Plenty of Nothing

Roman Scissors

Scissors from the site of Roman Conimbriga in Portugal. Source.

Felber Autoroller

Source.

Höchstadt Alligators versus Riessersee

Höchstadt is the birthplace of naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix (1781-1826) who led an expedition into Brazil in 1817. There are no alligators in Brazil or Bavaria, apart from the hockey kind. Source.

SC Riessersee visit Höchstadt Alligators at Eisstadion Höchstadt. Riessersee are eighth, Höchstadt seventh. If this game comes off it'll be the only one of six today to avoid a Covid postponement.

The Alligators wear green, black and white, and their emblem is an alligator's eye, looking very Jurassic Park. The club was founded in 1993, the year the film came out.

Have Höchstadt Alligators ever played Crocodiles Hamburg?

Höchstadt an der Aisch is a town of about 13,000 people in the Middle Franconian region of Bavaria. The Swedes burnt it to the ground in 1633. Understandably, there are no Swedish players on the Höchstadter squad.

Riessersee and Höchstadt have met twice already this season:

2021/12/3      Riessersee 4 - 7 Höchstadt

2021/12/1      Höchstadt 1 -2 Riessersee

And they collided in the playoffs at the end of last season, Höchstadt winning three games to none.

[Today: Alligators 4 - 1 Riessersee]

Seasons of Höchstadt Alligators:

2020-21    36    19    3    0    14    138    133      +5    63     4th, Oberlida Süd

2019-20    32      3    1    1    27      67    163     -96    12   12th, Oberliga Süd

2018-19    32      9    3    4    16      93    129     -36    37     9th, Oberliga Süd

2017-18    26    21    1    0      4    152      66    +86    65     1st, Bayernliga

2016-17    32    11    2    2    17      86    121     -35    39     9th, Oberliga Süd

2015-16    26    13    2    0    11    108    101      +7    43     7th, Bayernliga

2014-15    24    16    3    1      4      91      63    +28    55    2nd, Bayernliga

2013-14    30    14    4    2    10    130      93    +37    52     7th, Bayernliga

2012-13    26    11    2    1    12      99    114     -15    38      9th, Bayernliga

2011-12    26    22    1            3    238      87  +151    45     2nd, Landesliga N-O

2010-11    30    11    3    0    16    151    138    +13    39     11th, Bayernliga

2009-10    30    15    0    1    14    135    158    -23    46     10th, Bayernliga

2008-09    30    18    0    2    10    145    107   +38    56       3rd, Bayernliga

2007-08    30    11    6          13    115    122      -7    28      11th, Bayernliga

2006-07    30    14    3          13    118    120      -2    31        8th, Bayernliga

2005-06    30    22    2            6    145      79   +66    46        1st, Bayernliga

2004-05    36      8    1    2    25      97    172    -75    28        9th, Oberliga N-O

2003-04    36      2    0    3    31      79    228  -149      9      10th, Oberliga N-O

2002-03    36      3    4    1    28    105    192    -87    18      10th, Oberliga S-O

2001-02    44    19    0    2    23    173    227    -54    59        8th, Reginalliga Süd

2000-01    14    12    1            1    134      38   +96    25        1st, Bayernliga Ost

                 14    10    2            2    100      50   +50    22        1st, Bayernliga final

1999-00    26    22    0            4    198      69  +129   44        3rd, Bayernliga

1998-99

1997-98

1996-97

1995-96

1994-95

1993-94    Bezerksliga Bayern Nord

(Sources: German Wikipedia Oberliga articles; hockeyarchives.info)

Shankland

Lawrence Shankland advances the ball against Partick Thistle, er, KV Mechelen. He honed his skills at Morton and Ayr United, among other places. Source.

Ayr United host Morton. Ayr are seventh with 21 points, Morton eighth with 17. Both teams won last weekend.

