Plenty of Nothing

Para Handy, 1959

Radio Times, December 6 - 12, 1959, featuring Duncan MacRae as Para Handy. Source.

It's Round Four of the Challenge Cup. Sixteen clubs remain, seven each from the Championship and League One, one from League Two, and one from the Northern Irish league. All the colt teams are out.

Dundee, Hamilton, ICT, Morton, Queen's Park and Raith are still alive in both the Scottish Cup and the Challenge Cup.

Morton visit San Starko to play Raith Rovers. These two have met twice before in the Challenge Cup: 1991 when Raith won, and 2000 when Morton won.

Morton and Raith have met twice in league play so far this season, each side taking a win. But Morton have gone ten games without a loss, league and cup. Morton have not lost a game since the 1st of October. Raith Rovers lost to Ayr United last weekend.

Winner of this match goes to the quarter-finals. Morton most recently made the quarter-finals in 2011, 2014 and 2021. They made the semi-finals four years in a row in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Raith won the cup in 2014, 2020 (shared) and 2022.

Have Morton ever knocked out the cup holder? No.

In Challenge Cup matches against teams from their own division Morton are 13W and 14L.

After Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Ayr United, Morton are the biggest club never to have won the Challenge Cup.

But this cup has been around for about 30 years, with 30 teams competing in it most years, so Morton must be due to win it some time soon.

If Dougie wass here, he would tell you.

The other Challenge Cup matches:

Falkirk 0 - 3 Dundee (December 8)

You can now buy a Falkirk ten-year-long season ticket for £5,000. Source.

Alloa 2 - 4 Queen of the South (December 9)

Arbroath 1 - 5 Dunfermline (December 9)    Upset

Kelty Hearts vs Linfield

Morton have never played Kelty or Linfield, so naturally they were drawn against each other. Linfield are six matches without a loss, league and cup. Kelty have one win in their last six starts.

Queen's Park vs Montrose

Elgin vs Clyde

Hamilton Academical vs Inverness CT

Other matches:

Forres Mechanics vs Inverurie Loco Works

Rossvale vs Morton Women (tomorrow)

FC Isle of Man vs Litherland REMYCA

Elfen Saitama vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima

World Cup:

Japan 1 - 1 Croatia (December 5) Croatia win on PK.

Goal for Maeda, but Japan are out.

44th Empress's Cup, Round 3:

Match No. 28: Sfida Setagaya vs Toyo University

Match No. 29: Iga FC Kunoichi vs Ehime FC

Match No. 30: AS Harima Albion vs Sakuyo High School

Match No. 31: Cerezo Osaka Sakai vs Yokohama FC Seagulls

Match No. 32: Orca Kamogawa vs Waseda University

Canada:

There might be a Canadian professional women's soccer league coming down the pipe. Story. But the CPL is doing a good imitation of someone smiling nervously and backing out of the room. Press release.

HFX Wanderers have released goalies Oxner and Basket, defenders Schaale, Tabi, Santos and Gander, and forwards Marshall and Samb. Andre Rampersad will be the only 2019 Wanderer left on the roster.

Times that Rangers colts got their Challenge Cup match scheduled to an entirely different week than the rest of the round:

2016/8/10      R1    Rangers colts 4 - 0 Stirling University    (s/b August 2)

2019/9/18      R3    Ballymena Utd 0 - 1 Rangers colts    (s/b September 7)

2019/10/29    R4    Solihull Moors 3 - 3 Rangers colts    (s/b October 12)

2021/9/14      R2    Rangers colts 3 - 0 Ayr United    (s/b September 4)

2021/10/27    R3    Alloa 2 - 3 Rangers colts    (s/b October 9)

2022/11/8      R3    Rangers colts 0 - 3 Hamilton    (s/b September 24)

Historical matches:

December 5, 1966    St Mirren 2 - 0 Morton

This was the second leg of their Renfrewshire Cup final. The aggregate score stood at 3 - 3, so a third game was scheduled for December 14th.

December 10, 1966    Stranraer 1 - 3 Morton

December 10, 1977    Hearts 1 - 1 Morton

Morton in the Renfrewshire Victoria Cup:

1911/x/x        R1    Morton L - W Abercorn

1912/4/6        R1    Morton 3 - 2 Johnstone

1912/4/x        R2    Arthurlie wo/scr Morton

1913/2/22      R1    Morton 1 - 3 Arthurlie

1913/12/6      R1    Morton 8 - 0 Paisley GFSP

1914/4/15      SF    Morton 1 - 0 Abercorn

1914/4/25      F      Morton 5 - 0 St Mirren (leg 1)

1914/4/28      F      St Mirren 2 - 1 Morton (leg 2)

1914/8/x        R1    bye

1915/x/x        R2    Bridge of Weir Athletic L - W Morton

1915/2/27      SF    Morton 10 - 0 Moorpark Crusaders

1915/4/16      F      Johnstone  3 - 0 Morton (leg 1)

