Plenty of Nothing

Sackville Street Then and Now

Sackville Street, between Queen and South Park then (source), and now:

The Last Days of Lincoln Fields Mall

Komatsu excavators are coming for Lincoln Fields Mall, or Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre, or Lincoln Heights Galleria as I'll always call it because that was its name when I worked there. CBC story. You may recall that the Wendy's burned down a couple of months ago. It was never the best shopping centre, but it was the only one I've ever seen where, for a while in the Eighties, you could buy contraband Cypriot antiquities. See here for an article about the origins of the building. D.

A Milkmaid

Source.

About the Svenska Damhockeyligan

Modo. Source.

The SDHL is the top women's hockey league in Sweden. There are ten teams, and each plays a 36-game schedule followed by playoffs.

The league began in 2008 and was known as the Riksserien until 2016. Prior to 2008 the top league was Division 1, which now serves as the second tier under the name Damettan. There have been Swedish women's hockey championships since 1984.

This year's SDHL teams are:

AIK. Stockholm. Black and gold. Four members of the 2018-19 squad played on the 2018 Swedish women's Olympic team last February: Emmy Alasalmi, Sabina Küller, Lisa Johansson, Minatsu Murase.

Brynäs. Gävle. Black, gold and red. 2018 Olympians: Erika Grahm, plus Sarah Forster of the Swiss team. There are six Canadians on the Brynäs roster: Sonja van der Bliek, Ivana Bilic, Cassandra Vilgrain, Kayla Gardner, Jennifer Wakefield, and Savannah Newton of Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Djurgården. Stockholm. Black, red and gold. Swedish champions 2017. Hanna Olsson was a 2018 Olympian for Sweden and Isabel Waidacher for Switzerland.

Göteborg. Their home rink is in Angered, a suburb of Göthenberg. Black, red, white and gold. Three Canadians: Brooklyn Irwin, Alyssa Macmillan, Morgan Kelly.

HV71. Jönköping. Blue, white and gold. Fanny Rask was on the 2018 Swedish Olympic team, Rosa Lindstedt and Sanni Hakala the Finnish, and Sabrina Zollinger the Swiss. Canadians: Madelaine Ericsson, Jessica Healey.

Leksand. Leksand in Dalarna. White, blue and gold. 2018 Olympians: Elin Lundberg, Anna Borgqvist. Canadians: Danielle Stone, Tawnya Guindon.

Linköping. Linköping in Östergötland. Blue, white and red. Swedish champions 2014 and 2015. Olympians: Emilia Ramboldt and Pernilla Winberg for Sweden; Lara Stalder for Switzerland; Sidney Morin for the USA; Eveliina Suonpää for the Finns. Kennedy Marchment is Canadian.

Luleå HF/MSSK. Luleå on the Bay of Bothnia. MSSK stands for Munksund Skuthamn Sportklub, which is along the coast in Piteå. The clubs joined forces in 2015 and use both towns' arenas. Black, red and gold. Swedish champions in 2016 and 2018. Olympians: Johanna Fällman, Rebecca Stenberg, Emma Nordin, Sara Grahn; Chiho Osawa the captain of the Japan team; and Jenni Hiirikoski, Michelle Karvinen, Noora Tulus, Ronja Savolainen and Petra Neiminen for the Finns. They beat the Metropolitan Riveters of the NWHL in the inaugural Champions Cup in September.

MODO. Örnsköldsvik. Red, white and green. Swedish champions 2012. Olympians: Johanna Olofsson, Olivia Carlsson. Canadians: Brooke Boquist, Breanne Wilson-Bennett, Kaitlyn Tougas, Michela Cava.

SDE. Their home rink is in Enebyberg, a suburb of Stockholm. SDE stands for Stocksund, Danderyd and Endbyberg. Black, white and gold. Canadian: Amanda Titus.

Below the SDHL is the Damettan, which consists of four regional leagues (North, South, East, and West). One of the clubs in the South Division is Danish, Hvidovre IK. At the end of the regular season the four divisional winners and the two bottom SDHL teams enter the Kval till SDHL. The four Damettan teams play off and the two winners face the two SDHL teams. The two winners from that go into next year's SDHL.

League website.

Honeymoon Bridge Collapse

On this day in 1938 the Honeymoon Bridge spanning the Niagara Gorge collapsed. Read an account here.

About Cowlairs FC

The wheel shop, Cowlairs Railway Works. Source.

Morton (6th) host Dunfermline Athletic (7th).

Morton enter today's game with 7 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses for 28 points. Dunfermline have 24 points. In their two previous meetings the Pars have taken one win, and there was a draw. Morton's last win against Dunfermline was a year ago next week.

Dunfermline are much better on the road than at home. Away they are 4W 3D 3L and -1. At home they are 2W 3D 5L and -5.