Last week's manita was Morton's first 5 - 0 win since July 23rd, 2019 and their first in league play since October 15th, 2016. (See below.) That score effectively cancels out the 1 - 6 loss of December 11th and leaves Morton with the best goal difference of the bottom five teams, something that could come in handy in April.

Morton have scored in each of their last nine games, league and cup, after having gone four straight without a goal earlier in the season.

The Ton have signed right-back Jamie Brandon on loan from Hearts. Michael Garrity is back after playing the first half of the season on loan to Annan. [Tom Allan has returned to Newcastle.]

Starting Monday Scottish football grounds can return to full occupancy.

The Premiership clubs have agreed to allow five player substitutions for the remainder of the season, as a hedge against the coming congested schedule. League Two already allows five subs. It's interesting how the SPFL sometimes treats the four divisions as leagues in their own right, with their own rulebooks, even though there's no such thing as, say, a Championship league office.

[Dougie Imrie is up on illegal gambling charges.]

[Morton win 0 - 2. Two goals for Reilly.]

The other Championship matches:

Partick Thistle (5th) 1 - 1 Kilmarnock (3rd)* (last night)

Dunfermline Athletic (10th) [1 - 0] Hamilton Academical (6th)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (2nd) [2 - 2] Queen of the South (9th)

Raith Rovers (4th) [1 - 2] Arbroath (1st)

*Plenty of Nothing Championship Consolation Cup R1 match. [Kilmarnock advance on the yellow card rule.]

David Clanachan has stepped down as Canadian Premier League commissioner and has been granted exclusive franchise rights to Windsor, Ontario. So now the league has eight active teams, plus a ninth team in Vancouver starting 2023, plus conditional franchises in Saskatchewan and Windsor.

Iida Kodai's club OKC Energy is on hiatus for the 2022 USL Championship season. HFX Wanderers might like to have him back but they already have a full quota of international players.

54-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura, the old man of Japanese soccer, has been loaned by Yokohama FC to Suzuka Point Getters of the JFL.

Other matches:

East Stirlingshire [4 - 5] East Kilbride

Turriff United [0 - 3] Clachnacuddin

VfL Osnabrück [2 - 1] 1.FC Saarbrücken

SWF Championship South: Ayr United Football Academy [1 - 0] Morton (tomorrow)

FC Isle of Man [3 - 0] Ellesmere Rangers

Cumnock [4 - 2] Largs Thistle

South Challenge Cup Third Round: Darvel [5 - 1] Cambuslang

St Gallen 5 - 5 Winterthur (January 13) (friendly)

Luzern [0 - 1] Wintherthur (today) (friendly)

Jupiler League: Genk [4 - 1] Beerschot (tomorrow)

Lawrence Shankland's goals for Morton against Ayr United:

2017/4/22      38'    Cappielow    Ayr Utd    Fleming               league

Lawrence Shankland's goals for Ayr United against Morton:

2018/7/14      48'    Somerset     Morton    Scully    League Cup group stage

2018/7/14      72'    Somerset     Morton    Scully    League Cup group stage

2018/7/14      75'    Somerset     Morton    Scully    League Cup group stage

2018/9/29      19'    Cappielow    Morton    Scully                   league

2018/9/29      75'    Cappielow    Morton    Scully                   league

2019/4/2        21'    Somerset     Morton    McCrorie               league

Lawrence Shankland's goals for Beerschot:

2021/10/24    56'    Lotto Park    Anderlecht    Van Crombrugge    league

2021/11/21      4'    Olympic Stadium    Genk    Vandevoort           league

Ayr United's last ten winning seasons:

2019-20    27    12      4    11    38    35      +3    40    4th, Championship

2018-19    36    15      9    12    50    38    +12    54    4th, Championship

2017-18    36    24      4      8    92    42    +50    76    1st, League One

2015-16    36    19      4    13    65    47    +18    61    2nd, League One

2010-11    36    18      5    13    62    55      +7    59    2nd, Second Division

2008-09    36    22      8      6    71    38    +33    74    2nd, Second Division

