Plenty of Nothing

Tom Björklund's Neanderthal Portraits

Go see.

Boghead

Dumbarton's former stadium had the evocative name of Boghead. Source.

Morton complete 2017 with a visit to cross-estuary rivals Dumbarton. [No, they don't. Match postponed.]

Dumbarton lost 1 - 4 to Livingston on Boxing Day, which bumped Morton out of the playoff zone.

1978-79. Morton finished 1978 with a visit to Pittodrie where they beat Aberdeen 1 - 2. McNeil and Ritchie scored for the Greenockians.

1933-34. Morton visited Albion Rovers and lost 3 - 1.

1944-45. Morton visited Partick Thistle and lost 3 - 2, their third loss in a row.

The other match of the day was actually yesterday: St Mirren 2 - 0 Dundee United. The Buddies hang onto first place.

The Premiership is in action today, and then off until January 23rd.

What was the highlight of the first half of the season for each Championship club?

Brechin                    Buckie Thistle 2 - 3 Brechin

Dumbarton              Dumbarton 2 - 1 Connah's Quay Nomads

Dundee United        Dundee United 1 - 0 Linfield

Dunfermline            Hearts 2 - 2 Dunfermline (Pars won on penalties)

Falkirk                     Sligo Rovers 1 - 2 Falkirk

Inverness CT          Dundee United 0 - 2 ICT

Livingston               Livingston 2 - 0 Dundee United

Morton                    Morton 4 - 1 St Mirren

QoS                        Dunfermline 2 - 5 QoS

St Mirren                 St Mirren 3 - 0 Dundee United

Scottish Junior Cup. Four Round Three matches are scheduled for today: three replays, and Dyce vs Irvine Meadow which has been postponed five times. [Six.]

Yasunari Kawaiibata

Source. See also.

Topographic Map in a Ditch

Source.

Spengler Cup 2017

Canada versus Mountfield the last time. Source.

It's the 91st Spengler Cup. This year's participants are host HC Davos, Mountfield HK of the Czech Extraliga, HPK of the Finnish Liiga, Dinamo Riga of the Bobrov Division of the KHL, Team Canada and the Swiss Olympic Team.

Davos. Have won the cup 15 times. Canadians: Brandon Buck.

Mountfield. They were also in last year's tournament. No Canadians.

HPK. No Canadians.

Dinamo Riga. They made it to the final in 2011. Canadians: Colton Gillies, Brandon McMillan, Karl Stollery.

Team Canada. Have won the cup 14 times, including the last two years.  Roster. Nine play in the Swiss leagues, four in US college hockey, three in the AHL, one in the KHL, one in the SHL, one in the EBEL, and one for Hockey Canada.

Swiss Olympic Team. No Canadians obviously.

With the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics coming up in February, this year's Spengler Cup is a good warm-up for both the Canadian and Swiss national programs. There will be no NHLers at the Olympics.

In November both Canada and Switzerland participated in the Karjala Tournament, joining the usual participants Sweden, Finland, Russia and the Czechs. Canada finished fourth, Switzerland sixth.

Team Canada versus HC Davos since 1977 (Source):

1984        Davos 2 - 9 Canada

1985        Canada 5 - 2 Davos

1987        Davos 4 - 5 Canada

1988        Davos 5 - 6 Canada

1989        Davos 2 - 5 Canada

1993        Davos 5 - 2 Canada

1994        Canada 0 - 6 Davos

1995        Canada 7 - 4 Davos

1996        Davos 4 - 5 Canada

                Canada 6 - 2 Davos

1997        Davos 1 - 3 Canada

1998        Canada 1 - 5 Davos

                Davos 2 - 5 Canada

1999        Canada 4 - 3 Davos

2000        Davos 2 - 3 Canada

                Canada 2 - 4 Davos

2001        Davos 5 - 6 Canada

                Canada 3 - 4 Davos

2002        Davos 2 - 3 Canada

                Canada 3 - 2 Davos

2003        Davos 7 - 4 Canada

                Davos 4 - 7 Canada

2004        Canada 3 - 2 Davos

2005        Davos 2 - 4 Canada

2006        Davos 3 - 6 Canada

                Canada 2 - 3 Davos

2007        Davos 2 - 6 Canada

2008        Canada 5 - 6 Davos

2009        Canada 6 - 2 Davos

2010        Davos 3 - 2 Canada

                Davos 0 - 4 Canada

2011        Canada 1 - 8 Davos

2012        Davos 0 - 5 Canada

                Canada 7 - 2 Davos

2013        Canada 2 - 3 Davos

2014        Davos 2 - 1 Canada

2015        Canada 2 - 0 Davos

                Canada 6 - 5 Davos

2016        Davos 3 - 4 Canada

[2017       Canada 4 - 1 Davos]

[Team Canada beat Team Switzerland 3 - 0 in the final.]

