Plenty of Nothing

Kawabata's Karuizawa House

Yasunari Kawabata's house in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture is being demolished. He bought the place from a British diplomat, and wrote some of his books there, notably The Lake. This photo shows him outside in 1959. His main residence was in Kamakura. Source.

Yokohama Grits versus Tohoku Free Blades

Source.

For a second consecutive year Asia League Ice Hockey is unable to perform as an international league due to Covid travel restrictions, so, like last year, the five Japanese clubs are playing a local tournament called the Japan Cup. The schedule is here.

Let's follow Tohoku Free Blades, who today visit Yokohama Grits.

[Grits 3 - 10 Free Blades.]

Seasons of Tohoku Free Blades:

                  G     W    a    b    c    d     L       F        A      GD   Pts   Pos

2009-10    36    13    0    4    1    0    18    132    142    -10    48    5th

2010-11    36    18    1    3    2    4      8    160    112    +48    68    3rd

2011-12    36    13    3    1    4    1    13    106    111       -5    52    6th

2012-13    42    24    1    2    0    2    13    162    117    +45    80    2nd

2013-14    42    18    2    1    2    2    17    134    110    +24    64    5th

2014-15    48    27    1    2    2    2    14    188    131    +57    91    3rd

2015-16    48    20    4    1    2    1    20    138    141       -3    73    5th

2016-17    48    26    1    1    0    3    17    185    135    +50    85    4th

2017-18    28    13    1    0    1    2    11      78      75      +3    44    3rd

2018-19    34      9    3    0    2    1    19      73    106     -33    36    8th

2019-20    36      4    2          2          28      67    148     -81    16    7th

2020-21    22      6    3          2          11      65      91     -26    26    4th, Japan Cup

a b c d = an assortment of loser points

(Sources: Hockey Archives; Wikipedia for 2019-20; flashscore.ca for 2020-21.)

The Bay of Quick

"Burning the Bottom, Bay of Quick, Greenock" by John Fleming (1792-1845). Source. The Bay of Quick was filled in to make the Esplanade in the 1860s.

Raith Rovers visit Cappielow. Raith are sixth in the division with 4 points and a 0 goal difference. Morton are eighth with 4 points and a -4 goal difference.

Morton did not score a goal on Raith last season. The last Morton player to do so was Lee Kilday on February 7th, 2017.

Raith Rovers' Reghan Tumilty played for Morton from 2018 to 2020. Raith have a Canadian on their squad: Dario Zanatta. Morton's Gozie Ugwu played for Raith last season.

Some Inverclyde councillors are keen to have Greenock declared a city as part of the Queen's platinum (70th) jubilee celebrations next year.

Ayr United fielded a couple of ineligible players in their Challenge Cup match against Rangers B.

[Morton 0 - 1 Raith Rovers.]

The other Championship matches:

Hamilton Accies (9th) [0 - 2] Ayr United (7th)

Partick Thistle (4th) [0 - 2] Kilmarnock (2nd)

Queen of the South (5th) [0 - 2] Arbroath (3rd)

Dunfermline (10th) [0 - 0] Inverness CT* (1st)

*Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup Round Two match. [Inverness advance on the yellow card rule.]

Arbroath are having one of their best years. Holding third place in the Championship makes them fifteen in all of Scottish football, not a very familiar position for the Red Lichties.

Arbroath's best seasons by league position:

1937-38    38    11    13    14    57    65      -8    35    11th, old Div. 1

1935-36    38    11    11    16    46    69    -23    33    11th, old Div. 1

1973-74    34    10      7    17    52    69    -17    27    13th, old Div. 1

1936-37    38    13      5    20    57    84    -27    31    14th, old Div.1

1972-73    34      9      8    17    39    63    -24    26    15th, old Div. 1

1975-76    26    11      4    11    41    39      +2    26    5th, new Div. 1 (15th overall)

It's the Scottish Cup, Round One:

The Highland and Lowland Leagues join in. There are 30 fixtures altogether in this round. Let's follow the preliminary round winners, plus Clachnacuddin and East Kilbride.

