Plenty of Nothing

Sylvester and the Dragon

It's the feast day of Saint Sylvester, who killed a dragon. Source.

Motion Capture ABBA

Source.

Kyogo Furuhashi

Celtic signed Kyogo Furuhashi from Vissel Kobe this summer. He scored a hat-trick in his home debut, the first Celtic player to do so since 1924. He's currently Celtic's top scorer, and got both of Celtic's goals in the League Cup final. Source. Highlight reel.

Morton visit Kilmarnock. Morton are tenth with 13 points, Kilmarnock fourth with 32. So far this season Killie have defeated Morton twice in the league and once in the League Cup.

If it comes off, this evening's match will be Dougie Imrie's first as manager. Killie are without a permanent manager of their own.

If Morton win and Dunfermline lose [or don't play], Morton will move into ninth place.

[Kilmarnock 1 - 1 Morton. Morton goal by Lithgow.]

The other Championship matches:

Partick Thistle (5th) vs Ayr United (7th) [postponed after pitch inspection]

Dunfermline (9th) vs Inverness CT (2nd) [postponed after pitch inspection]

Arbroath (1st) vs Hamilton (6th) (postponed due to Covid)

Raith Rovers (3rd) vs Queen of the South (8th) (postponed due to Covid)

43rd Empress's Cup, quarter-finals:

Match No. 41: Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina (WE) [0 - 2] Urawa Reds Ladies (WE)

Match No. 42: Albirex Niigata Ladies (WE) [0 - 1] Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies (N1)    Upset

Match No. 43: Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza (WE) [0 - 3] JEF United Ladies (WE)

Match No. 44: Omiya Ardija Ventus (WE) [0 - 4] Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Menina (Kanto)    Upset

Menina are Beleza's development squad.

Elsewhere:

Beerschot 0 - 7 Anderlecht (December 27)

Strathspey vs Clachnacuddin (December 27) (postponed)

Cumbernauld Colts [0 - 3] East Kilbride

Sort the Championship clubs by number of 5 - 5 draws played:

4        Arbroath

3        Hamilton Academical

2        Dunfermline Athletic

1        Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers, Queen of the South

0        Morton, Partick Thistle, Ayr United, Inverness CT

Those games were:

1974/1/1        Stranraer 5 - 5 Queen of the South    league

1957/9/21      Dunfermline 5 - 5 Cowdenbeath         league

1957/9/18      Dundee United 5 - 5 Arbroath             league

1952/11/1      Dumbarton 5 - 5 Arbroath                   league

1948/10/23    Dundee United 5 - 5 Arbroath             league

1941/6/28      Rangers 5 - 5 Hamilton Accies           Summer Cup

1941/3/8        Hamilton Accies 5 - 5 St Mirren     Southern League Cup

1935/12/21    Dunfermline 5 - 5 Albion Rovers         league

1926/11/13    Bathgate 5 - 5 Arbroath                       league

1919/10/4      Hamilton Accies 5 - 5 Raith Rovers    league

1900/12/15    Queen's Park 5 - 5 Kilmarnock           league

Morton results for 1895-96:

1896/5/9        Morton 1 - 1 Third Lanark                friendly

1896/5/2        Morton 2 - 2 Port Glasgow               friendly

1896/4/18      Partick Thistle 2 - 1 Morton              friendly

1896/4/11      Morton 1 - 1 Airdrieonians                SFL2

1896/3/14      Morton 7 - 1 Partick Thistle              SFL2

1896/3/7        Dundee 1 - 1 Morton                        friendly

1896/2/29      Morton 7 - 3 Dumbarton                  friendly

1896/2/22      Motherwell 2 - 2 Morton                   SFL2

1896/2/15      Morton 2 - 0 St Mirren                      friendly

1896/2/8        Abercorn 4 - 2 Morton                      SFL2

1896/2/1        Airdrieonians 5 - 1 Morton                SFL2

1896/1/18      Partick Thistle 4 - 1 Morton              SFL2

1896/1/11      Morton 2 - 3 Dundee                    Scottish Cup R1

1896/1/4        Morton 6 - 1 Arbroath Wanderers   friendly

1895/12/21    Morton 1 - 1 Renton                        friendly

1895/12/14    Port Glasgow 3 - 2 Morton          Renfrewshire Cup SF

1895/11/30    Linthouse 1 - 0 Morton                     SFL2

1895/11/23    Leith Athletic 2 - 1 Morton                SFL2

1895/11/16    Morton 4 - 1 Arthurlie                   Renfrewshire Cup R2

1895/11/9      Morton 2 - 1 Renton                         SFL2

1895/11/2      Morton 1 - 1 Port Glasgow               SFL2

1895/10/26    Morton 2 - 3 Kilmarnock                  SFL2

1895/10/19    Morton 6 - 0 Johnstone                Renfrewshire Cup R1

1895/10/12    Morton 2 - 2  2nd Celtic                   friendly

1895/10/5      Morton 4 - 1 Motherwell                   SFL2

1895/9/28      Renton 3 - 0 Morton                         SFL2

1895/9/21      Morton 2 - 2 Leith Athletic                SFL2

1895/9/14      Port Glasfow 2 - 1 Morton                SFL2

1895/9/7        Morton 2 - 3 Abercorn                      SFL2

1895/8/31      Kilmarnock 5 - 1 Morton                   SFL2

1895/8/24      Morton 1 - 2 Linthouse                     SFL2

1895/8/17      Morton 3 - 2 Abercorn                      friendly

1895/8/10      Morton 1 - 1 Albion Rovers              friendly

1895/8/3        St Mirren 2 - 2 Morton                  Renfrewshire League

(Sources: fitbastats for the SFL Division 2; The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Renfrewshire League and Renfrewshire Cup; Glasgow Herald for friendlies.)

Morton players 1895-96

August 3, 1895, versus St Mirren: M'Farlane, Buist, Richmond, Robertson, Elliot, J. Robertson, McWhirter, M'Master, M'Intyre, Kennedy, and M'Gregor.

October 5, 1895, versus Motherwell: M'Farlane, Buist, M'Kinley, Bonnar, Elliot, F. Robertson, Burns Johnstone, Sommer, M'Gregor, Fraser.

October 12, 1895, versus 2nd Celtic: MacFarlane, Buist, M'Kinlay, F. Robertson, Elliot, Bonnar, Burns, Johnstone, Sommer, Davidson, Fraser.

October 19, 1895 vs Johnstone: M'Farlane, Buist, M'Kinlay, Rennie, Bonnar, Robertson, Dick, Johnstome Sommer, M'Master, Davidson.

November 2, 1895, vs Port Glasgow Athletic: M'Farlane, Bonnar, M'Kinlay, Rennie, M'Dougall, J. Robertson, Burns, Johnstone , Sommers, M'Master, Davidson.

November 30, 1895, vs Linthouse: M'Farlane, Buist, M'Kinlay, Rennie, M'Dougall, Robertson, Burns, Johnstone, Salmond, M'Gregor, M'Master.

April 18.1896, vs Partick Thistle: M'Farlane, Buist, McKinlay, Rennie, Elliot, Robertson, Hamilton, Davidson, Caneron, Stewart, M'Gregor.

Ise Monogatari Flashcards

Source.

Spengler Cup 2021

Slovan Bratislava with the silverware in 1973. Source.

The 2021 Spengler Cup is cancelled. The participating teams were host Davos, Sparta Praha, Frölunda, KalPa, Slovan Bratislava, and a Bern Selects team. Team Canada and Ambrì-Piotta were originally scheduled to appear but withdrew last week because of Covid concerns. Slovan and the Bern Selects were to be their replacements. But then Davos caught Covid and the tournament was cancelled.

Davos have won the cup 15 times. Although they have always hosted the tournament, they have not always played in it. They are currently fourth in the NLA.

Sparta Praha have won the cup twice (in 1962 and 1963). Currently eighth in the Czech Extraliga.

KalPa were to appear under a contract by which the top Finnish club to miss the Champions Hockey League plays for the Spengler Cup. Recent Finnish participants have been HPK (2017), KalPa (2018) and TPS Turku (2019). KalPa won the tournament in 2018. They are currently twelfth in the Liiga.

