to champions Celtic last time out after a stunning strike in stoppage time from Callum McGregor ensured Celtic claimed all three points. Previous encounter The last meeting between these came earlier this season, back in September. St Mirren were narrow 1-0 winners that day; a first-half strike from Killian Phillips was the difference between the two sides in a tight encounter. Team news Dundee manager Steven Pressley will have a full squad to pick from for today’s match, with no fresh injury concerns. For St Mirren, they will be missing their captain, as Mark O’Hara misses out with a foot injury. Second choice goalkeeper Ryan Mullen is also unavailable.

November 29, 2025

McGregor’s late strike the difference in Paisley.

It was the hosts who started off the more threatening. And on 7 minutes they should have been ahead. Declan John did brilliantly and played a ball across goal towards Conor McMenamin, who failed to convert from close range, on the stretch. In the 15th minute, Sebastian Tounekti cut inside onto his right foot and got a shot off, but his curling effort went over the bar. In the 28th minute, Declan John’s corner was cleared by Celtic, but only as far as Conor McMenamin, who found space on the edge of Celtic’s box, but his brilliant left-footed effort came crashing off the post. In the 43rd minute, St Mirren managed to keep the ball alive following a long throw, the ball fell to Miguel Freckleton, who blazed his shot over the crossbar with Kasper Schmeichel on the deck. HT: St Mirren 0-0 Celtic After 50 minutes, Daizen Maeda looked to be through on goal, but Alexandros Gogic made an incredible sliding challenge to deny the Japanese forward. A bright start to second period from the Champions. After 64 minutes, Keanu Baccus found space outside the box, but his shot was comfortably saved by Kasper Schmeichel. In the 69th minute, St Mirren put the ball in the back of the net. Celtic defender Liam Scales was stretching for it and put the ball in the back of his own net, however, St Mirren’s number 10 Conor McMenamin was in an offside position and deemed to be interfering with play, therefore the goal was disallowed. With just under a quarter of an hour remaining of normal time, Celtic were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the St Mirren box, but Arne Engels’ effort came crashing off the wall. On 79 minutes, Liam Scales played a brilliant ball into the box, Daizen Maeda flicked it on towards the back post, but no Celtic player was there to convert. In the 83rd minute, Declan John took a shot from a tight angle, with Jonah Ayunga free at the back post, and his shot was easily saved by the Danish keeper. Deep into stoppage time, Celtic found the breakthrough. Callum McGregor worked some space on the edge of the box, and his sensational strike found the top corner. A vital strike from the Celtic skipper, which puts the pressure on Hearts going into their clash against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

November 23, 2025

In-Form Hearts Travel to St Mirren Eyeing Ninth Straight Victory

St Mirren host Hearts this evening at the SMiSA Stadium in Paisley in what promises to be a pivotal encounter for both sides. Hearts arrive on the back of an excellent win against Celtic, while St Mirren will be looking to halt a difficult run and reignite their campaign on home soil. Hearts currently sit top of the Scottish Premiership table, having played nine games, registered eight wins and one draw and remain unbeaten in the league so far. They have scored 22 goals and conceded just 7, giving them a goal-difference of +15. Their strong form reflects the confidence within the squad and the impact of manager Derek McInnes since the campaign begun. By contrast, St Mirren have found life more challenging this season. They are currently ninth in the table after nine games, picking up two wins, three draws and four defeats to amass 9 points, with a goal-difference of -4 (6 goals scored, 10 conceded). Although the season is just getting started, the Paisley side will feel the pressure to deliver a positive result at home to a visiting Hearts side. This evening’s fixture pits Hearts’ relentless momentum against St Mirren’s determination to reignite their season. The visitors will aim to extend their unbeaten run and tighten their hold on first place, while the Buddies will be desperate to turn recent frustrations into fuel and remind the league of their quality on home turf. St Mirren will be without Alex Gogic tonight through suspension and their manager will watch on from the stands after being shown red against Aberdeen last weekend. Hearts have no major injury reports within the current and consistent starting lineup.