Blackburn United [1 - 2] Rothes

Clydebank [7 - 0] Dalkeith

Dunbar United [2 - 0] Camelon

Penicuik [1 - 3] Tranent

These are the top two clubs in the East of Scotland League.

Golspie Sutherland [0 - 3] Civil Service Strollers

Irvine Meadow XI [1 - 3] Auchinleck Talbot

An Ayrshire derby.

Inverurie Loco Works [0 - 3] Jeanfield Swifts

Banks O' Dee [1 - 0] Turriff United

An Aberdeenshire derby.

Coldstream [1 - 10] East Kilbride

Lossiemouth [0 - 3] Preston Athletic (See below.)

Tynecastle [0 - 6] Brora Rangers

Clachnacuddin [1 - 2] Dunipace

Other matches:

J2: Tochigi [0 - 0] Mito HollyHock

JFL: FC Kariya [0 - 1] Nara Club (tomorrow)

Faroes: B36 [5 - 0] IF (tomorrow)

TPS 3 - 0 Gnistan (September 15)

Klubi 4 [2 - 4] TPS (tomorrow)

[This ends the Ykkonen regular season. TPS finish second. They go into a promotion playoff once the top league finishes.]

WE League: JEF United Chiba [1 - 1] Elfen Saitama (Monday)

JEF finished 6th in Nadeshiko 1 last season.

Largs Thistle [2 - 2] Kilkintilloch Rob Roy

1.FC Saarbrücken [3 - 1] Turkgucu Munchen

The Strongest [3 - 1] Jorge Wilstermann (tomorrow)

York United [0 - 0] HFX Wanderers

Stockport Town [2 - 3] FC Isle of Man

SWF Championship Cup, Round Two (tomorrow):

Edinburgh City [7 - 0] Morton

AFC Champions League, Round of 16, East:

This round is one-legged.

Ulsan Hyundai 0 - 0 Kawasaki Frontale (September 14)   Ulsan win on PK.

Nagoya Grampus 4 - 2 Daegu FC (September 14)

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1 - 1 BG Pathum United (September 15)    Jeonbuk win on PK.

Cerezo Osaka 0 - 1 Pohang Steelers (September 15)

UEFA Europa League group stage, matchday 1 (September 16):

Rangers 0 - 2 Lyon

Real Betis 4 - 3 Celtic

Coupe de France, Round Three: USSA Vertou [8 - 0] AS Saint Pierraise

Union sportive de la Sainte-Anne de Vertou have their home ground in Vertou, Loire-Atlantique. They play in National 3, the fifth tier of French football.

FAI Cup quarter-final (yesterday):

UCD 2 - 3 Waterford

Preston Athletic in the Scottish Cup:

2002-03    R1    Preston Athletic 0 - 1 Hamilton Academical

2005-06    R1    Preston Athletic 2 - 6 Gretna

2006-07    R1    Preston Athletic 2 - 0 Stenhousemuir

                 R2    Brechin City 2 - 1 Preston Athletic

2007-08    R1    Golspie Sutherland 3 - 1 Preston Athletic

2008-09    R1    Preston Athletic 3 - 1 Gala Fairydean

                 R2    East Stirlingshire 4 - 2 Preston Athletic

2009-10    R1    Selkirk 3 - 0 Preston Athletic

2010-11    R1    Newton Stewart 1 - 1 Preston Athletic

                         Preston Athletic 3 - 0 Newton Stewart

                 R2    Preston Athletic 0 - 0 Annan Athletic

                         Annan Athletic 5 - 0 Preston Athletic

2011-12    R1    Wigtown & Bladnoch 2 - 0 Preston Athletic

2012-13    R1    Preston Athletic 0 - 2 Nairn County

2013-14    R1    Huntly 3 - 4 Preston Athletic

                 R2    Queen's Park 2 - 2 Preston Athletic

                         Preston Athletic 1 - 2 Queen's Park

2014-15    R1    Preston Athletic 1 - 2 Threave Rovers

2015-16    R1    Preston Athletic 2 - 3 Fort William

2016-17    R1    Nairn County 2 - 3 Preston Athletic

                 R2    Preston Athletic 0 - 3 Montrose

2017-18   PR2   Colville Park 5 - 0 Preston Athletic

2018-19   PR1   Preston Athletic 3 - 1 Glasgow University

                PR2   Preston Athletic 0 - 2 Linlithgow Rose

2019-20   PR1   Linlithgow Rose 2 - 1 Preston Athletic

2020-21   PR2   Preston Athletic 3 - 2 Hawick Royal Albert United

                 R1    Stenhousemuir 4 - 1 Preston Athletic

2021-22    PR    Preston Athletic 2 - 0 Threave Rovers

                 R1    Lossiemouth [0 - 3] Preston Athletic

1999-2000

September 14, 1999.    Clydebank returned to Inverness for a Challenge Cup Round Three match with Caley Thistle. ICT 2 - 0 Clydebank.

September 18, 1999.    Morton were away to Love Street where St Mirren beat them 3 - 2. Paddy Connolly scored both Morton goals on penalties. Clydebank hosted Ayr United at Cappielow and lost 0 - 2.

Abercorn FC results for 1890-91:

1891/5/30      St Mirren 3 - 2 Abercorn    Paisley Charity Cup R1

1891/5/12      Celtic 2 - 0 Abercorn                        SFL

1891/4/28      Third Lanark 2 - 1 Abercorn            SFL

1891/4/25      Abercorn 1 - 0 Hearts                    SFL

1891/4/18      Morton 2 - 1 Abercorn                  friendly

1891/4/11      Cambuslang 4 - 5 Abercorn           SFL

1891/3/28      Hearts 1 - 1 Abercorn                     SFL

1891/3/21      Abercorn 1 - 0 Cowlairs                SFL

1891/3/14      Rangers 2 - 0 Abercorn                  SFL

1891/3/7        Abercorn 6 - 0 Vale of Leven        SFL

1891/2/28      Cowlairs 7 - 5 Abercorn                  SFL

1891/2/14      Abercorn 5 - 1 Kilmarnock          friendly

1891/2/7        Abercorn 1 - 1 Rangers                  SFL

1891/1/24      Abercorn 5 - 1 St Mirren                SFL

1891/1/17      Dumbarton 3 - 1 Abercorn    Scottish Cup SF

1891/1/10      Abercorn 3 - 3 Linthouse              friendly

1890/12/27    Abercorn 1 - 2 Dumbarton              SFL

1890/12/20    Leith Athletic 2 - 3 Abercorn    Scottish Cup QF

1890/12/13    St Mirren 1 - 0 Abercorn    Renfrewshire Cup R2

1890/12/6      Abercorn 2 - 5 Cambuslang           SFL

1890/11/22    St Mirren 2 - 2 Abercorn (abandoned)    Renfrewshire Cup R2

1890/11/15    Partick Thistle 1 - 4 Abercorn     friendly

1890/11/8      Abercorn 8 - 0 Bathgate Rovers    Scottish Cup R4

1890/11/1      Abercorn 7 - 1 Morton        Renfrewshire Cup R1

1890/10/25    Abercorn 1 - 5 Celtic                      SFL

1890/10/18    Linthouse 3 - 4 Abercorn    Scottish Cup R3

1890/10/11    Dumbarton 5 - 1 Abercorn             SFL

1890/10/4      Abercorn 2 - 4 Third Lanark          SFL

1890/9/27      Abercorn 12 - 0 Cathcart    Scottish Cup R2

1890/9/20      St Mirren 4 - 2 Abercorn                SFL

1890/9/13      Abercorn 4 - 2 Renton             SFL (nullified)

