The Hamilton Mausoleum. Note the tiny human on the roadway to the left.
This afternoon Morton and Hamilton Academical make up that game originally scheduled for December 17. The weather has been kinder this winter, so this is only one of two rescheduled fixtures for the Ton, apart from a Cup-clashing fixture in March that has been moved forward. Last weekend dozens of matches were cancelled in England, but the storm passed south of Scotland.
How did the Greenockians fare in midweek games last year? Very well in fact: five wins, two draws and one loss.
A considerable number of supporters walked out at halftime during Morton's 6 - 0 loss to Motherwell on February 4th. But did that drubbing result in a permanent loss of fan support? Compare the home games before and after the Motherwell match. On January 14th the Ton drew 1739 to Cappielow to watch them play Raith Rovers to a 1 - 1 draw. For last Saturday's 0 - 0 game against Falkirk the attendance was 1756. The debacle at Fir Park had no effect.
Attendance at Cappilow has declined somewhat since the season began, though. Here are the attendance figures for league matches played at Cappielow, with the date in parentheses: 2025 (13/8), 2018 (10/9), 2621 (24/9), 2264 (15/10), 1748 (29/10), 2201 (12/11), 1352 (26/11), 1849 (10/12), 2108 (2/1), 1739 (14/1), 1756 (11/2).
Is this decline a function of the weather or does it signal a loss of hope on the part of the Greenock supporters?
One club that has had no reason to suffer a loss of hope is Ross County. How do their home figures look? 2249 (6/8), 2065 (20/8), 2189 (10/9), 2047 (17/9), 2121 (1/10), 2431 (22/10), 4108 (12/11), 2698 (3/12), 3046 (17/12), 2514 (28/1). Numbers at Victoria Park have strengthened, despite the winter weather.
Conclusion: fans will stand in any weather to watch their team win the division.
In other news. If this doesn't prompt a top to bottom restructuring of Scottish football, nothing will: Rangers are going into administration. [Update: Rangers are now in administration. The SPL has penalised the club ten points, virtually assuring that Celtic will win the title, and probably the treble.]
[Morton win 2 - 1! Goals by Campbell and O'Brien. They leapfrog the middle pack to sit fourth in the division.]
Comments