By Matthew Elder

Copyright scotsman

The latest news across Scottish football this Monday evening including a flattering UEFA report on attendances, two red card appeals and a Rangers team bonding session: The Scottish Premiership has recorded significantly higher attendances per capita than any other top-flight league in Europe, a new UEFA report has revealed. The Scottish Professional Football League’s flagship division welcomed 18.5 attendees per 1000 people at matches in the 2024-25 season, a five per cent rise on the previous campaign. This attendance per capita is more than 70 per cent higher than any other league in Europe, with Portugal’s Primeira Liga in second place with 10.7 attendees per 1000 people. The 3.9million fans that attended Scottish Premiership matches last season was the eighth-highest on the continent, with the average league attendance of 17,303 the seventh-highest. Scotland has now recorded the highest per capita attendance stats three seasons in succession, and SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “Scottish football attendances have consistently punched well above their weight for many years. “After three record-breaking seasons for attendances, we are looking to build on that momentum throughout this season.” Rangers manager Russell Martin took his players wild water swimming in Loch Lomond on Monday in an attempt to foster team bonding and improve results on the field. The team also hiked up Conic Hill as part of the activities. Rangers have suffered their worst start to a league season in 47 years with Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts at Ibrox leaving them 10th in the William Hill Premiership after failing to win any of their opening five matches. Fans chanted for Martin to be sacked throughout the match but the Rangers board have decided to stick by the embattled head coach for now. A club source told the BBC that the trip to Loch Lomond was “a change of scenery – a reset and some team bonding”. Both Dundee and Dundee United have submitted an appeal to the Scottish Football Association against the red cards shown to each of their players on Saturday. Dundee midfielder Yan Dhanda was sent off during Saturday’s William Hill Premiership match at home to Motherwell with the on-loan Hearts playmaker receiving a straight red in the 85th minute of the 1-1 draw for a studs-up challenge on Lukas Fadinger. If the appeal is unsuccessful, Dhanda will be suspended for Dundee’s next match against Livingston United, meanwhile, were left with 10 men for the closing minutes of their 3-3 draw with Hibs at Easter Road after defender Vicko Sevelj was deemed to have handled the ball, blocking a shot from Kieron Bowie, leading to a VAR review and a straight red card from referee Dan MacFarlane. Jamie McGrath scored the resulting penalty to secure a point for Hibs. Sevelj faces missing the upcoming match against Aberdeen unless the appeal is successful with a fast-track hearing for both cases likely to take place later in the week.