October 29, 2025

Robinson Focused on “Turning Performances into Results” ahead of Hearts Clash

St Mirren have endured three straight Scottish Premiership defeats, but manager Stephen Robinson is confident that “the results will follow” as his side hosts high-flying Hearts on Wednesday evening. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Robinson said,” People only see the result and the end product, and of course, that’s ultimately what matters. But in the last two games, we’ve actually played better than the games that we’ve won this season” “I’m very confident in that we know what we need to do better. We had 35 crosses, we had 13 corners, and we had, I believe, 24 shots, but only three on target,” “which tells you that is where the problem lies. That’s as a team. It’s not as just centre forwards alone or forward players. It’s from set plays, we have to score more.” The Buddies return to the SMISA Stadium, a ground where Robinson believes his side can “compete with every team.” “There’s never a game where we feel we are massively under the cosh. We’ve dominated large parts of possession.” “But we know what we’ve got in the building. We know what we’re working to achieve, and had we won on Saturday, we’d be third. So all this needs to be put into perspective.” “We’ve lost three in a row. I didn’t think we were the best team in the world when we lost one in 18. Certainly, I don’t think we’re the worst team in the world. We’re playing well. It’s now turning that performance into results” Robinson’s side face a Hearts team currently top of the Scottish Premiership, the manager expressed praise for Derek McInnes, but aims to “put an end to that run”, which has seen them move eight points clear. “I love the fact that a UK manager, Scottish manager, has proven that he’s as good as everybody else, which was never any doubt.” “Delighted that Derek has done well, but obviously not tomorrow night. We aim to hopefully put an end to that run. We have to be right at the top of our game; they’ll bring brilliant support. They’ve got a very good squad of players. Their bench is strong. We know that, but so are we.” “We’ve beaten Hearts already this season, went all the way to penalties, so it’ll be a close game, and since then, they’ve had a really good run of form. So it’s a tough game.” St Mirren v Heart of Midlothian The SMISA Stadium 7:45pm Wed 29 Oct 2025

October 28, 2025

Former St Mirren Chairman Stewart Gilmour Steps Down From SMISA Board

Stewart Gilmour thé former St Mirren Chairman has resigned from his position on the SMISA board citing the funding model as the key reason behind his decision. The former Buddies chairman who relinquished control of the club in 2015 has been a member of fan owned group board since 2022 as SMISA alongside Kibble took control of the club in 2021. Gilmour in a Facebook post said: “It is with deep regret I must announce that I have resigned from the SMISA Board, this is very much against my wishes, however the regulations attached to being a SMISA Director do not allow me to express my own opinion publicly. Therefore, I have done so within the confines of the Board and as such those objections are in the minutes.My decision concerns the great change in the SMISA Funding model that is about to take place should the Members approve the new Build the Buds policy going forward. “I should highlight there are many good things about the Build the Buds, however the capping of