SPFL Confirm 1 August Restart and Announce Premiership Fixtures

The SPFL have announced a full provisional list of Scottish Premiership fixtures, with Celtic kicking off their title defence at home to Hamilton.

The season is due to start on an earlier date of Saturday 1 August - pending government approval - with Rangers' televised trip north to Aberdeen rounding out four opening day fixtures.

Celtic host Hamilton in Sunday's only game, while Ross County face Motherwell on Monday evening.

Fixtures will be played behind closed doors until further notice, but the first Old Firm derby of the season is not pencilled in until 17 October - conveniently allowing maximum time for a return of crowds at sporting events in Scotland.

17 October is the same date that lower league football is due to return, with Championship, League 1 and League 2 clubs all signing off on a shorter 27-game season to minimise the risk of a stretch of games with no gate income.

The SPFL was curtailed in full in April, as clubs almost unanimously voted in favour of a premature finish in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. But that decision wasn't without its controversy, as Hearts and Partick Thistle have led court proceedings against the SPFL - seeking substantial compensation for their respective premature relegations.

SPFL clubs decisively voted down the opportunity to restructure the divisions in order to prevent relegations while still allowing promotion. A switch from four leagues to three was proposed, with three divisions of 14 to take the place of the current 12-10-10-10 structure, but there was little support for such a change in club boardrooms.

Hearts still hold out some hope of their relegation being dramatically overturned, but with the fixtures now announced without them, they may have to bite the bullet and accept their Championship status.

Newly promoted Dundee United, who take Hearts' place in the division, kick off their season against rivals St Johnstone, while Hibernian host Kilmarnock on the opening day.

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