Plenty of Nothing

Ice Palace, 1885

Source.

Nuns Knitting for the Highland Guards

Another watercolour by MacNaughton. The nuns are apparently knitting leggings, and politely not saying, "Idiots, this is Canada." Source.

Collecting Firewood, 1760

This watercolour by John H. MacNaughton shows Britsh soldiers collecting firewood at Quebec in the winter of 1759-60. Seven men draw a loaded sledge, while six other keep a lookout for marauders. I think MacNaughton has given his soldiers more tractor power than is credible. It takes about ten men to equal the traction of one horse, and that's a two-draughthorse job right there. Source.

Sakha

A young Sakha woman from Yakutia. Portrait by Alexander Khimushin. Source.

Tiger Fragment

Source.

Greenock Morton Goalscorers, Part 3

Ross Forbes. Source.

Goalscorers who left the team in 2018:

John Baird

2018/3/24      50'    Cappielow    Brechin                Smith    league

2018/3/24      72'    Cappielow    Brechin                Smith    league

2018/4/10      69'    Cappielow    Dumbarton    Gallacher    league

Darren Barr

2017/7/18      92'    Cappielow    Queen's Park         Muir    League Cup

Michael Doyle

2018/4/21      30'    St Mirren       St Mirren         Samson    league

Ross Forbes

2015/8/1        74'    Cappielow    Elgin                    Black    League Cup

2015/8/25      69'    Palmerston    QoS             Thomson    League Cup

2015/10/24    55'    Cappielow    Alloa                  McNeil    league

2016/2/24      63'    Easter Road    Hibs                 Oxley    league

2016/3/19      17'    Cappielow    Alloa             Gallacher    league

2016/8/9        58'    New Douglas   Hamilton   Matthews    League Cup

2016/9/10      80'    Somerset    Ayr Utd               McNeil    league

2016/10/1      18'    Cappielow   Raith Rovers   Cuthbert    league

2016/10/15      6'    Palmerston    QoS             Robinson    league

2016/11/1      27'    Cappielow    St Mirren        Langfield    league

2016/12/3      11'    Bellsdale       Beith               Grindlay    Scottish Cup

2017/1/14      27'    Cappielow   Raith Rovers   Cuthbert    league

2017/1/21      47'    Cappielow    Falkirk               Rogers    Scottish Cup

2017/1/28      11'    Somerset    Ayr Utd              Fleming    league

2017/1/28      19'    Somerset    Ayr Utd              Fleming    league

2017/2/18      68'    Cappielow    Falkirk               Rogers    league

2017/3/11      55'    Cappielow    QoS               Robinson    league

2017/9/16      16'    Palmerston    QoS                   Martin    league

Gary Fraser

2018/4/10      62'    Cappielow    Dumbarton    Gallacher    league

Gary Harkins

2017/7/18      SO    Cappielow    Queen's Park        Muir    League Cup

2017/9/9        73'    Cappielow    Dunfermline    Murdoch    league

2017/10/28    79'    St Mirren       St Mirren         Samson    league

2017/11/4        7'    Cappielow    QoS                     Martin    league

2017/11/25      9'    Falkirk           Falkirk            Thomson    league

2017/12/2      72'    Cappielow    Brechin                 Smith    league

2017/12/23    22'    Cappielow    Inverness          Ridgers    league

2018/2/24      70'    Caledonian    Inverness         Ridgers    league

2018/3/10      91'    Falkirk           Falkirk               Hazard    league

Ricki Lamie

2016/12/31    93'    St Mirren    St Mirren           Gallacher    league

2017/7/18      SO    Cappielow    Queen's Park         Muir    League Cup

2018/4/7        69'    Livingston    Almondvale    Alexander    league

Andy Murdoch

2017/4/11      29'    Cappielow    St Mirren            O'Brien    league

2017/7/18     SO    Cappielow    Queen's Park          Muir    League Cup

2017/8/12      77'    Cappielow    St Mirren           Samson    league

2017/10/14    81'    Glebe Park    Brechin                Smith    league

2017/10/28    68'    St Mirren      St Mirren           Samson    league

Thomas O'Ware

2014/4/1        38'    Cappielow    Dumbarton         Ewings    league

2014/8/19      45'    Cappielow    Berwick                   Bald    Challenge Cup