1917/4/17      F      Morton 4 - 0 Johnstone (leg 2)

1919/4/5        R1    Morton 2 - 2 Johnstone

1919/4/19      R1    Morton 1 - 1 Johnstone (replay)

1919/4/x        R1    Morton W - L Johnstone (2nd replay)

1919/5/3        F      Morton 2 - 0 Abercorn

1924/8/27      R1    Morton W - L Paisley Academical

1924/9/9        F      St Mirren 1 - 3 Morton (leg 1)

1924/9/17      F      Morton 2 - 3 St Mirren (leg 2)

1925/9/8        F      St Mirren 2 - 0 Morton (leg 1)

1925/9/16      F      Morton 2 - 1 St Mirren (leg 2)

1927/8/23      F      St Mirren 1 - 1 Morton (leg 1)

1927/9/7        F      Morton 2 - 0 St Mirren (leg 2)

1927/9/28      R1    Morton 5 - 1 Paisley GSFP

1928/9/17      F      Morton 2 - 0 Arthurlie (leg 1)

1928/10/1      F      Arthurlie 2 - 4 Morton (leg 2)

In its early phase this trophy was a competition for Renfrewshire's smaller senior clubs. In its late phase it was a qualifier to determine which amateur club would face Morton or St Mirren in the Renfrewshire Cup. But in its middle phase both Morton and St Mirren entered teams. Morton won the cup in 1914, 1917, 1919, 1924, 1927 and 1928.

(Source: Scottish Football Historical Archive)

Mladá Boleslav

Sparta versus Mladá Boleslav, September 16th, 2022. Source.

HC Sparta Prague visit BK Mladá Boleslav. 

BK Mladá Boleslav go right back to 1908 but they have never won the  Czech championship. They most recently entered the Extraliga in 2014. BK stands for Bruslařský klub ("skating club") and the hockey team is prosaically nicknamed Bruslaři ("The Skaters"). Currently Sparta are 4th with 42 points and The Skaters are 8th with 36.

Sparta have hired Miloslav Hořava as head coach. And they have signed defenceman Michal Kempny, formerly of Chicago and Washington of the NHL. They're on a tear and have won their last seven games.

Games so far this season:

2022/10/23    Sparta Prague 3 - 2 Mladá Boleslav

2022/9/16     Mladá Boleslav 4 - 2 Sparta Prague

Mladá Boleslav is the hometown of the Škoda auto company.

[Mladá Boleslav 1 - 2 Sparta Prague]

Kit

Grim things were happening on Sick Steer Trail when hard-boiled gang moll Kit met world-weary Hampton one night on a snowy ridge in Colorado in the short story "$2,000 Reward, A Drama On The Top Of The World," written by Alma and Paul Ellerbe, and published in Cosmopolitan, March 1925 (not 1924 as everyone on the internet believes) with illustrations by Dean Cornwell. Read their desperate struggle toward redemption and the inevitable proposal of marriage here. The top image is a modern photo of Cornwell's original oil painting; the bottom two are screen grabs from the scanned magazine, showing the state of 1920s colour reprography. Kit’s Colt 45 automatic looks way too modern for a Western but was in fact in service from 1911 onward.

Newfoundland Penny

Source.

The Perils of Pauline (1914)

Pearl White wonders if $250 a week is worth getting into these scrapes. Source.

St. George's Church, Sydney, Cape Breton

St. George's was completed in 1785, using finished stone taken from Fortress Louisbourg, some of which originated in Caen, Normandy. Source.

Shimizu Tunnel

"The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country." This tunnel on the Joetsu Line connecting Gunma and Niigata Prefectures is thought to be the one Kawabata had in mind when he wrote the opening to Snow Country. Source.

The Scottish Inverted Pyramid

A photo of Gala Fairydean Rovers' Category A listed grandstand Netherdale, suitable for use as the cover of a Pink Floyd album. Source.

Morton visit Arbroath. Morton are second in the Championship with 28 points. Arbroath are ninth with 12. Both sides won their matches in the Scottish Cup Round Three last weekend. 

Arbroath won the first meeting 1 - 2 at Cappielow on September 17th. They are the only side that can sweep Morton this season. But Morton are nine matches without a loss, league and cup. The last time that happened was November/December 2012 when Allan Moore was manager.

Arbroath are last in the division in scoring, with only 10 goals in 16 games. Morton have allowed the fewest goals, 16. (See A below.) Morton are maintaining a positive goal difference for the first time since 2017-18. (See B below.)

Ayr, Morton, Dundee and Queen's Park are all capable of holding first place after today's games.

The SFA is imposing limits on head tennis. Read.

This is a Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup Round Two match. [Arbroath advance on the yellow card rule.]

[Arbroath 1 - 1 Morton. Goal by McGrattan.]

