Plenty of Nothing

Book Mural

Ceiling

The ceiling in the nave of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Suffolk, taken by Jonathan Foyle. St Edmundsbury is a good example of how fine a medieval building can look if modern donors splash out.

Slouching Towards Brechin

Today's game plan, copied from Jim Duffy's white board. Brechin are in red, Morton blue. Based on Yeats' "The Second Coming."

Morton revisit Brechin. Morton are in third place with 41 points; Brechin in fourth with 35. Brechin lead the season series with a win and a draw. Can you say "season series" in fitba?

Morton are out of the Challenge Cup, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup for this year. There is some consolation in losing out to the eventual cup winner, though. When has that happened in this century?

2012-13 Challenge Cup Second Round, Queen of the South beat Morton 1 - 2.

2010-11 Challenge Cup Second Round, Ross County beat Morton 3 - 1.

2007-08 Challenge Cup Semi-Final, St Johnstone beat Morton 1 - 3.

2005-06 Challenge Cup Semi-Final, St Mirren beat Morton 4 - 2 on penalty kicks.

2002-03 Challenge Cup Second Round, Queen of the South beat Morton 1 - 0.

1999-00 Scottish Cup Fourth Round, Rangers beat Morton 0 - 1.

Could it happen this year? Yes. Alloa Athletic are in the Challenge Cup final, and Spartans are still alive in the Scottish Cup.

Last weekend Raith Rovers knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup. Add that to last year's Challenge Cup final when Raith Rovers defeated Rangers and you have got to admit that looked at rationally, on the evidence, the world is ending.

Julianne Moore's mother is from Greenock.

[FT: Brechin 1 - 1 Morton. Goal by Caldwell. Morton lose ground to Stranraer. The schedule is two-thirds done.]

It's the Scottish Junior Cup, Fifth Round. Let's watch:

Auchinleck Talbot [1 - 1] Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic.

Auchinleck Talbot eliminated Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic in the 2011-12 semifinals.

Boxed Set

The Tale of Genji boxed set. This kawachibon dates from the Kamakura period and is held in the Hosa Library in Nagoya.

Chickenburger

Unarigoe, Chapter 5, Page 20

Dartmouth Gothic

Between an Eel and a Toast-Rack

His appearance suggested a cross between an eel and a toast-rack, but, even through the veils of rain, one saw the great flat knees, the let-down jumping hindquarters, the well-balanced proportions of the slender immature frame, and the proud head, held high, with wild eyes that stared, horrified, at the umbrellas.

[Somerville and Ross, The Sweet Cry of Hounds (1936), page 23.]

Shining Path

The Battle of Greenockburn

Last-place Stirling Albion visit Cappielow. Stranraer are playing in the Scottish Cup today, so this is Morton's golden opportunity to take over first. It doesn't hurt that Declan McManus is now back with the club. If Morton are to score a manita this season, today's the day to do it. [Nope, not today. The match is postponed following a pitch inspection.]

Peter MacDonald has scored in each of Morton's last three games.

Six League One clubs are in league action today. Two others, Stranraer and Brechin City, are playing in the Scottish Cup. The other two, Dunfermline and Stenny, are still in bed, hungover. [Forfar win their game and push past Morton into second place.]

It's the Scottish Cup, Fifth Round. Morton are out, thanks to Spartans FC in Round Four. Today we're closely watching Spartans, who are on the cusp of history against Berwick. If Spartans win they will become only the third non-league club to make the Scottish Cup quarter-finals. (1959-60 Eyemouth United; 1967-68 Elgin City.)

[Spartans 1 - 1 Berwick. Spartans live to replay another day.]

Morton were knocked out of the Scottish Cup on November 29th. How late into the season have the Ton gone in past years? The high-water mark for the 21st Century is February 22 (2003), when Morton were knocked out of the fourth round by Stranraer. The truly late dates, however, are in the 20th Century. Morton won the Cup on April 15, 1922. And they lost the Cup Final to Rangers in a replay on April 21, 1948.

It's also the Scottish Amateur Cup, Round Six. We're watching:

Greenock HSFP AFC (CSAFL) [7 - 4] Hurlford Thistle AFC