The Challenge Cup league phase is over and the knockout rounds begin. Twenty-two of the forty Round One participants advance, and the ten Championship sides join in. Morton get the best match imaginable: 22nd-ranked Kelty.
Morton are on a three-game winning streak. Kelty have lost their last two matches.
Michael Tidser had two spells as a Morton player (2010-13 and 2015-19), and managed Kelty through 2023-24 and part of 2024-25, when he landed the job at Dunfermline Athletic, where he lasted 11 games. He’s now back in charge of Kelty.
Morton have never won this cup. They made it to the final in 1992-93, and were semi-finalists in 1996-97, 1997-98, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Last year Morton were knocked out of this cup in Round Two by Stirling Albion, as were Kelty by Arbroath.
The last Morton player to score against Kelty Hearts was Robbie Crawford, October 14th, 2023.
Of the 32 teams in this round ten are from the Championship, nine are from League One, six are from League Two, two are from the Lowland League East, one is from the Lowland League West, one is from the Highland League, and there are three Premiership B teams.
The other matches:
Stenhousemuir (Ch) vs Berwick Rangers (LE)
Aberdeen B vs Queen’s Park (Ch)
East Kilbride (L1) vs Stirling Albion (L2)
St Mirren B vs Peterhead (L1)
Arbroath (Ch) vs Queen of the South (L1)
Annan Athletic (L2) vs Ayr United (Ch)
Clydebank (LW) vs Alloa Athletic (L1)
The Spartans (L2) vs Livingston (Ch)
Airdrieonians (L1) vs Elgin City (L2)
Edinburgh City (L2) vs Partick Thistle (Ch)
Inverness CT (Ch) vs Montrose (L1)
Formartine United (HL) vs Cove Rangers (L1)
Ross County (L1) vs Celtic B
Hamilton Academical (L1) vs Raith Rovers (Ch)
Bonnyrigg Rose (LE) vs Dunfermline Athletic (Ch)
Also there’s:
AFC Champions League Elite, league stage, matchday 4:
Vissel Kobe [3 – 2] Ratchaburi (November 3)
Kashiwa Reysol [2 – 0] Daejeon Hana Citizen (November 3)
Công An Hà Nội vs Kyoto Sanga (November 3)
Pohang Steelers vs Gamba Osaka (November 4)
Buriram United vs Kashima Antlers (November 4)
AFC Champions League Two, group stage, matchday 4:
Machida Zelvia vs Shanghai Shenhua (November 5)
Which SPFL teams play the most or fewest matches? Under the current setup all Premiership clubs play 38 league matches plus at least 1 Scottish Cup fixture, with these add-ons: clubs that made it into Europe add at least 2 UEFA matches and 1 League Cup fixture, making a minimum total of 41 matches; clubs that missed out on Europe play at least 4 League Cup matches for a minimum total of 43. Championship clubs play 36 league matches plus at least 4 League Cup matches, 1 Scottish Cup fixture and 1 Challenge Cup fixture for a minimum of 42 matches. League One and League Two clubs play 36 league matches plus at least 4 League Cup matches, 6 Challenge Cup matches and 1 Scottish Cup match for a minimum of 47 matches. Progression in UEFA competition and domestic cups and involvement in the playoffs can really pile up the fixtures. Here is the number of competitive matches each SPFL team played in 2025-26:
59 Celtic
58 Rangers
56 Stenhousemuir
53 Inverness CT, Alloa, Spartans
52 St Mirren, Partick Thistle, Hamilton Accies, Clyde, Forfar
51 Aberdeen, Dunfermline Athletic, Queen of the South, Stranraer, Elgin City, Edinburgh City
50 Montrose, Kelty Hearts, Annan Athletic, Stirling Albion
49 Cove Rangers, East Fife, Dumbarton
48 Airdrieonians, Peterhead, East Kilbride
47 Motherwell, Hibs, Falkirk, Arbroath, Raith Rovers, Ayr United
46 Dundee United, Queen’s Park
45 Kilmarnock, St Johnstone
44 Hearts, Dundee, Livingston, Morton, Ross County