1890/9/6        Abercorn 8 - 0 Irvine    Scottish Cup R1

1890/8/30      Vale of Leven 2 - 1 Abercorn         SFL

1890/8/9        Abercorn 3 - 1 Port Glasgow (at Cappielow)    friendly

1890/8/2        Morton 2 - 5 Abercorn               friendly

(Sources: Fitbastats for most SFL fixtures; SFHA for the Renfrewshire Cup and Paisley Charity Cup; German Wikipedia for the Scottish Cup; the Glasgow Herald for some SFL fixtures, and friendlies)

2021-22 Championship strips: (top, left to right) Arbroath, Ayr United, Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical, Inverness Caledonian Thistle; (bottom, left to right) Kilmarnock, Morton, Partick Thistle, Queen of the South, Raith Rovers. (From their Wikipedia pages.)

Clement Attlee

Source.

Gaston Lagaffe

Source.

Tiangong and Shenzhou

Source.

Bunty Bailey

Bunty Bailey rotoscoped in the "Take On Me" video, 1984. View.

Hockey Ins and Outs for 2021-22

Ajoie supporters show the flag. Source.

KHL:    Admiral Vladivostok return, bringing the league back up to 24 teams. Torpedo, Severstal and Kunlun all shift divisions to make room for them.

Sweden:    HV71 are relegated to HockeyAllsvenskan. Timrå are promoted to the SHL. Väsby IK are relegated from HockeyAllsvenskan to Hockeyettan. IF Troja-Ljungby are promoted from Hockeyettan to the HockeyAllsvenskan.

Finland:    No change in the Liiga. Two clubs, SaPKo and RoKi, dropped out of the Mestis during the 2020-21 season.

Germany:    The DEL converts to a single division of 15 with the admission of DEL2 champion Bietigheim Steelers.

Czech Republic:    The Extraliga expands to 15 clubs, admitting Rytíři Kladno, Jaromir Jagr's club. 1.liga reduces from 18 to 17 teams, with a view to reducing to 14 next year.

Slovakia:    DVTK Jegesmedvék join the Hungarian league. HK Spišská Nová Ves, winner of 1.Liga, are in.

Switzerland:    The National League expands to 13 teams by admitting HC Ajoie, winner of the Swiss League playoffs.

Hungary:    The number of teams in the Erste Liga remains 10, but Corona Brasov of Romania are out and DVTK Jegesmedvék are in.

Austria:    The ICE Hockey League expands from 11 to 14 teams, adding Orli Znojmo from the Czech Republic, HK Olimpija of Slovenia, and HC Pusteral from Italy.

Norway:    The Fjordkraft-ligaen returns having not completed last season or the one before. Narvik are relegated, based on points per game, and Ringerike are promoted.

Britain:    The EIHL returns after a year off with the same ten teams as in 2019-20.

France:    No change in Ligue Magnus.

Bolzano versus Frisk Asker

You have to like a rink with wooden rafters. This is Palaonda in Bolzano. Source.

The Champions Hockey League group stage continues. Frisk Asker visit Bolzano in Italian Tyrolia. Bolzano are second in the group with two regulation time wins (worth 3 points each) and a 2-point overtime win. Frisk Asker are fourth with three regulation time losses and a -9 goal difference. To have any chance at making the next round they must take 3 points from each of their remaining games, including today's.

Bolzano have twice won the multinational ICE Hockey League (formerly known as the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga), and are 19-time winners of the Italian Serie A.

HC Bolzano in the Champions Hockey League:

2018-19

2018/8/31      GS    Bolzano 3 - 3 Skellefteå (Bolzano won the SO.)

2018/9/2        GS    Bolzano 4 - 1 HIFK

2018/9/6        GS    HIFK 1 - 1 Bolzano (Bolzano won the SO.)