the Reserve Fund at ONLY £500,000 is something I must speak out about. “This was a figure voted on, by no doubt well-meaning individuals, most of whom have absolutely no experience of downsizing either a company or indeed a football club with a £5 million plus turnover. “This figure represents a mere 10 per cent of St Mirren Football Club’s annual turnover and does not even match ONE MONTH of our current outgoings. “The Club could, and in all probability will, face difficult decisions in future should our fortunes fade, and history bears out that they will. Dealing with this is a very difficult and costly operation to carry out. Employees do not just walk away; you cannot get out of contracts.” Gilmour has highlighted his concerns at the clubs ability to operate in the event the clubs recent high times come to an end and they find themselves in financial difficulty. The former Chairman has used Motherwell, another fan owned club, as an example as to why this funding model is the wrong direction for the SMISA board to go down. “You should be aware that another club of similar size, Motherwell FC have a fund of £1 million, by coincidence exactly the figure I believe should be our minimum at this point. And one that should be subject to review in five years. “There unfortunately is a belief among some sections of our support that we shall never hit hard times, possibly caused by relegation to the Championship. I assure you clubs of our size have their wonderful times, but unfortunately also times when it is tough. Very tough. I have been there. History tells us this happens to clubs of our size. “The Membership numbers of SMISA rose dramatically when we had the opportunity to buy the majority shares in the club, of which we are still the majority shareholder. “This was an investment made by around 1,200 supporters, many of us bought into this process with the view that the club was better in the hands of St Mirren people rather than overseas investors! “However, this football club we all love is an asset we must protect. We simply must! If we do not protect it with forward thinking and no short-termism, allowing for our experienced reality of Saints’ capacity and capabilities then we could lose it. “The proposed figure of £500,000 is far from what would be required in an emergency. It is simply not enough to ensure that we could ride out that initial hard period, should the worst, or perhaps the inevitable happen. “This would be a disaster for all the Members who have invested their hard-earned money into SMISA in the belief that SMISA would have a war chest able to cope.” Gilmour finished his statement by again hammering home his belief that the proposed cash reserve figure of £500,000 is nowhere near enough to sustain the club should a return to the Championship be played out. “To me this proposal is the equivalent of your house burning down and not having insurance: the Reserve Fund IS OUR INSURANCE, and it requires to be at a level that will ensure Saints can survive a problem cash period. “This argument for me comes from the heart (and the head). This is about our club always being here, it is about our Grandchildren following in our footsteps. “To succeed and survive you must have an adequate plan. I respectfully warn that this proposal in inadequate and should be reassessed. I do hope fellow Members will see that we do need a much larger reserve to protect our investment in St Mirren Football Club.”

