Plenty of Nothing

Where's the Ketchup?

Hamish MacCunn

Pianist and composer Hamish MacCunn (1868-1916) grew up on Ardgowan Street in Greenock. Listen as the Glasgow Philharmonia performs "Land of the Mountain and the Flood" (1887), written when he was 19. Read a biography.

Morton host Ayr United. These two have already met once: Ayr beat Morton 3 - 1 in the first game of the League Cup group stage. Former Morton man Lawrence Shankland scored a hat trick.

Ayr United are back in the Championship after an absence of one season. Since the introduction of the four tiers in 1994, no club has entered the second tier as many times as Ayr United (six times) or exited as often (five times). Last season we determined that Ayr United are statistically the SPFL's median club.

This year they are above average. They have held first place three out of six weeks in 2018-19, and they were the only Championship side to make this year's League Cup quarter-finals. (Rangers knocked them out Wednesday.)

If they are still in first place at season's end they will go into the top division for the first time since 1978 and repeat Livingston's trick of shooting through the Championship from League One to the Premiership in one year.

Ayr, Inverness CT, Ross County and Dundee United all have a shot at first place today. Morton can finish the afternoon anywhere from second place to sixth. To climb to second Morton must beat Ayr by three goals, Dundee United and Ross County must play to a draw, and QoS must beat ICT.

Lewis Strapp and Ruaridh Langan have been loaned out to Annan Athletic till January.

The other matches: Dunfermline 1 - 0 Partick (yesterday)

Alloa [0 - 2] Falkirk

Falkirk must beat Alloa by three goals to climb out of the basement.

Dundee United [1 - 5] Ross County

ICT [0 - 0] QoS

[Morton 1 - 5 Ayr. Yikes! Two for Shankland.]

1928-29. Morton hosted Dunfermline Athletic and played to a 1 - 1 draw.

1951-52. Morton visited Airdrieonians and won 3 - 5. After the day's results Morton were on top of the league with 6 points and a 1.8333 goal average.

Managerial chairs: John McGlynn got the Raith job. He previously managed the club from 2006 to 2012. Jim Duffy is still out of work.

Angus derby: Montrose [2 - 2] Forfar

The League Cup quarter-finals were held midweek:

Hibs 0 - 0 Aberdeen. Dons win on penalties.

Rangers 4 - 0 Ayr United

The last time Ayr United beat Rangers was October 11th, 1975.

St Johnstone 0 - 1 Celtic

Hearts 4 - 2 Motherwell

Which clubs have made it to the League Cup quarter-finals most often?

57    Rangers

56    Celtic

38    Hibs

38    Aberdeen

36    Hearts

35    Dundee United

24    Dundee

24    St Johnstone

23    Motherwell

20    Kilmarnock

Arthurlie versus Ayr United. These two played six seasons together in Division Two, three before the First World War, and three in the late Twenties. In twelve games United took seven wins, Arthurlie one, with four draws. Scoring favoured the Honest Men 24 to 11.

When did each 2018-19 Championship club last finish higher than Morton?

last year    Partick Thistle (11th, Premiership)

last year    Ross County (12th, Premiership)

last year    Dundee United (3rd, Championship)

last year    Dunfermline (4th, Championship)

last year    ICT (5th, Championship)

last year    QoS (6th, Championship)

2016-17    Falkirk (2nd, Championship)

2014-15    Alloa (9th, Championship)

2003-04    Ayr United (9th, First Division)

When did each last finish lower than Morton?

last year    Falkirk (8th, Championship)

last year    Ayr United (1st, League One)

last year    Alloa (3rd, League One)

2016-17    Dunfermline (5th, Championship)

2016-17    QoS (6th, Championship)

2010-11    Ross County (8th, First Division)

2005-06    Partick Thistle (4th, Second Division)

1998-99    ICT (2nd, Second Division)

1967-68    Dundee United (11th, Division One)

Jim McAlister's goals for Morton:

Date                 Park                Opponent      Competition

2004/8/14        Cappielow        Stranraer        league

2005/4/2          Glebe Park       Brechin           league

2005/11/12    Recreation Park    Alloa            league

2005/12/6        Cappielow        Ayr United      league

2006/1/21        Cappielow        Alloa               league

2006/3/28        Cappielow        Dumbarton     league

2006/9/9        Central Park    Cowdenbeath    league

2006/9/30        Cappielow        Brechin           league

2006/12/16      Glebe Park       Brechin           league

2007/1/20        Cappielow     Stirling Albion    league

2007/2/17        Cappielow        Ayr United       league

2007/8/4          Cappielow        Clyde              league

2007/9/4          Balmoor           Peterhead      Challenge Cup

2007/12/22      Firhill                Partick            league

2008/1/12        Cappielow        Gretna           Scottish Cup

2008/3/22        Cappielow        Livingston       league

2008/4/5          Cappielow        Dundee          league

2008/9/23        Cappielow     Inverness CT    League Cup

2010/3/20        Cappielow        Partick            league

Matches at Cappielow September 2018:

Sept 17      Celtic reserves 2 - 0 Aberdeen reserves

Sept 22      Morton 1 - 1 Dunfermline

Sept 25      Morton reserves 3 - 1 Celtic reserves

Sept 29      Morton [1 - 5] Ayr United

SWFL Division 1 South: Morton [1 - 4] Boroughmuir Thistle

UEFA Women's Champions League, round of 32, second leg:

Glasgow City 0 - 1 Barcelona FA (Cyprus)

Glasgow City advance on aggregate.

J2: Mito HollyHock [1 - 2] Oita Trinita

Kanto University League: Tsukuba [2 - 3] Toyo

Allsvenskan:

IFK Norrköping 3 - 1 Malmö FF (Sept 26)

Malmö FF [0 - 0] GIF Sundsvall (Sept 30)

USL: Ottawa Fury [0 - 0] Bethlehem Steel

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [1 - 2] Silkeborg

Swiss Challenge League:

Winterthur 2 - 1 Lausanne (Sept 26)

Winterthur [0 - 1] Chiasso (today)

FAI Cup semi-finals:

Dundalk 1 - 0 UCD (yesterday)

Bohemians [1 - 1] Cork City (tomorrow) [Replay Oct 8.]

Cork City last won this trophy last year, Dundalk in 2015, Bohemians in 2008, and UCD in 1984.

How UCD got here:

R1        UCD 2 - 0 Pike Rovers

R2        CIE Ranch 2 - 6 UCD

QF        UCD 2 - 1 Waterford

Regionalliga Südwest: FC 08 Homburg [2 - 1] 1. FC Saarbrücken

Ancient Saarlandish rivals. Read a history of FC 08 Homburg here.

2018-19 IIHF Continental Cup, Round One

Zeytinburnu versus Bat Yam in the 2016-17 Continental Cup. Source.

The Continental Cup is a hockey tournament contested by the men's national champions of the seventeen IIHF countries ranked below the top tier. That is to say, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia don't take part. But a bunch teams from places you wouldn't imagine do.

The tournament is organized into four rounds, each round adding a progressively tougher set of teams, with only one or two teams advancing from the previous round. Each round has either one group or two groups, each playing a round robin. The winner of the final round earns a place in the top tier Champions Hockey League.

Round One, being played this weekend, consists of Group A, and includes the champions of the four lowest ranked countries: Bulgaria, Iceland, Israel, and Turkey. All the games are being played in Sofia, Bulgaria. The winner will move on to Round Two. The teams are Irbis-Skate Sofia, Vikingur Akureyri, HC Bat Yam, and Zeytinburnu Belediyespor.

Irbis-Skate Sofia play in the 4,000-seat Winter Sports Palace in Sofia. They are the 2017-18 Bulgarian League champions, and have won the league the last three years. They wear blue, black and white. Last year and the year before they finished third in the Continental Cup Group A.

Vikingur Akureyri are Icelandic champions, and have won that league 19 times since 1992.

HC Bat Yam are champions of the Israeli league. They wear blue and white. In the 2010-11 Continental Cup they finished third in Group A. In 2016-17 they finished fourth. The city of Bat Yam is part of Metropolitan Tel Aviv.