2014/8/23      92'    Balmoor    Peterhead                Smith    league

2014/10/4      69'    Glebe Park    Brechin                Smith    league

2014/10/25    79'    East End    Dunfermline            Scully    league

2015/8/29      72'    Recreation    Alloa                Crawford    league

2015/10/3      82'    Stark's Park   Raith Rovers   Cuthbert    league

2016/1/9        65'    Almondvale    Livingston     Jamieson    Scottish Cup

2016/2/24      36'    Easter Road    Hibs                    Oxley    league

2016/4/9        82'    Cappielow    Livingston       McCallum    league

2016/7/16      SO    Cliftonhill    Albion Rovers      Stewart    League Cup

2016/7/19      77'    Cappielow    Clyde                  Gibson    League Cup

2016/8/6        17'    St Mirren    St Mirren            Langfield    league

2016/9/20      31'    Cappielow    Dundee Utd              Bell    League Cup

2016/10/15    72'    Palmerston    QoS               Robinson    league

2016/10/29    73'    Cappielow    Ayr Utd              Fleming    league

2016/11/1      15'    Cappielow    St Mirren          Langfield    league

2016/12/3      51'    Bellsdale    Beith                   Grindlay    Scottish Cup

2016/12/3      90'    Bellsdale    Beith                   Grindlay    Scottish Cup

2016/12/24    17'    Cappielow    QoS                Robinson    league

2017/2/18      13'    Cappielow    Falkirk                Rogers    league

2017/5/9          7'    Cappielow    Dundee Utd             Bell    playoffs

2018/1/2        80'    Cappielow    St Mirren           Samson    league

2018/1/27      35'    Tannadice    Dundee Utd           Lewis    league

2018/2/20      74'    Dumbarton    Dumbarton     Gallacher    league

2018/4/7        18'    Almondvale    Livingston     Alexander    league

Jai Quitongo

2016/7/23      67'    Rugby    Kilmarnock        MacDonald    League Cup

2016/7/30      16'    Cappielow    Berwick            Brennan    League Cup

2016/8/9        63'    New Douglas    Hamilton    Matthews    League Cup

2016/9/17      84'    Cappielow    Dunfermline        Hutton    league

2016/9/20      24'    Cappielow    Dundee Utd             Bell    League Cup

2016/10/15    64'    Palmerston    QoS               Robinson    league

2017/7/29      53'    Cappielow    Edinburgh City      Antell    League Cup

2017/9/9        93'    Cappielow    Dunfermline     Murdoch    league

2017/9/16      20'    Palmerston    QoS                    Martin    league

2017/12/2      83'    Cappielow    Brechin                 Smith    league

2018/1/20      85'    East End    Dunfermline      Robinson    Scottish Cup

Frank Ross

2018/2/10      12'    Cappielow    Dumbarton    Gallacher    Scottish Cup

2018/3/31      93'    Cappielow    Dundee Utd         Lewis    league

Mark Russell

2015/1/10      69'    Ochilview   Stenhousemuir   Fleming    league

2015/2/21      91'    Cappielow    Stranraer          Mitchell    league

2015/3/28      90'    East End    Dunfermline           Scully    league

2015/5/2        39'    Cappielow    Peterhead            Smith    league

2016/11/12    69'    Dumbarton    Dumbarton         Martin    league

Sens Leafs

Source.

Canada is the only hockey power without its own national professional league. If this were Sweden, Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Switzerland, there'd be a national league with twelve or fourteen teams, and a second league with another dozen or so, plus lower leagues. However, this is North America, and for hockey purposes we are not a country, we're a market.

But the closed border has forced to NHL to realign. The seven Canadian clubs are obliged to play each other exclusively this season, at least until the Stanley Cup semi-finals, and so for once there's a opportunity to see what a Canadian league might look like.

The seven Canadian franchises make for a very small league. It was accepted by everyone in soccer that when the Canadian Premier League started with only seven teams it was too small. And an eight-team CFL has always been treated as a temporary evil until a ninth team could be organized. But seven teams playing Canada's most popular sport are fine from the NHL's point of view. In fact, from 1996 to 2010, six teams were fine. You'll recall that the NHL is the league that celebrated Canada's Centennial Year by adding six US franchises.

So let's follow the Ottawa Senators as they meet each of the other six North Division clubs. If the AHL follow suit and create a four-team Canadian division of their own, I'll cover those teams too.

Today the Toronto Maple Leafs visit Ottawa.

Ottawa became a hockey town before Toronto, and in the Challenge Cup era (1893 - 1914) Ottawa teams won the cup 17 times, to 2 times for Toronto. In the early years of the NHL Ottawa won the cup four times, in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927. During the same period Toronto teams won the cup three times, in 1918, 1922 and 1932.

The modern Senators have the better regular season results, head-to-head, with 64 wins, 46 losses, 3 ties and 10 overtime losses. But the Leafs have won all four playoff series.

[January 15: Ottawa Senators 5 - 3 Toronto Maple Leafs

January 16: Ottawa Senators 2 - 3 Toronto Maple Leafs

And just to annoy North Americans I'll be listing the home team first.]