This was to be Frölunda's first time. Unlike KalPa they did not miss the Champions Hockey League; in fact, they are currently in the semi-finals. So far this hockey season they have played non-Swedish teams ZSC Lions, HIFK, BK Mladá Boleslav and Adler Mannheim. Currently second in the SHL.

Slovan Bratislava won the Spengler Cup in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Currently first in the Slovak Extraliga.

The Bern Selects were to be drawn from SC Bern, SCL Tigers and EHC Biel.

Plenty of Nothing coverage of previous Spengler Cups:

2020 was not played.

2019 when Team Canada won.

2018 when KalPa won.

2017 when Team Canada won.

2016 when Team Canada won.

2015 when Team Canada won.

2014 when Genève-Servette won.

2013 when Genève-Servette won.

2012 when Team Canada won.

2011 when Davos won.

2010 when SKA won.

Arwen

Storm Arwen tore through Lanark United's stadium late last month. Source.

Morton have hired Dougie Imrie as First Team Manager. Imrie played for Morton in 2013-14, was famously the only Morton goalscorer in that 10 - 2 loss to Hamilton, and can still claim to have scored Morton's most recent goal against Celtic. After 2013-14 he was five years an Accie and then a coach at Livingston. He started out at Lanark United. (See above.)

Morton were to host Queen of the South today, but QoS have the Covid and have postponed this match and their one on December 29th against Raith Rovers.

This season is half over, and Morton are on track for 26 points. (See below for a table of Morton's first halves of the past decade.) Gozie Ugwu is Morton's leading scorer with six goals in league play. Gary Oliver has five, and four other players have one each. Scoring has been low. (See below.)

Starting today all SPFL matches are limited to 500 spectators. The Premiership matches for December 29 and January 2/3 have been postponed to allow a couple of the big derbies to be played in front of full houses at a later date.

Ayr United have sacked Jim Duffy. Killie have sacked Tommy Wright. Which Championship clubs have the same manager as last season? Arbroath (Dick Campbell, since 2016), Raith Rovers (John McGlynn, since 2018), Partick Thistle (Ian McCall, since 2019) and Queen of the South (Allan Johnston, since 2019).

The other Championship matches:

Ayr United (8th) [2 - 0] Raith Rovers (3rd)*

This is Raith's big chance to go top. [But no.]

*This is a Plenty of Nothing Championship Consolation Cup Round One match.

Dunfermline (9th) [0 - 3] Arbroath (1st)

Arbroath are the 13th-best team in the land for the first time since 1974.

Hamilton (6th) [2 - 3] Kilmarnock (5th)

Killie are in a spiral. A Hamilton win would reduce the mid-table gap to six points. [But no.]

Inverness CT (2nd) vs Partick Thistle (4th) (postponed due to Covid)

Other matches:

East Kilbride [0 - 3] Celtic B (December 21)

43rd Empress's Cup, Round Four (yesterday):

Match No. 33: Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina 2 - 0 MyNavi Sendai Ladies

Match No. 34: Urawa Reds Ladies 1 - 0 Iga FC Kunoichi Mie

Match No. 35: Elfen Saitama 0 - 2 Albirex Niigata Ladies

Match No. 36: Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara 2 - 3 Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies

Match No. 37: Nagano Parceiro Ladies 0 - 4 Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza

Match No. 38: JEF United Ladies 1 - 0 Orca Kamogawa

Match No. 39: Omiya Ardija Ventus 2 - 1 Setagaya Sfida

Match No. 40: INAC Kobe Leonessa 1 - 2 Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Menina    Upset

[The 70th All Japan University Football Championship finished yesterday. The final went:

Hannan University 2 - 3 Komazawa University]

Morton after 18 league games, the past decade:

2012-13        18    10    5      3    39    26   +13    35    1st

2014-15        18    10    1      7    30    23     +7    31    3rd, League One

2016-17        18      7    7      4    25    19     +6    28    3rd

2017-18        18      7    6      5    26    19     +7    27    5th

2015-16        18      6    6      6    19    20      -1    24    5th

2018-19        18      5    7      6    20    27      -7    22    6th

2020-21        18      4    7      7    16    24      -8    19    9th

2019-20        18      6    1    11    23    36    -13    19    9th

2021-22        18      2    7      9    16    30    -14    13    10th

2013-14        18      2    3    13    15    38    -23      9    10th

Number of league matches in which Morton did not score, the past decade:

2015-16        15

2013-14        13

2020-21        12        (27 game season)

2018-19        11

2017-18          9

2021-22          8        (after 18 games)

2016-17          7

2014-15          7

2012-13          5

2019-20          4        (28 game season)

1999-2000

December 27, 1999.    Morton beat Raith Rovers 1 - 0 at Cappielow. Goal by Harry Curran. Clydebank visited Inverness CT and lost 4 - 1.

Where are the 2016-17 Morton players now?

Ben Armour                 Alloa

Luke Donnelly             Arbroath

Michael Doyle             Queen's Park

Ross Forbes                Stenhousemuir

Derek Gaston              Arbroath

Gavin Gunning            Chesterfield

Bryn Halliwell              Caledonian Braves (coaching)

Lee Kilday                   Queen's Park

Ricki Lamie                  Motherwell

Ruaridh Langan           Stranraer

Jamie Lindsay              Rotherham United

Caolan McAleer            Dungannon Swifts

Jamie McDonagh          Cliftonville

Jamie McGowan           Largs Thistle

Andrew McNeil             R&F (Hong Kong) (coaching)

John Mitchell

Andy Murdoch              Ayr United

Aidan Nesbitt                Falkirk

Thomas O'Ware           Kelty Hearts

Gary Oliver                   Morton

Thomas Orr                  Stenhousemuir

Kudus Oyenuga           Grays Athletic

Jai Quitongo                 Queen's Park

Mark Russell                Morton

Jon Scullion                  Kilbirnie Ladeside

Lawrence Shankland    Beerschot

Dylan Stevenson          Bonnyton Thistle

Lewis Strapp                 Morton

John Tennent

Michael Tidser              Kelty Hearts

Scott Tiffoney                Partick Thistle

Greenock Morton 1894-95:

1895/5/11      Morton 5 - 0 Linthouse                  friendly

1895/5/4        Clyde 3 - 5 Morton                        friendly

1895/4/27      Morton 4 - 1 Port Glasgow          Renfrewshire League

1895/4/20      Morton 6 - 0 Cowlairs                     SFL2

1895/4/13      Port Glasgow 4 - 1 Morton          Renfrewshire League

1895/4/8        Dundee Wanderers 0 - 1 Morton    SFL2

1895/4/6        Morton 3 - 1 Airdrieonians              SFL2

1895/3/30      Morton Strollers 1 - 1 Queen's Park Strollers        colts

1895/3/23      Abercorn 5 - 3 Morton                    SFL2

1895/3/16      Morton 3 - 5 Motherwell                 SFL2

1895/3/9        Motherwell 6 - 4 Morton                 SFL2

1895/3/2        Morton 2 - 0 St Mirren                Renfrewshire League

1895/2/23      Cowlairs 2 - 4 Morton                     SFL2

1895/2/2        Morton 4 - 3 Port Glasgow             SFL2

1894/1/19      Morton 6 - 1 Ayr                             friendly

1894/12/22    Renton 2 - 0 Morton                       SFL2

1894/12/15    Morton 7 - 3 Dundee Wanderers    SFL2

1894/12/1      Morton 2 - 1 Wishaw Thistle          friendly

1894/11/24    Morton 4 - 2 Partick Thistle             SFL2

1894/11/17    Morton 2 - 1 Dumbarton                 friendly

1894/11/10    Port Glasgow 9 - 1 Morton              SFL2

1894/11/3      Morton 1 - 0 Kilmarnock Athletic    friendly

1894/10/27    Morton vs Ayr Parkhouse               friendly

1894/10/20    Hibs 6 - 3 Morton                            SFL2

1894/10/13    Morton 1 - 7 Hibs                            SFL2

1894/10/6      Morton 2 - 3 Port Glasgow         Renfrewshire Cup R1

1894/9/29      Partick Thistle 4 - 4 Morton            SFL2

1894/9/22      Dykehead 4 - 2 Morton               Scottish Cup PR2

1894/9/15      Morton 5 - 1 Abercorn                    SFL2

1894/9/8        Airdrieonians 6 - 1 Morton              SFL2

1894/9/1        Morton 9 - 0 Saltcoats Victoria    Scottish Cup PR1

1894/8/25      Morton 5 - 1 Renton                       SFL2

1894/8/18      Johnstone 2 - 2 Morton                  friendly

1894/8/11      Hibs 9 - 0 Morton                            friendly

The Renfrewshire League was formed in November 1894 and played in March, April, May and August of 1895, so the final game will be listed under 1895-96. The three member clubs were Morton, Port Glasgow Athletic and St Mirren.

(Sources: fitbastats for SFL Division 2; The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Renfrewshire Cup and Renfrewshire League; the Glasgow Herald for friendlies.)

What was the score of Morton versus Ayr Parkhouse, October 27, 1894?

Glasgow Herald, October 29, 1894, bottom right corner of page 9 and top left corner of page 10.

This is the kind of smudgy mess you sometimes have to deal with when you work with scans of newspapers, or rather scans of microfilms of newspapers. Fortunately, sports reporting is pretty formulaic, and the player names are recognizable from other match reports. Here's what I get from the above:

    MORTON v. AYR PARKHOUSE. -- At Greenock. Parkhouse | scored after two minutes' play. Joyce equalized for the | Morton immediately afterwards, and play proceeded on xxxx | xxxx xxxxx. Aided by the xxxxxx the visitors again pressed, | and a corner resulted in Macfarlane xxxxx xxxxxx a xxxxxx || xxxx. Xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx, and first F. Robertson and | then Drysdale scored for them. Half-time -- Morton, x; | Parkhouse, x.  On resuming, the Morton pressed hotly and | xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxd the xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx the xxxx. Woods, | xx xxx xxxx xxx, was playing xxxxxx, xxxxxx three xxxx | xxxxxx xx xxxx within xx xxxx xxxxxx. The home xxxx | xxxxxx themselves in this half, xxxxing xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx | and xxxxing hands down. Result -- Morton, x goals; Ayr | Parkhouse, x goals.

Comments: The score at the half was either 3 - 1 or 3 - 2 for Morton, depending on what happened with Macfarlane. I think Morton won in the end.

Who played for Morton in 1894-95?

August 11, 1894 vs Hibs: Collins, Xxxx and Brand; Robertson, Crawford and Elliot; M'Whirther, White, M'Master; Joyce and Burns.

October 13, 1894 vs Hibs: Collins; Xxxxx and Russell; x. Robertson, Crawford and Robertson; M'Whirter and Drysdale; Joyce, Woods and Melrose.

May 4, 1895 vs Clyde: M'Farlane, Xxxx and Fraser; Xxxxxx, Elliott and Robertson; Drysdale and M'Martin; Graham, Dxxxxx and Burns.

San Silvestro

The church of San Sylvestro in Capite in Rome stands on the site of the Roman temple of Sol Invictus, which was dedicated by the emperor Aurelian on December 25th, 274 to commemorate his victory over Palmyra in the East. The church was built on top of it in the 8th century, and refurbished in 1198, 1601 and 1681. This medieval-looking chunk of masonry, photographed by Gertrude Bell in 1910, has a hare and a green man, and looks like it came from the 1198 rebuild. Source.

Earthrise Craters

Two of the craters that appear in William Anders' famous Earthrise photo of December 24, 1968 have been named after the photo, which was the unanticipated climax of the Apollo 8 mission. Source.

PS Waverley in Comfort and Joy (1984)

PS Waverley makes a cameo appearance in Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy (1984). The paddle steamer can be seen tied up at the Springfield Quay in Glasgow. See here for an article on the Comfort and Joy locations.

Schloss Habsburg

Schloss Habsburg in Aargau, Switzerland was the original Habsburg castle, and gave the family its name. They loaded up the truck and moved to Austria in 1276 and in 1415 it was taken over by the Swiss Confederacy. Source.