Plenty of Nothing

Scottish Cup 2013

Celtic fans at the 1972 Scottish Cup final. Source.

This year is 120 years since Queen's Park last won the Scottish Cup. Such was their dominance in the early decades of the competition that they are still third on the all-time list with ten wins, all gained in the 19th Century.

It is 100 years since Raith Rovers appeared in the Cup final.

It is 75 years since East Fife won the Cup.

It is twenty-five years since a club last lost the Scottish Cup final two years in a row. Hibs can do that today! [Celtic win 3 - 0.]

On Monday the SPL decided they had too little information on which to penalize Heart of Midlothian for financial insolvency, so Hearts stay up and Dundee go down as scheduled. The ten clubs in the First Division next year will be: Alloa, Cowdenbeath, Dumbarton, Dundee, Falkirk, Hamilton, Livingston, Morton, Queen of the South, and Raith. Unless . . .

Comprehensive league reconstruction is off again and SPL2 is on again.

Víkingur Ólafsvík host ÍBV. [0 - 0.]

Big game in the J League Division 2 today, or at least it is from a Plenty of Nothing point of view, because Consadole Sapporo host Mito HollyHock. [Mito win 0 - 1.]

Runners Up

Football for healthy lungs.

It's the final weekend of the 2012-13 Scottish Football League season. Morton are undergoing their annual late-season slump, the difference being that they will finish in second place this year instead of in the usual sixth-to-eighth-place range. 2012-13 has turned out to be Greenock Morton's best season since 1995-96. If you exclude the beheading of Cappie the Cat.

Ninth place will be decided today. Either Cowdenbeath or penalized Dunfermline will have to enter the promotion/relegation playoff against three Second Division clubs. Dunfermline are in the better position, one point up and playing Airdrie today. Cowdenbeath face Hamilton.

If it matters. The (Scottish Football part of the) internet has been aflame since yesterday with the story that the Division One clubs plan to resign en masse from the SFL to form a Championship within the SPL. It will require the approval of 11 out of 12 SPL clubs, of course. But it's an interesting move because it shows what I've come to believe in three years of covering Morton, that the First Division is an entity in its own right, with its own group identity and issues, and not just a stepping stone.

Before this brewed up the SPL clubs were reportedly meeting to discuss a new promotion playoff game between the eleventh-place SPL club and the second-place First Division club. If this playoff were in place now the game this year would be between St Mirren against Morton. Read about the various available playoff formats in the Scotsman.

Morton visit Falkirk today. [Falkirk win 4 - 1. Morton goal by M. McLaughlin. Morton finish the season with 67 points, the same as 1995-96. Cowdenbeath snatch eighth place, and Dunfermline fall to ninth and will have to play in the relegation playoff against Forfar. Dumbarton conclude their remarkable turnaround by finishing seventh.]

How did Morton fare against the other nine First Division clubs this year?

Airdrie: Morton won all four meetings, scored 14 and allowed 4, for twelve points.

Cowdenbeath: Morton won three and drew one, scored 10, allowed 6, for ten points.

Dumbarton: Morton won three and lost one, scored 11, allowed 4, for nine points.

Livingston: Morton won two and drew two, scored 8, allowed 4, for eight points.

Dunfermline: Morton won two, drew one and lost one, scored 11, allowed 7, for seven points.

Partick: Morton won two, drew one and lost one, scored 7, allowed 5, for seven points.

Raith: Morton won two, drew one and lost one, scored 6, allowed 4, for seven points.

Falkirk: Morton won two and lost two, scored 5, allowed 6, for six points.

Hamilton: Morton drew one and lost three, scored 2, allowed 6, for one point.

Morton are runners-up, but Greenock Juniors have earned promotion to the Super League Premier Division where they'll compete against Largs Thistle next year.

The Icelandic football league begins tomorrow. In Iceland they really do play summer football, starting in May and finishing in September. I'm going to follow ÍBV (Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja) through the short Icelandic season, and maybe even learn the club names by the end of the summer. Tomorrow ÍBV host ÍA (Íþróttabandalag Akraness). [Vestmannaeyjar win 1 - 0.]

