Plenty of Nothing

Canadian Winter Olympic Uniforms 1964

Canadian athletes march out wearing Hudson Bay blanket coats at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics. Some of the coats go green red yellow black, and some black yellow red green.

2022 Serie del Caribe

Juan Marichal. Source.

The 2022 Serie del Caribe baseball tournament is underway now (January 28 to February 3) at the Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The teams are:

For Puerto Rico: Criollos de Caguas

Los Criollos have won the tournament 5 times.

For Panama: Astronautas de los Santos

For Colombia: Ciamanes de Barranquilla

For Venezuela: Navegantes del Magallanes

Navegantes won the tournament twice in the Seventies.

For the Dominican Republic: Gigantes del Cibao

For Mexico: Charros de Jalisco

[Series final: Ciamanes de Barranquilla 4 - 1 Gigantes del Cibao.]

Previous Plenty of Nothing coverage:

2021, when Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic won.

2020, when Toros del Este of the Dominican Republic won.

2019, when Toros de Herrara of Panama won.

2018, when Criollos de Caguas of Puerto Rico won.

The venues for the next five editions of the Serie del Caribe have been announced. The 2024 Serie del Caribe will be played at the Marlins' stadium in Miami, Florida.

Philibert and Margaret

Boxwood carvings of Philibert of Savoy and Margaret of Austria, c. 1515. Source.

Morton 1886-87

The Highlanders Academy opened in 1887, and there was a riot. Read about it at The Greenockian.

Morton host Raith Rovers in a Friday night game televised on BBC Scotland.

Coming into the game Raith are the only Championship side that can sweep Morton this season. [Wrong, ICT can too.] They won 0 - 1 at Cappielow and 2 - 1 at Stark's Park. Morton are in no position to sweep anyone in 2021-22.

Raith are fourth in the Championship with 35 points and a +7 goal difference. Morton are eighth with 20 points and a -7 gd. Raith Rovers beat Banks O' Dee last weekend in the Scottish Cup. Morton lost to Motherwell.

At present the gap between fifth place and sixth is 9 points. Today's match is the only one in the Championship this weekend that pits a top-five team against a bottom-five team. For the winner it will be like taking points from another division.

Raith's last four seasons have been winning seasons, though three of those were in League One. (See below.)

Morton once beat Raith Rovers 11 - 2. (See below.)

Raith have a Slovenian player, Matej Poplatnik, who played in Slovenia, Bulgaria, India and Hungary before moving to Scotland.

Morton have not been very streaky this season. Their longest streaks so far have been 2 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws.

The Championship and League One have gone over to five subs for the rest of this season.

[Morton 2 - 2 Raith Rovers. Goals by Ugwu and Muirhead.]

The other Championship matches (tomorrow):

Arbroath (1st) vs Partick Thistle (5th) (postponed -- weather)

Hamilton Accies (6th) [1 - 1] Ayr United (7th)

Killie (3rd) [1 - 0] ICT (2nd)

QoS (10th) [0 - 2] Dunfermline (9th)

Other matches:

East Kilbride [0 - 0] Vale of Leithen (tomorrow)

Deveronvale vs Clachnacuddin (tomorrow) (postponed -- weather)

Winterthur [3 - 0] Kriens (Sunday)

1.FC Saarbrücken 2 - 0 Dortmund II (January 26)

Magdeburg [2 - 1] 1.FC Saarbrücken (tomorrow)

Seraing 2 - 1 Beerschot (January 26)    Goal for Shankland.

Beerschot [3 - 3] Zulte Waregem (tomorrow)    Goal for Shankland.

SWF Championship South: Edinburgh Caledonia [1 - 3] Morton (Sunday)

FC Isle of Man [4 - 0] Barnton (tomorrow)

Largs Thistle vs Clydebank (tomorrow) (postponed -- weather)

Shelbourne [5 - 2] UCD (friendly) (tomorrow)

Canadian Premier League:

Pacific FC manager Pa-Modou Kah has left to coach North Texas SC.

League1 Ontario will restructure to a three-division format with relegation and promotion starting 2024.

HFX Wanderers have signed fullbacks Zachary Fernandez from AS Blainville and Obeng Tabi from LSU Eunice.