Zeytinburnu Belediyespor are champions of the Turkish Ice Hockey Super League. Their name translates as Zeytinburnu Municipality Sport. They play at the Silivrikapi Ice Skating Hall in Fatih, Istanbul. The facility was opened in 2009 and can accommodate 900 spectators. The club was founded in 2010 and has now won their league three years in a row. They wear red, white and black. Zeytinburnu came in second in the 2015-16 Continental Cup, Round One. They came first in Round One in 2016-17, then third in Group B in Round Two.

[Vikingur prevail and advance to the next round.]

The Luminous Veil

The Luminous Veil is an illuminated anti-suicide screen on the Bloor Street Viaduct in Toronto. The barrier was erected in 2003, and the lights turned on in 2015, which explains why Michael Ondaatje doesn't mention it in his 1988 novel In the Skin of a Lion. I cannot conceive that he would have let that name go if he had known about it. Source.

Rice Field Osamu Tezuka Fan Art

Somewhre near Hirosaki. Source.

Bring Me the Head of Frank Sidebottom

Ian Boldsworth's fantastic Frank head project.

St. Georgius Patronus Friburgi

St Geoge and the Dragon on the outside of the Schwabentor, Freiburg-im-Breisgau. Source.

Temporary Stands

One Pounder

A one pound note issued by the Greenock Bank Company. Source.

Morton host Dunfermline Athletic. Morton are 6th with 8 pts, Dunfermline 8th with 4 pts. Since the Pars came up from League One the record is Morton 4W, Dunfermline 3W, with 2D.

Morton can end the day anywhere from second to seventh. The only teams that can finish the day in first place are the three that have already held it: Ayr United, Ross County and Inverness CT.

Peter Houston, former manager of Dundee United and Falkirk, joins Morton as assistant manager. Queen's Park manager Gus MacPherson has left that club to take a position at St Mirren. Jim Duffy is in the running for the Raith job.

The Pars' Lee Robinson has played for Morton. Morton's Gregor Buchanan, Robert Thomson and Ryan Scully have played for Dunfermline.

The other matches: Alloa (9th) [0 - 2] Ayr United (3rd). The two promoted teams. Last year Alloa won two, Ayr one, with a draw.

Falkirk (10th) [0 - 2] Dundee United (5th). Present and former McKinnon-managed teams.

Partick (7th) [3 - 2] Queen of the South (4th). It has been eight years since QoS beat Partick in league play.

Ross County (2nd) [0 - 0] Inverness CT (1st). The Highland derby.

[Morton 1 - 1 Dunfermline. Goal by Tiffoney.]

Morton, points after five games, 2010s:

2018        8

2017        8

2016        3

2015        8

2014        9

2013        5

2012        8

2011       11

2010        4

Morton are off to a normal start. Notice, though, how every third year has a bad start. That'll be next year.

Michael Tidser's goals for Morton:

date              park              opponent       goalkeeper          competition

2010/8/10     Cappielow    Partick             Bryn Halliwell        league

2011/8/13     Cappielow    Livingston       Andrew McNeil      league

2011/8/23     Cappielow    St Mirren         Craig Samson       League Cup

2012/3/20     Falkirk          Falkirk         Michael McGovern    league

2012/8/5       Ochilview   E. Stirlingshire  Ryan McWillams    League Cup

2012/8/14     Cappielow    QoS                Lee Robinson      Challenge Cup

2012/11/13   Cappielow  Albion Rovers  Matthew McGinley  Scottish Cup

2012/11/13   Cappielow  Albion Rovers  Matthew McGinley  Scottish Cup

2012/12/17   Cappielow    Turriff Utd        Stephen Coutts     Scottish Cup

2012/12/17   Cappielow    Turriff Utd        Stephen Coutts     Scottish Cup

2012/12/29   Cappielow    Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2012/12/29   Cappielow    Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2013/1/26     Cappielow    Raith               David McGurn         league

2013/2/3       Dens            Dundee           Rab Douglas          Scottish Cup