Kyoto came to Sapporo Thursday and beat Consadole 0 - 1. Sapporo visit Giravanz Kitakyushu Monday. [And Sapporo win 1 - 2.]

[Sunday: Dundee are relegated from the SPL to Division 1.]

Nervetonine

From the Post Office Directory for Greenock, 1911-12. Source.

Partick have won the division. League reconstruction has run onto a shoal. Douglas Rae says the club might have to go part-time next season. It's enough to give the Morton fan nervy symptoms, irritability, depression, brain fag, rheumatism, neuralgia, lumbago, sciatica, hysteria, sleeplessness, &c! Thank God for Nervetonine!

Today is the final meeting of the season between Morton and the Accies of Hamilton, and the last match for 2012-13 at Cappielow. Hamilton have been Morton's bane all season, winning two of the three previous meetings, and drawing the third. [And Hamilton win 0 - 2. Dumbarton win and evade relegation.]

Tomorrow Sapporo are host to Roasso Kumamoto, from the island of Kyushu. [Kunamoto win 1 - 3.]

The Bute Mazer

A mazer is a communal drinking cup usually made of birdseye maple, with a wide bottom and no handles, and would make an ideal championship trophy. There's a lion at the bottom of the Bute Mazer.

Today Morton visit Livingston FC, The Lions, who are in third place in the division. You might look for them to challenge for the division title next year.

Partick and Raith played to a scoreless draw Tuesday, delaying Thistle's title celebration. Morton can still win the division, but the Ton must win their three remaining games, Partick must lose theirs, and Morton must make up a goal difference of 17.

When did each of the ten First Division clubs last play in the top division?

Dunfermline. Last year.

Hamilton. The year before.

Falkirk. The year before that.

Livingston. 2005-06.

Partick. 2003-04.

Raith. 1996-97.

Morton. 1987-88.

Dumbarton. 1984-85.

Cowdenbeath. 1939-40.

Airdrie United. Being new, never. (But: Airdrieonians 1992-93; Clydebank 1986-87.)

Ross County and St Mirren have stuck to their guns and voted down the 12-12-18 league reconstruction plan. Morton's chairman Rae spoke to the Greenock Telegraph about taking the club part-time if there is no new league structure soon. There is to be a meeting about SPL2 Monday.

[Morton win 0 - 2. Goals by Campbell and Wilkie. Partick also win and become First Division champions.] [Sunday: Celtic win the SPL, becoming the final club to secure a league title. Three of the four title winners this year are from Glasgow, the exception being Queen of the South.] [Sapporo and V-Varen Nagasaki played to a 0 - 0 score.]

Deductibles

Should Dunfermline wish to drop off their taxes while in Greenock, they can do it at the building to the left of James Watt.

Although Partick Thistle have not yet won the First Division title officially, they effectively wrapped it up Wednesday when they beat Morton 1 - 0 at Firhill. Morton must now win all the rest of their games and hope Partick lose three, an unlikely scenario. My sorry task is to keep the last four weeks of the season fascinating to you the reader.

Dunfermline visit Cappielow today. The Pars have gone into administration and been docked 15 points, putting them in a battle with Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton to avoid the relegation playoff spot. They're treating this as a harsh punishment, but it mightn't be so bad if they were to end up in the Second Division next season. They'd save money on player contracts while getting in a couple of lucrative home dates against Rangers (or, if the 12-12-18 structure comes to pass, one home date).

Morton, for their part, are now free of the costly necessity of installing new stands at the Wee Dublin End and undersoil heating that promotion to the SPL would have entailed. And no ground-sharing in Paisley.

And if a 15-point deduction isn't enough, Dumfermline are out of next year's Scottish Cup if they don't cough up Hamilton's share of the gate receipts from their Fifth Round match of February 2nd, 2013. Dunfermine were in the Scottish Cup final as recently as 2007. Does this create a spot for another non-league club? Morton's strong showing in the league this year means that the Ton will enter the Scottish Cup in the Fourth Round in 2013-14.

With Dunfermline's plummet Hamilton and Raith are lifted clear of relegation, so it's an ill wind etc etc.

[Morton lose. Partick win. The best Morton can do now is 73 points. Partick have 72 with four games to play. Airdrie United are relegated to the Second Division.]