Princes Pier

Source.

Morton host Dunfermline Athletic in a Friday night game, broadcast on BBC Scotland. This is Morton's second televised game of the season (if you don't count all the ones that have been streamed to subscribers). The other televised game was against St Mirren in the League Cup group stage.

Dunfermline are second in the division, with 19 points. Morton are fifth with 15. Morton are undefeated in four games, Dunfermline in three. Dunfermline's last defeat was to Morton.

There have been developments. Monday the SFA cancelled all soccer in Scotland for the remainder of January, except for the Premiership and Championship. The Scottish Cup is postponed. Morton's Tuesday night Scottish Cup match against the Pars was therefore put off, even though it was an all-Championship pairing.

If the League One season turns out to be over, then Falkirk have won the title on a points per game basis, and Forfar are last. In League Two, Queen's Park have won and Brechin are last.

If the Lowland League is over, then Kelty Hearts have won and Vale of Leithen are last. The Highland League has played so few games I'm sure they would just scrub the table.

When it restarts, the Scottish Cup will present some scheduling problems. Come February 1st there will be 44 teams still in it. Last February 1st there were only 16 remaining.

[The 3 - 0 losses imposed on Kilmarnock and St Mirren earlier in the season have been overturned and replaced by fines.]

[Morton 0 - 0 Pars.]

Other Championship matches tomorrow:

Alloa [1 - 3] Hearts

Dundee vs Ayr United [postponed -- frozen pitch]

Queen of the South [2 - 2] Arbroath

Raith Rovers vs Inverness CT [postponed -- Covid at Raith Rovers]

One last Scottish Cup Round One match got squeezed in:

Camelon Juniors 1 - 2 Brora Rangers (January 11)

Other matches:

Hibs [2 - 0] Kilmarnock

3.Liga: 1.FC Magdeburg  1 - 2  1.FC Saarbrücken (January 12)

Postponed:

Lowland League: Edinburgh University vs Bonnyrigg Rose

Highland League: Clachnacuddin vs Fort William

WoSFL: Largs Thistle vs Hurlford United

SWF Championship South: BSC Glasgow vs Morton

Cowdenbeath versus Lochgelly United, the record:

Lochgelly United existed from 1890 to 1928. They played in the SFL from 1914 to 1926.

Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly are one mile apart in Fife, so it's not difficult to imagine the two teams' supporters not only attending these matches en masse, but walking to get there.

Cowdenbeath versus Lochgelly United in the King Cup:

1896/11/26    Lochgelly United 0 - 0 Cowdenbeath

1897/1/16      Lochgelly United 0 - 0 Cowdenbeath

1897/2/13      Cowdenbeath 1 - 2 Lochgelly United

1898/12/10    Cowdenbeath 1 - 3 Lochgelly United

Cowdenbeath versus Lochgelly United in the Wemyss Cup:

1899/1/14      Lochgelly United 2 - 4 Cowdenbeath

1900/x/x        Cowdenbeath W - L Lochgelly United

1903/5/6        Cowdenbeath 0 - 1 Lochgelly United

1906/2/24      Lochgelly United 3 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1906/3/10      Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United

1907/4/27      Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United

1907/5/1        Lochgelly United 3 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1907/8/15      Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United

1907/10/5      Lochgelly United 3 - 0 Cowdenbeath

1909/3/20      Cowdenbeath 0 - 0 Lochgelly United

1909/4/5        Lochgelly United vs Cowdenbeath

1910/4/27      Lochgelly United 4 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1912/10/19    Cowdenbeath 5 - 2 Lochgelly United

1921/3/23      Cowdenbeath 5 - 2 Lochgelly United

1923/8/29      Cowdenbeath 5 - 1 Lochgelly United    (cup final)

1925/5/29      Cowdenbeath 3 - 0 Lochgelly United    (cup final)

1926/4/21      Cowdenbeath 5 - 0 Lochgelly United

1927/4/27      Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United    (Cowdenbeath won on corner kicks.) (cup final)

Cowdenbeath versus Lochgelly United in the Fife Cup:

1902/2/15      Lochgelly United 1 - 2 Cowdenbeath

1902/4/5        Cowdenbeath 1 - 0 Lochgelly United

1904/4/16      Cowdenbeath 2 - 1 Lochgelly United

1904/5/9        Lochgelly United 2 - 3 Cowdenbeath

1905/4/29      Lochgelly United 2 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1905/5/13      Cowdenbeath 3 - 1 Lochgelly United

1905/12/2      Lochgelly United 1 - 2 Cowdenbeath

1906/11/10    Cowdenbeath 2 - 0 Lochgelly United

1907/10/12    Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United

1907/10/19    Lochgelly United 3 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1910/3/5        Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United