2001-02    36    13    13    10    53    44      +9    52    3rd, First Division

2000-01    36    19    12      5    73    41    +32    69    2nd, First Division

1998-99    36    19      5    12    66    42    +24    62    3rd, First Division

1996-97    36    23      8      5    61    33    +28    77    1st, Second Division

Most recent 5 - 0 win in league play, 2021-22 Championship clubs:

2022/1/8        Morton 5 - 0 Dunfermline                      Championship

2021/4/29      Partick Thistle 5 - 0 Falkirk                   League One

2020/11/7      Raith Rovers 5 - 0 Morton                     Championship

2019/8/30      Inverness CT 5 - 0 Morton                    Championship

2019/3/30      Kilmarnock 5 - 0 Hamilton                    Premiership

2018/11/30    Dundee United 0 - 5 Ayr United            Championship

2018/9/1        Queen of the South 5 - 0 Ayr United    Championship

2018/4/14      East Fife 0 - 5 Arbroath                         League One

2016/3/5        Dunfermline 5 - 0 Stenhousemuir         League One

2015/1/1        Hamilton 5 - 0 Motherwell                     Premiership

Greenock Morton results for 1888-89:

1889/6/1        Morton 2 - 0 Dumbarton        Greenock Charity Cup final

1889/5/28      Morton 4 - 2 Dykebar            Greenock Charity Cup SF

1889/5/18      Morton 7 - 2 Port Glasgow          

1889/5/18      Stevenston Thistle 2 - 3 Morton   

1889/5/16      Morton 3 - 2 Dumbarton Athletic    Greenock Charity Cup R1

1889/5/4        Morton 7 - 0 Thornliebank          

1889/4/29      Morton 3 - 3 Ayr Athletic             

1889/4/20      Port Glasgow 4 - 4 Morton          

1889/4/13      Morton 5 - 1 Abercorn                

1889/4/6        Morton 1 - 3? Thistle                   

1889/3/30      Morton 5 - 4 Cambuslang           

1889/3/23      Partick Thistle 2 - 2 Morton         

1889/3/16      Rangers 0 - 2 Morton                  

1889/3/2        Morton 1 - 4 Port Glasgow          

1889/2/16      Morton 1 - 3 St Mirren           Renfrewshire Cup SF replay

1889/2/9        St Mirren 3 - 3 Morton           Renfrewshire Cup SF

1889/2/2        Morton 3 - 3 Dumbarton Athletic   

1889/1/26      Queen's Park 8 - 0 Morton         

1889/1/19      Morton 4 - 5 Celtic                      

1889/1/12      Dykebar 5 - 4 Morton                 

1888/12/15    Morton 2 - 6 Vale of Leven         

1888/12/8      Lochwinnoch 2 - 4 Morton    Renfrewshire Cup R3

1888/12/1      Morton 1 - 0 Battlefield              

1888/11/17    Morton 4 - 1 Cambuslang         

1888/11/17    bye                                        Renfrewshire Cup R2

1888/11/10    Airdrieonians 2 - 1 Morton         

1888/11/3      Morton 11 - 0 1st RRV               

1888/10/27    Cartvale 0 - 3 Morton            Renfrewshire Cup R1

1888/10/20    Royal Albert 2 - 5 Morton          

1888/10/13    Vale of Leven 8 - 3 Morton         

1888/10/6      Morton 5 - 3 Dykebar                

1888/9/29      Morton 6 - 2 Middlesbrough   international friendly

1888/9/22      Morton 1 - 4 Abercorn            Scottish Cup R2

1888/9/15      Uddingston 2 - 1 Morton            

1888/9/8        Kilmarnock 4 - 3 Morton*           

1888/9/1        Port Glasgow 3 - 7 Morton    Scottish Cup R1

1888/8/25      Morton 7 - 1 Port Glasgow       

1888/8/18      Queen of the South Wanderers 2 - 4 Morton   

1888/8/7        Dumbarton Athletic 2 - 1 Morton    Glasgow Exhibition Trophy R1

The Sept. 10, 1888 Glasgow Herald nicknames Morton the "Sugaropolitan," a handle that can be attached to the club right up to the end of the Golden Casket era.

