Scottish football is back with a sizzle - with extra heat on four clubs

Mid-July now means one thing in the calendar: the start of the League Cup - or Premier Sports Cup, as it is known these days. The group stages commenced on Friday night in a small corner of the capital as Edinburgh City welcomed Partick Thistle to Meadowbank, with a further 15 ties taking place across Saturday.

Seven Premiership clubs kick their first competitive ball in anger - four of which have new head coaches or managers. Particularly scrutiny will be on Hearts’ Derek McInnes, Dundee’s Steven Pressley, Stuart Kettlewell at Kilmarnock and Jens Berthel Askou at Motherwell.

There is intrigue and excitement aplenty at Tynecastle, where McInnes has been tasked with spearheading a Hearts revival. The Jambos did not have to bother with the Premier Sports Cup group stages last season but due to finishing seventh in an underwhelming 2024/25 Premiership campaign, they missed out on European qualification and exemption from this stage of the competition.

Hearts are in Group E alongside Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Accies, Dumbarton and Stirling Albion. They kick off their campaign on Saturday evening at home to the Pars, live on Premier Sports. McInnes is eagerly anticipating taking his bow in front of the home support, appointed at the end of last season.

"I'm looking forward to it,” said McInnes. “It’s something I've pictured and thought about a lot. Saturday's about the game and the players winning but I am looking forward to it. It's a bit unusual, waiting this long to actually take charge of your first game proper but nonetheless I think it's been worth the wait. Hopefully we can get a winning performance and remember it for the right reasons."

Hearts have been very active in transfer window

Assisted by new investor Tony Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics, Hearts have been particularly active in the transfer window. Fans should get a first glimpse of centre-half Stuart Findlay, right-back Christian Borchgrevnik, midfielder Oisin McEntee, winger Alexandros Kyziridis and forward Claudio Braga. Their talisman and captain Lawrence Shankland is also back after scoring 68 goals in the past three seasons.

Dunfermline are likely to be the biggest impediment to progress to the last 16. Under the tutelage of Neil Lennon, hopes are high at East End Park that the former Celtic and Hibs boss can navigate them through an ultra-competitive Championship. McInnes knows Lennon well - only ten days separates the 54-year-olds in the age stakes. They’ve come up against each other often enough.

"I class Neil as a friend and somebody I've got such a high regard for,” said McInnes. “He’s one of the most successful managers in our country. He talks so much sense and I think it's a brilliant appointment for Dunfermline. I don't think they could get anybody better.

“When I spoke to him he was really enthused and excited about what Dunfermline can bring him as much as what he can bring to Dunfermline. If he gets the support that he said he would, then I'm pretty sure that Dunfermline will only go one way under Neil."

While McInnes has been largely welcomed by the Hearts faithful, there was an element of disgruntlement in Dundee when Steven Pressley was appointed as Tony Docherty’s successor. He too will get the chance to meet home fans for the first time on Saturday when Dundee host Airdrieonians at Dens Park in Group C, where Alloa Athletic, Bonnyrigg Rose and Montrose are the other teams in the section.

Kettlewell’s Kilmarnock appointment after McInnes’ flit to Hearts also raised eyebrows. His controversial departure from Motherwell last season, where he cited fans abuse as one of the main reasons for his exit, was one of the more intriguing storylines of the campaign. Kettlewell did good work with meagre resources at Fir Park and after three wins and one defeat in pre-season, he is optimistic of what lies ahead.

Kettlewell gets Kilmarnock buy-in

“The buy-in from the players so far has been great and I’d probably be sitting here worrying if you don’t see that buy-in and that real desire to act out what you’re asking of them,” said Kettlewell. “But to a man the players have been fantastic that way.”

Killie are in Group H with Brora Rangers, East Fife, Kelty Hearts and fellow Premiership side Livingston, who were promoted via the play-offs at Ross County’s expense. Kettlewell’s first journey is a long one: his men are up at Dudgeon Park to face Highland League champions Brora Rangers.

For Motherwell, the appointment of Askou is the one with most unknowns. The Dane takes over from another foreigner in Michael Wimmer, after the German’s short tenure was ended by a need to be a closer to his family. It did not deter the Fir Park hierarchy, who looked abroad once more. A trip to New Douglas Park to face Clyde is Askou’s first taste of Scottish football. Further tests against Morton, Peterhead and Stenhousemuir await in Group G.

St Mirren can feel most aggrieved about being at this juncture of the tournament given how close they were to European football at the end of last season. The Buddies are in Group D along with Annan, Arbroath, Ayr and Forfar and start their campaign at Gayfield.

Falkirk are the other top-flight side in action and last season’s Championship winners head to Glebe Park to face Brechin City. They are in Group A and also face Cove Rangers, Queen’s Park and Spartans.

Relegated on the final day of last season, Ross County return with a long, long trip to Stranraer in a Group B that also contains Edinburgh City, Partick Thistle and Queen of the South, while St Johnstone are the headline act in Group F with East Kilbride, Elgin City, Inverness and Raith Rovers.

The top teams in each section advance to the last 16 after four group matches, with the three best runners-up joining Scotland’s European representatives Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Dundee United and Aberdeen in next month’s knock-out phase.

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