Rangers and Celtic among five clubs to have Scottish Premiership fixtures postponed on 22 August

Rangers and Celtic were among five clubs whose Scottish Premiership matches scheduled for Saturday, 22 August were postponed after the teams invoked an SPFL rule because they are involved in UEFA play-off ties, the league confirmed; only Dundee United F.C. vs Dundee F.C. is set to kick off tonight.

The Scottish Premiership, operating on the standard European calendar, had completed two league games for each of its 12 clubs before matchday three. Matchday three is therefore unusual: most fixtures originally scheduled for Saturday, 22 August have been deferred while only the Dundee derby between Dundee United F.C. and Dundee F.C. remains on the card. The postponements are not linked to any post-FIFA World Cup 2026 break.

Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian all requested delays to their Saturday fixtures after having already played two league matches this season. Those five clubs exercised the available SPFL provision to seek postponements rather than fulfil their scheduled third-round ties on 22 August.

The clubs pursued the postponements because they are active in UEFA competition play-offs — across the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League pathways — and used the SPFL rule to secure additional rest and preparation time ahead of those ties. The article noted the measure also serves the league’s interests should those teams progress into the main European competitions.

The SPFL issued confirmation that several William Hill Premiership matches were being rescheduled due to club participation in UEFA competition play-off ties. It listed three fixtures that will be played on Tuesday, September 15: Falkirk vs Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian vs Kilmarnock and Motherwell vs Aberdeen.

With those rearrangements agreed, the only match taking place on Saturday, 22 August is the Dundee United F.C. v Dundee F.C. derby; the remaining postponed fixtures will be rearranged to later dates, with the three matches named above set for Tuesday, September 15.