The Pars played Heart of Midlothian at home back in August, a thing Morton have not accomplished since 1987.

Now that Morton are out of the Scottish Cup, the only way for them to reach 48 games played this season is to make it into two rounds of the playoffs.

Morton can finish the day in fourth, fifth or sixth place. The Pars will end up seventh or eighth.

Reading the Morton and Dunfermline fan forums it's clear that both sides will lose today.

Transfers: GK Ryan Scully was released by Morton Wednesday, and signed with Dunfermline Thursday. Yesterday Morton signed two young players on loan from Rangers: Andrew Dallas (forward) and Robby McCrorie (goalkeeper).

[Scully starts for Dunfermline, and McCrorie starts for Morton.]

Ryan Scully's clean sheets for Morton:

2018/7/21      Cappielow    Morton 2 - 0 Stenhousemuir    League Cup

2018/8/11      Indodrill        Alloa 0 - 2 Morton                     league

2018/10/20    Cappielow    Morton 1 - 0 Falkirk                  league

Morton have only made one January signing, but Dunfermline haven't made any at all. [Written midweek.]

How have Morton fared in Match 22 this decade?

2018/2/3        Morton 2 - 1 Dunfermline

2017/2/4        QoS 3 - 0 Morton

2016/2/9        Alloa 2 - 2 Morton

2015/1/24      Morton 2 - 0 Dunfermline

2014/1/29      Morton 1 - 1 QoS

2013/1/26      Morton 1 - 0 Raith Rovers

2012/2/14      Hamilton 1 - 2 Morton

2011/2/22      Morton 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

2010/2/27      Morton 1 - 2 Dunfermline

5 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses.

Other Championship matches:

Ayr United (2nd) 1 - 0 Dundee United (3rd) (yesterday)

This put Ayr in first place, at least temporarily.

Falkirk (9th) [2 - 2] Inverness CT (5th)

Partick (10th) [2 - 1] QoS (4th)

Ross County (1st) vs Alloa (8th)

How many games have Dunfermline played against the other 2018-19 Championship clubs?

172        Dundee United

121        Ayr United

119        Falkirk

110        Morton

104        Partick Thistle

  90        Queen of the South

  88        Alloa

  37        Inverness CT

  17        Ross County

Matches at Cappielow in January 2019:

Jan 5        Morton 1 - 0 Ross County

Jan 26      Morton [0 - 0] Dunfermline

Jan 28      Morton reserves vs Dundee reserves

Since 1990, what years did Morton fail to reach the final 16 in any cup, and who was manager?

2018-19    Ray McKinnon (2 cups) / Jonatan Johansson (1 cup)

2004-05    Jim McInally

2001-02    Peter Cormack

1995-96    Allan McGraw

What years did Morton make the final 16 in all three cups, and who was manager?

1996-97    Allan McGraw

1993-94    Allan McGraw

(1990 begins the era of three domestic cups: Scottish Cup, League Cup, Challenge Cup.)

Angus: Arbroath [0 - 2] Forfar

1928-29: Morton beat Bathgate 2 - 0 at Cappielow. This game was later expunged when Bathgate failed to complete the season.

1951-52: Today in Round One of the 1951-52 Scottish Cup Morton beat East Stirlingshire 2 - 0 at Cappielow.

Which 2018-19 Premiership clubs have losing records against clubs currently in the Championship, League One or League Two?

Hearts played Peterhead in the 2017-18 League Cup and lost in their only meeting ever.

Motherwell have a losing record against Dundee United.

St Johnstone have a losing record against Dundee United.

Hibs have a losing record against Inverness CT.

Kilmarnock have a losing record against Inverness CT, Partick and Brechin.

Dundee have a losing record against Inverness CT, Ross County, Dundee United and the new Airdrieonians.

St Mirren have a losing record against Inverness CT, Dundee United, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Partick and Clyde.

Hamilton Accies have a losing record against Inverness CT, Ross County, Dundee United, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Morton and Partick.

Livingston have a losing record against Inverness CT, Dundee United, Falkirk, Ayr United, Morton, Raith Rovers, Berwick Rangers, East Fife and Stirling Albion.

It's Round Five of the Scottish Junior Cup:

Blantyre Victoria or Auchinleck Talbot [4 - 1] Rutherglen Glencairn

Cambuslang Rangers [0 - 1] Troon

Craigmark Burtonians vs Lochee United [postponed]

Girvan vs Clydebank [postponed]

Kilwinning Rangers [6 - 2] Thornton Hibs or Renfrew

Largs Thistle [1 - 1] St Roch's

Pollok [8 - 2] Rosyth

Rossvale [1 - 1] Hurlford United

About Cowlairs FC.

