SCOTLAND — St Johnstone was drawn into a group with Greenock Morton, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, East Fife, and Linlithgow Rose for next season's Premier Sports Cup group stage. The group stage will begin on July 11 or 12 and conclude on July 25 or 26.

St Johnstone, managed by Simo Valakari, advanced from their group in last season’s competition, defeating East Kilbride and Inverness Caledonian Thistle before exiting in the second round with a loss to Motherwell.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle enter the competition as League 1 champions. Scott Kellacher is their manager. Greenock Morton, who finished eighth in the Championship to avoid a relegation play-off, are managed by Ian Murray, who took over from Dougie Imrie in January.

East Fife also finished eighth in their league, narrowly escaping a play-off spot. Dick Campbell is the manager of East Fife. Linlithgow Rose, champions of the Lowland League, complete the group. Their manager is Gordon Herd.

Linlithgow Rose were denied a place in the Pyramid Play-off semi-final last season because they did not meet the requirements for entry to the Scottish Professional Football League. Despite their success in the Lowland League, this administrative barrier prevented them from pursuing promotion through the play-off route.

The Premier Sports Cup features clubs from across Scotland’s senior leagues. Each group includes one team from the Premiership, two from the Championship, and two from League One, League Two, or the Highland and Lowland Leagues. St Johnstone will play each of their four group opponents once, with fixtures to be scheduled on a midweek basis.

Teams earn three points for a win and one for a draw. The group winner advances to the second round, while the four best runners-up across all eight groups also progress. Last season, St Johnstone topped their group before losing to Motherwell in the next stage.