Russell Martin blows his top after a lacklustre showing, Luke McCowan spares blunt Celtic with late heroics, and Derek McInnes’ Jambos breezed into pole position for title challenge. Kieron Bowie was the Starman at Den’s Park, and it was a level start on opening day for promoted sides.
We’re back! Here’s our round-up of the big talking points from Matchday 1 in the 2025/26 SPFL season.
Martin Fires Warning Shot
The post-match talk to the press is rarely more explosive than the game. Yet the new man in the dugout, Russell Martin, let rip in his Sky Sports interview after their opening SPFL game at Fir Park, criticising the mentality of his squad. He accused some of his Teddy Bears of ‘reverting to type’ and needing to ‘drop their egos’.
An impressive second-half performance from Motherwell saw Emmanuel Longelo’s powerful strike cancel out James Tavernier’s first-half header in the 1-1 draw. The Lanarkshire side could have won, too, with Jack Butland denying Tom Sparrow, who scored their winner at Ibrox in March, in the game’s dying moments.
Martin admitted that his ex-Norwich teammate’s side, Jens Berthel Askou, who joined Motherwell in the summer as Head Coach, was ‘braver’ and more ‘aggressive’ than his side and was lucky to get a point. Their supporters booed off the Glasgow side at full-time, echoing déjà vu from last season.
The Brighton man, who played for Rangers on loan in 2018, delivered similar criticism in context to Barry Ferguson’s comments last season. Although Martin said it was ‘not an attack on anyone personally’ ahead of tonight’s Champions League qualifier against Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox, he will need to be careful not to alienate his squad.
They overcame Panathinaikos over two legs in the previous round of European qualifiers. However, the less-than-convincing performances and players playing out of position have baffled supporters. He said some players must ‘drop their ego’, but perhaps he should be the one to compromise on his tactics and do so willingly if he wants to succeed in Glasgow.
He told Sky Sports: “We need to work out who really wants to be all in and who doesn’t.” Martin has been busy in the transfer window, with the recent arrival of Finnish international Oliver Antman, who arrives from Go Ahead Eagles in a £4m deal, pushing the total to nine signings. The gaffer will hope Antman doesn’t shrink under pressure but grows into a giant in attack.
Loyal servant and club captain James Tavernier, who has been at the club for ten years, has been an ever-present in this so-called egotistical environment. Still, question marks remain about his ability to instil a positive culture. Maybe Martin, Tavernier, fresh faces, and player exits can finally push the club in a new direction.
Rodgers Needs Firepower After McCowan Bailout
Luke McCowan saved Celtic’s blushes with a deflected strike in the last ten minutes of the game against a stubborn St Mirren side at Celtic Park. It was hard to say what was less surprising: Stephen Robinson’s men, unbeaten in last season’s top-six split and fresh off a third consecutive top-half finish, proving they are no pushovers, or McCowan coming off the bench and positively changing the game for the Hoops.
The Bhoys started with a party. A rousing rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone rang out, Kris Boyd pleading for Scott Brown to keep talking on Sky Sports so he doesn’t have to hear it. Lisbon Lion John Clark, who passed away in the summer, had a tifo unveiled in his memory. And the club welcomed back 90s legend Paul McStay before he unfurled the league champions’ flag at Celtic Park. Unfortunately, that’s where the shindig faded.
The home side struck the woodwork four times and saw a Callum McGregor second-half strike correctly ruled out for handball. It wasn’t until McCowan’s 12-minute cameo that the game came to life. The 27-year-old brought energy and the decisive flourish that Benjamin Nygren and the front three of Yang, Adam Idah, and Daezen Maeda lacked. He had a similar role last year, coming on as a substitute 17 times for Celtic in the league, scoring six goals and assisting seven times for his boyhood club.
The narrow 1–0 win means the reigning champions have now won their opening league fixture in 17 of the last 18 seasons. It has been a successful period for the club, but Brendan Rodgers will only continue at Celtic beyond his contract, which expires at the end of the season, if the club continues to develop on and off the park.
Rodgers wants attacking reinforcements, but Yang is less than convincing. James Forrest is ageing, and the injured Jota is not expected to return until the new year. Adam Idah continues to blow cold, and Jonjoe Kenny and new signing Shin Yamada are both untested in the league. On BBC’s Sportscene, ex-Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew says the club needs two wingers and a striker, which is a fair assessment based on the manager’s recent comments.
