Premier Sports Cup draw: Falkirk and Stenhousemuir learn group stage opponents as Bairns face ex-bosses

Wednesday’s draw for the group stages of the 2025-2026 Premier Sports Cup placed Falkirk in Group A of the tournament alongside Queen’s Park, Cove Rangers, The Spartans and Brechin City.

Gary Naysmith’s Stenhousemuir will face Motherwell, Greenock Morton, Peterhead and Clyde in Group G.

Former Falkirk bosses make for intriguing League Cup ties

The Scottish Premiership-bound Bairns managed an unbeaten campaign against Queen’s Park last season. They will head into the new season with Sean Crighton in charge. Paul Hartley’s Cove need no introduction as to why they will be interesting opponents for Falkirk while The Spartans and Falkirk met two years ago in the group stages. A late Ross MacIver goal won the clash for John McGlynn’s side 2-1 in Edinburgh. Highland League runners-up Brechin City also have an ex-Falkirk face in the dugout with Ray McKinnon at the helm - that should be another interesting match-up too...

The Warriors meanwhile haven’t met top-flight Motherwell in the modern era. The Fir Park side are currently managerless. Greenock Morton last met Stenny in the League Cup groups in 2018, winning that match 2-0. Naysmith’s side beat the Blue Toon to the Scottish League Two title two seasons ago and will face the newly-promoted Balmoor side this season in League One also. Stenny last met Clyde in League Two and won one out of four outings against the Bully Wee on their way to the title.

Premier Sports Cup group stage dates and prize money

The 2025/26 Premier Sports Cup will kick off on the weekend of July 12/13, with further group stage matchdays on July 15/16, July 19/20, July 22/23 and July 26/27. TV selections and fixtures will be released in due course.

The eight group winners and three best runners-up will join the five clubs who qualified for Europe – Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Dundee United – in the last 16 on the weekend of August 16/17.

The quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of September 20/21 and the semi-finals are scheduled for the weekend of November 1/2. The 2025/26 Premier Sports Cup final will take place at Hampden Park on Sunday December 14.

Last season’s competition saw record prize money on offer and that has been maintained for the 2025/26 edition, with participating clubs guaranteed a minimum of £30,000. Reaching the last 16 is worth at least £60,000 while the cup winners will receive £400,000.