Celtic’s Fixtures – I hate to go all Celtic ‘da on everyone but…

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The Celtic Star

·20 June 2025

Celtic’s Fixtures – I hate to go all Celtic ‘da on everyone but…

Celtic will begin their Scottish Premiership defence much like they ended last season, with a home tie against St Mirren, as the Hoops get to raise the League flag high at Celtic Park on Sunday 3 August with a 4.30pm kick off.

James Forrest scores late goal and celebrates. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Football, Celtic Park – 17 May 2025. Photo Robert Perry Shutterstock

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Stephen Robinson’s side will no doubt offer up some stern opposition, as we saw in the last game of the 24/25 season when James Forrest scored – for his 16th consecutive season – a late leveller to ensure Celtic didn’t end the season with a defeat.

The raising of the league flag is an important date in the calendar

Celtic’s Lisbon Lion, Jim Craig unfurled the league flag ahead of the kick-off against Kilmarnock. before the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Kilmarnock FC at Celtic Park on August 4, 2024. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

The raising of the league flag is always an important date in the Celtic calendar, as it gives an opportunity to celebrate the success of the previous season and offers the opportunity to carry that feel good factor into the new campaign with a home fixture.

Flag Day would be the curtain raiser for the new season

Ideally you would hope Flag Day would be the curtain raiser on the new Premiership season, but as is sadly becoming the norm, Celtic will instead be the last game of the opening weekend.

This is most likely a decision taken with television in mind, but the advantage will be Celtic will know what is required from the game to ensure they sit back at the top of the league after the first round of fixtures.

Adam Idah celebrates scoring at Ibrox to level the score at 1-1. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The first Glasgow Derby can also now be put in the calendar, with the Hoops set to visit Ibrox on Sunday 31 August, with a 12.00 kick off. Meanwhile the first home Derby will be on 3 January, and we’ll be back at Ibrox on 28 February 2026.

Prior to that first Derby Celtic will also travel to Pittodrie on Sunday 10 August, before playing Livingston on 23 August, and after Ibrox it is a 13 September visit to Kilmarnock under new manager Stuart Kettlewell.

Johnny Kenny celebrates. Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

It’s no easy start for Celtic, as all three away games will be tough encounters, but it will be good to get one of the away visits to Pittodrie, Ibrox and Rugby Park out of the way early doors and when the weather should be more accommodating shall we say.

Now I hate to go all Celtic ‘da on everyone but if there is anyone from the SPFL paying any attention, can we please get back to Flag day being the curtain raiser for the new season? It is a bit bonkers to have the official start to the football season come after the rest of the fixtures have been played out.

Mind you, does anyone other than me care? Possibly not.

Celtic Park on Trophy Day. Photo The Celtic Star

That aside, for anyone like me getting their football fix from the Under 21 Euros on Channel 4, or the glorified friendlies of the Club World Cup, it’s great to see the fixture list out for the Scottish Premiership season and we have a date in the calendar for the defence of our title.

Real football is coming back, and I can’t wait!

Full fixture details are available on the official SPFL website.

Niall J

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