Plenty of Nothing

The Maharajah

The Maharajah is the longtime mascot of Air India. See more of him here.

Regensburg against Riessersee

Eisbären. Source.

SC Riessersee visit Eisbären Regensburg at the Donau Arena.

EV Regensburg was founded in 1962. They won the Oberliga Süd in 2001, 2016 and 2020. They've spent eleven seasons in tier II overall, their best year being 2004-05 when they finished third in the 2. Bundesliga. They finished top of the Oberliga Süd last season, but lost to Selb in the playoff final.

The Eisbären have one Canadian player, Peter Flache, who has played for three DEL clubs, and St FX X-Men.

Regensburg is the old Roman colony of Castra Regina, situated at the northernmost bend of the Danube, in the middle of Bavaria. The city is not to be confused with Regensberg, which is in Switzerland.

[Postponed due to Covid in the Riessersee squad.]

Games so far:

2021/12/12    Riessersee 0 - 2 Regensburg

2022/1/2        Riessersee 0 - 3 Regensberg

James Bond in Morocco

Source.

Italian Joust

Source.

2021-22 Scottish Cup, Round Four

Motherwell's Ricki Lamie played for Morton from 2014 to 2018. Source.

It's the Scottish Cup, Round Four, the dramatic moment when the Premiership clubs step in. Altogether there are twelve Premiership clubs in this round, six Championship clubs, five from League One, four from League Two, one from the Lowland League, one from the SJFA North Superleague, and three from the West of Scotland Premier Division.

There are no all-Championship matches this round. Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Queen of the South are already out. Dunfermline and ICT are taking this opportunity to make up a league game postponed from December 29th.

From this round forward there are no replays. Draws will be decided with extra time and penalty kicks. So any Premiership club that wins the Cup will have played exactly five matches to earn it. A lower league club could win the Cup in more: Banks O' Dee and Darvel have each played four matches to get this far; if either of them wins the Cup it will have taken them nine. If Morton win the Cup it will have taken them seven.

Morton visit Motherwell. This is a repeat of last year's Round Four, when Morton visited Motherwell and lost in the shootout. Morton have not won at Fir Park since 1970. And they have not beaten Motherwell in a Scottish Cup match since 1922, the year one century ago when Morton won the Cup. But Morton supporters are expecting the planets to align in their favour for this anniversary. One oracle on Pie and Bovril has written, "Maybe Motherwell can beat Morton, but they can't beat Fate."

Morton have won their last two matches, outscoring the opposition 7 to 0. A win today would be Morton's first three-game streak since the 2020-21 playoffs. In the event of a loss, expect their postponed fixture with Queen of the South to land on the Round Five game date of February 12th.

Motherwell, who are currently fourth in the Premiership, have played one match since returning from winter break: they lost 3 - 1 to Ross County Tuesday night. In a move I don't quite understand the Well have just sold their top scorer Tony Watt to Dundee United, the club three rungs below them in the standings.

[Motherwell 2 - 1 Morton in extra time. Morton goal by Muirhead.]

Recent upsets in the first round of Championship participation:

2020/1/18      Ayr United 1 - 0 Ross County

2019/1/29      Queen of the South 3 - 0 Dundee

2019/1/19      Motherwell 1 - 2 Ross County

2017/1/21      Dundee 0 - 2 St Mirren

2016/1/9        Annan Athletic 4 - 1 Hamilton Academical

2014/11/30    Rangers 3 - 0 Kilmarnock    (hardly seems like an upset)

2013/11/30    Albion Rovers 1 - 0 Motherwell

The other Round Four matches:

Hibs 1 - 0 Cove Rangers (January 20)

Rangers 4 - 0 Stirling Albion (January 21)

Auchinleck Talbot [0 - 5] Hearts

Peterhead [2 - 2] East Kilbride    [Peterhead win on PK]

Clydebank [3 - 4] Annan

Banks O' Dee [0 - 3] Raith Rovers

Kelty Hearts [1 - 0] St Johnstone    Upset!

