Plenty of Nothing

Marc Garneau, 1984

Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space 40 years ago today. Source.

Registry of Deeds and Land Titles Building

Source. Source.

HII-A Upper Stage

A spent Japanese HII-A rocket upper stage, imaged by the ADRAS-J satellite during a fly-around. About fifty of these have been flown and are now just floating around. Japanese company Astroscale is developing methods of deorbiting space debris like this.

Moscow Pavilion No. 70

When Expo 67 was over the Soviets took down their pavilion, shipped it home and reassembled it in a Moscow park where it's now known as Moscow Pavilion No. 70. Source.

2024-25 Scottish Challenge Cup, Round Four

Nairn County celebrate their 2023 North of Scotland Cup triumph. Source.

It's the Challenge Cup, Round Four. Morton visit Hamilton Academical. This is a Friday night game for BBC Alba.

Seven Championship clubs remain in contention, plus six from League One, one each from League Two and the Lowland league, and one colt team.

Morton's recent record against divisional rivals in this cup is not stellar. (See below.)

Hamilton won both previous Challenge Cup matches against Morton, in 1992 and 2011.

Morton and Hamilton have near identical records in Championship at the moment, with 9 points each. They played to a scoreless draw in their first league meeting. The last Morton player to score on Hamilton was Alexander King, April 11th, 2023. If Morton win today it'll be the first time they have posted consecutive wins this season.

Hamilton were just this week fined £5000 for financial irregularities.

Carling is the new official beer of the SPFL. The brewery sponsored the Scottish Cup in 2010 and 2011 and the English League Cup from 2003 to 2012.

[Morton have signed striker Austin Samuels, ex of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Kidderminster Harriers, Bradford City, Aberdeen and Inverness CT.]

[Morton win 0 - 1 on a goal by Stuparević.]

The other Round Four matches (mostly tomorrow):

Annan Athletic [1 - 4] Queen's Park (today)

Alloa Athletic [1 - 0] Arbroath (today)

Ayr United [2 - 1] Peterhead

Dunfermline Athletic [2 - 1] Kelty Hearts

Airdrieonians [1 - 1] East Kilbride [EK win on PK]

Livingston [2 - 2] Inverness CT [Livi win on PK]

Rangers B vs Stenhousemuir (October 22)

Meanwhile, in the Championship:

Falkirk 0 - 0 Livingston (October 8)*

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

Partick Thistle [1 - 1] Falkirk

Brought forward from October 29th.

Other matches (mostly tomorrow):

Cheadle Town 4 - 0 FC Isle of Man (October 9)

Treaty United [2 - 0] UCD (today)

Nairn County [1 - 1] Fraserburgh

Easterhouse [4 - 0] Carluke Rovers

Culter [5 - 1] Colony Park

FC Isle of Man [2 - 1] Padiham

Cavalry [2 - 1] HFX Wanderers

Wanderers need a win to stay in contention for fifth place. [But no.] Forge have clinched first place.

[Goal by Probo. Wanderers are out of the playoffs.]

Harima Albion [0 - 3] Sfida Setagaya (Sunday)

ReinMeer Aomori [0 - 0] Criacao Shinjuku (Sunday)

Dryburgh Athletic [3 - 0] Morton Women (Sunday)

The Montreal team in the new Canadian women's league will be called Roses FC.

Tokai is the only Japanese regional league still to decide a winner. It all comes down to this season-ending game:

FC Ise-Shima [3 - 2] FC Kariya (tomorrow)

Scottish Junior Cup, R3:

Largs Thistle [5 - 0] Caledonian Locomotives

Petershill [2 - 2] Tranent [Tranent win on PK]

South Challenge Cup, R3:

64 teams remain: 11 from the Lowland League, 12 from the West of Scotland League Premier Division, 5 from the East of Scotland League Premier Division, 9 from the West of Scotland League First Division, 7 from the East of Scotland League First Division, 5 from the West of Scotland League Second Division, 2 from the East of Scotland League Second Division, 8 from the West of Scotland League Third Division, 1 from the East of Scotland League Third Division and 4 from the West of Scotland League Fourth Division. Most games are tomorrow:

St Cadocs (WP) [3 - 0] Cowdenbeath (LL) (today)    Upset

Auchinleck Talbot (WP) [3 - 0] Jeanfield Swifts (EP)

Berwick Rangers (LL) [0 - 3] Threave Rovers (W3)    Upset

Blackburn United (E1) [3 - 1] Knightswood (W4)

Caledonian Braves (LL) [3 - 0] Arniston Rangers (E1)

Clydebank (WP) [5 - 1] Dalkeith Thistle (E2)

Cumbernauld United (W1) [8 - 0] Maryhill (W2)

Cumnock (WP) [2 - 1] Lochore Welfare (E1)

Dalry Thistle (W3) [0 - 3] Civil Service Strollers (LL)

East Kilbride (LL) vs Largs Thistle (WP) [postponed to October 29]

Edinburgh College (E2) [2 - 3] Arthurlie (W1)

Eglinton (W4) [0 - 1] Bo'ness United (LL)

Gala Fairydean Rovers (LL) [0 - 1] Irvine Meadow (W1)    Upset

Irvine Meadow are the only team still active in the Scottish Cup, Scottish Junior Cup, South Challenge Cup and West of Scotland Cup.

