Plenty of Nothing

Benny Rooney

Benny Rooney was Morton manager through the glory years of 1976-1983.

All games in Scotland are postponed. In fact, every game in this blog post is postponed.

Morton are [not] away to Dunfermline.

Developments: On Tuesday UEFA postponed Euro 2020 til 2021, and moved the 2019-20 Champions League final to June 27 and the Europa League final to June 24. The 55 member associations committed to finishing their seasons by June 30th.

On Thursday the SFA announced that Scottish football would not restart before April 30th.

The Bolivian league is suspended until at least the end of March.

The Canadian Premier League has postponed the start of its season. The first games were supposed to go April 11th.

[The Highland League has ended its season and declared Brora Rangers the champion.]

The other postponed Championship matches:

ICT vs Partick (March 17) (postponed)

Arbroath vs Ayr United (March 17) (postponed)

Ayr United vs Partick (last night) (postponed)

Dundee United vs Alloa (postponed)

ICT vs Dundee (postponed)

QoS vs Arbroath (postponed)

League One:

Airdrieonians vs Dumbarton (postponed)

Clyde vs Peterhead (postponed)

Falkirk vs Stranraer (postponed)

Montrose vs Forfar (postponed)

Raith Rovers vs East Fife (postponed)

1907-08: Morton hosted Abercorn in the semi-final of the 1907-08 Renfrewshire Cup. Morton won 2 - 0. Attendance 2000.

1963-64. Arbroath visited Cappielow and played Morton to a 2 - 2 draw.

SPFL Reserve League: Dunfermline vs Morton (March 16) (postponed)

SWF Championship South: Morton vs Ayr United (tomorrow) (postponed)

Morton Women vs Ayr United, the record:

2017/3/12      Ayr United 0 - 2 Morton       SWFL2 West

2017/9/3        Morton 1 - 1 Ayr United        SWFL2 West

Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur vs Aarau (postponed due to coronavirus)

The J League has decided that there will be promotion but no relegation at the end of their 2020 season.

JFL: Iwaki FC vs Verspah Oita (postponed due to coronavirus)

Verspah Oita have been in the JFL since 2012. Last season they finished with a record of 10 wins, 10 draws and 10 losses.

UEFA Europa League, Round of 16, second leg (March 19):

Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers (postponed)

When did the last Scottish club exit Europe, 2010s?

2019/2/21      Celtic 0 - 2 Valencia

2018/2/22      Zenit 3 - 0 Celtic

2016/12/6      Manchester City 1 - 1 Celtic

2015/12/10    Fenerbahce 1 - 1 Celtic

2015/2/26      Inter Milan 1 - 0 Celtic

2013/12/11    Barcelona 6 - 1 Celtic

2013/3/6        Juventus 2 - 0 Celtic

2011/12/15    Udinese 1 - 1 Celtic

2011/3/17      Rangers 0 - 1 PSV Eindhoven

Concacaf Champions League, QF, second leg:

Olimpia vs Montreal Impact (postponed)

Canadian Premier League training camps are on hold for 14 days. Atlético Ottawa have returned from Spain and will self-isolate for the next two weeks.

Copa Libertadores, Group Stage, matchday 3 (March 17-18):

Group B: Bolívar vs Palmeiras (Brazil) (postponed)

Group C: Jorge Wilstermann vs Athletico Paranaense (Brazil) (postponed)

Club The Strongest in the Copa Libertadores (part 1, 20th Century):