2018/9/8        GS    Skellefteå 2 - 1 Bolzano

2018/10/10    GS    GKS Tychy 5 - 3 Bolzano

2018/10/16    GS    Bozano 6 - 4 GKS Tychy

2018/11/6       16    Bolzano 1 - 6 Plzeň

2018/11/20     16    Plzeň 6 - 2 Bolzano

2020-21

Bolzano were to have played in the cancelled 2020-21 tournament.

[Frisk Asker win 2 - 1 after a shootout, but they won't be able to finish in the top two and advance.]

To Rugby Park by Tram

The Kilmarnock Corporation Tramways ran from 1904 to 1926, with stops in 1907, 1911, 1915 and 1923. Source.

Morton return to Rugby Park where they played Kilmarnock in the League Cup group stage in July. The match ended in a 1 - 1 draw before Morton surrendered the extra point in the shootout.

Presently Kilmarnock are third in the Championship with 9 points and a +4 goal difference. Morton are seventh with 4 points and a -3 gd. Killie have allowed only 1 goal in league play, whereas Morton have admitted 8.

This is Morton's first league match at Rugby Park since 1993. Morton's last league win at Rugby Park was January 11th, 1992.

Morton's most lopsided win against Kilmarnock came on August 21st, 1920 when they beat them 9 - 2 at Cappielow. Kilmarnock's most lopsided win against Morton was a 7 - 2 win at Rugby Park on February 15th, 1930.

Both teams won in the Challenge Cup Round Two last weekend, by identical 3 - 1 scores. Killie knocked Falkirk out, and Morton eliminated Celtic B.

[Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Morton.]

Other Championship matches:

Inverness CT (1st) [3 - 1] Partick Thistle (2nd)

This is the second matchday in a row in which first- and second-place teams have met. In week four ICT knocked Killie out of first place. ICT enter today's game as the only SPFL team with a perfect record: four 1 - 0 victories. They have not been scored on since July 25th, in the League Cup group stage.

Arbroath (4th) [4 - 0] Hamilton (6th)*

Raith Rovers (5th) [0 - 1] Queen of the South (8th)*

*Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup Round Two matches

Ayr United 0 - 2 Raith Rovers (September 7)

Ayr United (9th) [3 - 1] Dunfermline Athletic (10th)

Ayr United have dumped manager David Hopkin. Jim Duffy will manage the team for today's match.

Other matches:

East Kilbride [3 - 0] The Spartans

Clachnacuddin [2 - 0] Deveronvale

UCD 5 - 2 Cabinteely (last night)

J2: Mito HollyHock [0 - 3] Blaublitz Akita

JFL: Sony Sendai 1 - 2 FC Kariya (tomorrow) [Upset]

Faroes: 07 Vestur Sorvagur [2 - 2] B36 (tomorrow)

Winterthur [2 - 1] Xamax

[After six games Winterthur are in first place.]

Pohang Steelers 1 - 2 Daegu (yesterday)

Tohoku Div 1: Cobaltore Onagawa vs Dogizaka (tomorrow)

Tohoku Div 2N: Gonohe vs Hokuto Bank (tomorrow)

The Tohoku League Divisions 1 and 2 have been called to a halt due to Covid, and though there have not been enough games played to crown a champion Cobaltore Onagawa as Division 1 leader have been chosen to represent Tohoku in the Regional Champions League in November.

Japan has withdrawn as 2021 FIFA Club World Cup host due to Covid.

TPS 3 - 0 MuSa (yesterday)

After 20 games (of 22) TPS hold second place. If they can hang on they'll go into a promotion playoff.

Viktoria Koln  0 - 0  1.FC Saarbrücken

The Strongest [1 - 1] Independiente Petrolero (tomorrow)

HFX Wanderers 3 - 3 York United (September 6)

Atlético Ottawa [1 - 2] HFX Wanderers (today) [Two for Morelli.]