Glasgow United (W3) [6 - 5] Forth Wanderers (W2)

Gretna 2008 (LL) [3 - 1] Lesmahagow (W2)

Kirktintilloch Rob Roy (W1) [2 - 1] Whitehill Welfare (E1)

Larkhall Thistle (W2) [2 - 2] Beith (WP) [Larkhall win on PK]    Upset

Linton Hotspur (E3) [1 - 2] Hill of Beath Hawthorn (EP)

Lugar Boswell Thistle (W3) [2 - 4] Hurlford United (WP)

Musselburgh Athletic (EP) [2 - 0] Kirkcaldy & Dysart (E1)

Neilston (W2) [2 - 3] East Stirlingshire (LL)

Newmains United (W4) vs Greenock (W3) [postponed]

Newtongrange Star (E1) [0 - 3] Drumchapel United (WP)

Pollok (WP) [3 - 3] Darvel (WP) [Pollok win on PK]

Port Glasgow (W4) [4 - 6] Kilsyth Athletic (W3)

Preston Athletic (E1) [3 - 2] Girvan (W3)

St Andrews United (EP) [4 - 2] Kilbirnie Ladeside (W1)

St Rochs (W1) [1 - 3] Troon (WP)

Sauchie (EP) [0 - 2] Kilwinning Rangers (W1)    Upset

Shotts Bon Accord (WP) vs Albion Rovers (LL) [postponed]

Thorn Athletic (W3) [1 - 3] Broxburn Athletic (LL)

Vale of Clyde (W1) [2 - 0] Renfrew (W1)

WE League Cup group stage (October 9):

Elfen Saitama 1 - 2 INAC Kobe Leonessa

AFC Women's Champions League, group stage:

Taichung Blue Whale (Taiwan) 0 - 2 Urawa Red Diamonds (October 9)

Urawa Red Diamonds [2 - 0] Hồ Chí Minh City (tomorrow)

Morton versus divisional rivals in the Challenge Cup since 2007:

2023/11/18    QF    Morton 0 - 0 Airdrieonians (Airdrie won on PK)

2022/12/10    QF    Raith Rovers 1 - 1 Morton (Raith won on PK)

2022/9/22      R3    Morton 1 - 1 Ayr United (Morton won on PK)

2021/12/1      QF    Queen of the South 2 - 1 Morton

2019/9/7        R3    Inverness CT 3 - 1 Morton

2017/8/15      R1    Morton 0 - 2 Livingston

2015/7/25      R1    Morton 2 - 3 Dumbarton

2011/9/4        QF    Hamilton Academical 2 -1 Morton

2010/8/10      R2    Ross County 3 - 1 Morton

2009/8/18      R2    Ross County 2 - 1 Morton

2008/10/12    SF    Ross County 4 - 1 Morton

2008/9/7        QF    Queen of the South 0 - 2 Morton

2007/10/2      SF    Morton 1 - 3 St Johnstone

2007/8/14      R1    Morton 1 - 0 Livingston

Historical matches:

1901/10/12    Morton 0 - 2 Hibs

1940/10/12    Hamilton Academical 4 - 3 Morton

Lillehammer versus Comet Halden

Source.

Lillehammer host Comet Halden.

IK Comet was founded in 1961. The team was promoted to the EliteHockey Ligaen in 2004 and reached fifth place in 2007-08, but the next year they were deducted 10 points for poor financial management and the year after that they went bankrupt.

They made it back to the top league in 2023-24 and finished tenth out of ten, but came second in the four-team qualifier, and so they stayed up.

Comet wear 1990-91 Minnesota North Star colours. Their rink Halden Ishall holds 2,200 spectators.

Halden is a town of 31,000 in the south-east of Norway on the Iddefjord, right by the border with Sweden. The town has a 17th-Century fortress named Fredriksten, to keep out the Swedes. But unlike nearby Fredrikstad Fortress, built by King Frederick II, this one is named after his grandson Frederick III.

Previous results:

2024/9/5        Lillehammer 4 - 2 Comet    exhibition

2024/8/29      Comet 2 - 0 Lillehammer    exhibition

[Lillehammer 5 - 3 Comet]

Bowhead Whale

Fire Down on the Labrador by David Blackwood. Source.

Saint Olave

Norway's Saint Olaf helped defend London from the Danes in 1014, and they're still naming things after him because of it. This mosaic is on the exterior of St Olaf House in Southwark. Source.

A Submerged Mosaic at Baiae

Source.

Chesterfield's Crooked Spire

The Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield. Source.