1965/1/31      R1    Deportivo Quito 0 - 1 The Strongest

1965/2/14      R1    The Strongest 2 - 3 Boca Juniors

1965/2/21      R1    The Strongest 2 - 2 Deportivo Quito

1965/3/5        R1    Boca Juniors 2 - 0 The Strongest

1971/2/14      R1    Chaco Petrolero 1 - 2 The Strongest

1971/3/7        R1    The Strongest 1 - 2 Peñarol

1971/3/14      R1    The Strongest 1 - 1 Nacional

1971/3/20      R1    Nacional 5 - 0 The Strongest

1971/2/22      R1    Peñarol 9 - 0 The Strongest

1971/2/28      R1    The Strongest 1 - 3 Chaco Petrolero

1975/2/23      R1    The Strongest 3 - 1 Jorge Wilstermann

1975/3/9        R1    The Strongest 1 - 0 Huachipato

1975/3/16      R1    The Strongest 1 - 1 Unión Española

1975/3/26      R1    Jorge Wilstermann 1 - 1 The Strongest

1975/4/8        R1    Unión Española 4 - 0 The Strongest

1975/4/11      R1    Huachipato 4 - 2 The Strongest

1978/7/2        R1    The Strongest 2 - 0 Oriente Petrolero

1978/7/12      R1    The Strongest 3 - 1 Sporting Cristal

1978/7/17      R1    The Strongest 1 - 2 Alianza Lima

1978/7/22      R1    Oriente Petrolero 4 - 1 The Strongest

1978/8/1        R1    Sporting Cristal 3 - 0 The Strongest

1978/8/4        R1    Alianza Lima 2 - 0 The Strongest

1980/4/9        R1    Oriente Petrolero 1 - 0 The Strongest

1980/4/13      R1    The Strongest 2 - 0 Defensor Sporting

1980/4/17      R1    The Strongest 3 - 0 Nacional

1980/4/23      R1    The Strongest 3 - 2 Orient Petrolero

1980/4/27      R1    Defensor Sporting 1 - 1 The Strongest

1980/4/30      R1    Nacional 2 - 0 The Strongest

1981/3/29      R1    Jorge Wilstermann 3 - 2 The Strongest

1981/4/5        R1    Barcelona 2 - 1 The Strongest

1981/4/8        R1    Técnico Universitario 2 - 3 The Strongest

1981/4/12      R1    The Strongest 1 - 0 Barcelona

1981/4/19      R1    The Strongest 4 - 2 Técnico Universitario

1981/4/26      R1    The Strongest 2 - 0 Jorge Wilstermann

1982/6/27      R1    The Strongest 1 - 0 River Plate (Win awarded to River Plate.)

1982/8/11      R1    The Strongest 1 - 0 Boca Juniors

1982/8/15      R1    Jorge Wilstermann 1 - 2 The Strongest

1982/8/31      R1    Boca Juniors 1 - 0 The Strongest

1982/9/3        R1    River Plate 4 - 1 The Strongest

1982/9/30      R1    The Strongest 1 - 1 Jorge Wilstermann

1987/5/7        R1    The Strongest 3 - 2 Oriente Petrolero

1987/5/12      R1    The Strongest 2 - 1 Deportivo Cali

1987/5/19      R1    The Strongest 1 - 1 América de Cali

1987/5/29      R1    Oriente Petrolero 2 - 1 The Strongest

1987/6/9        R1    Deportivo Cali 4 - 0 The Strongest

1987/6/13      R1    América de Cali 6 - 0 The Strongest

1989/2/17      R1    Bolívar 0 - 0 The Strongest

1989/2/21      R1    The Strongest 1 - 2 Peñarol

1989/2/28      R1    The Strongest 1 - 0 Danubio

1989/3/8        R1    The Strongest 0 - 0 Bolívar

1989/3/21      R1    Danubio 1 - 0 The Strongest

1989/3/24      R1    Peñarol 1 - 1 The Strongest

1990/3/14      R1    The Strongest 2 - 0 Oriente Petrolero

1990/3/20      R1    The Strongest 4 - 3 Emelec

1990/4/4        R1    Oriente Petrolero 1 - 0 The Strongest

1990/4/10      R1    The Strongest 2 - 1 Barcelona

1990/4/17      R1    Barcelona 1 - 0 The Strongest

1990/4/20      R1    Emelec 1 - 0 The Strongest

1990/8/8        16    Universidad Católica 3 - 1 The Strongest

1990/8/15      16    The Strongest 1 - 1 Universidad Católica

1994/2/23      R1    Bolívar 0 - 0 The Strongest

1994/3/8        R1    Minervén 5 - 0 The Strongest

1994/3/11      R1    Sport Marítimo 1 - 1 The Strongest

1994/3/16      R1    The Strongest 0 - 0 Bolívar

1994/3/25      R1    The Strongest 7 - 1 Minervén

1994/4/8        R1    The Strongest 5 - 0 Sport Marítimo

1994/4/14      16    The Strongest 1 - 2 Bolívar

1994/4/24      16    Bolívar 4 - 0 The Strongest

Kaitakushi

This building was the seat of the Hokkaido Development Commission during the 1870s. Source.

The Countess of Dufferin $1 Bill, 1878

Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood had her face on the Canadian one dollar bill in 1878 by virtue of being married to the Governor General, the Earl of Dufferin, who was on the two. Source.