1910/3/12      Cowdenbeath 1 - 1 Lochgelly United

1910/3/19      Cowdenbeath 2 - 1 Lochgelly United    (cup final)

1917/2/17      Lochgelly United 0 - 2 Cowdenbeath

1919/10/4      Cowdenbeath 1 - 0 Lochgelly United

1923/4/9        Cowdenbeath 4 - 1 Lochgelly United

1925/9/23      Cowdenbeath 3 - 3 Lochgelly United

1926/4/7        Cowdenbeath 4 - 1 Lochgelly United    (cup final)

1927/?/?        Cowdenbeath W - L Lochgelly United

(Drawn from SFHA, "Fife Cup" and "King Cup".)

Cowdenbeath versus Lochgelly United in the SFL Division Two:

1914/8/15      Lochgelly United 0 - 4 Cowdenbeath

1915/2/6        Cowdenbeath 2 - 0 Lochgelly United

1921/8/20      Cowdenbeath 4 - 3 Lochgelly United

1922/3/25      Lochgelly United 2 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1922/11/25    Lochgelly United 3 - 2 Cowdenbeath

1923/3/3        Cowdenbeath 4 - 0 Lochgelly United

1923/10/13    Lochgelly United 0 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1924/3/29      Cowdenbeath 2 - 1 Lochgelly United

(Source: Fitbastats.)

Historical matches:

Jan 16, 1915. Rangers came to Cappielow and won 0 - 1.

SFL Division Three results, January 17, 1925:

Clackmannan 2 - 1 Leith Athletic

Dykehead 1 - 1 Mid Annandale

Galston 1 - 0 Vale of Leven

Lochgelly United 3 - 3 Queen of the South

Montrose 1 - 2 Solway Star

Nithsdale Wanderers 5 - 3 Brechin City

Peebles Rovers 5 - 0 Helensburgh

Royal Albert 3 - 2 Beith

Source: Glasgow Herald, January 19, 1925, p. 15.

Valentina Grizodubova

Statue of Soviet pilot Valentina Grizodubova in Moscow. Source.

Sierre

HC Sierre wear red and yellow, based on the city's coat of arms, and ideal for McDonald's sponsorship.  Source.

HC Sierre visit HC Ajoie. Currently Sierre are fourth in the second-tier Swiss League, and Ajoie are third but have eight games in hand.

HC Sierre was founded in 1933. The gained promotion from the third-tier MySport League in 2019, but they have spent many years in tier II and one or two in the top tier.

Their rink is the Patinoire de Graben, which can hold 4,500 spectators. Graben is German for trench, so you can expect a tough game when you go there.

Sierre's head coach is Dany Gelinas who was born in Canada but played all of his hockey in France, Switzerland and Slovenia.

Sierre is a city in the canton of Valais, just to the west of the French/German linguistic frontier. I'll bet you did not know that Jacques Plante is buried in Sierre.

[Ajoie 3 - 5 Sierre.]

One of the Swiss Cup semi-finals has been held:

Fribourg-Gotteron 1 - 4 ZSC Lions (December 20)

The Bern/Geneve-Servette semi-final is scheduled for January 30th. The final is February 7th.

HC Ajoie seasons, overtime era:

                  G     W   OW  SW  SL  OL    L      F      A      GD    P     Pos

2019-20    44    28     4      0     1     2      9    185   105   +80    95    2nd, SL    SC

2018-19    44    29     0      0     1     0    14    151     94   +57    88    2nd, SL

2017-18    46    22     1      2     1     6    14    168   130   +38    79     5th, SL

2016-17    48    24     6                    2    16    202   136   +66    86     6th, NLB

2015-16    45    24     2                    2    17    171   131   +40    78     5th, NLB

2014-15    48    15     3      1     6     3    20    137   152    -15    62     7th, NLB

2013-14    45    14     3      1     3     4    20    123   156    -33    57     9th, NLB

2012-13    50    31     1      4     1     1    12    187   138   +49  105     1st, NLB

2011-12    45    16     1      2     2     0    24    119    154    -35    56     8th, NLB

2010-11    45    19     4                    5    17    141    149      -8    70     7th, NLB

2009-10    45    21     5                    2    17    157    149     +8    75     5th, NLB

2008-09    41    21     5                    2    13    148    125   +23    75     5th, NLB

2007-08    49    28     6                    0    15    201    135   +66    96     4th, NLB

2006-07    45    21     4                    5    15    181    144   +37    76     5th, NLB

NLB = National League B; SL = Swiss League; SC = won Swiss Cup

OW = overtime win; SW = shootout win; SL = shootour loss; OL = overtime loss

Source: German Wikipedia