SPFL fixtures 2024-25: Release date and time, four clubs who will start at home, is there a winter break?

Scotland may be out of the Euros, but fear not, for the countdown to the new Scottish Professional Football League season is about to get underway with the eagerly-anticipated release of the fixtures for the 2024-25 campaign.

All 42 clubs across the four SPFL divisions – Premiership, Championship, League 1 and League 2 – will find out who they will face on the opening weekend, when their key derby dates are and where their hardest fixtures fall when the match lists are announced later this week.

Last season’s four league champions – Celtic, Dundee United, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir – would expect to start at home as they unfurl their respective championship flags in front of their own supporters. For the others, it will be a case of waiting to find out whether they kick-off at home or on the road.

The SPFL has unveiled a new official match ball ahead of the 2024-25 season. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

When are the SPFL fixtures released?

The SPFL will release the fixtures for the 2024-25 season in the Scottish Premiership, Championship, League 1 and League 2 at 9am on Thursday, June 27, 2024. The new campaign begins on the weekend of August 3 and 4.

How are the SPFL fixtures compiled?

For the past eight seasons the SPFL have used GotSoccer, an American company which has worked with a number of European leagues. GotSoccer “produces bespoke software and services for the administration of professional, amateur and grass roots sports”. The SPFL provides the organisation with a ‘fixture recipe’ which is then fed into optimisation software to produce different versions. A decision is then made on which version is most suitable.

Is there a winter break in the Scottish Premiership?

No. The expanded European schedule has put paid to the Scottish Premiership winter break next season. A rise in UEFA league matchdays from six to 10 has created an increased challenge for the SPFL to fit in the 38 top-flight fixture dates. The league phase of the Champions and Europa League will now run until the end of January, as opposed to finishing before Christmas. SPFL chief operating officer Calum Beattie said: “It is fair to say that the additional slots required for the UEFA club competitions next season have made scheduling more challenging than usual. In particular, there is very limited flexibility within the Premiership fixture calendar, and we are therefore unable to accommodate a scheduled winter break.”

What else can we expect?

Kilmarnock and St Mirren will likely start their campaigns on Sunday, August 4 due to their respective European commitments, with Killie travelling to Belgium for a Europa League second qualifying round second leg tie against Cercle Brugge on Thursday, August 1 and St Mirren hosting either Valur of Iceland or FK Vllaznia Shkoder of Albania in the Conference League second qualifying round second leg on the same night.

Other key dates

The Scottish Premiership will split following matchday 33 on the weekend of April 12 and 13, 2025 with the season concluding on the weekend of May 17 and 18. Clubs in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 will finish on the first weekend in May before the play-offs get under way. The Viaplay Cup group stages take place before the league campaign gets underway with the first round of matches taking place on Saturday, July 13, 2024. The full group-stage fixture list is available on the SPFL website.