October 17, 2025

Unrest In Glasgow Opens The Door For The Chasing Pack

Last weekend saw unrest amongst fans from both sides of Glasgow as Celtic and Rangers as protests were seen against Celtic’s hierarchy and Russell Martin and Patrick Stewart’s future at Ibrox. SNN Sports looks at which teams could capitalise on the Glasgow sides woes off the park. With Rangers making the worst start to a season since 1989 with 0 wins, 4 draws and a singular defeat there is discontent amongst the Rangers faithful. Coupled with a 6-0 hammering over in Belgium at the hands of Club Brugge time seems to be running out for the man in the Ibrox hot seat. Patrick Stewart who presided over the appointment of Martin has also come under heavy fire from the Rangers fans calling for him to follow Martin out the door should he be sacked. The Rangers fans protested outside Ibrox ahead of their 2-0 victory over Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup calling for Russell Martin and Patrick Stewart to leave. The game was also halted in the 11th minute as the Union Bears proceeded to throw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest at the clubs fortunes. On the other side of Glasgow a week on from a protest in which Celtic fans entered Rugby Park in the 12th minute the fans made their voices heard yet again as they called for the board to resign. Despite continued success on the park for nearly 20 years a summer transfer window which left a lot to be desired has been the final straw for a lot of the Celtic support Alongside an embarrassing Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty. The Celtic fans held aloft banners of members of the Celtic hierarchy including Peter Lowell and Michael Nicholson with their faces covered with a red cross indicating they should be removed from the Celtic boardroom as serious unrest grows within the Celtic support about the penny pinching tactics seen in the transfer market which has arguably left them weaker than when they went into the window. With both sides of Glasgow having issues of the park as well as on the park with Rangers struggling to capture any sort of form and Celtic performances looking slow and laboured SNN takes a look at which teams could benefit from the struggles of their Premiership counterparts Hearts- Fresh from the investment of Tony Bloom and the appointment of seasoned manager Derek McInnes the Tynecastle side look to be in the driving seat to upset the Glasgow two. Hearts have started the league campaign superbly as they sit unbeaten after 5 games and a singular goal separates themselves and Celtic. Fresh of the back of a 2-0 victory at Ibrox confidence is flowing within the Hearts team with new additions Claudio Braga, Stuart Findlay and Alexandros Kiziridis looking the part and the return to form of talisman Lawrence Shankland. With no European football on the agenda this season they will be fresh legged and suitably prepared to challenge the dominance that Glasgow has had over Scottish football for so long. Whilst still early on in the season Hearts look great going forward and defensively they are improving this could be the year they upset the applecart. St Mirren/Motherwell- A double barrel selection here in St Mirren and Motherwell this is more looking at the first trophy on offer in the Premier Sports Cup. St Mirren and Motherwell will battle it out for a place in the final alongside Celtic or Rangers. With the issues at both clubs clearly impacting matters on the park there has never been a better opportunity for a club outside the top two to win a domestic trophy. Motherwell have already shown they are more than a match for Rangers on the opening day whilst the Buddies have put in two very good displays against both sides this season with deflected efforts being their undoing. Both sides have made good starts to the season with good football on display and both sides carrying an attacking threat whilst also looking relatively comfortable defensively. Whichever of these teams progresses has a massive opportunity to lift silverware and take away the chance of a treble early on in the season Hibernian- It would be unwise to count out last seasons 3rd place side in David Gray’s Hibernian. Whilst they have made a slow start to the season perhaps impacted by European exploits there is no denying the quality the Leith side have. Kieron Bowie looks to have come into his own on his return from injury alongside new additions Josh Mulligan and Jamie McGrath.Whilst Hibs stalwart Martin Boyle continues to impress and light up the Easter Road pitch. The only worry for Hibs is they look very shaky defensively and have shipped a lot of goals so far this season. However they made a slow start last season and ended up going on a mazy unbeaten run to secure 3rd spot. It does look like it will be one of the Edinburgh sides challenging the Glasgow dominance. It remains to be seen whether the off-field issues are sorted but with the unrest and division amongst the supporters and the clubs this season is the perfect season for a club to come in and stop the dominance which has plauged Scottish football for so long. With so long left in the season there will be plenty of twists and turns but could the Glasgow sides grip on the game be untightened?

