The Port Glasgow Model Yacht Club Challenge Medal. Read about it here.
It's Round Three of the 2022-23 Scottish Challenge Cup, when Morton and the rest of the Championship enter the fray. They are joined by four cross-border clubs: Linfield and Clintonville from Northern Ireland, and The New Saints and Caernarfon Town from Wales.
The New Saints have been here four times before, the most of any cross-border team. They've played Forfar, Livingston (twice), St Mirren, Elgin, Queen of the South, Dumbarton, Queen's Park and Stenhousemuir. But to The New Saints the Challenge Cup is a mere amuse-bouche compared to UEFA competition, where TNS have played three dozen foreign clubs.
Linfield appeared in the 2016-17 cup when they faced Queen of the South, and 2017-18 when they played The Spartans and Dundee United.
Neither Cliftonville nor Caernarfon Town have been here before.
Livingston have had the most games against cross-border clubs: three for their first team (against Crusaders, and twice against The New Saints) plus one for their colt squad (against Sligo Rovers). Queen of the South and Rangers colts have each played three cross-border opponents. Morton have yet to meet even one.
Altogether in this round there are ten Championship clubs, ten from League One, three from League Two, three colt teams, two Highland League teams, two teams from Northern Ireland and two from Wales. Two of the colt teams, Rangers B and Celtic B, play in the Lowland League as guest clubs, and the third, Kilmarnock B, are in the Reserve League.
Colt teams were introduced into the Scottish Challenge Cup and the EFL Trophy in the very same month of August 2016, a pure coincidence.
Last year under manager Gus MacPherson Morton made it to the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2014.
I can't think of the last time Morton played on a Thursday.
The matches:
Morton [1 - 1] Ayr United (today) [Morton win on PK. Lewis McGregor was the Morton goalscorer. Gillespie, Blues, Muirhead, Kabia and Grimshaw scored in the shootout.]
Not Ayr again. Morton draw a Championship opponent, and still have not faced a club outwith* the Scottish association.
*Scots for "from outside of".
Queen of the South [4 - 0] FC Edinburgh (today)
An all League One match.
Alloa [1 - 0] Airdrieonians (tomorrow)
Another all League One match.
Annan [1 - 2] Kelty Hearts (tomorrow)
The New Saints [0 - 3] Dundee (tomorrow)
Falkirk [2 - 0] Partick Thistle (tomorrow)
These two deserve each other.
Buckie Thistle [1 - 2] Linfield (September 24)
Buckie dress like Celtic, Linfield dress like Rangers.
Clyde [1 - 0] Caernarfon Town (September 24)
The chances of this pairing ever happening again are astronomical to one.
Peterhead [0 - 4] Elgin (September 24)
Cove Rangers [0 - 1] Raith Rovers (September 24)
Another all Championship match.
Arbroath [2 - 1] East Fife (September 24)
Inverness CT [3 - 3] Brechin (September 24) [ICT win on PK.]
Montrose [4 - 2] Kilmarnock B (September 24)
Cliftonville [2 - 3] Queen's Park (September 25)
At Solitude. Queen's Park have also played Connah's Quay Nomads and The New Saints in this cup.
Rangers B vs Hamilton Accies (November 8)
Dunfermline vs Celtic B (November 15)
These Old Firm colts just think they can play whenever.
Other matches (September 24 unless otherwise indicated):
Stranraer 3 - 2 Dumbarton (September 20)
HFX Wanderers vs Pacific (September 25) (postponed)
PLSQ: Royal-Sélect de Beauport [2 - 3] CS St-Laurent
Banks O' Dee [2 - 0] Forres Mechanics
[Irvine Meadow 1 - 1 Largs Thistle (September 24)]
Morton Women [3 - 3] Dryburgh Athletic (September 25)
Irlam 3 - 1 FC Isle of Man (September 20)
Isle of Man sit 15th in the NWCFL Premier.
FC Isle of Man [3 - 1] Lower Breck (FA Vase 2QR)
Bogolle.D.Tsugaru [3 - 0] Saruta FC
[Bogolle are safe from relegation. Coboltore Onagawa win the league.]
Arista Asama and Fukuyama City have won their leagues. [BTOP Thank Kuriyama have won the Hokkaido league.]
WE League Cup: Elfen Saitama [0 - 2] Urawa Reds (September 25)
Scottish Junior Cup, Round Two (mostly September 24):
Arthurlie [4 - 0] Lugar Boswell Thistle
Beith Juniors [2 - 0] Hermes
Cumnock Juniors [1 - 1] Ashfield {Cumnock win on PK.]
