Plenty of Nothing

Jules Verne's Tomb

The tomb of Jules Verne, who died on this day in 1905, implies that he hasn't been dead all this time so much as exploring the centre of the earth. Source.

2018-19 Scottish Challenge Cup Final

Nomads. Source.

Morton's game at Somerset Park has been moved to April 2nd due to call-ups for the Scotland U-21 squad who play a friendly against Mexico this weekend. Goalkeepers Robbie McCrorie (Morton) and Ross Doohan (Ayr) are both called up.

However, yesterday Morton visited Celtic for a closed door friendly and won 0 - 1.

Robbie McCrorie's clean sheets for Morton:

2019/1/26      Morton 0 - 0 Dunfermline

2019/2/16      Morton 0 - 0 Ayr

2019/2/26      Morton 1 - 0 Queen of the South

It's the final of the 2018-19 Scottish Challenge Cup. Ross County meet Connah's Quay Nomads at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in Inverness.

Ross County have won this cup twice and been runners-up twice. To get to today's game they had to beat Heart of Midlothian colts, Raith Rovers, Montrose, Motherwell colts, and East Fife. The Staggies are currently top of the Scottish Championship.

Connah's Quay Nomads are the first non-Scottish club to make it to the final. They bested Falkirk, Coleraine, Queen's Park, and Edinburgh City in the earlier rounds. The Nomads are presently first or second in the Welsh Premier League, depending on how The New Saints did last night. The town of Connah's Quay is on the River Dee, which forms part of the northern boundary of Wales, and is not to be confused with the River Dee that runs through Aberdeen. It's a different Dee.

[Ross County win 3 - 1.]

Championship matches:

Dundee United 1 - 0 Ross County (March 19)

Partick Thistle 1 - 2 ICT (yesterday)

Dundee United [2 - 1] Alloa (today)

If the Tangerines win they cannot be relegated.

[Ayr United visited BSC Glasgow for a friendly and won 0 - 4.]

Today Cappielow is the site of a UEFA Under-17 match between Portugal and Poland. Another game, between Portugal and Russia, will be played on March 26th, also at Cappielow.

Morton and Falkirk announced Monday that they have reached an agreement in the McKinnon affair, but that the details are confidential.

Thursday was the 100th birthday of Queen of the South FC. The club was formed in a merger of the teams of the 5th Kings Own Scottish Borderers and the Arrol-Johnston car company.

1928-29: Morton visited Alloa and won 1 - 3.

1951-52: On March 22nd, 1952 Morton beat Aberdeen 3 - 2 at Cappielow.

Cowlairs versus Rangers. Fitbastats lists ten games between these two Glasgow clubs. I feel there must be more, but these ten will certainly do.

They met in Round Three of the 1886-87 English FA Cup. In those days clubs from all parts of the UK were admitted. Rangers beat Cowlairs 3 - 2 on Rangers' ground. (Whether this was Kinning or Cathkin Park I don't know.) I think this is the only instance of two Scottish clubs playing each other in the FA Cup.

They played five games in the 1887-88 Glasgow Cup semi-finals. The first two were scoreless draws, the third was a 2 - 2 draw, then Rangers won 2 - 1, and then for some reason they played again, and this time Rangers won 3 - 1.

They both played in the inaugural 1890-91 SFL season. Rangers won one, with one draw.

On November 25th, 1893 they met in Round One of the Scottish Cup and Rangers won 8 - 0. But then on December 9th, 1893 they met in the Glasgow Cup final, and Rangers won, but only by a score of 1 - 0.

SWFL2 Cup, Round Two: Morton Women [3 - 2] Murieston United (tomorrow)

West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle vs Glenafton

Irvine Meadow 1 - 1 Largs Thistle

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [2 - 1] Nykobing

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken [1 - 1] Kickers Offenbach

Tomorrow Iwaki FC play a training match against Vonds Ichihara. [1 - 1.]

The 72nd Aomori Prefecture Football Championship begins tomorrow with the first of six rounds:

Match No. 1: Maritime Self-Defence Force Hachinohe SC vs Aomori Chuo Gakuin University

Match No. 2: 筒木坂FC vs Gonohe SC

I don't know who 筒木坂FC are or how to write their name in Latin letters, but they play in the Aomori League Division 1.

Norm Eastman

The CBC has an article on the career of Norm Eastman, who did his art schooling at Mount Allison in the 1950s and went on to a career of illustrating men's magazines, specializing in semi-clad women with machine guns. This self-portrait is set in a dorm room in Trueman House, which looked just the same in the 1970s and indeed up until 2006.

French Horn Step

The Last Moroccan Lion, 1925

The last photograph of a lion in the wild in Morocco was taken from an aeroplane in 1925. In fact the entire Wikipedia article on the Barbary lion is striking in that all the photos are in black and white. The lions made it into the 20th Century, but not the part with colour photography.

Racecourses of Japan

Source.