This weekend it's the semifinals of the Scottish Cup. Hibs and Falkirk play today at Hampden. Tomorrow it's Celtic and Dundee United. If Hibs and Celtic advance it'll be a rematch of 1923. (And 1902, 1914, 1972 and 2001.) [Hibs win 4 - 3.] [Celtic win 4 - 3. It's Celtic versus Hibernian in the final.]

Tomorrow Sapporo host Tokushima. [And win 2 - 1.]

Partick Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Does anybody know the name of this trophy?

Morton visit Firhill today for their last meeting with Partick Thistle for a while. One of these two clubs will be promoted to the SPL at season's end. Right now Partick lead the Ton by two points, with a game in hand. Realistically, Morton can't expect to win the division unless they beat Partick today, and even then it'll be close. So far this season Morton have beaten Partick twice, and third game was a draw.

There is also the outside possibility that Heart of Midlothian will go bankrupt over the course of the summer and get banished to the Third Division like Rangers last year, in which case the second-place First Division club would be promoted, like Dundee last year, putting both Partick and Morton in the SPL.

Partick lost to Queen of the South in the Ramsdens/Challenge Cup Sunday. QoS have been nothing short of awesome in the Second Division this year, and should contend for the First Division title next season.

Dunfermline Athletic have been assessed a 15-point penalty, which reduces them to 27 points and 9th place.

Okay, I'm sure I'm the last one to notice this, but the two owners who presided over Rangers' financial collapse and demotion are named Green and Whyte.

Ross County and St Mirren intend to use the SPL's Old-Firm-friendly 11-1 rule to kill the 12-12-18 restructuring scheme. (If you're just joining us now that sentence might not make much sense.)

[Full house at Firhill. (Actually, 8,857.) Partick v Morton outdraws Rangers' friendly against Northern Ireland's Linfield FC which is going on at the same time across town at Ibrox. Firhill roar reported. 1 - 0 for Partick at the half.] [Partick win. That's probably the title decided there. Celtic and Partick could have a pretty decent derby next year.]

French Greenock

This is the ideal view of Greenock's Free French Memorial, with the two points of land framing the monument. There should be an X on the ground for photographers to stand on.

The Free French Memorial on Lyle Hill overlooks Gourock Bay and Gourock, and officially commemorates the Free French forces of WWII, though everyone associates the monument with the sinking of the French naval vessel Maillé Brézé on the Tail of the Bank on April 30th, 1940, a few weeks prior to the fall of France.

Have any French footballers played for Morton? Fouad Bachirou.

Today Airdrie visit Cappielow for the last time in the 2012-13 season and perhaps some time to come. Airdrie seem to have a lock on relegation, pending the SFL's decision on what sort of points penalty to give insolvent Dunfermline Athletic; and Morton aren't out of the title race yet. They could be two divisions apart next year.

Partick visited Raith Rovers Tuesday and the two sides played to a scoreless tie. Livingston, who lost to Falkirk, were eliminated from the title race. Coming into today, Partick and Morton are the only two possible divisional champions. Partick are five points up on Morton, with no games in hand. Morton had better defeat Airdrie today, and Partick in their big showdown Wednesday.

[Morton win 5 - 2. Greenock goals by MacDonald (3), McMenamin, and an own goal. Morton are now two points behind Partick Thistle.]

This is the final weekend before the SPL table splits into two halves. The intent of the split is to give the 12-team league some kind of balanced schedule that's not too long (38 games as opposed to 44) and at the same time ensure that there are meaningful games going on right to the end of the schedule, with the top clubs fighting each other for the title and European spots, and the bottom half fighting each other to avoid relegation. Except that this year everyone knows Celtic will win the title and Dundee will be relegated. For the clubs just outside the top six the split is in fact the end of the meaningful part of the season. If Kilmarnock beat Dundee today, they're in the top six, and Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hibs are out. [But Killie lose and Dundee United slip into the top half.]

Kelty Hearts and Auchinleck Talbot will attempt to complete their Scottish Junior Cup quarterfinal match today. Linlithgow Rose, Rutherglen Glencairn, and Shotts Bon Accord have already advanced. Junior clubs have unnecessarily ornate names. You feel you ought to be using semicolons when you make a list of them. [Auchinleck Talbot advance.]

