MV Rapana, a Merchant Aircraft Carrier, anchored off Greenock in 1943. Yep, there were merchant aircraft carriers in World War Two. Rapana was a converted Shell Oil tanker, capable of launching Swordfish anti-submarine aircraft, while hauling oil. Source.
Morton entertain Falkirk. Last Saturday Falkirk beat the Tangerines 6 - 1, but then on Tuesday lost 4 - 1 to ICT. Who'll show up today? Falkirk enter today's play in ninth place, right where they've been almost all season.
With ICT's recovery from the post-relegation vapors there are now five teams chasing two playoff spots: Dunfermline, Livingston, Queen of the South, Morton and ICT. Morton can finish the day anywhere from fourth to seventh place.
[Falkirk win 0 - 1.]
Other match of the day: Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs Queen of the South. [ICT win 3 - 1.]
1933-34. Morton hosted East Fife and won 3 - 1.
1944-45. Morton welcomed Hearts to Cappielow and beat them 5 - 1.
Reigning Swedish league champions Malmö FF have signed Fouad Bachirou, formerly of Greenock Morton, paying Östersunds FK a transfer fee reported to be in the neighbourhood of 7 million krona (about £633,000). Read an interview.
Ben Armour has been loaned out to Annan Athletic.
Current undefeated streaks:
6 St Mirren
3 Dunfermline
3 Morton
2 Queen of the South
1 ICT
1 Brechin
0 Dundee United
0 Livingston
0 Dumbarton
0 Falkirk
Postponements. Currently Morton have two postponed matches that have yet to be rescheduled: Livingston vs Morton, from December 16th; and Dumbarton vs Morton, from December 30th. Very often a postponed fixture is rescheduled on the second Tuesday after, or if there's time pressure, the first Tuesday. Neither of those things has happened in either case, probably because with this weather the chances were high that the rearranged match would get cancelled again. But now the Scottish Cup approaches with its inevitable replays. So neither of those December matches is likely to be played before February.
The three-division era. Since 1994 the Scottish League has been made up of four divisions, and Morton play each divisional rival four times. Before 1975 the league was usually comprised of two divisions, and Morton played each rival twice. From 1975 to 1994 there were three divisions. Did Morton play every opponent three times?
1975-76 26 games (tier 2) twice
1976-77 39 games (tier 2) three times
1977-78 39 games (tier 2) three times
1978-79 36 games (tier 1) four times
1979-80 36 games (tier 1) four times
1980-81 36 games (tier 1) four times
1981-82 36 games (tier 1) four times
1982-83 36 games (tier 1) four times
1983-84 39 games (tier 2) three times
1984-85 36 games (tier 1) four times
1985-86 39 games (tier 2) three times
1986-87 44 games (tier 2) four times
1987-88 44 games (tier 1) four times
1988-89 39 games (tier 2) three times
1989-90 39 games (tier 2) three times
1990-91 39 games (tier 2) three times
1991-92 44 games (tier 2) four times
1992-93 44 games (tier 2) four times
1993-94 44 games (tier 2) four times
More on format. Since the founding of the Scottish League, Morton have played thirty seasons in a ten-team 36-game structure. Does any other format approach that mark? No. Morton have played 34 games in an 18-team division twenty-four times; 30 games in a 16-team division seventeen times; 38 games in a 20-team division sixteen times; 36 games in a 19-team division nine times; 18 games in a 10-team division eight times; 39 games in a 14-team division seven times; 44 games in a 12-team division five times; and a few other combinations for a handful of years each. The current format is the most time-honoured.
Last July I posted a list of the Falkirk/Stenhousemuir matches played during the 100-plus-year history of Stirlingshire Cup. The two clubs also met in some of the SFL's early rival leagues.
Midland League, 1893 to 1896:
1893/11/25 match abandoned
1894/1/27 Stenhousemuir 3 - 0 Falkirk
1894/4/21 Falkirk 4 - 0 Stenhousemuir
1894/12/15 Falkirk 2 - 0 Stenhousemuir
1895/4/27 Stenhousemuir 3 - 3 Falkirk
1895/11/2 Stenhousemuir 5 - 2 Falkirk
1896/2/29 Falkirk 4 - 3 Stenhousemuir
Scottish Combination, 1896-97:
1897/4/3 Falkirk 4 - 3 Stenhousemuir
1897/5/15 Stenhousemuir 1 - 1 Falkirk
Central Combination, 1897 to 1902:
1897/9/18 Falkirk 0 - 3 Stenhousemuir
1898/4/30 Stenhousemuir 6 - 1 Falkirk
1898/8/27 Stenhousemuir 0 - 6 Falkirk
1899/5/6 Falkirk 5 - 9 Stenhousemuir
1899/8/26 Falkirk 3 - 0 Stenhousemuir
1900/2/17 Stenhousemuir 5 - 4 Falkirk
1900/9/1 Stenhousemuir 2 - 1 Falkirk
1901/5/11 Falkirk 4 - 1 Stenhousemuir
1901/9/10 Stenhousemuir 4 - 1 Falkirk
1902/2/22 Falkirk 2 - 2 Stenhousemuir
They were also members of a supplementary league, the Falkirk District League:
1898/12/17 Falkirk 3 - 3 Stenhousemuir
1899/4/22 Stenhousemuir 2 - 3 Falkirk
1899/9/16 Stenhousemuir 3 - 1 Falkirk
1900/5/5 Falkirk 3 - 0 Stenhousemuir
1901/4/6 Falkirk 2 - 3 Stenhousemuir
Source: Scottish Football Historical Archive.