DakhaBrakha Have the Best Hats

Source. Watch a short concert.

A Woman Seated on a Small Chair

By Hans Holbien the Elder. Source.

Potosi, 1758

A bird's-eye view of the city of Potosi, Bolivia, in 1758, with the mountain Cerro Rico. This place supplied much of Europe's silver in the time of the Spanish Empire, and is still mined today. Source.

2020 Women's Hockey Champions

In 2019 Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays jumped from the collapsed CWHL to the Russian Women's Hockey League, and on March 11th they won the playoffs. Source.

Other completed championships:

European Women's Hockey League: KMH Budapest

National championships that have been cancelled:

Usports, NCAA, Finland, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France

National championships that have been postponed:

SDHL, NWHL, Italy

2019-20 Vanke Rays roster:

Player                      Nationality          2018-19 club

Siye He                    Chinese                

Kimberley Newell     Canadian           Vanke Rays

Noora Räty              Finnish                Vanke Rays

Megan Bozek          American            Markham Thunder

Taylor Flaherty        American            

Zhixin Liu                Chinese               Vanke Rays

Xueting Qi               Chinese             

Kaitlin Tse               Canadian            

Shuang Zhang        Chinese              

Leah Lum                Canadian            Vanke Rays

Alex Carpenter        American            Vanke Rays

Emily Costales        Canadian            

Cui Huo                   Chinese

Claudia Kepler        American             HV71

Rebekah Kolstad    American            

Yufei Liu                  Chinese              

Rachel Llanes         American             Vanke Rays

Amy Menke             American            Minnesota Whitecaps

Hannah Miller          Canadian            Vanke Rays

Yunlin Pi                  Chinese

Liang Tang              Chinese

Jessica Wong         Canadian             Vanke Rays

Maddie Woo           American             Vanke Rays

Liying Yang             Chinese              

Melanie Jue            American             Vanke Rays

Source: Eurohockey.com

Is Ardgowan Distillery Burning?

Detail from a survey map showing the bomb strikes around Ingleston Street during the Greenock Blitz. Ardgowan Distillery took ten hits. It also demonstrates the high level of bureaucratic organization surrounding World War Two. You can be sure every bomb also had a German serial number. Source.

All Scottish football scheduled for this week and next is postponed due to the coronavirus. The Scottish football season is probably over, but they haven't quite admitted it yet.

Dundee United [do not] visit Cappielow. The Tangerines lead the division by 14 points and will likely clinch the title by the end of March, unless the season is abandoned due to the coronavirus.

Morton are seventh with 36 points.

In 2020 Morton have earned 4 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses. Dundee United have 3 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses.

Dundee United are the highest-scoring team in the division with 52 goals. Morton are second in scoring with 45. The Ton have allowed the most goals, 52. The Tangerines have allowed the fewest, 22.

The other Championship matches:

Dundee 2 - 0 Ayr United (March 10)

ICT 3 - 1 QoS (March 10)

Partick 1 - 1 Dunfermline (March 10)

QoS (9th) vs Ayr United (4th) (last night) (postponed)

Arbroath (6th) vs ICT (2nd) (postponed)

Dundee (3rd) vs Dunfermline (5th) (postponed)

Partick (10th) vs Alloa (8th) (postponed)

League One:

Stranraer 0 - 1 Montrose (March 10)

Dumbarton (6th) vs Falkirk (2nd) (postponed)

East Fife (5th) vs Montrose (4th) (postponed)

Forfar (9th) vs Airdrieonians (3rd) (postponed)

Peterhead (8th) vs Raith Rovers (1st) (postponed)

Stranraer (10th) vs Clyde (7th) (postponed)

Former Morton star Dougie Imrie has been questioned by police in a match-fixing investigation.

1907-08. Morton beat Hamilton Academical 3 - 2 at Cappielow.

1963-64. The Ton visited Hampden and beat Queen's Park 0 - 3. With this win Morton secured the Division Two title.

When was the last time Dundee United lost away at the home grounds of the other 2019-20 Championship clubs?