Livi [1 - 0] Ross County

Dumbarton [0 - 1] Dundee

Aberdeen [3 - 0] Edinburgh City

Ayr United [0 - 2] St Mirren

Kilmarnock [1 - 2] Dundee United

Partick Thistle [1 - 0] Airdrieonians

Arbroath [3 - 0] Darvel

Alloa [1 - 2] Celtic

Championship league play:

Dunfermline Athletic (10th) [1 - 1] Inverness Caledonian Thistle (2nd)

Other matches:

Clachnacuddin vs Keith [abandoned]

Duisburg [3 - 4] 1.FC Saarbrücken (tomorrow)

SWF Championship South: Morton [1 - 3] Hutchison Vale (tomorrow)

FC Isle of Man [5 - 2] Cheadle Town

Largs Thistle [0 - 2] Pollok

Beerschot [3 - 1] Leuven

UCD 0 - 2 Cork City (friendly) (January 18)

HFX Wanderers have signed midfielder Aidan Daniels from OKC Energy. And they've drafted midfielder Christopher Campoli of Ontario Tech University and defender Colin Gander of the Guelph Gryphons.

Three Cape Breton Capers were taken by CPL clubs in the university draft, bringing the number of Capers drafted since the league started to 11.

Morton versus the Highland League in the Scottish Cup:

2019/12/3      Brora Rangers 1 - 3 Morton              R3 replay

2019/11/23    Morton 1 - 1 Brora Rangers              R3

2012/12/17    Morton 6 - 0 Turriff United                 R4 replay

2012/12/1      Turriff United 1 - 1 Morton                 R4

2011/11/9      Morton 5 - 1 Deveronvale                  R3

2007/11/24    Morton 3 - 2 Buckie Thistle                R3

2004/12/11    Cove Rangers 1 - 7 Morton               R2

2003/1/13      Morton 4 - 3 Deveronvale                  R2

1968/3/9        Morton 2 - 1 Elgin City                       R3

1955/10/22    Morton 5 - 2 Clachnacuddin              R4

1952/2/9        Clachnacuddin 1 - 2 Morton              R2

1950/1/28      Ross County 0 - 3 Morton                  R1

1949/1/26      Morton 2 - 0 Inverness Caledonian    R1 replay

1949/1/22      Inverness Caledonian 2 - 2 Morton    R1

1938/1/22      Morton 4 - 0 Peterhead                      R1

1999-2000

January 22, 2000.    Morton beat Airdrieonians 4 - 0 at Cappielow. Robert Earnshaw, John Anderson, and Paul McDonald (twice) were the goalscorers. Clydebak were at Livingston and lost 3 - 0.

Greenock Morton results for 1887-88:

1888/5/5        Morton 1 - 2 Cambuslang                  

1888/4/21      Dumbarton Athletic 3 - 1 Morton    Greenock Charity Cup SF

1888/4/14      Renton 2 - 2 Morton                          

1888/3/31      Abercorn 6 - 4 Morton                       

1888/3/17      Morton 5 - 3 Renfrew                        

1888/3/10      Morton 3 - 2 Third Lanark                 

1888/3/3        Partick Thistle 6 - 2 Morton               

1888/2/25      Morton 0 - 3 Kilmarnock 3                 

1888/2/18      Airdrieonians 2 - 6 Morton                

1888/2/11      Morton 10 - 1 Campbeltown Athletic   

1888/1/28      Ayr FC 4 - 2 Morton                           

1888/1/21      Morton 3 - 3 Royal Albert                   

1888/1/14      Morton 2? - 3? Rangers                              [murky]

1888/1/7        Morton 5? - 2? 1st RRV                             [very murky]

1887/12/31    Morton 9? - 1 Durhamtown? Rangers       [messy scan]