Hearts Weather the Wind and Bloom into Title Contenders
The Jambos were back in league action after cruising in their League Cup campaign the past few weeks. Even Storm Floris caused chaos across Edinburgh, with Fringe shows cancelled, train services halted, and even the Military Tattoo called off. Still, it couldn’t disrupt Derek McInnes’ men with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen.
They had no sympathy for the 650 Aberdeen fans attempting the journey south, or for Dons’ captain Graeme Shinnie, who put the ball into the back of his net in the early stages of the game from a Harry Milne cross. Jambos’ summer signing Stuart Findlay finished the scoring with a brave header past an onrushing Dimitar Mitov. Lawrence Shankland thought he had doubled their advantage in the first half with a wonder strike, which was disallowed for offside in the build-up.
Managing his first league game for Hearts against a former club, Derek McInnes told Sky Sports afterwards that “we gave everything.” They will undoubtedly need to give everything to match new shareholder Tony Bloom’s lofty ambitions, who owns Brighton south of the border. Earlier in the week, in his first foray with Scottish journalists, he boldly declared that they could crack the Glasgow dominance by finishing in the top two this season and challenge for the title in the next ten.
Bloom attended the game, sitting in the main stand, and his dream started excellently. The fans chanted his name, the players did their part, and now he’ll hope the joy endures, with no room for nightmares on the horizon.
Hibs Find Their Starman as Pressley’s Dundee Left Grounded
Kieron Bowie, originally from Kirkcaldy, isn’t the first Bowie to live and play in Edinburgh. The more famous David Bowie lived on Drummond Street in the early 1970s, where he perfected his makeup craft and persona. But Kieron was the Starman on Saturday, as his first-half double in three minutes gave the Edinburgh side the advantage. Finlay Robertson for Dundee quickly got one back, but David Gray’s men were the Heroes on the day, seeing out the second half comfortably.
The Fife man will look to carry over his end-of-season form — five goals in 15 league games after returning from a hamstring injury — form that earned him a Scotland debut in June against Liechtenstein. A true Diamond Dog, he’s battled through that setback and now looks ready to perform.
Steven Pressley, Dundee’s under-pressure manager, already feels like a Space Oddity in the dugout after an uninspiring appointment in the summer to replace Tony Docherty. Following a disastrous Premier Sports Cup group-stage exit, including defeats to lower-league sides Airdrie and Alloa, it’s no wonder it’s beginning to feel like Life On Mars for the former Scotland defender. He made several Changes to his side for the opening league match, including handing four summer signings a start, but it made little difference. Captain and goalscorer Simon Murray was a significant loss after missing out through injury.
Hibs boss Gray made just one change to his team from Thursday. The team suffered a brutal extra-time defeat by Midtjylland in the Europa League qualifiers. The Danish side scored an outside-the-box screamer and a deadly overhead kick. This Thursday, they have another European testing fixture against Partizan Belgrade in the Conference League. Gray will hope Bowie continues to be their very own, Ziggy Stardust.
No Opening Day Defeats for Promoted Sides
This marks the first time since the 2021/22 season — when Hearts and Dundee were promoted — that two Championship sides entered the top flight together. Coincidentally, neither promoted side lost their opening fixture that season, and the same was true this weekend: Falkirk and Livingston earned 2–2 draws against Dundee United and Kilmarnock, respectively.
At Falkirk Stadium, John McGlynn’s men were pegged back twice by the Tangerines, with Max Watters and Ivan Dolček with the away goals, and Dylan Tait and Ethan Ross with the goals for the Bairns. McGlynn will need to continue seeing the same fight in their response for the remainder of the season.
As for Livingston, they were two goals down in the first half after a late push from Killie before half-time. Stuart Kettlewell, the new manager at Rugby Park, would have been the happier of the two managers for his team talk. Djenairo Daniels and David Watson scored the goals for the East Ayrshire side.
Yet, come the end of the tie, David Martindale’s men capitalised on the home side’s mistakes after George Stanger clumsily tugged back Robbie Muirhead in the box as the last man, giving the referee no choice but to show him red. Muirhead converted, and midfielder Scott Pittman scored minutes from time to provide Livi with a share of the spoils.