The other Championship matches:

Ayr United (1st) [1 - 0] Raith Rovers (7th)

Cove Rangers (8th) [1 - 0] Partick Thistle (5th)

Inverness CT (6th) [0 - 1] Dundee (3rd)

Queen's Park (4th) [4 - 0] Hamilton Accies (10th)

Other matches:

Gala Fairydean Rovers [4 - 5] East Kilbride

Beith [4 - 1] Largs Thistle

Barnoldswick Town [0 - 1] FC Isle of Man

Kobe Leonessa [3 - 0] Elfen Saitama (tomorrow)

World Cup:

Japan 2 - 1 Spain (December 1)

Canada 1 - 2 Morocco (December 1)

Japan advance. Canada are out.

Scottish Junior Cup, R4:

Bellshill [2 - 2] Kilbirnie Ladeside [Bellshill win on PK.]

Cumnock [0 - 0] Auchinleck Talbot [Cumnock win on PK.]

A six-mile trip.

Dundee East Craigie [1 - 1] St. Roch's [East Craigie win on PK.]

Gartcairn [1 - 2] Rutherglen Glencairn

Hurlford [1 - 0] Troon

A 17-mile trip.

Larkhall Thistle [1 - 1] Aberdeen East End [Larkhall win on PK.]

Carnoustie Panmure [1 - 3] Glenafton Athletic

Shotts Bon Accord [2 - 2] Arthurlie [Schotts win on PK.]

Highland League Cup, R2:

Banks O' Dee [3 - 2] Forres Mechanics

Scottish Women's Cup, R3: 

Airdrie [2 - 3] Morton (tomorrow)

It's the second round of the 44th Empress's Cup. These are the matches involving universities:

Match No. 19: Ange Violet Hiroshima [0 - 4] Toyo University (tomorrow)

Match No. 23: University of Tsukuba [0 - 1] Sakuyo High School

Match No. 27: NGU Loveledge Nagoya [1 - 2] Waseda University

Canada

HFX Wanderers have hired Patrice Gheisar, formerly of Vaughan Azzurri, as head coach. 

Meanwhile, assistant coach Alejandro Dorado has left the club. Pacific FC have signed Wanderers midfielder Pierre Lamothe. Midfielder Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé has also departed.

The Canadian Premier League has been around for four years, and must continue another four to spare Concacaf the embarrassment of having a World Cup host country without its own national league. The old Canadian Soccer League lasted six years.

The New York Times published an article about how Brampton is the nursery of Canadian soccer.

Former Wanderer Iida Kodai has signed with Preston Lions FC of the NPL2 Victoria league in Australia. It's an incentive to take a look at Australian soccer. Their season starts in February.

Historical matches:

December 3, 1966    Morton 2 - 1 East Fife

A) Best goals against, all divisions:

  9            Dunfermline (16 games)

13            Celtic (15 games)

14            Rangers (15 games)

15            Dumbarton (15 games)

16            Morton (16 games)

16            Stirling Albion (15 games)

B) Morton's plus and minus goal difference years:

1890s                               --    --    --    --    +    --    +

1900s            0    --    --    --    --    --    --    --    --    --

1910s            --    0    --    +    +    +     +    +    +    +

1920s            +    +    --    --    --    --    --    --    +    --

1930s            --    --    --    +    +    +    +    --    --    +

1940s            +    +    +     +    +    +    +    +    --    +

1950s            --    --    +    +    --    +    +    --    --    --

1960s            --    +    +    +     0    --    +    +    --    0

1970s            0    --    --    --    --    --    +    +    --    +

1980s            --    --    --    +    --    --    +    --    0    --

1990s            --    +    +    --    +    +     +    --    +    --

2000s            --    --    +    +    +    +     +    --    0    --

2010s            --    --    +    --    +    --    +    +    --    --

2020s            --    --   [+]

Sort the 2022-23 Lowland League clubs into groups according to how they entered the league:

6    founding members (Dalbeattie Star, East Kilbride, Gala Fairydean Rovers, Gretna 2008, Stirling University, The Spartans)

4    entered later by application (Broomhill, Edinburgh University, Cumbernauld Colts, Civil Service Strollers)

3    relegated from the SPFL (East Stirlingshire, Berwick Rangers, Cowdenbeath)

3    promoted from below (Caledonian Braves, Bo'ness United, Tranent Juniors)

3    guest clubs (Rangers B, Celtic B, Hearts B)

Now sort the clubs that have left the Lowland League:

5    relegated (Threave Rovers, Preston, Hawick Royal Albert, Whitehill Welfare, Vale of Leithen)

3    promoted to SPFL (Edinburgh City, Kelty Hearts, Bonnyrigg Rose)

1    folded (Selkirk)

Antarctic Volkswagen

Source.

Matriarch

By Elizabeth Keith. Source.