Tomorrow Partick Thistle and Queen of the South meet in the Ramsdens Cup final. Partick have never won this trophy. QoS have won it once. Have two clubs ever competed in this cup final and both won a division title the same season? Inverness CT and Airdrie United in 2003-04. [QoS win on penalty kicks.]

Okayama host Sapporo tomorrow. [Okayama win 3 - 2.]

Scottish Cup 1923

Source.

CELTIC 1; HIBERNIAN 0

    At Hampden Park, Glasgow, in fine weather, and in presence of about 80,000 spectators. The gate drawings amounted to £9540 (exclusive of tax and tickets sold). The teams were:--

    Celtic -- Shaw; M'Nair and M'Stay (W.); M'Stay (J.), Cringan and M'Farlane; M'Atee and Gallagher; Cassidy; M'Lean and Connelly.

    Hibernian -- Harper; M'Ginnigle and Dornan; Kerr, Miller, and Shaw; Ritchie and Dunn; M'Coll; Halligan and Walker.

    Referee -- T. Dougary (Bellshill).

    The Hibernian captain, Kerr, won the toss for choice of ends, and Celtic, facing a slight breeze, kicked off. The wind, however, was not an important factor, and did not affect either the play or the result. Hibernian made progress, first on the right and then on the left, but the movements were not allowed to develop, and the first shot for goal was at the other end, where Harper smartly saved a low shot from M'Lean. Just previous to that Gallagher slipped a fine ball to Cassidy, who raced ahead, but just as he was about to shoot Miller stepped in and cleared. After Dornan had stopped another promising Celtic raid, the Hibernian forwards took up the running for Halligan to send in a fast shot which Cringan was fortunate to intercept. Shortly afterwards the Hibernian inside left with a good effort sent the ball wide of the goal by less than a yard. The next minute Celtic were in front of Harper, Dornan heading dow a pass from Cassidy to M'Lean, who without hesitating a single instant drove hard into goal for Harper to bring off a clever save, but only at the second attempt. The exchanges continued to flucuate in the most interesting fashion, first the one goal then the other being strenuously assailed. About this stage Hibernian were slightly the more dangerous side, but though hard pressed M'Nair and M'Stey never wavered. A long pass from Ritchie gave M'Coll and Dunn a scoring opportunity chiefly owing to M'Nair failing to get in his kick. A scrimmage close in and a high shot by Dunn which went over the bar were, however, the only outcome. Subsequently a fine pass by M'Farlane to Connelly allowed Celtic to secure a footing in their opponent's half of the field, and it was only after a defender had stopped a hard shot from M'Atee that Hibernian gained relief. Ritchie and Dunn then cleverly beat M'Farlane, but the Celtic left back with a timely tackle averted trouble, while Shaw fisted out a corner kick taken by Walker. Towards the interval Gallagher, the most assertive Celtic forward throughout this half, forced an unproductive corner kick. Shaw from a cross by Ritchie headed narrowly past, and just on half-time Celtic were awarded a free kick close in. This was taken by M'Stay (W.), who instead of shooting for goal passed to M'Lean, who had his effort to get the better of Harper charged down by M'Ginnigle. Half-time -- no scoring.

    On resuming Hibernian attacked strongly, Shaw in the first minute saving brilliantly from Dunn. Three more hard shots were intercepted by Cringan before M'Stay with a long kick let Cassidy away, the movement ending in M'Ginnigle kicking into touch. From an awkward position M'Lean shot over, and a little later M'Ginnigle shot down a groat shot [that's what it says] from Gallagher, who in the course of his run into goal beat several opponents. Twenty minutes after resuming M'Atee sent across a long pass to M'Lean, who immediately centred, and Cassidy getting the ball after it had bounced, headed into a vacant goal, Harper having left his charge in an effort to save the situation.

