Plenty of Nothing

About the Championnat de France de hockey sur glace féminin

Jokers often win. Source.

Le Championnat de France de hockey sur glace féminin is the top tier of women's hockey in France. The league was founded in 1986.

There are two pools of six teams each. Each team plays every other team in its pool twice. The games are spread from September to March. The top two teams from each pool participate in a round robin in April. The winner of that is French champion.

There is also a Coupe de France Feminine which is played in June between two clubs.

The twelve clubs are:

Poule Nord:

Les Gothiques d'Amiens. Black and white. Amiens is renowned for its duck pâté.

Les Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise. Founded 1981. 18 times French champions. They have also been women's roller hockey champions of France twice. Their home rink is Aren'ice (capacity 4,500). Green and white. Cergy is just northwest of Paris.

Les Bisons de Neuilly/St-Ouen. Four times French champions. Black, red and white. Rink: Patinoire de Neuilly-sur-Marne (built 1973; capacity 500). Neuilly is just west of Paris.

Les Jets de Evry/Viry. A recent amalgamation of two clubs. Black, white and pink. Evry and Viry-Châtillon are southern suburbs of Paris.

Les Remparts de Tours. Blue and blue. Rink: Patinoire municipale de Tours (built 1972; capacity 2,316).

Les Corsaires de Nantes. Or Pays de la Loire. Blue, black and white.

Poule Sud:

Besançon. Aigles. Black, red and gold. Rink: Patinoire Lafayette (capacity 1,300). Besançon is in the department of Doubs in eastern France, beside the Jura mountains.

Hockey Courchevel-Meribel-Pralognan. Les Bouquetins. Founded 2003. Rink: Patinoire de Meribel. Pink, white and black. Meribel is in Val Vanoise in the French Alps.

Les Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble. The Wolf-Burners.

Hockey Club 74. RockyPop Rebelles. Founded 2010. Blue, white and orange. They also play in the third division of the Swiss league. Chamonix is in Haute-Savoie.

Occitanie. Montpellier.

PACA. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Briançon.

FFHG.

Beer Refinery

Papyrus 3053 Bear

At the British Museum.

Osaka Ramones

Shonen Knife cover "Blitzkrieg Bop".

Otzenhausen Ring Fort

Otzenhausen, in north Saarland, is home to a massive Iron Age enclosure. Source.

The Dunmore Pineapple

The Dunmore Pineapple, one of Scotland's most celebrated follies, is located 5 miles north of Falkirk Stadium. Source. See also.

Morton visit Falkirk. The Bairns have only one win so far this season, but it was against Morton.

When was the last time Morton finished a season higher than Falkirk? 2012-13. The time before that? 1984-85. Overall Falkirk have finished the Scottish League season higher 71 times, Morton 37 times.

Falkirk striker Kevin O'Hara is serving an eight-game ban for mocking a Dunfermline opponent about having only one eye.

Win or lose, Morton will occupy sixth place at the end of today's play.

[Morton win 0 - 3. Goals by Harkins, Thomson (2). The last time Morton beat Falkirk by three goals was in 1988.]

Other match of the day: Inverness CT vs St Mirren. ICT got off to a horrible start this season, but they have not allowed a goal since September. Are they doing a 2016-17 St Mirren? We'll see what St Mirren have to say about it. [St Mirren win 0 - 2.]

1978-79. Morton visited Rangers and lost 3 - 0.

1933-34. Morton visited East Fife and lost 3 - 0.

1944-45. Morton were home to Third Lanark and won 3 - 1.

How many games have Falkirk played against the other 2017-18 Championship clubs?

St Mirren                220

Morton                   195

QoS                       127

Dunfermline           114

Dumbarton            102

Dundee Utd           101

Livingston               61

Brechin                   52

Inverness CT          41

What was Morton's most significant game against Falkirk?

Feb 15th, 1913            Falkirk 3 - 1 Morton

This was a Round Two replay in the 1912-13 Scottish Cup. The first game had gone 2 - 2 at Cappielow. After Falkirk knocked out Morton they beat Rangers, Dumbarton, Hearts, and Raith Rovers to hoist their first Scottish Cup.

Games played so far (league + cup):

22        Dundee United

22        Dunfermline

22        Queen of the South

21        Dumbarton

21        Falkirk

21        Livingston

20        St Mirren

19        Inverness CT

18        Brechin

18        Morton

Current undefeated streaks (league + cup):

7        Inverness CT

3        Dumbarton

2        QoS

2        Dunfermline

1        St Mirren

1        Livingston

1        Dundee United

1        Brechin

1        Morton

0        Falkirk

Tomorrow it's the Scottish League Cup final:

Celtic vs Motherwell

This is only Motherwell's fourth trip to the final. Previously they faced Hibs, Hearts and Rangers. Celtic have made it 32 times. Celtic are coming off a Champions League thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain but have a record British domestic winning streak going, which would make a win for Motherwell extra extra sweet.

[Celtic win 2 - 0.]

Tomorrow is also the final of the Scottish Women's Cup:

Glasgow City [0 - 3] Hibs in Livingston.