September 24, 2025

Saints Seal Shootout Glory to Dump Killie and Book Hampden Spot

Kilmarnock 2-2 St Mirren (3-5 On Penalties ) Deas (44) Anderson (Penalty 86) Mandron (25) Richardson (59) Penalty Scored: Anderson, Watkins, Thompson King, Idowu, Donnelly, Nlundulu, Dijksteel Penalty Missed : Magennis St Mirren repliacted their penalty heroics of the last round as they beat Kilmarnock 5-3 on penalties after a pulsating 2-2 draw to book a spot at Hampden for the Premier Sports Cup Semi-Final Stuart Kettlewell made one change to his starting eleven from last weekends gut wrenching final minute defeat to Celtic as former St Mirren midfielder Greg Kiltie came into midfield in place of Rory McKenzie. Former St Mirren captain Kyle Magennis made his return from injury settling for a place on the bench. Stephen Robinson made an enforced change as Richard King who came off the bench in St Mirren’s victory away to Falkirk replaced the injured Marcus Fraser. Liam Donnelly who switched Ayrshire for Paisley in, the summer made the bench on his return from injury. Jonah Ayunga looked to give St Mirren the early advantage 90 seconds in sending an effort into the side netting after a ball into the box from Killian Phillips. Right up the over end Greg Kiltie sent an effort into the hands of Shamal George as he looked to haunt his previous club. The frantic start to the game continued, Mandon sent a long-range effort close as a block sent it just past the post Just after the ten-minute mark impressive play down the right flank from Jayden Richardson who whipped a ball onto the end of Mikael Mandron who could only see his headed effort drift wide. Greg Kiltie came close to giving the home side the lead moments later, however his effort was just wide of the target as the game was back and forth with both teams trying to get the upper hand. Just after the twenty-minute mark Kilmarnock captain Robbie Deas sent a dominic thompsom deelivery wide after a foul from Jayden Richardson which landed the right-back into the book. Mikael Mandron sent the away fans into raptures just before the twenty-five-minute mark after he took down a long ball from Jayden Richardson flicking the ball over the head of Mayo before composing himself to slam the ball past the helpless Max Stryjek in the Kilmarnock goal. Kilmarnock looked to respond to going behind with Marcus Dackers holding the ball up well making himself a handful for the St Mirren defence , However a couple of crosses into the box were plucked out the air by Shamal George The first half looked to be petering out with a succession of St Mirren fouls before a Dominic Thompson free kick met the head of captain Robbie Deas who bulleted his headed effort past Shamal George who could only stand there as Kilmarnock drew level. The first chance of the second half came for the visitors in the fifty second minute after good play down the left-hand side the ball was played into Phillips whose effort was superbly tipped onto the croosbar by Max Stryjek. After limited chances in the second half the Buddies retook the lead just before the hour in spectacular fashion. A long throw from Keanu Baccus whose delivery was twice headed out before landing to Jayden Richardson outside the box who sent a volley firing towards the top corner. Straight from kick off buoyed by retaking the lead St Mirren came forward Jonah Ayunga seeing an effort tipped wide by Stryjek. Bruce Anderson looked to restore parity, but his effort was shepherded by Miguel Freckleton who deflected it wide for a corner. With twenty-five minutes left on the clock a Dominic Thompson free kick was deflected out for a corner, The home side appealed for a penalty which fell on deaf ears as David Dickinson stuck to his guns and with no VAR in operation there was no chance for a review. The game descended into a frantic pace as the game entered the final fifteen minutes with the game going from end to end to no avail for either side. St Mirren nearly had a third as Jonah Ayunga fired an effort into the grateful hands of Max Stryjek With five minutes left Kilmarock were awarded a penalty as Richard King brought down Marley Watkins. Bruce Anderson dispatched his penalty to perfection as he sent Shamal George the wrong way to pull Killie back level. Four minutes added on at the end of the ninety, however neither team could find the decisive breakthrough and into extra time the game headed. Despite Kilmarnock starting extra time the better side the first chance fell to the away side as Dijksteel and John linked up down the left-hand side with the latter firing an effort over the bar The rest of the first half of extra time passed without incident with neither team creating any chances with the ball largely being passed around as legs began to tired. The second half of extra time came and went as neither team threatened with the only thing happening was injuries to David Watson and Marcus Dackers as the game petered out to a shootout. Anderson, Watkins and Thompson all disptched their penalties for Kilmarnock, With King, Idowu, Donnelly, Nlundulu, Dijksteel all scoring for St Mirren. Shamal George as he did against Hearts in the previous round made himself the hero as he saved from former St Mirren captain Kyle Magennis to send the Buddies to Hampden sparking a pitch invasion from the Saints faithful. Kilmarnock: Stryjek 7 Brown 6 Mayo 6 Stanger 6 Deas 7 Thompson 8 Polworth Kiltie 7 Watson 7 Daniels 6 Dackers 6 Substitutes: Anderson 7 Watkins 7 Brannan 5 Magennis 5 Williams 5 St Mirren: George 7 Richardson 7 King 6 Gogic 6 Freckleton 6 John 7 Baccus 6 O’Hara 6 Phillips 7 Ayunga 6 Mandron 8 Substitutes: Donnelly 5 Dijksteel 5 Idowu 5 McMenamin 5 Nlundulu 5