2013/2/23     East End      Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2013/2/23     East End      Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2013/3/16     Dumbarton   Dumbarton    Stephen Grindlay    league

2015/9/22     Cappielow    Motherwell     Connor Ripley        League Cup

2016/12/3     Bellsdale    Beith Juniors    Stephen Grindlay   Scottish Cup

2017/1/7       Cappielow    Dumbarton      Mark Brown           league

2017/2/12     Ibrox             Rangers       Wes Foderingham    Scottish Cup

2017/8/12     Cappielow    St Mirren        Craig Samson        league

2017/8/12     Cappielow    St Mirren        Craig Samson        league

2018/2/3       Cappielow    Dunfermline    Lee Robinson       league

2018/7/14     Somerset     Ayr United        Ross Doohan       League Cup

2018/7/28     Cappielow   Albion Rovers    Gareth Hallford    League Cup

2018/7/28     Cappielow   Albion Rovers    Gareth Hallford    League Cup

2018/8/4       Cappielow    QoS                    Alan Martin         league

2018/8/25     Cappielow    Ross County        Scott Fox           league

2018/9/15     Tannadice   Dundee United   Matej Rakovan     league

Tidser is off to his best year since 2012-13.

1928-29: On September 17th, 1928, Morton played Arthurlie at Cappielow in the first leg of the 1927-28 Renfrewshire Victoria Cup final. Morton won 2 - 0 in front of 1000 spectators.

On September 22nd Morton visited Forthbank Park in Stirling where they lost 4 - 3 to King's Park.

1951-52. Morton hosted St Mirren and won 3 - 0.

Five years ago this week Morton knocked Celtic out of the 2013-14 Scottish Cup. Who were those Morton men and where are they now?

    Allan Moore, manager >>> Clyde, assistant manager

    Nicolas Caraux, goalkeeper >>> Atlanta United II (USL)

    Marc Fitzpatrick >>> Airdrieonians, captain

    Jonathan Page >>> Airdrieonians

    Tomas Peciar >>> FC Andau (Burgenland II. Liga Nord, Austria)

    Scott Taggart >>> Alloa Athletic

    David O'Brien >>> last seen at University of Stirling

    Michal Habai >>> SV Petzenkirchen (Niederösterreich 1. Klasse West, Austria)

    Fouad Bachirou >>> Malmö FF (Allsvenskan)

    Reece Hands >>> Cincinnati United, coach

    Dougie Imrie, goalscorer >>> Hamilton Accies, captain

    Kabba-Modou Cham >>> last seen at Royal Capellen (Belgian tier IV)

    Tony Wallace (sub) >>> Annan Athletic

    Archie Campbell (sub) >>> Dundonald Bluebell (EoSL)

    Mark McLaughlin (sub) >>> retired

Angus: Forfar [1 - 1] Brechin

It's the first round of the 2018-19 Scottish Cup. The six winners from the preliminary rounds mix it up with the Highland and Lowland League clubs. Because Selkirk quit the Lowland League the week before the draw, BSC Glasgow get a bye. Let's follow:

Nairn County [1 - 3] Beith

Forres Mechanics [2 - 2] Civil Service Strollers

Blue collar vs white collar.

Burntisland Shipyard [1 - 4] Cumbernauld Colts

Win or lose this is already the Shipyard's best Scottish Cup ever.

Linlithgow Rose [3 - 0] Fort William

Dalbeattie Star [0 - 0] Kelty Hearts

Wick Academy [1 - 2] Auchinleck Talbot

Strathspey Thistle [0 - 2] Coldstream

Coldstream is right on the English border. Long ago in the prehistory of football they played a game of ba there to decide whether the playing field was part of Scotland or England.

Deveronvale [2 - 1] Bonnyrigg Rose

The top two clubs from last year's Highland and Lowland leagues don't enter till Round Two. In the case of the Lowland League that's Spartans and East Kilbride, who are also the league leaders at this moment. They play today. Given that Albion Rovers are so bad, this match could go a long way in deciding which will play in League Two next year.

