Summary

  • FT: Motherwell 0-0 Ross County

  • Robinson shoots wide, Ebiye and Wilson denied by good Laidlaw saves

  • Free-kick from Hale tipped away by Oxborough

  • FT: Hearts 0-0 Rangers

  • Dessers header hits crossbar and post, Clark saves well from Lawrence

  • Good save from Butland to deny Penrice, Dhanda shot off the crossbar

  1. Postpublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 3 August

    On the eve of the new Premiership season, it was announced Philippe Clement had signed a new Rangers contract.

    A bit of a surprise, it must be said.

    The Belgian has given his pre-match view to us, quotes incoming...

  2. Pick of the statspublished at 12:07 British Summer Time 3 August

    Hearts v Rangers (12:30)

    Hearts v Rangers stats
    • This will be the seventh time Hearts have faced Rangers in the opening game of a league season; Hearts are unbeaten in the last three such occasions (W2 D1), most recently winning 2-1 to start the 2014-15 Championship campaign.
    • Rangers are unbeaten in 15 meetings with Hearts in all competitions (W12 D3) since suffering back-to-back defeats to them in January/February 2020 under Steven Gerrard.
    • Hearts have won on matchday one in each of the last three Scottish Premiership seasons, last failing to win their league opener in the top flight in 2019-20, when they were ultimately relegated (lost 2-3 to Aberdeen).
    • Rangers lost 0-1 to Kilmarnock on the opening day of last season’s Scottish Premiership. The Gers haven’t lost on matchday one in successive league seasons since 1977-78/1978-79.
    • Hearts didn’t lose any of their last 11 home league games of 2023-24 (W7 D4). Since the Scottish Premiership began in 2013, only from November 2017 to April 2018 (12) have they had a longer such unbeaten run in the division.
    • The last side to beat Hearts at Tynecastle in the competition, though, were Rangers in December 2023 (0-1).
  3. Impossible to call Championship?published at 12:06 British Summer Time 3 August

    Scottish Championship

    Alasdair Lamont
    BBC Sport Scotland

    Scottish Championship trophyImage source, SNS

    Any preview of Scottish football’s second tier has to be heavily caveated.

    This season, perhaps even more than any other in recent history, it is well-nigh impossible to predict who will go up as champions, who will be challenging for promotion and who will be struggling to avoid relegation.

    As ever, every team is capable of beating the rest and will be quietly optimistic that this can be their year.

    It promises to be another fascinating campaign.

    Click here to read Al's second-tier preview.

    Scottish Championship's opening day fixtures
    Image caption,

    Scottish Championship's opening Saturday fixtures

  4. Falkirk win on Championship returnpublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 3 August

    Scottish Championship

    Of course, of course, it isn't all about the top flight.

    The Scottish Championship season got off to an absolute flyer last night as newcomers Falkirk downed Queen's Park in a belting game.

    We need to talk about that Dom Thomas goal. Ooft, special.

    It wasn't enough to get a result for Queen's, but it will take an absolute worldie to better that this season.

    See it on the highlights by clicking play below.

  5. Postpublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 3 August

    From the Rangers team that started the first game of their 2020-21 Premiership-winning season, captain James Tavernier is now the only survivor.

    There's no doubt about it now, this is a new cycle at Ibrox.

  6. Barron starts but no Propper in Rangers squadpublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 3 August

    Hearts v Rangers (12:30)

    Connor BarronImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Connor Barron makes his Rangers debut in midfield

    Meanwhile, there's just one new face in the Rangers team.

    It's a face that's familiar to Scottish football, though, as Connor Barron starts in midfield alongside Mohamed Diomande.

    Oscar Cortes, who extended his loan in the summer, plays his first competitive minutes since February on the wing.

    Robin Propper is nowhere to be seen, but fellow summer signings Liam Kelly, Vaclav Cerny and Jefte are on the bench.

  7. Postpublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 3 August

    A club announcing a signing eight minutes before revealing their starting line-up.

    And that very guy ends up being on the bench.

    We're so back. So, so back.

  8. Trio make Hearts debutspublished at 11:53 British Summer Time 3 August

    Hearts v Rangers (12:30)

    There are three debuts in the Hearts team as full-backs Gerald Taylor and James Penrice, plus midfielder Yan Dhana, all start.

    Fellow new recruits Daniel Oyegoke and Blair Spittal are on the bench, as is Malachi Boateng - his arrival was only announced an hour ago!

    Rangers-linked Lawrence Shankland leads the line in attack.

    Yan DhandaImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Yan Dhanda starts in attacking midfield for Hearts

  9. LINE-UPS from Tynecastlepublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 3 August

    Hearts v Rangers (12:30)

    Hearts: Clark, Taylor, Kent, Rowles, Penrice, Devlin, Grant, Vargas, Dhanda, McKay, Shankland.

    Substitutes: Gordon, Kingsley, Halkett, Oyegoke, Oda, Spittal, Forrest, Boateng, Boyce.

    Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Davies, Yilmaz, Barron, Diomande, Lawrence, Wright, Cortes, Dessers.

    Substitutes: Kelly, Matondo, Cerny, Dowell, Jefte, Balogun, King, McKinnon, Danilo.

  10. Postpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 3 August

    Must admit, when Scotland got chased out of the Euros *shudders* I was ready for a loooong break from the fitbaw.

    But after a few League Cup group games, bonus-point penalty shootouts, stadium relocations, random signings and tedious pre-season fan debate - fling the real stuff at me.

    The 2024-25 Premiership madness kicks off at Tynecastle - Hearts v Rangers.

    Lovely stuff.

  11. Postpublished at 11:45 British Summer Time 3 August

    TynecastleImage source, SNS
    SPFL ballsImage source, SNS

    *breathes in*

    *breathes out*

    Here we go again.