September 20, 2025

SNN’s Scottish League Cup Quarter Final Preview

Kilmarnock v St Mirren The two sides open proceedings under the lights at BBSP Rugby Park. Killie arrive following a heartbreaking 2-1 league defeat against Champions Celtic, courtesy of a 96th-minute Kelechi Iheanacho penalty. After safely negotiating Group H, they bested Premiership rivals Dundee United in the 2nd Round. Brad Lyons was the hero, thanks to a 69th-minute volley. St Mirren registered their first league victory away at Falkirk last Saturday, currently sitting 4th in the Scottish Premiership. Despite losing their opening group match against Arbroath on penalties, they recovered to top Group D. Narrow victories over Forfar and Ayr, as well as a marauding 8-2 victory over Annan, secured passage. Shamal George was the hero in the 2nd round, saving Claudio Braga’s penalty to progress at the expense of Hearts. Stephen Robinson will have full focus on securing the Buddies’ first trip to Hampden for 5 seasons. Aberdeen v Motherwell Motherwell visit Pittodrie on Saturday afternoon, having drawn their opening five games in the Scottish Premiership. Jens Berthel Askou’s side have impressed with their free-flowing football, summer signings Elliot Watt, Elijah Just, and Lukas Fadinger invigorate the Fir Park midfield. Watt and Fadinger combined in the last round, the latter netted in the 109th minute to fire Askou’s boys into the quarters against relegated St Johnstone. 4 wins out of 4 in Group G. They aim for back-to-back League Cup semi-final appearances, after facing Rangers at Hampden 10 months ago. They face an Aberdeen side who currently sit at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. With three defeats, one draw, and zero goals scored, the cup game may present a welcome distraction for the Aberdeen faithful. After a 16-game unbeaten start last season, they were beaten 6-0 by Celtic in the League Cup semis. However, this was Thelin’s only domestic cup defeat after securing a famous Scottish Cup victory in May, Aberdeen’s first since 1990. They defeated Morton at Cappielow in the last round, a comfortable 3-0 victory. Rangers v Hibernian Russell Martin remains under serious pressure as Hibernian visit Ibrox on Saturday evening. Their only win in eight games came in the previous League Cup round, a 4-2 victory over 3rd tier Alloa Athletic. A Lawrence Shankland double last Saturday means Martin has failed to win any of his first five league games. The first Rangers manager since John Greig in 1978. He will look to lead Rangers to a second League Cup title in three years, after Philippe Clement’s side beat Aberdeen to the trophy in 2023. They meet David Gray’s Hibernian, who are unbeaten in their previous 3 games against Rangers. Their last trip to Ibrox ended in a 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Dylan Levitt and Martin Boyle. The Leith side have lost just 2 of 26 league matches after a turbulent start left them bottom in November. They beat Livingston 2-0 in the 2nd round. Goals from summer signings Thibault Klidje and Josh Mulligan secured the quarter-final showdown. Partick Thistle v Celtic Sunday afternoon sees the League Cup champions visit Partick Thistle. The Firhill side is the only non-Premiership team remaining in the competition. Goals from Dan O’Reilly and Tony Watt saw The Jags defeat Ayr United in the previous round, after 4 wins and 11 goals scored in Group B. Manager Mark Wilson spent 6 years at Celtic, making 98 appearances for the Glasgow giants. They have recovered well from an opening day drubbing at McDiarmid Park, currently sitting 3rd in the Scottish Championship. Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic are perched at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and defeated Premiership newbies Falkirk 4-1 in the last round. Despite their league position, unrest remains amongst the Celtic fanbase following a subdued transfer window and a Champions League qualifying exit. They have dominated the League Cup in recent years, winning 7 of the last 9 finals, including a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Rangers last December.

