Scottish Premiership 2023/24 fixtures: Celtic start title defence at Ross County

Now the new fixtures for the SPFL season have been announced this morning and the champions Celtic will begin the defense of their Scottish premiership title at home to Ross County and it will be live on Sky Sports. Here's the opening weekend in full. Dundee back in the top division and they begin life back up there at home to Motherwell. Rangers go to Kilmarnock, that's live on Sky Sports. Elsewhere Livingston will host Aberdeen. St Johnston take on Hearts and Hibbs host St Mirren on Sunday August the 6th. Now Brendan Rodgers is in charge of Celtic for the second time having returned to the club this summer. Says he's supported them all his life. He took over from Ange Postacoglu who led the club to that famous treble last season. Rodgers, an elite manager who has been in this city, who's won everything in this city, who arguably comes into the Celtic squad with probably a stronger side in my opinion than he had of course if he loses one or two then that may change but he's a top top manager and if there are still doubters out there about Brendan Rodgers the way to win them over is to win football matches. Now that means winning right from the off and of course the big game in September where all eyes will be on him when he goes to Ibrox. I think that was his last game against Rangers that he lost Ibrox 1-0 so he's got a few wrongs to put right on that respect but I think the Celtic fans will be fine. Flag Day is going to be an important one when he goes out there and waves to the fans for the first time but I'm sure he'll be looking forward to the challenge ahead. So big boots to fill for Brendan Rodgers. Ange Postacoglu of course won that famous treble last season. Rodgers in his time won two trebles at Celtic. Just having a quick look at his first game back. So at home to Ross County on August the 5th before Celtic will then travel to Aberdeen a week later and then they face St Johnston. The first Old Firm game comes a month into the season away at Rangers September the 3rd and let's have a quick look at Rangers. They begin the new campaign away to Kilmarnock before taking on Livingston at Ibrox on August the 12th. They make the trip to Ross County before that huge first meeting with Celtic one month into the season at home on September the 3rd. Rangers travel to St Johnston before a home game with Motherwell on September the 23rd. I think that's the key game when you look at it. The Old Firm games you're always looking to be, I know it changes year to year, but you're looking to have that first game at home. You can lay down a marker then but which other ones are there? St Johnston away from home, another difficult venue to go to and Motherwell at home. So there's no easy games. You've got to approach it in the manner that you're on it 100% or you ain't going to win the game of football. That's it because every team has improved and everybody thinks because Rangers and Celtic, especially Celtic last year, the way they went about their business, it's easy. They're just going to rock up to games and stadiums and win games of football. You've got to turn up and perform and if you don't, there is a chance that you'll lose points. No doubt. It's the first fixture we always look for when the Scottish fixtures come out. Here are the Old Firm games from the new season. We don't have too long to wait either. Rangers hosting Celtic a month into the season, September the 3rd at Ibrox and the other two confirmed Old Firm games are between Christmas and New Year, December the 30th at Celtic Park and then at Rangers Ibrox on April the 6th. I suppose the other one that most Scottish fans will be intrigued with will be the Edinburgh derbies. They've provided plenty of classic moments over the years and fans of both Hearts and Hibs will be hoping this season is no different. So here are the confirmed Edinburgh derbies between Hearts and Hibernian. The first duel comes on October the 7th with the reverse on December the 27th at Easter Road. Hearts then host Hibs again on February the 28th. Hearts game is obviously what everybody looks for straight away but to back that up there will be trips to Glasgow and obviously home as well. October's huge but we'll deal with that when it comes. I think every fan will be looking for the derby game on both sides so that's a huge month coming up but as I say let's go off to a good start and hopefully put us in a good position come then. I just heard Chris Boyd in the studio mentioning you and Hearts and Aberdeen in that sort of race for third. How do you feel about that? I'm assuming that is the aim for Hibs this season? Of course it is, I think it always should be. We just couldn't get there on the final day of last season but we need to look to be more consistent this season. The three clubs are involved in Europe, obviously Aberdeen were guaranteed the group stage stuff and we were looking to do that but yeah I think those three clubs are big clubs that should be looking to finish third. That is a terrific morning on Good Morning Sports fans with Rob and Alex joined in the studio not only by the trophy but also by the SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster for the fixture announcement this morning. Last season was a record campaign for match attendances in the league and Doncaster thinks that shows the strength of Scottish professional football. We had over five million people coming through the turnstiles for the time in the ten years of the SPFL era last season. Ahead of the population, Scottish football is the best supported league anywhere in Europe by a mile. So I think it absolutely demonstrates how important it is that so many people, not merely in Scotland but around the world. So I'm looking forward to another hopefully record-breaking season ahead. Have you figured out why that is? Why are more people coming through those turns? Yeah I think it's the passion, the drama, the excitement. You know there's a real authenticity about Scottish football. So you can access all of the SPFL fixtures by scanning this QR code on your screen. It will take you straight to our dedicated section of SPFL fixtures on the Sky Sports app and website.