Spartans [0 - 0] East Kilbride

Kelty Hearts in the Scottish Cup:

2017-18    1QR    Kelty Hearts 0 - 1 Lothian Thistle HV

2015-16    2QR    Civil Service Strollers 0 - 4 Kelty Hearts

                  R1      Lothian Thistle HV 3 - 0 Kelty Hearts

Arthurlie vs Aberdeen. These two played each other twice in the 1904-05 Scottish League Division Two when Aberdeen first joined the league. Arthurlie won the first match 2 - 0. The second was a scoreless draw. Do you see what I'm telling you? Aberdeen have never scored on Arthurlie.

Europa League group stage, matchday 1:

Group B: Celtic 1 - 0 Rosenborg

These two met in the Champions League 2QR where Celtic eliminated Rosenborg before they themselves went out in 3QR. But because all the CL qualifying round losers go into the Europa League the two could possibly meet up again, and here they do. So Celtic will play Rosenborg four times this season, while they face many of the below-the-split clubs in their own domestic league three times. "It's no right," say the people of Scotland. "Unless it helps the coefficient."

Group G: Villareal 2 - 2 Rangers

These two met in the Round of 16 of the 2005-06 Champions League, Villareal advancing. The Spanish club has also been paired with Celtic twice, in 2003-04 and 2008-09, progressing both times.

Group I: Genk 2 - 0 Malmö

AFC Champions League quarter-finals, second leg:

Tianjin Quanjian 0 - 3 Kashima Antlers

Kashima advance.

League of Ireland, First Division: Longford Town [2 - 2] UCD

This concludes the League of Ireland 1st Division regular season. UCD will play in the Premier Division next year.

SWFL Division 1 South: Cumbernauld Colts [6 - 0] Morton

Allsvenskan: Malmö FF [4 - 0] Kalmar FF

USL: Louisville City [4 - 0] Ottawa Fury

J2: Mito HollyHock [0 - 1] Albirex Niigata

Kanto Soccer League: Vertfee Takahara Nasu [1 - 1] Tokyo 23 FC

Here ends the Kanto League season. [Tokyo 23 end up in fourth place. Summer is over.]

Kanto University League: Tsukuba University [3 - 2] Tokyo Int'l University

It's the 37th Tohoku Women's Football Championship and Empress Cup qualifier. The quarter-finals and semi-finals go this weekend:

Match No. 1: Tokiwa Gakuen High School [10 - 1] Hachinohe Gakuin University

Match No. 2: Meioh High School [0 - 5] Seiwa Gakuen High School

Match No. 3: FC Bloom Fukushima [1 - 4] Tsuruoka High School

Match No. 4: Senshu University Kitakami Senior High School [0 - 9] Sendai University

[Match No. 5: Tokiwa Gakuen High School 1 - 2 Seiwa Gakuen High School]

[Match No. 6: Tsuruoka High School 0 - 9 Sendai University]

Source.

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [2 - 0] Lyngby BK

Lyngby is part of Copenhagen. Lungby BK were Danish champions in 1983 and 1992, and they met Rangers in the 1992-93 Champions League.

Swiss Challenge League: Vaduz [0 - 1] Winterthur

Though they play in the Swiss league Vaduz are from Liechtenstein. They almost always win the Liechtenstein Cup, so they're in European competition nearly every year. What games have they played against Swiss clubs in UEFA competition?

2006/8/10        Basel 1 - 0 Vaduz        UEFA Cup 2QR

2006/8/24        Vaduz 2 - 1 Basel        UEFA Cup 2QR

(Basel advanced on the away goal rule.)

2015/7/30        Thun 0 - 0 Vaduz        Europa League 3QR

2015/8/6          Vaduz 2 - 2 Thun        Europa League 3QR

(Thun advanced on the away goal rule.)

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken (4 - 1) Wormatia Worms

These two are old rivals. From 1945 until 1983 they were almost always in the same league. But then for the next 30 years they were almost never. They have been together in Regionalliga Südwest for the past five seasons.

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [6 - 0] Irvine Meadow

See here for a lively discussion of the future shape of the football pyramid in the Highland zone. Included is this map showing the dividing line between the Highlands and Lowlands for fitba purposes:

St George by Dürer

Source.