1887/12/24    Morton 11 - 1 1st RRV                      

1887/12/17    Morton 0 - 5 Dumbarton                    

1887/12/10    St Mirren 2 - 0 Morton                    Renfrewshire Cup R3

1887/12/3      Dumbarton 1 - 4 Morton                   

1887/11/19    Morton 11 - 2 Mearns Athletic        Renfrewshire Cup R2

1887/11/5      Morton 4 - 1 Hurlford                        

                      Howwood scr/wo Morton               Refrewshire Cup R1

1887/10/29    Morton 8? - 0 Arthurlie                     

1887/10/22    Morton 4 - 1 Thornliebank               

1887/10/8      Dundee Wanderers 2 - 3 Morton     

1887/10/1      Cambuslang 4 - 1 Morton                 

1887/9/17      Morton 0 - 3 Rangers                        

1887/9/10      Morton 3 - 2 Partick Thistle              

1887/9/3        Dykebar 5 - 2 Morton                     Scottish Cup R1

1887/8/27      Rangers 2 - 2 Morton                        

1887/8/20      Morton 5 - 2 Ayr FC                          

(Sources: The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Renfrewshire Cup, and Greenock and District Charity Cup; the Glasgow Herald for ordinary matches.)

Avicenna Postage Stamps

Source. Source.

Archer Martin in Ireland

Ross House, Oughterard, Connemara. Source.

In a letter dated August 4th, 1888, Violet Martin describes a visit from a distant relative:

We have had a curious visitor for the last three days -- On Saturday evening up drove a car through the mist and off it lept an agile figure, and walked into the house -- followed by a portmanteau. With the breeding of the old noblesse Geraldine and I waited till he was in converse with Mama and then listened at the door. We heard an American accent and a fluent harangue of some sort, and finally Selina was sent out from the ark to tell us that the visitor was one Archer Martin a descendant of the Ballinahinch people, who had come all the way from America to write a book about the family, as it might be Howard Coghill -- I bundled out of my room and gave it to him, and here he has been ever since, rooting out all kinds of things. We had heard of his being in Galway, at the same game, and he already has a thick manuscript compiled -- deeply interesting to most people, I should say, except for a few wild tales of bloodshed -- and the like -- He is not a very near relative -- his great grandfather was Humanity Dick (the Martin's Act Man, whom I am in the future going to erect in opposition to the Chief) and Humanity Dick's great grandfather was younger brother of the Ross man of that date which makes the relationship a trifle distant. This youth is not the least like us -- but a little like both Hildegarde and Hugh -- only fairish neither tall nor small, right well made -- awfully well put on head and ears, beautiful feet, and hands more like mine than I thought possible, only a great deal better, and not much larger. His accent is detestable, his manner alert and American beyond telling, his ways those of a gentleman -- his intelligence immense. He is moreover a person who has read and travelled, and taken in all he saw and read and can repeat Longfellow and Edgar Allan Poe by heart, does not much care for Howells, thinks "Tennessee's partner" magnificent and is wholly in earnest on all subjects. I alternate between dislike and affection, hatred of his odious smart Americanisms, and respect for his candour and self reliance. He is a barrister in Manitoba, but his people have always lived in Hamilton, in Canada somewhere -- and from a photograph of their house they seem to be very rich. There is a pertinacity and an energy about him which are incredible and refreshing. On Sunday he just hiked up on to the roof top of the house and began to wage war with the jackdaws, standing on a place that makes me giddy to think of. Yesterday he was up there again, and also I, and he sent loads of soot and jackdaws nests thundering down the chimneys with a long pole -- a thing that many sweeps have failed to do. Today he has given Mama and Geraldine a lively time with examinations as to Martin marriages and the like and leaves this afternoon for Oughterard and finally Ballinahinch. He has fought with Burke, has extorted an apology from Froude for some misstatements in his "English in Ireland" as to some ancestor or other and I think the epitome of him is that he spent an hour at the top of a ladder in a crowded Galway Street, composedly taking a rubbing of the coat of arms over a door, with about 200 people gaping at him.

                The Selected Letters of Somerville and Ross (ed. Gifford Lewis), pages 92 and 93.

In her return letter Somerville replies:

I cannot ever explain our amusement at the notion of Archer Martin dropping from the skies and staying on to clean the chimneys. You certainly ought to marry him -- I am sure he is very nice -- I like his description immensely. But why do you call him American when he comes from Canada?

                Selected Letters, pages 119 and 120.