The Master of the Blue Jeans

Blue denim has been worn in Italy since the 16th Century. The word "jeans" possibly derives from the placename Genoa. An anonymous 17th-Century painter who specialized in portraits of peasants dressed in denim is now known as the Master of the Blue Jeans.

Rossio Station

This is the front entrance of the railway station in Rossio Square, Lisbon. The style is Neo-Manuelian, modelled on early 15th-century Portuguese architecture, in the form of a pair of horseshoes. The station opened in 1891. A couple of years ago the statue of Sebastian I, between the two doors, was unluckily knocked out of its niche by a tourist trying for a selfie with the king. Source.

India of Inchinnan

Part of the purpose of this soccer coverage at Plenty of Nothing is to learn more about Scotland. Because no matter how much you think you know about the place, something like this is lurking just beyond your understanding.

India of Inchinnan is an art deco office building on the Greenock Road between Renfrew and Bishopton, stylistically a sibling of the celebrated Hoover Factory outside London. In its heyday it was headquarters of the India Tyre and Rubber Company, and its company football team competed in the Renfrewshire Cup. Source.

India of Inchinnan in the Renfrewshire Cup:

1951/5/11    Morton 6 - 0 India of Inchinnan

1959/4/1      St Mirren 10 - 0 India of Inchinnan

1960/4/11    St Mirren 8 - 0 India of Inchinnan

1964/3/23    St Mirren 6 - 2 India of Inchinnan

Source.

Alloa visit Cappielow. This is Morton's last match of the season against the Wasps and it might be their last meeting for some time. Alloa are in tenth place.

Despite this the Wasps are ahead in the season series against Morton (see below). They have also mostly had their way with Dundee United and Queen of the South. If they manage to stay up they will have spent half of this decade in tier II.

[Postponed. That makes two Morton fixtures waiting to be rescheduled now: this one, and next week's match against Ayr United, which has been called off because both teams' goalkeepers have been called up for international play.]

How have Morton fared against Alloa in league play this century?

2018-19        1 win, 2 losses so far.

2015-16        3 wins, 1 draw; 8 gf, 3 ga; 10 points.

2013-14        4 losses; 0 gf, 7 ga; 0 points.

2006-07        3 wins, 1 loss; 11 gf, 4 ga; 9 points.

2005-06        3 wins, 1 draw; 12 gf, 3 ga; 10 points.

2004-05        2 wins, 2 draws; 12 gf, 5 ga; 8 points.

2003-04        2 wins, 2 draws; 8 gf, 6 ga; 8 points.

2001-02        3 draws, 1 loss; 2 gf, 6 ga; 3 points.

2000-01        2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss; 7 gf, 3 ga; 7 points.

What years did Alloa finish above Morton?

1927-28        Alloa (15th, Div 2), Morton (18th, Div 2)

1938-39        Alloa (2nd, Div 2), Morton (12th, Div 2)

1939-40        Alloa (17th, Div 1), Morton (15th, Div 2)

1957-58        Alloa (8th, Div 2), Morton (13th, Div 2)

1959-60        Alloa (13th, Div 2), Morton (14th Div 2)

1960-61        Alloa (11th, Div 2), Morton (19th, Div 2)

2001-02        Alloa (2nd, Second Div), Morton (10th, Second Div)

2002-03        Alloa (9th, First Div), Morton (1st, Third Div)

2013-14        Alloa (8th, Championship), Morton (10th, Chmpionship)

2014-15        Alloa (9th, Championship), Morton (1st, League One)

Other Championship matches:

Ross County 2 - 1 Falkirk (March 12)

Ross County cannot be relegated.

Inverness CT vs Ross County (March 15) [postponed]

Highland Derby.

Ayr United vs Queen of the South (today) [postponed]

Both these clubs have been on the skids lately.

Dunfermline vs Dundee United (today) [postponed]

The Pars are ahead in this series.

Falkirk vs Partick (today)

Crucial to both. [Therefore they play to a 1 - 1 draw.]

Scottish Cup quarter-final replays (March 12):

Rangers 0 - 2 Aberdeen

Hearts 2 - 1 Partick Thistle

2018-19 Championship teams by last win against Hearts:

2017/7/29      Hearts 2 - 2 Dunfermline (Pars won on PK.)

2017/3/1        Hearts 0 - 1 Ross County

2017/2/25      Partick 2 - 0 Hearts

2016/2/20      Dundee United 2 - 1 Hearts

2015/9/11      Inverness CT 2 - 0 Hearts

2015/1/24      Hearts 2 - 3 Falkirk

1984/8/18      Hearts 1 - 2 Morton

1980/9/24      Ayr United 4 - 0 Hearts

1963/10/12    Hearts 0 - 1 Queen of the South

1946/4/20      Alloa 3 - 1 Hearts

1928-29: Morton hosted Albion Rovers and won 3 - 1.

