Jinky's boots. Photo by David Geddes. Jimmy Johnstone ended his playing career at Elgin City.
Morton host Elgin City in Round One of the League Cup.
Elgin City, The Black and Whites, wear a kit alarmingly similar to St Mirren's.* They were founded in 1893, and are 14-time Highland League champions, plus once when they won but were stripped of the title. They joined the SFL in the year 2000 and have yet to gain promotion to the third tier. They have never done better than Round Two of the League Cup. They have never done better than the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup. They have never done better than Round Four of the Scottish Cup. Morton are more illustrious.
Today is only the sixth time in history that these two clubs have met in a competitive match. They were together in Division Three in 2002-03, when Morton took three wins and a draw. Morton eliminated City from the 1968-69 Scottish Cup. Do you hear what I'm telling you? Elgin City have never beaten Greenock Morton.
Some other matches. Livingston and Clyde meet for the second time in two weeks. Livingston won last week's match. [And again today, 1 - 0.] There's a Fife derby: Dunfermine [5 - 1] Cowdenbeath. There's a South of Scotland derby: Annan [3 - 4] QoS. There's a Rovers reunion: Raith Rovers [3 - 0] Albion Rovers.
Have Morton ever faced the same club in the first round of both the League Cup and the Challenge Cup? No.
Have Morton ever been knocked out of both the League Cup and the Challenge Cup in the first round in the same year? No. But in 1993-94 they were eliminated from the Challange Cup in the first round by St Mirren, and they had a bye to the second round of the League Cup, where they were knocked out by Rangers.
How have Morton fared in League Cup play in the 21st Century?
2000-01: Round One.
2001-02: Round One.
2002-03: Round One.
2003-04: Round Two.
2004-05: Round Two.
2005-06: Round One.
2006-07: Round One.
2007-08: Round One.
2008-09: Round Three.
2009-10: Round Two.
2010-11: Round Two.
2011-12: Round Two.
2012-13: Round Two.
2013-14: Quarterfinals.
2014-15: Round Two.
There's some gradual improvement there. You'd think Morton might make Round Three this year.
The Premiership clubs get a bye through this round and start their league play today. For the purposes of the League Cup St Mirren are still a Premiership club, but they're not playing in the Premiership anymore, so today they travel to Yorkshire to visit Sheffield Wednesday, The Owls. Hearts play in the First Round of the League Cup, despite being in the Premiership, which just screws up the schedule. Expect this anomaly to be remedied by next year. [Owls win 5 - 0.]
There was a rumour going round a month or so ago that Morton would play Spanish side Getafe CF on July 29th, but nothing came of it. Getafe, who were 15th in La Liga last season, are holding their training camp in Cheshire.
Morton have signed Romario Sabajo formerly of FC Lienden of the Netherlands' Sunday Topklasse. Can he make the transition to Saturday football?
Striker Denny Johnstone formerly of Celtic, Birmingham City, Macclesfield Town, Cheltenham Town, and Burton Albion has been signed on loan.
[Morton win 5 - 0. Goals by McCluskey, Johnstone, Scullion (2) and Forbes.]
UEFA Champions League and Europa League 3Q first leg action this week:
Celtic 1 - 0 Qarabağ of Azerbaijan
Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan 2 - 1 Aberdeen. But the next day Almaty lost out to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Wednesday it was Montedio Yamagata 0 - 3 Nagoya.
Yesterday UCD visited Cabinteely and won 1 - 3.
The Lowland League starts today.
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