Halifax Forum

The Halifax Forum opened for skating on this day in 1927. Source.

The Queen's Cranachs

There's a great big version of this photo, and a story about the painting they're holding, at The History Blog.

Tsuba

The McLean Museum in Greenock has a nice collection of Japanese swordguards.

Patrick Downie's Greenock

Patrick Downie (1854-1945) left behind a large body of Greenock townscapes, including this one, A View of William Street from Mid Quay, which you can see at the McLean Museum.

Morton are at home to Inverness CT. Their first meeting August 19th ended in a 1 - 1 draw.

ICT got off to a bad start this season, and occupied last place for a while, but they found their way forward around the beginning of October and now it's gotten practically impossible to score against them. If they win today they will be in sight of the promotion playoffs. Morton themselves need a win to keep within range of fourth place.

The last time ICT visited Cappielow was April 6th, 2010, when both clubs were in Division One. Inverness won 0 - 2. The last time Morton beat ICT at Cappielow was Nov 25th, 2000, also in Division One.

[Morton 1 - 0 Inverness. Goal by Harkins. This is Morton's first win against ICT in 17 years. Morton rise to fourth place. They are in a group of four teams -- Dunfermline, Morton, QoS and Livingston -- all with 26 points.]

1978-79. On this date in 1978 Morton hosted Celtic and won 1 - 0 on a penalty shot by Andy Ritchie. Attendance 12,636.

1933-34. Morton hosted King's Park and won 1 - 0.

Morton and St Mirren met Christmas Day 1933 at Cappielow in the Renfrewshire Cup final, but the game ended 3 - 3. They did not get around to the second leg until September 4th, 1934, when St Mirren won 8 - 0.

Morton have played ten Scottish League game plus one Southern League game on Christmas Day, the most recent one in 1971.

1944-45. Motherwell visited Cappielow and won 1 - 3.

What was Morton's most significant game against Inverness CT?

Nov 12th, 1999            Morton 5 - 1 Inverness CT

This was their second meeting and still stands as Morton's most lopsided win over ICT.

Other match of the day: Dumbarton vs Falkirk. The Sons can really put the boots to Falkirk's prospects with a win today. Dumbarton are eighth with 18 points, and Falkirk are 10 points behind them. [0 - 0.]

Bairns Cut Youth Academy. The irony! The board of directors of Falkirk FC, after surveying the wreckage of their plan for promotion, have axed their youth academy to redirect money to the first team. Dumbarton did something similar at the beginning of the season. It would be a great shame if Morton were to follow suit.

Current winless streaks (league + cup):

Falkirk                   8

Dunfermline          5

Brechin                 4

Livingston             2 

Morton                  1

Dumbarton            1

St Mirren               0

Dundee Utd           0

QoS                       0

Inverness CT         0

Last Sunday Hearts beat Celtic 4 - 0 and ended the Bhoys' 69 game domestic unbeaten streak, which went back to May 15th 2016 and included the entire 2016-17 season.

The SJFA is trying valiantly to finish Round Three of the Scottish Junior Cup. The matches were originally scheduled Nov 25th, but 22 of them were postponed due to the weather. Six of those were played on Dec 2nd, and 16 were postponed, and a draw necessitated a replay. All 17 of those matches were postponed on Dec 9th. Two were played and 15 postponed again on Dec 16th. 15 matches are scheduled for today. Round Four goes Jan 20th.

It's the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup. [Today is Emperor Akihito's 84th birthday.]

Yokohama F. Marinos [2 - 1] Kashiwa Reysol

Cerezo Osaka [3 - 1] Vissel Kobe

Cerezo won this year's League Cup and finished third in J1. Kashiwa Reysol were 4th, Yokohama 5th, and Vissel Kobe 9th. Vissel Kobe beat Matsumoto Yamaga along the way to the semi-finals.

