• Celtic finished 1st in last season’s cinch Premiership to secure their 52nd Scottish top-flight title. The Hoops ended up 4 points clear of Rangers to ensure that Ange Postecoglou won the title in his 1st season in charge.
• Kelty Hearts will be participating in cinch League 1 this season for the 1st time in the club’s history. Kelty joined the East of Scotland League for the 2018/19 season, and since then they have gained three consecutive promotions to climb into the third tier of the Scottish football pyramid. Kelty will be in the same league as Fife rivals Dunfermline Athletic this season – the sides will meet at a national level for the 1st ever time on 20th August.
• Annan Athletic became the 1st cinch League 2 side ever to progress from the Premier Sports Cup group stage and will be hoping to follow that up with a challenge for the league title. Annan are competing in cinch League 2 for the 15th consecutive season after being elected to the SFL in 2008. They have been knocking on the door of their 1st ever promotion, having reached the play-offs on 5 occasions, including narrowly losing last season’s final to FC Edinburgh.
• Dumbarton will be competing in cinch League 2 for the 1st time in 13 years following their relegation via the play-offs last season. The Sons finished in 1st place in the division in 2008/09 under Jim Chapman and will be hoping to repeat that feat this time around.
• Ianis Hagi scored the 1st goal of the 2021/22 SPFL season, netting the opening goal in Rangers’ 3-0 victory over Livingston at Ibrox. The Light Blues also provided the opening scorer in the 2020/21 season, with Ryan Kent scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie. It could be three in a row this time around, with the Gers taking on Livingston in the opening game of the 2022/23 campaign.