Archer was 23 and Violet 26 at the time of this visit. They did not get married, but they did meet again at least one time. In March 1912 he was back in Ireland. Violet writes Edith,

On Saturday we met Archer Martin at Athenry, and drove him straight on to the meet at Monivea -- a big one -- and also, it poured in bitter floods from the South East. Amy and Archer and I sat in the house and talked, and the hounds battered one fox at least round the coverts, and we left them at it (Robert Gregory on Jim's mare) and got home for a late luncheon, and all drove over here in the afternoon. Archer and Tilly Redington (one 'd' please remember) were instantly deep in antiquarian things -- each a great talker, and each finding it hard to get a word in. It was chiefly about a Martin and French marriage stone that is at Tyrone House, the St. Georges wonderful wreck of a place near here -- (the St. Georges were originally Frenches --)

                Selected Letters, pages 293 and 294.

Archer Martin sends you many apologies and much gratitude about Drishane but it could not be. He is bundling out of the country as fast as possible, for fear he might get hung up, as he must be back for his work. Yesterday he and I drove to Tillyra, and there we left him with Edward Martyn, who was very civil, interesting, and amusing -- and very like George Moore's description and also like Bertie Windle -- Tillya beats all the houses I have seen here ... [Jim] and I did not get home till past eight -- and had a narrow shave or two with Quinine -- Jim is a peculiar driver and Amy is even more so. Archer Martin crossed himself privately, & to me about his drive home with her from Kilcornan -- "She does nothing till it is almost too late -- drove bang up against a wall at a crossroad from not turning in time, and banged into a cart as well -- " When I got back from Kilcornan on Monday I found an exquisitely empty house -- all having gone in a motor to Ballynahinch (Archer's picnic) and they were not back till nearly 11 p.m. Archer is really a very good fellow -- warm hearted and generous and I am rather horrified to find that he has sent for me -- to Drishane -- a dressing box -- a gift! with some letters inside expressing the opinion of the favour that I confer on my family by belonging to it. He does not think they realise the magnitude of our work -- they are very kind about it, but they do not understand -- is what he says. He is a most faithful creature and a valuable friend to us all. Now I must catch my train.

    Selected Letters, pages 295 and 296.

Notes:

    Edith Somerville (1858 to 1949) and Violet Martin (1862 to 1915) were cousins who gained fame as humourists, and are best known for their Irish R.M. books published in 1899, 1909 and 1915. Violet Martin used the pseudonym Martin Ross throughout her career.

    I haven't completely caught the sense of "as it might be Howard Coghill -- I bundled out of my room and gave it to him" but here's what I think. James Henry Coghill had published The Family of Coghill 1377 to 1879 nine years earlier, and as there were strong Martin/Coghill connections it was the sort of book the Martins of Ross would have had in the house. I think Martin Ross handed the book to Archer and since she consequently did not have it in front of her while she was letter-writing she got the author's given name wrong. See here for the text of The Family of Coghill.

    Humanity Dick was Richard Martin (1754 to 1834) who sponsored the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act of 1822. The Chief was Charles Kendal Bushe (1767 to 1843), Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland, and the ancestor of both Somerville and Ross.

    The Martins had taken up residence in Ross House in June 1888 after an absence of fifteen years. In the interim it had been leased out and the tenant had left it in a state of disrepair. Archer picked up on the need to chip in and took it upon himself to clean the chimneys. Violet Martin was no shrinking violet and after the initial scandal of finding a house guest on the roof she was soon up there too.

    Edith Somerville's home was Drishane.

    Notice how Violet sizes up Archer by body part, as she would a horse. Notice also how she makes no distinction between America and Canada. It's only when she mentions Manitoba and Hamilton that you realize that the visitor is Canadian. The detail about his being a barrister in Manitoba nails down his identity as Archer Evans Stringer Martin (1865 to 1941) who was called to the Manitoba bar in 1887 and went on to serve as Chief Justice of British Columbia from 1937 to 1940.

    He published his Irish research under the title "A Genealogy of Martin of Ballinahinch Castle."

Albrecht-Dürer-Haus-Shaped Box

Source.

Roman Scissors

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

Felber Autoroller

Source.