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

Dyce vs Irvine Meadow [postponed]

Cumnock vs Bathgate Thistle [postponed]

Kilbirnie Ladeside vs Lanark United [postponed]

Troon [0 - 2] Yoker

Hurlford United vs Musselburgh [postponed]

Arthurlie [3 - 1] Coupar Angus

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy vs Glenafton Athletic [postponed]

Bo'ness United [3 - 0] Kilwinning Rangers

Hill of Beath Hawthorn vs Auchinleck Talbot [postponed]

2017 Regional Promotion Series. We're following Cobaltore Onagawa from Miyagi Prefecture:

Nov. 24: Cobaltore 2 - 2 Tegevagaro Miyazaki. Cobaltore win on penalty kicks.

Nov. 25: Cobaltore [1 - 1] Vonds. [Cobaltore win on penalty kicks again.]

Nov. 26: Cobaltore [1 - 0] Amitie

[Cobaltore and Tegevagaro finish first and second. They'll know if they've been promoted to the JFL after the board meeting of December 6th.]

SJFL West First Division: Shettleston vs Largs [postponed]

AFC Champions League final, second leg:

Urawa Red Diamonds [1 - 0] Al-Hilal. [Urawa will represent Asia at the Club World Cup next month.]

UEFA Champions League group B:

Paris Saint-Germain 7 - 1 Celtic

UEFA Europa League group J:

Östersund 2 - 0 Zorya Luhansk

With one group stage match to go Östersund are already through to the Round of 32.

Abruzzo: Francavilla [1 - 1] Vastese

Regionalliga Südwest: Kassel [1 - 2] 1. FC Saarbrücken

FC Edmonton has folded.

Ancient Celtic Lit

    I gather that the Celtics face danger more boldly than other races. Certainly they make heroic death in war the subject of their poems. In battle they wear garlands on their heads and they put up victory monuments; they take pride in their achievements and leave behind them memorials of their bravery, in Greek style. To run away is held to be so shameful that they often will not even escape if a house collapses and falls on them, nor if the house is on fire and they are caught by the flames. Many of them stand firm as the sea washes over them. Some pick up weapons, rush into the waves, and feel their impact, brandishing naked swords and spears, as if these could frighten or wound them.

    Aelian, Historical Miscellany 12.23 (trans. Wilson).

'Oumuamua

Read about this elongated and quite possibly metallic object that entered and exited the Solar System on an interstellar journey this autumn and tell me if it isn't time to reread Rendezvous with Rama.

Estadio Azul and Plaza México

An American city might have adjacent football and baseball stadiums. México City has as soccer stadium, Estadio Azul, home to the club Cruz Azul, and across the road Plaza México, at 41,262 seats the largest bullring in the world. The authorities are planning to demolish ... the soccer stadium. Source.

Dunfermline the Horse

Dunfermline, owned by the Queen, won both the Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes in the Silver Jubilee year of 1977. Source.

Morton visit Dunfermline for a game originally scheduled November 11th. This is Morton's thirteenth match of the season. In the first dozen they accumulated four wins, four draws and four losses, with a +2 goal difference, good for sixth place. In their first meeting with the Pars on September 9th Morton won 3 - 2. Morton have not scored more than two goals in a game since.

Dunfermline are part of pack of five teams any one of which could be holding first place on any given week. They (the Pars) have the best goal difference.

What was Morton's most significant game against Dunfermline?

April 30th, 2011            Morton 0 - 2 Dunfermline

The Pars clinched first place and promotion to the Premier League.

Since 1994, which Fife clubs have played in tier II?

1994-95        Raith Rovers, Dunfermline

1995-96        Dunfermline

1996-97        East Fife

1997-98        Raith Rovers

1998-99        Raith Rovers

1999-00        Raith Rovers, Dunfermline

2000-01        Raith Rovers

2001-02        Raith Rovers

2002-03

2003-04        Raith Rovers

2004-05        Raith Rovers

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08        Dunfermline

2008-09        Dunfermline

2009-10        Dunfermline, Raith Rovers

2010-11        Dunfermline, Raith Rovers, Cowdenbeath

2011-12        Raith Rovers

2012-13        Raith Rovers, Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath

2013-14        Raith Rovers, Cowdenbeath

2014-15        Raith Rovers, Cowdenbeath

2015-16        Raith Rovers

2016-17        Raith Rovers, Dunfermline

2017-18        Dunfermline

Raith Rovers 16 times, Dunfermline 10, Cowdenbeath 4, East Fife 1.

Morton's 4 - 4 draws through history:

Sept 29, 1894            Partick 4 - 4 Morton

Dec 18, 1915             Queen's Park 4 - 4 Morton

Oct 5, 1929                Morton 4 - 4 Hamilton

Dec 20, 1941             Third Lanark 4 - 4 Morton

Sept 22, 1945            Morton 4 - 4 Third Lanark

Jan 26, 1946              Rangers 4 - 4 Morton

Nov 19, 1960             Morton 4 - 4 Hamilton

April 12, 1969            Morton 4 - 4 St Johnstone

How did Stirling Albion come to be known as a yo-yo club?

1945: founded

1946: joined the SFL Division C

1947: promoted to Division B

1949: promoted to Division A

1950: demoted

1951: promoted

1952: demoted

1953: promoted

1956: demoted

1958: promoted

1960: demoted

1961: promoted

1962: demoted

1965: promoted

1968: demoted

[1 - 1. Morton goal by Oliver.]