1951-52: On March 15th, 1952 Morton were away to Ibrox where they lost 1 - 0 to Rangers.

Angus: Brechin vs Montrose [postponed]

Elsewhere in League One: Dumbarton vs Airdrieonians [postponed]

League Two: Clyde have been docked six points for fielding an ineligible player in two February matches. Albion Rovers and Queen's Park have each been rewarded three points.

Danish 1st Division: Silkeborg [2 - 1] Fredericia

FC Fredericia year by year:

                  G     W     D      L      F      A    GD     P    Position

2017-18    33    11      9    13    48    47     +1    42    6th, 1 Div

2016-17    33    11    10    12    36    43      -7    43    8th, 1 Div

2015-16    33    12    11    10    45    45       0    47    6th, 1 Div

2014-15    33      6    16    11    28    40    -12    34   10th, 1 Div

2013-14    33    12      7    14    47    45     +2    43    8th, 1 Div

2012-13    33     11    11    11    53    48     +5    44    5th, 1 Div

2011-12    26      9      8      9    33    30      +3    35    7th, 1 Div

2010-11    30    13      6     11   53    41     +11   45    6th, 1 Div

2009-10    30    18      5      7    56    22    +34    59   3rd, 1 Div

2008-09    30    13      8      9    58    43    +15    47   7th, 1 Div

2007-08    30    12      8    10    49    36    +13    44   5th, 1 Div

2006-07    30    16      5      9    50    37    +13    53   4th, 1 Div

2005-06    30    12      5    13    48    40      +8    41   7th, 1 Div

2004-05    30    10      8    12    48    50      -2     38    9th, 1 Div

2003-04    30      9      9    12    42    47      -5     36   10th, 1 Div

2002-03    30    14      9      7    50    29    +21    51    3rd, 1 Div

2001-02    30      7      9    14    45    46      -1     30   11th, 1 Div

2000-01    30    20      3      7    73    39    +34    63    2nd, 2 Div

1999-00    30      4      5    21    24    61     -37    17   15th, 1 Div

1998-99    30    14    10      6    63    41    +22    52    2nd, 2 Div

1997/98    30     11     8     11    54    50     +4     41    8th, 2 Div

1996-97    30      7      8    15    41    56     -15    29   13th, 1 Div

1995-96    30      9      8    13    51    59      -8     35   12th, 1 Div

1994-95    18      9      3      6    33    27     +6     24     4th, 2 Div Vest Grundspil

1994-95    14      7      1      6    28    25     +3     15     3rd, 2 Div Vest Slutspil

1993-94    18      6      4      8    28    25     +3     20     6th, 2 Div Vest Grundspil

1993-94    14      5      2      7    21    29      -8     12     6th, 2 Div Vest Slutspil

1992-93    18      8      5      5    30    25     +5     27     4th, 2 Div Vest Grundspil

1992-93    14      6      3      5    24    23     +1     15     5th, 2 Div Vest Slutspil

1991-92    14      6      3      5    23    19     +4     15     3rd, 2 Div Vest Slutspil

Sources: German Wikipedia, DanskFodbold.com

Cowlairs versus Hibs. These two were together in Division Two in 1893-94 and 1894-95. Hibs earned 3 wins to 1 win for Cowlairs.

SWFL2 W/SW: Morton Women vs Stewarton United Ladies (tomorrow) [postponed]

West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [2 - 1] Petershill

Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur [0 - 1] Aarau (tomorrow)

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken 5 - 0 TSG Balingen (March 12)

FK Pirmasens vs 1. FC Saarbrücken (March 16) [postponed]

Read this appreciation of German football club names.

The JFL starts tomorrow. The league has two new clubs for 2019: Matsue City and Suzuka Unlimited. Three clubs are licensed for promotion to J3 if they can finish high enough: Nara Club, FC Imabari, and Tokyo Musashino City. Suzuka Unlimited is the first JFL club to have a female manager: Milagros MartÍnez DomÍnguez.

AFC Champions League group stage, matchday 2:

Group E: Shandong Luneng 2 - 2 Kashima Antlers

Group F: Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2 - 1 Melbourne Victory

Group G: Beijing Guoan 0 - 0 Urawa Red Diamonds

Group H: Kawasaki Frontale 1 - 0 Sydney FC

The Wanderers Ground on Thursday. [Not Cappielow.]

Ässät versus Lukko 2018-19

Ässät score, October 13th, 2018. Source.

How did Ässät and Lukko fare in head-to-head action this season?

2018/9/14        Lukko 2 - 3 Ässät

2018/10/13      Ässät 5 - 4 Lukko

2018/11/23      Lukko 2 - 3 Ässät

2018/12/28      Ässät 0 - 1 Lukko

2019/2/1          Lukko 2 - 0 Ässät

2019/3/2          Ässät 5 - 4 Lukko

Despite these results Lukko are by far the better team, finishing the reguar season [5th to 8th], while Ässät were dead last.