Darvel [10 - 1] Glentanar
Glasgow Perthshire [1 - 2] Kilbirnie Ladeside
Greenock Juniors [1 - 5] Rutherglen Glencairn
Hurlford [7 - 0] Dundee Downfield
Kirkkintilloch Rob Roy [3 - 0] Dundee North End
Larkhall Thistle [3 - 1] Benburb
Petershill 1 - 1 Irvine Meadow XI (Petershill win on PK.) (September 16)
Rossvale [2 - 4] Auchinleck Talbot
Rothie Rovers [1 - 5] Glenafton Athletic
Troon vs Irvine Victoria [postponed]
And many others.
The Canadian Premier League is going to reward regular season champions and playoff champions from here on and retroactively to the founding of the league. The regular season champions so far are:
2019 Cavalry
2020 Cavalry
2021 Forge
Playoff winners so far are:
2019 Forge
2020 Forge
2021 Pacific
Historical matches:
September 21, 1966 Aberdeen 3 - 0 Morton
This was the second leg of their League Cup quarter-final. Aberdeen won 4 - 3 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals. Morton's undefeated streak ends at 12 games.
September 24, 1966 Third Lanark 1 - 1 Morton
This was Morton's final match at Cathkin Park.
September 24, 1977 St Johnstone 1 - 3 Morton
Goals by McGhee and Ritchie (2).
Port Glasgow Athletic 1885-86
1886/5/29 Port Glasgow Athletic 5 - 4 Dennistoun Athletic
1886/5/22 Port Glasgow Athletic 3 - 1 Kilmarnock
1886/5/15 Port Glasgow Athletic 3 - 0 Cambuslang
1886/5/8 Strathmore (Dundee) 3 - 3 Port Glasgow Athletic
1886/5/1 Port Glasgow Athletic 8 - 2 Ayr FC
1886/4/24 2nd Port Glasgow Athletic 11 - 1 2nd Cambuslang
1886/4/24 Cambuslang 1 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic
1886/4/17 Port Glasgow Athletic 3 - 3 Abercorn
1886/4/10 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 2 Thornliebank
1886/4/3 2nd Port Glasgow Athletic 2 - 2 2nd Abercorn
1886/3/27 Rangers 5 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic 2nd XI Cup SF
1886/3/27 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 5 Partick Thistle
1886/3/20 Abercorn 4 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic RCup final
1886/3/13 Port Glasgow Athletic 1 - 1 Arthurlie
1886/3/6 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 3 Annbank 2nd XI Cup R4
1886/2/27 Port Glasgow Athletic 7 - 0 Neilston RCup SF
1886/2/20 Northern 1 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic
1886/2/13 Port Glasgow Athletic 6 - 2 St Mirren
1886/2/6 Port Glasgow Athletic 5 - 2 Hibs 2nd XI Cup R3
1886/1/30 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 1 St Mirren
1886/1/23 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 2 St Mirren (protested) RCup R3
1886/1/16 Port Glasgow Athletic 2 - 3 Rangers
1885/12/26 Third Lanark 4 - 1 Port Glasgow Athletic SCup R5 replay
1885/12/19 Port Glasgow Athletic 1 - 1 Third Lanark SCup R5
1885/12/12 Port Glasgow Athletic 7 - 0 Neilston 2nd XI Cup R2
1885/11/21 Port Glasgow Athletic 13 - 1 Waterloo RCup R2
1885/11/14 St Mirren 5 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic
1885/11/14 bye SCup R4
1885/10/31 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 2 Cartvale SCup R3
1885/10/? Lanemark L - W Port Glasgow Athletic 2nd XI Cup R1
1885/10/10 Neilston 0 - 2 Port Glasgow Athletic SCup R2 replay
1885/10/3 Port Glasgow Athletic 1 - 1 Neilston SCup R2
1885/9/26 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 0 Woodvale (Thornliebank)
1885/9/19 2nd Port Glasgow Athletic 2 - 5 2nd Airdrieonians
1885/9/19 Airdrieonians 5 - 2 Port Glasgow Athletic
1885/9/12 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 1 1st Renfrewshire RV SCup R1
1885/9/5 Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 3 Arthurlie score uncertain
1885/8/29 Abercorn vs Port Glasgow Athletic
1885/8/22 Port Glasgow Athletic 5 - 1 Wishaw Swifts
Port Glasgow Athletic received more of the Glasgow Herald's attention than did Morton this season.
It isn't till 1886 that the Herald begins to sort football scores into Scottish, English and rugby categories.
(Sources: The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; Scottish Football Historical Archive for the Renfrewshire Cup and 2nd XI Cup; Glasgow Herald for friendlies. Several Monday Heralds are missing.)