Morton in the Scottish Cup, Part Two, the Early Twentieth Century:
1900-01 R1 Morton 10 - 0 Bo'ness
R2 Morton 1 - 1 St Bernard's (abandoned)
Morton 3 - 1 St Bernard's
QF Hibs 2 - 0 Morton
1901-02 R1 Third Lanark 0 - 0 Morton
Morton 2 - 3 Third Lanark
1902-03 R1 Hibs 7 - 0 Morton
1903-04 R1 Morton 8 - 1 6th GRV
R2 Morton 2 - 0 Arbroath
QF Leith Athletic 1 - 3 Morton
SF Rangers 3 - 0 Morton
1904-05 R1 Morton 2 - 0 Renton
R2 Morton 0 - 6 Rangers
1905-06 R1 Morton 4 - 3 Lochgelly United
R2 St Mirren 3 - 1 Morton
1906-07 R1 Maxwelltown Volunteers 1 - 3 Morton
R2 Morton 0 - 0 Celtic
Celtic 1 - 1 Morton
Celtic 2 - 1 Morton
1907-08 R1 Morton 7 - 0 Vale of Atholl
R2 Hibs 3 - 0 Morton
1908-09 R1 Morton 0 - 4 Aberdeen
1909-10 R1 Morton 4 - 3 Partick Thistle
R2 Motherwell 3 - 0 Morton
1910-11 R1 East Stirlingshire 1 - 4 Morton
R2 Morton 0 - 3 Rangers
1911-12 R1 Morton 2 - 0 Clachnacuddin
R2 Falkirk 0 - 0 Morton
Morton 3 - 1 Falkirk
QF Morton 0 - 1 Hearts
1912-13 R1 Morton 2 - 2 Falkirk
Falkirk 3 - 1 Morton
1913-14 R1 Morton 1 - 1 Hibs
Hibs 2 - 1 Morton
1919-20 R1 Morton 4 - 0 Forfar
R2 St Johnstone 1 - 1 Morton
Morton 5 - 3 St Johnstone
R3 Raith Rovers 2 - 2 Morton
Morton 3 - 0 Raith Rovers
QF Morton 3 - 0 Third Lanark
SF Kilmarnock 3 - 2 Morton
1920-21 R2 Rangers 2 - 0 Morton
1921-22 R1 Morton 4 - 0 Vale of Leithen
R2 Morton 1 - 1 Clydebank
Clydebank 1 - 3 Morton
R3 Morton 4 - 1 Clyde
QF Motherwell 1 - 2 Morton
SF Morton 3 - 1 Aberdeen
F Morton 1 - 0 Rangers
1922-23 R1 Raith Rovers 1 - 0 Morton
1923-24 R1 Airdrieonians 2 - 1 Morton
1924-25 R1 Falkirk 1 - 1 Morton
Morton 0 - 3 Falkirk
1925-26 R1 Dykehead 1 - 1 Morton
Morton 4 - 1 Dykehead
R2 Morton 3 - 1 Raith Rovers
R3 Morton 1 - 0 Albion Rovers
QF Morton 0 - 4 Rangers
1926-27 R1 Alloa 3 - 0 Morton
1927-28 R1 Morton 7 - 3 Mid Annandale
R2 Queen's Park 4 - 1 Morton
1928-29 R1 Dundee United 3 - 1 Morton
1929-30 R1 Dundee 2 - 0 Morton
Abruzzo: Avezzano [3 - 2] Vastese
Maebashi Ikuei High School from Gunma won the 96th All Japan High School Men's Soccer Championship. Fujieda Junshin HS from Shizuoka won the 26th All Japan Women's High School Soccer Championship.
Dyce [0 - 2] Irvine Meadow
Largs vs Cambuslang [match abandoned]
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