January 19, 1889 looks to be Morton's first ever game against Celtic FC, who were founded in 1888.

Morton versus Port Glasgow Athletic. "This is the sixth occasion on which these two teams have met this season. Of the previous matches the Morton have won three, the Port one, and one was drawn." (Glasgow Herald, May 20, 1889, p. 9.) I've only found five of the six, but from the Herald's summary the missing game must have been a win for Morton.

The Stevenston Thistle result is listed in the same issue of the Glasgow Herald (May 20, 1889) as the Port Glasgow game, so it must have been played by the 2nd XI.

(Sources: The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Glasgow Exhibition Trophy, Renfrewshire Cup, and Greenock and District Charity Cup; the Glasgow Herald for ordinary matches, and the 1888/12/8 match, which SFHA puts on 1888/11/10.)

Riessersee versus Passau

Olimpia Eissport Zentrum, Garmisch, about ten years ago. Source.

Riessersee host the Passau Black Hawks. Passau wear black, red and white like their Chicago role models.

EHF Passau Black Hawks came to be in 1997. The team was promoted to the Oberliga in 2007, but in 2012 dropped down to tier VI and only got back up in 2020. Last year they finished 12th out of 13.

Passau is the place where the Danube passes out of Germany and into Austria, though that probably is not the accepted etymology of the name.

Passau is also the name of a hockey goalie equipment manufacturer based in Chambly, Quebec. Did the owner once play goal for this club?

European hockey is full of clubs that use Indigenous names and imagery, no doubt because it seems North American to them. But North American sports teams are getting rid of their culturally appropriated branding fast. The CBC has started to refer to the Blackhawks as "the NHL's Chicago team" (example), so you can see that the days are numbered for that trademark. Passau Black Hawks and Frölunda Indians are going to have to think about this soon.

Passau has a loan agreement with EV Landshut of DEL 2 which affords members of Landshut's development squad game time with the Oberliga team. There are ten Landshut U-20 players in Passau's 34-man roster. Riessersee has a similar arrangement with Red Bull München.

Games so far this season:

2021/10/31    Riessersee 3 - 4 Passau

2021/12/5      Passau 1 - 6 Riessersee

2022/1/7        Passau 2 - 1 Riessersee   

(Both of their opponents were down with Covid January 7th so they played each other, moving forward a game originally scheduled for late February.)

[But now Passau has Covid and this game is postponed to February 25th.]

Reformation Wall Reformed

Source.

Heike Monogatari (2021)

Trailer.

2021-22 Champions Hockey League Semi-Finals

Rögle and Frölunda. Source.

It's the Champions Hockey League semi-finals.

First leg (January 4):

Rögle 5 - 3 Frölunda

Red Bull München vs Tappara (cancelled due to Covid in the Red Bull squad)

Second leg (January 11):

Frölunda [1 - 3] Rögle

Tappara vs Red Bull München (ditto)

As Red Bull München have been unable to play either leg Tappara advance to the final.

Frölunda versus Rögle in the SHL so far this season:

2021/11/18    Rögle 4 - 3 Frölunda

2021/10/14    Frölunda 2 - 3 Rögle

2021/8/10      Frölunda 3 - 4 Rögle (exhibition game)

[Rögle and Tappara move on to the final.]

Skating on Lake Banook

Beautiful Day on the Lake, 1995 watercolour by Tom Forrestall, shows Lake Banook in Dartmouth, contender for the title "Birthplace of Hockey". Source.

Greenock Morton Goalscorers, Part 11

Millar. Source.

