Health officials maintain they could wipe out the smoking habit if tobacco companies were required to include a Greenock Morton card in every packet of cigarettes.
Morton visit Stranraer. In their three meetings to date Morton have taken two wins and Stranraer one. Today's match kicks off at 5:30 local time to accommodate BBC Alba. This is truly League One match of the week and deserves to be in Gaelic.
Here's the situation. If Morton win they will go into the final weekend holding first place, even if Forfar also win, unless Forfar can overcome a goal difference of 3. If Morton and Stran play to a draw, Forfar can take over first with a win. If Morton lose there's no way for them to win the title. Worse case scenario: Morton lose today and next week, Brechin win twice, causing Morton to finish fourth and face Alloa in the playoffs. Alloa cleaned their clocks last season.
Forfar visit Dunfermline. Brechin visit Stenny.
Neither Stranraer, Morton nor Forfar have played to a draw in the past ten weeks.
The set of possibilities at the top of League One is matched only by the bundle at the bottom of the Championship. Taken together there are eight teams that could be in or out of the Championship next year: Cowdenbeath, Alloa, Livingston, Stranraer, Morton, Forfar, Brechin and Airdrieonians. Today Cowden host Hearts, Alloa visit Hibs, and last-place Livi visit Raith Rovers.
This could be the decisive weekend at the bottom of League One. Ayr United host Stirling Albion (easy) while Stenny host Brechin (tough). [Ayr win, Stenny draw, so Ayr are two points up going into the final weekend.]
The name Stranraer, from the Gaelic An t-Sròn Reamhar, means "the fat nose." The town lent its name to the Supermarine Stranraer, a flying boat, most of which were built in Canada and flown in British Columbia. I wonder how the RAF and RCAF pronunciations compared.
On the topic of the English Canadian "a", I was going around saying Stirling Albion in the Canadian way until someone on Pie and Bovril rhymed it with LOLbion.
Does it seem to you that Morton only ever score in the second half? In 34 league games they have scored 17 times in the first half and 41 in the second half. In 2015 they have scored 5 goals before the interval.
In what years did Morton earn promotion by finishing in first place? 1950, 1964, 1967, 1978, 1984, 1987, 1995, 2003, 2007.
In what years did Morton earn promotion by finishing second? 1929, 1937.
When did Morton gain promotion through the expulsion of a higher-placed club? 1900. St. Bernard's. (For professionalism.)
What year did Morton gain promotion through the intervention of a world war? 1946.
When has Morton earned promotion by way of the play-offs? Not ever.
A different question: When did Stranraer last play in the second tier? 2005-06. Brechin? 2005-06. Forfar? 1991-92.
Today is Leg One of the first ever Highland League v Lowland League playoff. Edinburgh City host Brora Rangers. Speculation is that Brora will throw a game at some point in this process, because of statements made earlier that they would be happier to stay in the Highland League. But I think pride would at least demand that they beat City before lying down for Montrose.* Edinburgh City and Brora Rangers met earlier this season in the Round Three of the Scottish Cup, when they were both trying to win, and Brora prevailed 3 - 2. [Today's final score: 1 - 1.]
* [And that's just what happened.]
Greenock HSFP AFC are out of the Scottish Amateur Cup, but they're still in the West of Scotland Cup and today's their semifinal against Hurlford Thistle. The High have won this cup three times, but not since the Nineteen Thirties. [Greenock win 0 - 1.]
SPFL last minute rule change meetings this week produced this rule change around insolvency: immediate 15-point deduction plus a five point deduction next season; if it's a club's second insolvency in five years, immediate 25-point deduction plus 15 next season.
On Monday one of the Scottish Amateur Cup semifinals took place: Broomhouse AFC 0 - 3 Craigshill Thistle AFC.
It was matchday #5 of the AFC Champions League group stage this week. Japanese results:
Kashiwa Reysol 3 - 2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Guangzhou R&F 0 - 5 Gamba Osaka
Urawa Red Diamonds 1 - 2 Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 - 2 Kashima Antlers
Urawa will not qualify for the knock-out stage.
Yesterday Karşıyaka visited Denizlispor and lost 2 - 0. The city of Denizli, southeast of Izmir, is an Anatolian Tiger.
Yesterday UCD played host to Cobh Ramblers. FT: 1 - 1.
Montedio Yamagata host FC Tokyo today [and lose 0 - 1.]
[Morton win 0 - 2. Goals by McManus. Morton take over first place with one week to go.]
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