Firhill to host final between Caley Thistle & Rovers live on BBC

Partick Thistle's Wyre Stadium at Firhill has been chosen to host the KDM Evolution Trophy final between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers.

The match will be broadcast live on BBC Alba on Sunday, 5 April, with a 16:10 BST kick-off.

Both finalists are looking to lift the Challenge Cup, for Scottish Professional Football League clubs below the Premiership, for a fourth time.

But it is the inaugural final under the current format, which started with a Champions League-style league phase, and the new sponsor.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "It promises to be a closely-contested game as both teams compete to be the first winners of our impressive new trophy."

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Caley Thistle, who are looking to lift the trophy for the first time since they shared it with Rovers when the season was cut short by the Covid pandemic in 2020, topped the league phase with a 100% record.

Scott Kellacher's current League 1 leaders then defeated Dumbarton 9-0, League 1 promotion rivals Stenhousemuir and two Championship sides - Thistle and Ayr United - away from home.

Championship side Rovers are in their third final in five seasons, last winning the trophy in 2022.

With second-tier clubs having byes from the league phase, the Kirkcaldy side, now with Dougie Imrie in charge, defeated League 1 duo Hamilton Academical and Queen of the South before knocking out Championship rivals Queen's Park and Airdrieonians.

An estimated £1.25m in prize money will have been shared with clubs competing in the competition this season – an increase of more than 50% on last season - with the 2025/26 winners receiving £150,000 and the runners-up £100,000.