SPFL announce fixtures for the 2018/19 Scottish football season

Steven Gerrard will start his league career as Rangers manager with a trip to Aberdeen on the first weekend of the 2018/19 Ladbrokes Premiership season.

The Light Blues will face the runners-up in each of the past four seasons at Pittodrie on the Sunday afternoon. It is the only top flight game selected for TV coverage thus far as the Sky Sports cameras will be in attendance.

Champions Celtic, meanwhile, begin their season with a match against newly-promoted Livingston at Parkhead.

The first Old Firm clash is scheduled to take place on 1 September with Celtic hosting Rangers, though this game could be moved once the televised games for the opening couple of months have all been decided.

The pair will meet again on 29 December and a final time before the split on 30 March.

Hearts host Hibs in the first Edinburgh derby of the campaign, though it won’t be until round 11 that Neil Lennon’s side visit Craig Levein’s men on Halloween night. They’ll also meet again on 29 December, this time at Easter Road, before squaring off again at Tynecastle on the final weekend before the split.

There will be no New Year game this year with the final fixtures before the winter break taking place on Saturday 29 December.

The players will then have three and a half weeks off before returning to league duty on Wednesday 23 January.

In the Championship, freshly relegated Partick Thistle start life in the second tier with an away match against League One champions Ayr United.

Ross County, similarly, will face off against a newly promoted side as Alloa make the long journey to Dingwall, while Dundee United against Dunfermline is arguably the most eye-catching fixture of the first weekend in the lower leagues.

Dropping down further, Stranraer host League One favourites Raith Rovers in the third tier’s first round of games, while in League Two Peterhead will look to quickly get over the disappointment of missing out on promotion as they host Queen’s Park.

OPENING WEEKEND FIXTURES

Premiership

Celtic v Livingston

Hamilton v Hearts

Hibs v Motherwell

Kilmarnock v St Johnstone

St Mirren v Dundee

Aberdeen v Rangers (Sunday, 1pm, Sky Sports)

Click here to see the rest of the Premiership fixtures

Championship

Ayr United v Partick Thistle

Dundee United v Dunfermline Athletic

Falkirk v Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Morton v Queen of the South

Ross County v Alloa Athletic

Click here to see the rest of the Championship fixtures

League One

East Fife v Dumbarton

Forfar Athletic v Airdrieonians

Montrose v Arbroath

Stenhousemuir v Brechin City

Stranraer v Raith Rovers

Click here to see the rest of the League One fixtures

League Two

Annan Athletic v Elgin City

Berwick Rangers v Stirling Albion

Clyde v Cowdenbeath

Edinburgh City v Albion Rovers

Peterhead v Queen’s Park

Click here to see the rest of the League Two fixtures