Raith Rovers' last ten winning seasons:

2020-21    27    12      7      8    45    36      +9    43    3rd, Championship

2019-20    28    15      8      5    49    33    +16    53    1st, League One

2018-19    36    16    12      8    74    48    +26    60    3rd, League One

2017-18    36    22      9      5    68    32    +36    75    2nd, League One

2015-16    36    18      8    10    52    46      +6    62    4th, Championship

2010-11    36    17      9    10    47    35    +12    60    2nd, First Division

2008-09    36    22    10      4    60    27    +33    76    1st, Second Division

2007-08    36    19      3    14    60    50    +10    60    3rd, Second Division

2006-07    36    18      8    10    50    33    +17    62    3rd, Second Division

2002-03    36    16    11      9    53    36    +17    59    1st, Second Division

Times that Morton scored eleven:

1886/11/6      Morton 11 - 0 Carfin Shamrock    Scottish Cup R4

1936/2/11      Morton 11 - 1 Blairgowrie             Scottish Cup R1

1936/4/18      Morton 11 - 2 Raith Rovers          league

1999-2000

January 29, 2000.    In Round Three of the Scottish Cup Clydebank beat Stirling Albion 1 - 0 at Cappielow. Morton traveled to Brechin and played to a 1- 1 draw, John Anderson scoring.

Greenock Morton results for 1886-87:

1887/5/28      Morton 5 - 2 Partick Thistle     Greenock Charity Cup final

1887/4/30      Morton 6 - 1 St Mirren             Greenock Charity Cup SF

1887/4/23      Morton 5 - 3 Queen's Park               

1887/4/16      Morton 3? - 1 Hearts                        

1887/4/9        Cowlairs 11 - 3 Morton***

1887/4/9        Abercorn 4 - 1 Morton***

1887/3/26      Ferndale 2 - 4 Cappilow XI (Greenock Morton) (at Queen's Park)

1887/3/26      Morton 0 - 4 Kilmarnock                   

1887/3/19      Morton 0 - 1 Abercorn              Renfrewshire Cup SF replay

1887/3/14      Greenock Charity Cup schedule published. (See below.)

1887/3/12      Morton vs Abercorn (postponed)    Renfrewshire Cup SF replay

1887/3/5        Dykebar 1 - 7 Morton                       

1887/2/26      3rd Morton 6 - 1 2nd Lochwinnoch

1887/2/26      St Mirren 4 - 1 Morton

1887/2/19      2nd Morton 1 - 4 2nd Abercorn                     

1887/2/19      Abercorn 3 - 3 Morton              Renfrewshire Cup SF

1887/2/12      Morton 3 - 1 Third Lanark                

1887/2/5        Morton 1 - 0 Dumbarton                  

1887/1/29      Renfrew 0 - 2 Morton              Renfrewshire Cup R4 replay

1887/1/22      Morton 3 - 3 Renfrew               Renfrewshire Cup R4 replay

1887/1/15      Cartvale 0 - 0 3rd Morton

1887/1/15      Ayr FC 6 - 1 Morton    2nd XI Cup R3 replay

1887/1/15      Morton 4 - 1 Queen's Park              

1887/1/8        Morton Strollers** 6 - 4 Morton

1886/12/25    3rd Morton 3 - 0 Hibernians

1886/12/25    Morton 2 - 2 Ayr FC    2nd XI Cup R3 replay       

1886/12/25    1st RRV 1 - 12 Morton (at Academy Field, Greenock)

1886/12/18    Ayr FC 4 - 4 Morton    2nd XI Cup R3

1886/12/18    Morton 7 - 0 Rockfield (Paisley)     