    During the next ten minutes Celtic were the more aggressive side, but in the last quarter of an hour the Hibernian forwards dominated the echanges, and but for the craftiness of M'Nair, the dash of M'Stay, and the soundness of Shaw, they would have drawn. They came very near to equalising when Walker surprised Shaw by kicking past a clearance by the goalkeeper, the ball striking the side of the net. Close on time Hibernian had a strong appeal for a penalty disallowed, the referee ruling that the handling of a shot from M'Coll by Cringan was accidental. Goal scorer:--Celtic--Cassidy.

    At the close of the game the Scottish Cup was presented to Mr. T. White, the Celtic prseident, by Sir John Ure Primrose, Bart.

Glasgow Herald, April 2, 1923, page 9.

Stark Staring

Richard Dadd's portrait of Sir Alexander Morison, alienist, with fishwives. From the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland.

Greenock Morton make their final visit of 2012-13 to Raith Rovers' Stark's Park this afternoon.

Morton Reserves beat Partick Reserves 3 - 1 Monday.

Partick took over first place Wednesday when they beat Cowdenbeath 0 - 3. Partick enter today's play one point up on Morton with a game in hand. Raith, Falkirk and Dunfermline were all eliminated from the title race Wednesday, and Queen of the South won the Second Division.

Dunfermline have gone into administration. There is still no set point reduction for a club entering adminstration, despite the fact that it happens nearly every year, so the Pars will have to wait and see how far they will be forced into the relegation zone. They laid off most of their first team Thursday. Partick have signed two of them.

Partick visit Cowdenbeath for the second time this week.

The 12-12-18 scheme is hitting significant opposition among Second and Third Division clubs, so SPL2 is back on the table. If the First Division is replaced this summer by an SPL2 whose founding membership is decided by invitation, expect Rangers to be in it and Dunfermline out. Morton would be invited I imagine.

In the meantime, Morton has announced a £750,000 stadium improvement program which includes new seats, a new pitch and a temporary groundsharing agreement with St Mirren in case the renovations stretch into next season, should the club gain promotion.

[Raith win 2 - 1. Morton goal by Wilkie. Partick win, and are now four points up with a game in hand. Partick play again Tuesday (against Raith) but not next Saturday due to their Ramsdens Cup final against Queen of the South.] [Rangers have won their first ever Third Division title.]

Tomorrow Sapporo host Gamba Osaka in a meeting of the recently demoted. [Gamba win.]

James Watt on the A8

James Watt surveys the corner of William Street and Dalrymple Street (the A8).

Cowdenbeath visit Cappielow today if the weather holds. [Game on.] This is the season's final meeting between the two clubs. Morton have won two of the three previous matches, and the third ended in a draw.

Morton enter today's action two points up on Partick, with Partick holding two games in hand, as has been the case for several weeks. Partick were again unable to make up one of their postponed matches Tuesday. The ideal result today would be a Morton win plus a Thistle defeat. Partick Thistle are up against third-place Livingston.

The Scottish national team trained at Cappielow this week.

What was the closest First Division finish ever? Three-point era: in 2006-07 Gretna beat St. Johnstone by one point; Inverness CT beat Clyde by one point in 2003-04; Raith beat Dunfermline by one point in 1994-95. Two-point era: too many photo finishes to count, which was why they brought in the three-point win, apparently. But ... don't you want close title races? Don't they create meaningful games?

Did the First Division title ever come down to goal difference? Yes, in 1977-78 Morton (Pts 58, GD 43) beat Heart of Midlothian (Pts 58, GD 35) for first, though in those days first and second were both promoted.

Since 1994-95, when the three-point wins were introduced, what has been the highest points total attained by a second-place club in the First Division? 72 points, by Clyde FC, in 2002-03. But that was the year Falkirk finished first with 81.

And what has been the greatest margin of victory in the First Division since the three-point win came in? 24 points, last year, by Ross County.

Portion of 2013 when Scotland and Nova Scotia are three hours apart: March 10th to 31st. Portion of 2013 when they are five hours apart: October 27th to November 3rd.

[Morton win 4 - 2 with goals by MacDonald (2), Taggart and Hardie. Partick also win, so still no change at the top. Hamilton cannot win the division.]

Tomorrow Sapporo visit Avispa Fukuoka. [And win 0 - 1.]

James Watt, maker of finely calibrated fly swatters. Source.