Hearts set to face East Kilbride as Derek McInnes brings Jambos to K-Park for friendly
The Premiership side will provide a huge test for the newly promoted League Two side
East Kilbride are set to face Premiership side Hearts in pre-season as new Jambos boss Derek McInnes brings his side to K-Park.
However, the bad news for fans is that the clash will be played behind closed doors.
Kilby have just been promoted to the SPFL and they will face some stern tests to get them prepared for the big step up from the Lowland League. They face Championship side St Johnstone in their first League Cup group stage match on July 12 and Kilby will discover their League Two fixtures when they SPFL release the 2025/26 schedule on Friday.
The clash with the Jambos, which is set to be confirmed in the coming days, comes after the club announced former Celtic boss Neil Lennon will be bringing his Dunfermline side to K-Park for a friendly on Saturday, June 28. That match will be open to supporters and tickets are currently available here.
Kilby gaffer Mick Kennedy has revealed to Lanarkshire Live Sport that the clash with the capital club is almost finalised, but it won't be open to fans.
He said: "Hearts' first team are coming but it will be a behind closed doors game. There are two dates in the diary and we are just waiting to determine which one it will be.
"It is great to get a game like this. There is enough respect for us now in the leagues in terms of the quality we have at the club. Anytime we have played against a side above us, we have posed a real challenge.
"Probably with where Hearts will be in terms of their pre-season at that point, it will be a difficult enough game for them in terms of early preparation, as they build towards more difficult friendlies. It suits both clubs.
"With Derek going in there, he will be building his own group and looking to fine tune, but it is something we are all loooking forward to."
On the Dunfermline clash, Kennedy added: "Neil will be looking to try and challenge for in the Championship and get into the Premiership as soon as possible. It will be exciting to bring Neil and his team here.
"It's a good test for us before the League Cup section gets going."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Gareth Bale part of group seeking Plymouth takeover
The Telegraph were first to report that the 35-year-old former Real Madrid and Wales forward was part of the group seeking to buy Argyle. The PA news agency understands the group featuring Bale has registered an interest in buying Argyle, but the process is at a very early stage. Should the deal go through, Bale would be the latest big sporting name to be associated with an EFL club. Bale's former Real team-mate Luka Modric became an investor and co-owner in Championship side Swansea in April, while ex-NFL quarterback Tom Brady has a minority stake in Birmingham. Plymouth declined to comment. Bale retired from football in January 2023 at the age of 33. He won five Champions League titles with Real and is the men's all-time record goalscorer for Wales with 41 in 111 caps. Bale featured for Wales at the 2022 World Cup – their first appearance at the global finals since 1958 – and at the Euros in 2016 and 2020.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Defender Darling announces Swansea exit
Harry Darling has announced that he will leave Swansea City after turning down the offer of a new contract at the Championship 25, is believed to have attracted interest from a string of second-tier clubs including Norwich City, Birmingham City, Wrexham and Sheffield defender has also been linked with Rangers after they appointed former Swansea head coach Russell Martin as their new boss, but it is the Canaries who appear favourites to clinch a deal as things had been to keep Darling and made what they called "a very strong offer" to the former MK Dons Modric, the Swansea co-owner, is believed to have contacted Darling in a bid to convince him to stay, though the club always feared the centre-back may walk away after his contract situation was not addressed at an earlier has now issued a statement on social media, external declaring that "with a heavy heart", his time at Swansea is over. "I have made friends for life on and off the pitch during my time at the club and have many memories to savour," Darling said."For us as a family, Swansea will always be a very special place as it is the birthplace of our baby daughter Gigi."As I move on to the next chapter of my career I will always reflect warmly on my time as a Jack and I thank you for your support in good times and bad over these last few years." Darling leaves Swansea having made 112 appearances – and chipped in with 12 goals – since joining for a fee in excess of £1m on a three-year deal in player revealed last September that there had been no talks over a new deal, with then boss Luke Williams stressing the need for "urgency" in while Swansea were able to convince Ben Cabango, who was also due to be out of contract this summer, to sign a new deal last December, it became apparent around the same time that Darling's future may not be decided until the end of the departs on the back of his best season in Wales, with Swansea already planning for the future having brought in centre-backs Cameron Burgess and Ricardo Santos this his statement, Darling thanks staff and players for "helping make this such an enjoyable time in my career".Swansea, meanwhile, thanked Darling and wished him the best on social media.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
WSL make huge announcement as clubs give green light to two changes
A proposal put forward by Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women's Professional Leagues Limited, was voted through at Monday's WSL Football shareholders meeting - with an expansion and play-off confirmed The Women's Super League is set expand to 14 teams from the start of the 2026-27 season, with a promotion and relegation play-off to be introduced. A proposal put forward by Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women's Professional Leagues Limited, was voted through at Monday's WSL Football shareholders meeting. It requires the approval of the Football Association board but, if it gets the green light, 14 teams will compete in the women's top flight from next year. It means the 2025-26 campaign WSL will conclude with a relegation/promotion play-off. 'Over the past few months, WSL Football has led a thorough and robust, consultative process backed by research and analysis which explored multiple options that could drive the game forward and help it reach its potential,' Doucet said. 'Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women's game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women's professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction and incentivise investment across the board. 'Subject to the approval from the FA board, expanding the BWSL to 14 teams will stimulate movement between leagues and through the pyramid which increases opportunities. 'The introduction of a promotion/relegation play-off creates distinction for the women's game and introduces a high-profile, high-stakes match.' If the expansion from a 12-team WSL to 14 gets FA approval, it offers three Women's Championship clubs the chance to gain promotion during the 2025-26 campaign. The top two of the Championship will go up automatically and the third-placed side will take on the team which finished bottom of the WSL in a play-off. The Championship will continue as a 12-team league with 'additional promotion opportunities' from the FA Women's National League Northern and Southern Premier Divisions at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. 'The method for these promotions, and any impact further down the pyramid, will be confirmed by The FA in due course,' a WSL Football statement read. It means from the 2026-27 season, the 14th-placed team would be relegated and replaced by the winner of the Championship. A relegation/promotion play-off between the 13th-placed club in the WSL and Championship runner-up would then determine the final place in the top-flight.
