A view of Ochilview.
This weekend it's Round One of the 2012-13 Scottish League Cup. This is the cup competition open to the 42 members of the SPL and SFL. Last year's winners were Kilmarnock FC.
Morton have drawn the ideal opponent: East Stirlingshire FC, the tenth-place finishers in last year's Third Division. The Shire are certainly the most disadvantaged club in Scottish football. The past decade they have finished last in the Third Division six times. They don't have a ground of their own, but share with Stenhousemuir. Famously, they were the topic of Jeff Connor's book Pointless: A Season With Britain's Worst Football Team. If and when a pyramid structure is applied to Scottish Football, East Stirlingshire can be expected to drop down to the East of Scotland League pretty quickly. Unless of course they prove me wrong. They wear black and white hoops.
East Stirlingshire and Stenhousemuir both drew home fixtures, but they share the same ground, Ochilview Park, so Stenhousemuir's game against Brechin went yesterday, and the Shire's against Morton goes today.
First Division clubs eliminated in Round One yesterday: Cowdenbeath, Airdrie. Stranraer endured their annual 8 - 0 thrashing at home, this time to Livingston.
The Rangers have their match against East Fife Tuesday.
With the Ton away, the Scottish women's team are playing Iceland at Cappielow. [1 - 1.]
Yesterday was the opening day of the Scottish Premier League. Ross County played their first ever SPL match against Motherwell at Victoria Park -- excuse me -- Global Energy Stadium. The uncertainty surrounding the newco Rangers, Dundee and Dunfermline this summer completely overshadowed the Ross County story. Let us just remember that Ross County earned their place in the SPL, and got their stadium ready on time. [Ross County 0 - 0 Motherwell.]
Yesterday was also the preliminary round of the Scottish Cup. This new pre-Round-One layer of competition was made necessary by recent growth in the membership of the Scottish Football Association. Fort William played Preston Athletic, and Keith played St Cuthbert Wanderers. [Preston and St Cuthbert prevail.]
Motherwell, Celtic and Dundee United all played in European competition midweek. Motherwell lost, Celtic won and United tied. Second leg this week.
Japan are into the semi-finals in both the men's and women's football competitions at the Olympics. Canada's women's team are also semi-finalists after beating GB 2 - 0.
Read this football taunt on Twitter: "Aberdeen, Aberdeen, canny kick a jelly bean."
[Easy one. Morton win 5 - 1. Goals by McLaughlin, Weatherson, Stirling, Wallace, Tidser.]
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