Plenty of Nothing

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

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)

Fresco by Zahn

A colour plate from Guillaume Zahn's Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae (1828). Source.

Bunty McLeod

C. H. "Bunty" McLeod ran the McGill University observatory from 1873 until the First World War. Source.

Mongaku under the Waterfall

"Priest Mongaku under the Nachi Waterfall" by Hokusai Katsushika (1760-1849). Source.

See McCullough, The Tale of the Heike, chapter 5, part 7.

The Bass Flute

A bass flute made by the Sankyo Flute Company of Sayama, Saitama. Source.