September 19, 2025

Reviewing Each Scottish Premiership Club’s Transfer Business

A summer of change across the Scottish Premiership with five new managers in the door across the division, a summer of wheeling and dealing ensued as clubs looked to shape their squads. We review the business of each club and unpack the winners and losers of the window. Aberdeen – 6/10 Fresh on the back of an impressive Scottish Cup win, Aberdeen’s main priority was to strengthen the side to be capable of competing on all four fronts, as they secured a place in European Football. Jimmy Thelin looked to the Scandinavian market, bringing in Krtjan Mar Kjartansson and Kenan Bilalovic. Alfie Dorrington returned for a season-long loan from Tottenham to bolster the backline, while Kusini Yengi was brought into the club for attacking options. Aberdeen’s window was heavily focused on the forward areas. They sold cup final hero Shayden Morris as well as the club’s talisman, Pape Gueye, which weakened the squad. Their deadline day was the most successful, bringing in Kevin Nisbet and exciting winger Jesper Karlsson. A mixed window for the Dons, as they have brought in a lot of youthful talent, while losing two key players. The addition of Karlsson saved their window from being lacklustre. Celtic – 3/10 Going into the summer as Champions, it was clear to see Celtic needed attacking reinforcements. Buoyed by the return of Kieran Tierney, it looked like it was going to be an exciting window for the Hoops. Nicolas Kuhn left the club to join Italian side Como, whilst fringe players Palma and Tillio departed alongside him to Poland and Austria. Having sold Kyogo Furahashi in January, a new striker was top of the shopping list; however, this failed to come to fruition. Benjamin Nygren, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Toukneti look to have bolstered Celtic out wide; however, their lack of a number nine is an issue. Callum Osmand and Shin Yamada look to be project players, whilst Adam Idah has been sold to Swansea. Kelechi Iheanacho has since been brought in; however, this is outside the window, so it doesn’t count towards their rating. All in all, a poor window for Celtic, where they leave it weaker than when they entered. Dundee – 5/10 Tony Docherty replaced by Steven Pressley as a summer of change engulfed the Dens Park Side. Losing key players Josh Mulligan, Lyall Cameron and Mo Sylla, it was an important first window for Pressley. Yan Dhanda is their signing of the summer as he looks to rediscover his Ross County form. Paul Digby and Drey Wright look to be a good bit of business. However, it has been a summer of unknown at Dundee. There are a lot of question marks over their signings, with youthful players sprinkled in alongside experienced ones. Dundee United – 6/10 European Football secured Jim Goodwin set off to strengthen his squad for the European qualifiers, having lost a large number of players. It was an interesting window from the Tanadice side, with a lot of unknowns from across Europe joining the club. Zac Sapsford and Ivan Dolcek look to be the finds for the club, looking very impressive early on. The return of Liverpool loanee Luca Stephenson also boosted Jim Goodwin. There are many unknowns surrounding Dundee United’s transfer window, including the signings of Lucie Lovu, Bert Esselink, and Dario Naamo, to name a few. The Tangerines have expanded their presence in the European market by bringing in ten players from across the continent. The only issue with Jim Goodwin’s business is the number of loans, as they are in key areas of the pitch, although some do have the option to buy. Falkirk – 4/10 Falkirk, after a long hiatus, returned to the top flight of Scottish football. Their window, however, does not exactly scream we are here to stay. Scott Bain was the marquee signing joining from Celtic following the expiry of his contract. Brian Graham was also brought in; his experience is sure to help the Bairns. Four loan deals Falkirk look set to repay the faith to the players who helped them reach the Premiership. However, it’s been a poor window in which they haven’t strengthened enough to maintain Premiership status. Hearts – 8/10 Fresh from the investment of Tony Bloom and the addition of Jamestown Analytics, Hearts have had one of the best windows in the league. Alexandros Kyziridis and Claudio Braga have added an exciting option on the wing, with the latter enjoying a great start to life at Tyencastle. Elton Kabangu made his move permanent after spending the latter end of last season on loan. Whilst the club shelled out a club record fee to bring in exciting young midfielder Ageu from Portuguese side Santa Clara. Stuart Findlay was brought in as a favourite of Derek McInnes to tighten up the backline. Hearts also made a healthy profit from the sale of James Penrice, a man they paid nothing for the previous summer. It has been an exciting window for Hearts, the only downside being that their squad does look slightly bulky, as they have failed to ship out some of the deadwood. The likes of Kenneth Vargas remain at the club despite not being in the plans. Hibernian – 9/10 Hibs, for me, have had the best summer in the Scottish Premiership. Jamie McGrath and Josh Mulligan joined the Leith side on free transfers following the expiration of their contracts elsewhere. The Easter Road side also shelled out a reported one million pounds for striker Thiabult Klidje. Grant Hanley, a seasoned professional, made the move to Scotland after spending the majority of his career in the south. He adds stability to the backline, which, at times last season, looked shaky. Going out the door was Dylan Vente, who left the club after failing to impress in his time in the capital. Whilst Moriah-Welsh and Ekpiteta left to join clubs down south. Excellent business from the Leith side, as their new signings have fitted in seamlessly, and they look to have really strengthened their side

September 3, 2025

St Mirren