Morton goalscorers who left the club in 2021:

Luca Colville

2020/1/4        20'    Gayfield    Arbroath                      Gaston    league

2020/2/22      40'    Cappielow    Alloa                         Wright    league

2020/10/6      SO    Cappielow    QoS      Ferguson    League Cup GS

2021/2/27      69'    Cappielow    Dundee                 Hamilton    league

Markus Fjørtoft

2021/1/2        69'    Recreation Park    Alloa                  Parry    league

2021/4/17    123'    Fir Park    Motherwell              Kelly    Scottish Cup

2021/4/24      55'    Cappielow    Alloa                           Parry    league

Jim McAlister

2004/8/14        8'    Cappielow    Stranraer              Meechan    league

2005/4/2        46'    Glebe Park    Brechin                   Nelson    league

2005/11/12    15'    Recreation Park    Alloa             McGlynn    league

2005/12/6      72'    Cappielow    Ayr United           McGeown    league

2006/1/21      38'    Cappielow    Alloa                          Evans    league

2006/3/28      19'    Cappielow    Dumbarton             Grindlay    league

2006/9/9        45'    Central Park    Cowdenbeath             Orr    league

2006/9/30      37'    Cappielow    Brechin                    Nelson    league

2006/12/16    11'    Glebe Park    Brechin                   Nelson    league

2007/1/20      71'    Cappielow    Stirling Albion         Hogarth    league

2007/2/17      78'    Cappielow    Ayr United           McGeown    league

2007/8/4        42'    Cappielow    Clyde                        Hutton    league

2007/9/4        17'    Balmoor    Peterhead           Kula    Challenge Cup

2007/12/22    52'    Firhill    Partick                               Tuffey    league

2008/3/22      29'    Cappielow    Livingston               Stewart    league

2008/4/5          8'    Cappielow    Dundee                  Samson    league

2008/9/23      34'    Cappielow    Inverness CT    Esson    League Cup

2010/3/20      92'    Cappielow    Partick                       Tuffey    league

2019/10/5      94'    Cappielow    Dunfermline                   Gill    league

2020/1/11      49'    Cappielow    Dunfermline               Scully    league

2020/2/1        26'    Cappielow    Dundee                   Hazard    league

2020/12/12    24'    East End Park    Dunfermline    Williams    league

Sean McGinty

2020/10/6      18'    Cappielow    QoS       Ferguson    League Cup GS

2020/11/11    SO    St Mirren    St Mirren    Alnwick    League Cup GS

2020/11/14    SO    Firhill    Partick Thistle    Wright    League Cup GS

2021/1/27        3'    Cappielow    Inverness CT          Ridgers    league

2021/3/23      SO    Cappielow   Dunfermline   Williams   Scottish Cup

2021/4/3        91'    Bayview    East Fife                Long    Scottish Cup

Craig McGuffie

2020/2/29      88'    Palmerston    QoS                       Stewart    league

2020/11/11    SO    St Mirren    St Mirren    Alnwick    League Cup GS

2020/12/12    79'    East End Park    Dunfermline     Williams    league

2021/2/20      53'    Tynecastle    Hearts                     Gordon    league

2021/2/27      41'    Cappielow    Dundee                 Hamilton    league

2021/5/11    120'    Cappielow    Montrose                Fleming    playoff

Chris Millar

2003/12/6      53'    Cappielow    Arbroath                       Peat    league

2003/12/27    55'    Cappielow    Vale of Leithen      Lumsden    Scottish Cup

2004/3/6        80'    Ochilview     Stenhousemuir    McCulloch    league

2004/3/13      70'    Cappielow    Dumbarton             Grindlay    league

2004/9/11      43'    Forthbank    Stirling Albion          Hogarth    league

2004/9/25      48'    Recreation Park    Alloa             McGlynn    league

2004/10/2      73'    Cappielow    Forfar                         Ferrie    league

2004/11/13    83'    Cappielow    Stirling Albion         Hogarth    league

2004/11/23    xx'    Cappielow    E. Stirlingshire         Mitchell    Scottish Cup

2004/12/11    70'    Allan Park    Cove Rangers            Thain    Scottish Cup

2004/12/11    83'    Allan Park    Cove Rangers            Thain    Scottish Cup

2004/12/27    77'    Shielfield    Berwick                   O'Connor    league

2005/1/15      36'    Cappielow    Arbroath                      Inglis    league

