Premier Sports Cup

Premier Sports Cup format 2024/25

Format
The group stage involves 40 clubs - the 37 SPFL clubs from 2023/24 who did not qualify for Europe plus Buckie Thistle (Highland League champions), Brechin City (Highland League runners-up) and East Kilbride (Lowland League champions).

Teams are drawn into eight groups of five based on final league positions. As was the case for the past two seasons, there is no regionalisation in the group stage.

Group matches
Clubs are awarded the usual three points for a win but all drawn games in the group stage go straight to penalties - the shoot-out winners receive a bonus point. ie three points for a win, two points for a shoot-out win and one point for losing on penalties.

If clubs are level on points at the end of the group stage, the criteria for separating them is 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) head-to-head record, 7) drawing of lots.

Knock-out rounds
The eight group winners and three best runners-up progress to the second round, where they are joined by the five clubs competing in European competitions - Celtic, Rangers, Heart of Midlothian, Kilmarnock and St Mirren.

The seeded teams in the last 16 will be the five European representatives and the three group winners with the best records.

The tournament reverts to a traditional knock-out format from the second round onwards, with ties decided by extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

Premier Sports Cup dates 2024/25

Group stage
MD1: Weekend of July 13/14
MD2: Midweek of July 16/17
MD3: Weekend of July 20/21
MD4: Midweek of July 23/24
MD5: Weekend of July 27/28

Second round
Weekend of August 17/18

Quarter-finals
Weekend of September 21/22

Semi-finals
Weekend of November 2/3

Final
Sunday December 15

Results

Premier Sports Cup

Sunday 15th December 2024

Premier Sports Cup

Sunday 3rd November 2024

Premier Sports Cup

Saturday 2nd November 2024

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Fixtures

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League Tables

Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Celtic 23 53 60
2 Rangers 23 26 47
3 Dundee United 23 7 37
4 Aberdeen 23 -1 35
5 Motherwell 23 -9 31
6 Hibernian 23 -2 29
7 Dundee 23 -4 27
8 St. Mirren 23 -11 27
9 Kilmarnock 23 -12 25
10 Ross County 23 -19 25
11 Heart of Midlothian 23 -6 24
12 St. Johnstone 23 -22 15

Updated at 18/01/2025 at 12:27

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Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Falkirk 20 20 43
2 Ayr United 21 17 41
3 Livingston 21 11 39
4 Partick Thistle 21 7 35
5 Queen's Park 21 1 29
6 Raith Rovers 19 -7 24
7 Greenock Morton 19 -5 23
8 Hamilton Academical 19 -7 21
9 Dunfermline Athletic 21 -7 19
10 Airdrieonians 20 -30 6

Updated at 15/01/2025 at 13:22

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Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Arbroath 20 8 34
2 Stenhousemuir 21 9 32
3 Kelty Hearts 21 9 31
4 Alloa Athletic 21 4 29
5 Cove Rangers 20 5 28
6 Queen of the South 20 -4 26
7 Montrose 20 -2 24
8 Annan Athletic 21 -19 20
9 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 20 2 16
10 Dumbarton 20 -12 7

Updated at 18/01/2025 at 16:55

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Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 East Fife 21 25 42
2 Peterhead 21 9 40
3 Elgin City 19 7 33
4 Edinburgh City 21 3 31
5 Stirling Albion 20 -8 24
6 The Spartans 17 -2 22
7 Clyde 21 -10 22
8 Bonnyrigg Rose 18 -7 18
9 Stranraer 19 -7 18
10 Forfar Athletic 19 -10 15

Updated at 18/01/2025 at 16:54

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