Matsumoto Yamaga in the Emperor's Cup:

97回        R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 4 - 0 MD Nagasaki

                R3        Sagan Tosu 1 - 2 Matsumoto Yamaga

                R4        Matsumoto Yamaga 0 - 2 Vissel Kobe

96回        R1        Matsumoto Yamaga 6 - 0 Tokuyama University

                R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 1 - 2 Honda FC

95回        R1        Matsumoto Yamaga 3 - 0 Saurcos Fukui

                R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 2 - 1 Zweigen Kanazawa

                R3        Shonan Bellmare 2 - 3 Matsumoto Yamaga

                R4        Vegalta Sendai 2 - 1 Matsumoto Yamaga

94回        R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 1 - 0 Kamatamare Sanuki

                R3        FC Tokyo 2 - 0 Matsumoto Yamaga

93回        R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 4 - 3 Thespakusatsu Gunma

                R3        Matsumoto Yamaga 1 - 3 Sagan Tosu

92回        R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 1 - 3 Kyoto Sanga

91回        R1        Matsumoto Yamaga 3 - 0 Maruoka Phoenix

                R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 2 - 0 Yokohama FC

                R3        Albirex Niigata 0 - 1 Matsumoto Yamaga

                R4        Yokohama F. Marinos 4 - 0 Matsumoto Yamaga

90回        R1        Matsumoto Yamaga 7 - 1 Tamaho Club

                R2        Ventforet Kofu 1 - 0 Matsumoto Yamaga

89回        R1        Matsumoto Yamaga 1 - 0 FC Kariya

                R2        Matsumoto Yamaga 2 - 0 Urawa Red Diamonds

                R3        Matsumoto Yamaga 1 - 4 FC Gifu

88回        R1        Niigata University of Management 1 - 5 Matsumoto Yamaga

                R2        Saurcos Fukui 0 - 4 Matsumoto Yamaga

                R3        Shonan Bellmare 1 - 1 Matsumoto Yamaga (Matsumoto win on penalties)

                R4        Matsumoto Yamaga 0 - 8 Vissel Kobe

86回        R1        Matsumoto Yamaga 2 - 2 Doshisha University (Matsumoto win on penalties)

                R2        Nippon Steel Oita 3 - 1 Matsumoto Yamaga

Prior to 2004 Matsumoto Yamaga were known as Yamaga Club.

77回        R1        Brummell Sendai 7 - 0 Yamaga Club

39th Empress's Cup semi-finals were played Thursday:

NTV Beleza (N1) 2 - 1 Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (N1)

JEF United Chiba Ladies (N1) 0 - 1 Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara (N1)

The final is tomorrow:

NTV Beleza [2 - 1] Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara

Beleza have won the cup eleven times before, Stella never.

66th All Japan University Football Championship:

Quarter-Finals (Dec. 18):

Match No. 17: University of Tsukuba 0 - 1 Tokyo International University

Match No. 18: Fukuoka University 2 - 3 Ryutsu Keizai University

Match No. 19: Hosei University 3 - 2 Biwako Seikei Sport College

Match No. 20: Juntendo University 2 - 2 Kansai University (Kansai won on penalty kicks)

Semi-Finals (Dec. 21):

Match No. 21: Tokyo International University 1 - 2 Ryutsu Keizai University

Match No. 22: Kansai University 1 - 1 Hosei University (Hosei won on penalty kicks.)

Finals (tomorrow):

Match No. 23: Ryutsu Keizai University [5 - 1] Hosei University

Hosei have won this cup twice before, Ryutsu Keizai once.

After half a season what does the table of Abruzzo derby games in Serie D, Girone F look like?

                        G    W    D    L    F    A    GD    P

Pineto              5     3     1     1    9    6    +3    10 

Vastese           5     3     1     1    6    4    +2    10

San Nicolo      5     2     0     3    7   12    -5      6

Avezzano        5    1      2     2    8    6    +2      5

L'Aquila           5    1      2     2    7    7      0      5

Francavilla      5    1      2     2    5    7     -2      5

Bolaji Badejo

Bolaji Badejo, who played the xenomorph in the original Alien movie, died of sickle cell anemia on this date 25 years ago.