2005/3/5        90'    Gayfield    Arbroath                          Inglis    league

2005/3/12      11'    Cappielow    Ayr United                      Roy    league

2005/3/23      68'    Recreation Park    Alloa                  Evans    league

2005/4/16      73'    Cappielow    Alloa                      McGlynn    league

2005/9/17      83'    Cappielow    Alloa                      McGlynn    league

2005/12/26    70'    Cappielow    Raith                          Brown    league

2006/2/25      78'    Cappielow    Forfar                     Murdoch    league

2006/3/11      76'    Raydale    Gretna                             Main    league

2006/3/11      78'    Raydale    Gretna                             Main    league

2006/8/12      81'    Stair Park    Stranraer                Morrison    league

2006/8/26      45'    Balmoor    Peterhead                 Mathers    league

2006/8/29      16'    Cappielow    Cowdenbeath    Orr    Challenge Cup

2006/9/3        59'    Cappielow    Alloa                          Creer    league

2006/9/23      68'    Station Park    Forfar                 Murdoch    league

2006/11/11     82'    Forthbank    Stirling Albion         Hogarth    league

2006/12/2      55'    Cappielow    Forfar                    Murdoch    league

2007/1/2        21'    Balmoor    Peterhead                       Kelly    league

2007/4/7        83'    Cappielow    Forfar                         Wood    league

2007/11/10    92'    Palmerston    QoS                 MacDonald    league

2007/12/1        7'    Cappielow    Livingston               Stewart    league

2008/1/28      78'    Raydale    Gretna                     Caig    Scottish Cup

2008/2/9        51'    Cappielow    Clyde                       Hutton    league

2018/8/11      15'    Indodrill    Alloa                               Parry    league

2018/8/11      81'    Indodrill    Alloa                               Parry    league

2018/11/28    83'    Bayview    Peterhead          Fleming    Scottish Cup

2019/1/12      12'    Indodrill    Alloa                               Parry    league

Aidan Nesbitt

2016/12/10    43'    East End Park    Dunfermline    Murdoch    league

2019/7/23        7'    Galabank    Annan              Avci    League Cup GS

2019/7/23      83'    Galabank    Annan              Avci    League Cup GS

2019/7/27      SO    Cappielow    QoS        McCrorie    League Cup GS

2020/2/8        76'    Cappielow    QoS                         Stewart    league

2020/2/29      44'    Palmerston    QoS                       Stewart    league

2020/3/3        61'    Caledonian    Inverness CT         Ridgers    league

2020/10/6      68'    Cappielow    QoS        Ferguson    League Cup GS

2020/12/29    26'    Somerset    Ayr United                Sinisalo    league

2021/3/9        56'    Caledonian    Inverness CT         Ridgers    league

2021/3/20      19'    Cappielow    QoS                      Ferguson    league

2021/4/10      78'    Dens Park    Dundee                 Legzdins    league

Rabin Omar

2020/11/11    SO    St Mirren    St Mirren    Alnwick    League Cup GS

Kalvin Orsi

2020/1/25      17'    Tannadice    Dundee United         Siegrist    league

2020/2/25      29'    Somerset    Ayr United                Doohan    league

2020/12/19    41'    Cappielow    QoS                      Ferguson    league

2020/12/19    76'    Cappielow    QoS                      Ferguson    league

2021/1/23      58'    Palmerston    QoS                    Ferguson    league

2021/3/23      SO    Cappielow    Dunfermline   Williams   Scottish Cup

2021/4/16      SO    Fir Park    Motherwell              Kelly    Scottish Cup

Cameron Salkeld

2019/11/1      64'    Dens Park    Dundee                    Hazard    league

2020/10/17    10'    Cappielow    Alloa                        Willison    league

2021/5/11      19'    Cappielow    Montrose                 Fleming    playoff