Paul Third: New stories to be told in the 2024-25 Scottish season

The 2024-25 SPFL promises to be a case of out with the old and in with the new.

A new league sponsor, new managers and players, and in Caley Thistle’s case, new owners and a new division.

Trying to predict what lies ahead is akin to pinning the tail on the donkey but one thing for sure, it is guaranteed to be anything but dull.

There are tales ready to be told.

In the Premiership, Aberdeen and St Johnstone are the last sides to get the opening weekend’s action under way when they kick-off their campaign at McDiarmid Park in Perth on Monday.

For the Dons fans, the excitement is palpable.

For the fourth year running Aberdeen get their season going with a new manager in charge and it’s fair to say Dons supporters are feeling excited about what lies ahead under Jimmy Thelin.

The Swede is the new kid on the block in Scottish football and it’s clear his squad still requires reinforcements.

But the morale-boosting sight of goals flowing and four straight wins in the Premier Sports Cup means the momentum built up by interim boss Peter Leven at the end of last season is still there.

But ultimately the Premier Sports Cup group stages is not where Aberdeen want to be.

European football is the Holy Grail for the Dons every season and after being part of the group stages of the Europa Conference League last season, missing out on Europe altogether this term is going to be a bitter financial pill to swallow for the club.

However, pain can be a tremendous motivator. The Dons fans will certainly hope that is the case for their side as they bid to bounce back from a wildly erratic campaign.

How will Staggies cope without talisman Murray?

Simon Murray is now banging in the goals in the dark blue of Dundee. Image: SNS

There’s a new man in charge at Ross County too in Don Cowie, who was confirmed as the new boss after leading the club to survival in the play-offs.

Saturday’s trip to Fir Park to face a Motherwell side which finished the season strongly under former County boss Stuart Kettlewell will be an early acid test for Cowie and his squad.

The Staggies have done well to stay in the Premiership again but they will not want to take their chances in the play-offs for the third year in a row in 2025.

Achieving that aim without Simon Murray, who has joined Dundee, adds to the size of the task. Murray netted 23 times for County last season.

For a club in the bottom half of the table having a player putting up those type of numbers is a difference maker.

The man who looks like being charged with that task is Ronan Hale and with three goals in two games he is off to a promising start.

Expect the unexpected at Inverness

Ketan Makwana, executive chairman of Seventy7 Ventures, who are becoming the majority shareholders at Caley Thistle.

We could fill the entire sports section of the Press and Journal in trying to analyse the summer of discontent at Caley Thistle.

There has been boardroom resignations and the impending departure of chief executive Scot Gardiner following the backlash to a proposed relocation to Kelty Hearts’ home for training.

Relegation has hit the club hard to the point a few select old heads now lead a youthful Inverness-based group of players in trying to lead the club back to the Championship.

With the club’s survival a subject of great debate change is afoot.

There is a new majority shareholder in Ketan Makwana, a total unknown to football, never mind Scotland.

His pitch has won over the Inverness board.

Now he has to do the same with a fanbase which has been left disillusioned at the trajectory in which their club has been heading.

Expect more eyes to be on the directors’ box for Saturday’s League One opener against Dumbarton than on the pitch at Caledonian Stadium.

Cove Rangers are another club looking to regroup after a disappointing season. Missing out on the play-offs was a huge blow for Paul Hartley’s side.

Success has been the norm for Cove, who start with a home game against Annan on Saturday, and they will be eager to show they are heading upwards again after a tough couple of seasons.

Highland rivals ready to duke it out in League Two

Jack Murray has swapped Buckie Thistle for a crack at the SPFL with Elgin City. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

In League Two Peterhead will be hoping to go one better after finishing as runners-up to Stenhousemuir last season.

Their subsequent play-off exit at the semi-final stage put a dampener on a season which had offered so much.

The Blue Toon, who make the trip to Bonnyrigg Rose on Saturday, face another hugely competitive campaign in a keenly contested division.

Elgin City, who welcome Dick Campbell’s East Fife to Borough Briggs, will be hoping they too can be in the hunt for promotion.

City boss Allan Hale has been busy this summer, bringing in Highland League player of the year Jack Murray, amongst others as he looks to lead his club to what would be their first promotion since joining the league in 2000.

The Black and Whites have been a sleeping giant. Fans are hoping Hale is the man who can wake them up.