Cowlairs FC was founded in 1876 as the shop team for the Cowlairs locomotive works in north-central Glasgow. They played at Gourlay Park in the Seventies and Eighties, and at Springvale Park in the Nineties.

They changed their team colours often enough in twenty years that it's impossible to form a mental image of their usual kit.

Cowlairs FC was one of the ten founding clubs of the Scottish Football League. Unfortunately, they finished tenth the first season and were relegated out.

They played 1892-93 in the Scottish Alliance.

They were readmitted to the Scottish League in 1893-94 when Division Two was started, and played two seasons. The second year they finished last and were dropped again. They folded in 1896.

Only thirteen of the current SPFL clubs ever played Cowlairs, so it gives you a sense of who the Old Guard are: Arbroath, Celtic, Clyde, Dumbarton, Hearts, Hibs, Kilmarnock, Morton, Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Queen's Park, Rangers, and St Mirren.

Cowlairs in the Scottish Cup:

1880-81    R1    Cowlairs 4 - 3 Petershill

                 R2    Cowlairs 4 - 3 Oxford

                 R3    Alexandria Athletic 1 - 2 Cowlairs

                 R4    St Mirren 1 - 0 Cowlairs

1881-82    R1    1st Lanark RV 0 - 7 Cowlairs

                 R2    Queen's Park 2 - 2 Cowlairs

                          Queen's Park 9 - 0 Cowlairs

1882-83    R1    Cowlairs 4 - 1 Whitefield

                 R2    Cowlairs 13 - 0 Apsley

                 R3    Partick FC 4 - 0 Cowlairs (not to be confused with Partick Thistle)

1883-84    R2    Cowlairs 3 - 2 Granton

                 R3    Cowlairs 0 - 5 Queen's Park

1884-85    R1    Clyde 1 - 2 Cowlairs

                 R2    Cowlairs 1 - 2 Pollokshields Athletic

1985-86    R1    Battlefield 0 - 2 Cowlairs

                 R2    Cowlairs 3 - 2 Pollokshields Athletic

                 R3    Cowlairs 2 - 1 Northern

                 R4    Renton 4 - 0 Cowlairs

1886-87    R1    Battlefield 0 - 2 Cowlairs

                 R2    Clyde 4 - 3 Cowlairs

1887-88    R1    Third Lanark RV 1 - 2 Cowlairs (replay ordered)

                         Third Lanark RV 1 - 4 Cowlairs

                 R2    Cowlairs 9 - 1 Southern Athletic

                 R3    Cowlairs 9 - 1 Campsie

                 R4    bye

                 R5    Arbroath 5 - 1 Cowlairs

1888-89    R1    Cowlairs 18 - 2 Temperance Athletic

                 R2    Celtic 8 - 0 Cowlairs

1889-90    R1    Cowlairs 21 - 1 Victoria

                 R2    Cowlairs 1 - 1 Linthouse

                          Linthouse 3 - 2 Cowlairs

1890-91    R1    Airdrieonians 3 - 1 Cowlairs

1891-92    R1    Cowlairs 3 - 1 Cambuslang (replay ordered)

                          Cowlairs 3 - 1 Cambuslang

                 R2    Cowlairs 11 - 2 Mid-Annandale

                 QF    Celtic 4 - 1 Cowlairs

1892-93    R1    Cowlairs 2 - 5 Queen's Park (replay ordered)

                          Cowlairs 1 - 4 Queen's Park

1893-94    R1    Rangers 8 - 0 Cowlairs

Source: Danish Wikipedia

It's the 2019 J.League Asia Challenge in Thailand. The matches:

Chonburi FC [2 - 1] Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Bangkok United [1 - 5] Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (tomorrow)

Thursday Iwaki FC hosted Aomori Yamada, the All Japan high school champions, and won 3 - 0. Today they play a training match against Blaublitz Akita of J3. [Blaublitz win 0 - 4.] Tomorrow they play another one against Sakushin University FC.

20-year-old midfielder Eliott Simmons has signed with HFX Wanderers. He played for the Finnish tier-III side Malmin Palloseura. Also signed is forward Vincent Lamy from the Montreal Impact academy.

York 9 have signed the league's first Japanese player, Wataru Murofushi, who last year played for Albirex Niigata Singapore.

Aomori Yamada versus Iwaki FC: a fair fight? Source.

Troll Supercupe

Read about Norway's sports car. Source.

Olives and Contraceptives

Visit this European Union website to find out what products Canada imports from Europe, and where exactly they come from. For example, we get olives and contraceptives from Turku. I did not know that.

Apatosauruses

Two apatosaurus statues mark the border between China and Mongolia at Erlian. Source.

Obalufon

Bronze mask of Obalufon, 14th-century ruler of Ife, in the Nigerian National Museum. Source.