Viaplay Cup: Tough draws for Dundee clubs and Kilmarnock as Fife clubs meet on day one
- Published
Celtic have won seven of the past nine editions of the League Cup
Fife rivals Raith Rovers and Dunfermline will meet on the opening day of fixtures in the Viaplay Cup first-round group stage.
The match at Stark's Park has a later kick-off, 17:15 BST, with the day's other fixtures at 15:00.
Prize money and television income for the competition will total around £3m, with £380,000 going to the winner.
Relegated Dundee United meet Premiership play-off runners-up Partick Thistle on 18 July (19:45).
Promoted Dundee will take on Scottish Cup finalists Inverness Caledonian Thistle (30 July).
St Johnstone, tournament winners in 2021, will host Ayr United (25 July), while St Mirren will be out for revenge against Arbroath, who beat them at the same stage last season. They meet in Paisley on 22 July.
Cowdenbeath, who were invited to take part despite finishing 15th in the Lowland League, are also in Group H with St Mirren.
The 40 participating clubs are split into eight groups of five. The eight group winners and three best runners-up will join European entrants Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian in the last 16 of the competition.
Celtic are the holders and have won seven of the past nine editions of the competition.
Group A: St Johnstone, Ayr United, Alloa Athletic, Stirling Albion, Stenhousemuir
Group B: Dundee United, Partick Thistle, Falkirk, Peterhead, Spartans
Group C: Livingston, Hamilton Academical, Cove Rangers, Clyde, Brechin City
Group D: Ross County, Morton, FC Edinburgh, Kelty Hearts, Stranraer
Group E: Dundee, Inverness CT, Airdrieonians, Dumbarton, Bonnyrigg Rose
Group F: Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers, Dunfermline Athletic, Annan Athletic, Albion Rovers
Group G: Motherwell, Queen's Park, Queen of the South, East Fife, Elgin City
Group H: St Mirren, Arbroath, Montrose, Forfar Athletic, Cowdenbeath