Wanderers have signed striker Mamadi Camara and midfielder Alejandro Portal.

SWF Championship South: Morton [4 - 0] Gleniffer Thistle (tomorrow)

The WE League begins, Japan's first fully professional women's soccer league. This is a winter league, which is unusual in Japanese football.

Elfen Saitama [0 - 3] Sanfrecce Hiroshima (tomorrow)

Aberdeenshire Cup semi-final (September 8):

Formartine United 3 - 0 Deveronvale

South Challenge Cup Round One

There are 161 teams in this cup, broken down into four regional groups. I'll follow the North-West Zone, which includes Largs Thistle and Greenock Juniors. Today it's:

Maryhill [1 - 2] Arthurlie

Kilbirnie Ladeside [9 - 0] Ardeer Thistle

St Roch's [1 - 2] Largs Thistle

Glenvale [0 - 5] Petershill

Ashfield [4 - 6] Greenock

Glasgow United [4 - 1] Dalry Thistle

Kilwinning Rangers [7 - 0] Androssan Winton Rovers

Beith Juniors [2 - 1] Neilston

24 clubs in the North-West have a bye to Round Two.

1999-2000

September 11, 1999.    Morton beat Raith Rovers 2 - 0 at Cappielow. Goals by Paddy Connolly and Keith Wright. Attendance 970. Clydebank were away to Inverness where they lost 1 - 0.

Cambuslang FC results for 1890-91:

1891/5/2        Cambuslang 2 - 0 Hearts                  SFL

1891/4/25      Vale of Leven 2 - 1 Cambuslang         SFL

1891/4/18      Cowlairs 1 - 1 Cambuslang              friendly?

1891/4/11      Cambuslang 4 - 5 Abercorn                SFL

1891/4/4        Third Lanark 1 - 2 Cambuslang         SFL

1891/3/28      St Mirren 2 - 3 Cambuslang               SFL

1891/3/21      Cambuslang 2 - 2 Dumbarton             SFL

1891/3/7        Cambuslang 3 - 1 Celtic                    SFL

1891/2/28      Cambuslang 2 - 2 Third Lanark           SFL

1891/2/21      Rangers 2 - 1 Cambuslang                 SFL

1891/2/14      Hearts 2 - 2 Cambuslang                    SFL

1891/1/24      Dumbarton 5 - 0 Cambuslang             SFL

1891/1/17      Cambuslang 4 - 0 Cowlairs                SFL

1890/12/20    Cowlairs 1 - 2 Cambuslang                SFL

1890/12/13    Third Lanark 4 - 3 Cambuslang    Glasgow Cup SF

1890/12/6      Abercorn 2 - 5 Cambuslang                SFL

1890/11/15    Cambuslang 2 - 1 Wanderers    Glasgow Cup R3

1890/11/8      Cambuslang 4 - 1 Wanderers (protested)    Glasgow Cup R3

1890/11/1      Wanderers 1 - 1 Cambuslang     Glasgow Cup R3

1890/10/18    Cambuslang 1 - 2 St Mirren              friendly

1890/10/11    Airdrieonians 4 - 4 Cambuslang        friendly

1890/9/27      Beith 2 - 4 Cambuslang               Scottish Cup R2

1890/9/20      Clyde 1 - 2 Cambuslang                   benefit

1890/9/13      Cambuslang 3 - 2 St Mirren               SFL

1890/9/6        Cambuslang 3 - 1 Wanderers    Scottish Cup R1

1890/8/30      Celtic 5 - 2 Cambuslang                      SFL

1890/8/23      Cambuslang 2 - 6 Rangers                 SFL

1890/8/16      Cambuslang 8 - 2 Vale of Leven        SFL

(Sources: Fitbastats for most SFL matches; SFHA for the Glasgow Cup; Wikipedia for the Scottish Cup; the Glasgow Herald for some SFL matches, and friendlies)