2020/2/29      Dunfermline 2 - 0 Dundee United

2019/10/19    Queen of the South 3 - 0 Dundee United

2019/10/4      Alloa 1 - 0 Dundee United

2019/9/14      Ayr United 2 - 0 Dundee United

2019/5/4        Morton 1 - 0 Dundee United

2019/3/9        Partick Thistle 2 - 1 Dundee United

2018/3/27      Inverness CT 1 - 0 Dundee United

2017/8/9        Dundee 2 - 1 Dundee United

1969/1/11      Arbroath 3 - 1 Dundee United

When have Morton ever played in consecutive scoreless draws?

1994/12/3      Stenhousemuir 0 - 0 Morton

1994/12/26    Cyde 0 - 0 Morton

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1987/12/26    Morton 0 - 0 Hearts

1988/1/2        St Mirren 0 - 0 Morton

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1982/1/30      Morton 0 - 0 Partick Thistle

1982/2/6        Aberdeen 0 - 0 Morton

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1971/3/27      Morton 0 - 0 Clyde

1971/4/3        Rangers 0 - 0 Morton

SPFL Reserve League: Morton 3 - 5 Motherwell (March 9)

Scottish Junior Cup quarter-finals:

Auchinleck Talbot vs Hurlford United (postponed)

Broughty Athletic vs Darvel Juniors (postponed)

Swiss Challenge League: Wil vs Winterthur (postponed due to coronavirus)

Copa Libertadores, Group Stage, matchday 2 (March 11):

Group B: Bolívar 2 - 0 Tigre (Argentina)

Group C: Peñarol (Uruguay) 1 - 0 Jorge Wilstermann

UEFA Europa League, Round of 16, first leg (March 12):

Rangers 1 - 3 Bayer Leverkusen*

Bolivian league: Aurora 1 - 2 The Strongest (March 12)

Oriente Petrolero [0 - 3] The Strongest (tomorrow)

[After 12 matches The Strongest have 7 wins and 5 losses, 30 goals for and a goal difference of +9, which is good enough for them to take over first place.]

The Japan Football League was to start tomorrow, but the first two weeks have been postponed due to the coronavirus.

Iwaki FC were to begin with an away game against Nara Club.

Nara Club have been in the JFL since 2015. They hold the necessary licenses to get into J3, but have yet to finish high enough for promotion; in fact, they've been pretty mediocre lately. One of the criteria for promotion is strong attendance, but last month Nara Club were fined one million yen for inflating their attendance figures.

Japanese word of the day: 百万 = hyakuman = one million (literally "one hundred ten-thousands").

SWF Championship South: Edinburgh City vs Morton (tomorrow) (postponed)

Concacaf Champions League, QF, first leg (March 10):

Montreal Impact 1 - 2 Olimpia (Honduras)

Olimpia are the ones who knocked Forge FC out of the 2019 Concacaf League.

Striker Will Baynham is trying out with HFX Wanderers. Virtually the entire 2019 roster will be back with Forge FC this season.

1.FC Saarbrücken have become the first fourth-tier club to reach the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal. This is the path they took:

2019/8/11      R1    1.FC Saarbrücken 3 - 2 Jahn Regensburg

2019/10/29    R2    1.FC Saarbrücken 3 - 2 1.FC Köln

2020/2/5        16    1.FC Saarbrücken 0 - 0 Karlsruher SC (Saarbrücken won on PK.)

2020/3/3        QF    1.FC Saarbrücken 1 - 1 Fortuna Düsseldorf (Saarbrücken won on PK.)

Saarbrücken are due to meet Bayer Leverkusen* in the semi-finals in April. We'll see if it happens. This is actually their fourth appearance in the semi-finals, but their first time as a Regionalliga side.

*Bayer Leverkusen have never before been mentioned in Plenty of Nothing, but this week they've come up twice. They are the only football club in the world with an aspirin in their badge.

39th All Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship

Vortex won Group B last year. Source.

The 39th All Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship, which was to have taken place March 12th to 15th, has been cancelled due to the COVID19 virus.

The eight participants were: Daishin, Obihiro Cranes Ladies, Douru Kensetsu Peregrin, Kushiro Bears, Takashi Clinic Mikage Gretz, Toyota Cygnus, Seibu Princess Rabbits and Vortex Sapporo.

I'm posting this instead of deleting it because I didn't want to waste this picture of Sapporo Vortex's sharp uniform.

The 2020 IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship, which would have begun in Nova Scotia in a couple of weeks, is also cancelled. The Japanese women's team were in Group B and were scheduled to play their games in Truro.

The Impoverished Dervish of Faryab

How to read a Savafid painting.