1886/12/11    Morton 3 - 2 Renfrew (protested)    Renfrewshire Cup R4

                      bye                                           Renfrewshire Cup R3

1886/12/4      Morton (Cappielow XI) 6? - 0 Wellington

1886/12/4      Johnstone 4 - 5 Morton    2nd XI Cup R2

1886/12/4      Hurlford 5 - 1 Morton                Scottish Cup R5

1886/11/27    Morton Strollers 6 - 1 2nd Clyde

1886/11/27    Clyde 5 - 1 Morton                         

1886/11/20    Morton 21 - 0 Howwood          Renfrewshire Cup R2

1886/11/13    Port Glasgow Athletic 2 - 3 Morton    2nd XI Cup R1

1886/11/13    Morton 4 - 4 Port Glasgow (protested)*   

1886/11/6      Morton 11 - 0 Carfin Shamrock    Scottish Cup R4

1886/10/30    Morton 12 - 0 Lochwinnoch     Renfrewshire Cup R1

                      bye                                            Scottish Cup R3

1886/10/23    Morton 1 - 1 St Mirren                    

1886/10/2      Thornliebank 0 - 2 Morton        Scottish Cup R2

1886/9/25      Port Glasgow 8 - 3 Morton             

1886/9/18      Hearts 5 - 0 Morton                        

1886/9/11      Lochwinnoch 0 - 6 Morton        Scottish Cup R1

1886/9/4        Morton 9 - 3 Clyde                        

1886/8/28      Morton 3 - 3 St Mirren                   

1886/8/21      Morton 6 - 2 Aston Villa                

1886/8/14      Morton 2 - 0 Port Glasgow       Morton FC amateur athletic sports

1886/8/7        Morton 2 - 0 Partick Thistle      Morton FC amateur athletic sports

1886/7/31      St Mirren 2 - 1 Morton                St Mirren FC athletic sports

1886/7/24      Morton "2 goals to 2 corners" Arthurlie    St Mirren FC athletic sports

1886/7/24      Morton "1 goal to 2 corners" Abercorn    St Mirren FC athletic sports

The matches at the St Mirren FC athletic sports were eleven-a-side but probably shortened.

(Sources: The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Renfrewshire Cup, the 2nd XI Cup and the Greenock and District Charity Cup; the Glasgow Herald for ordinary matches.)

*"Another of those disgraceful scenes not infrequent at this game took place on Port's men leaving the field, one of them receiving a severe cut on the head from a stone thrown from the crowd." (Glasgow Herald, Nov. 15, 1886, p. 9.)

**These were Morton's second XI.

***Which of these is Morton's 2nd XI?

The Herald April 25, 1887 lists a club called Morton (Govan).

    GREENOCK CHARITY CUP.--A meeting of the committee of the Greenock Charity Cup was held on Friday evening, at which the drawings took place, with the following result:--First round -- Partick Thistle v. Rangers, 1st R.R.V., St Mirren and Morton, byes. Second round -- Partick Thistle or Rangers v. 1st R.R.V., Morton v. St Mirren. Final tie -- Partick Thistle, Rangers, or 1st R.R.V. v. Morton or St Mirren. It is expected that the first tie will be played early in April.

Glasgow Herald, March 14, 1887, page 10.

Rangers is Greenock Rangers.

In the Rungg Place

On January 27, 2014 boulders tumbled into a vineyard in Rungg-Ronchi, South Tyrol, in the gewurtztraminer country. The one on the left demolished a barn on its way through. A second one stopped on the road right at the front door of that house. The large blueish boulder in front is from an earlier avalanche.

Source. Source.

 

The Maharajah

The Maharajah is the longtime mascot of Air India. See more of him here.

Regensburg against Riessersee

Eisbären. Source.

SC Riessersee visit Eisbären Regensburg at the Donau Arena.

EV Regensburg was founded in 1962. They won the Oberliga Süd in 2001, 2016 and 2020. They've spent eleven seasons in tier II overall, their best year being 2004-05 when they finished third in the 2. Bundesliga. They finished top of the Oberliga Süd last season, but lost to Selb in the playoff final.

The Eisbären have one Canadian player, Peter Flache, who has played for three DEL clubs, and St FX X-Men.

Regensburg is the old Roman colony of Castra Regina, situated at the northernmost bend of the Danube, in the middle of Bavaria. The city is not to be confused with Regensberg, which is in Switzerland.

[Postponed due to Covid in the Riessersee squad.]

Games so far:

2021/12/12    Riessersee 0 - 2 Regensburg

2022/1/2        Riessersee 0 - 3 Regensberg

James Bond in Morocco

Source.

Italian Joust

Source. This work appears in the Met's exhibition of Maximilian I's jousting armour, which you can see in this video.

2021-22 Scottish Cup, Round Four

Motherwell's Ricki Lamie played for Morton from 2014 to 2018. Source.

It's the Scottish Cup, Round Four, the dramatic moment when the Premiership clubs step in. Altogether there are twelve Premiership clubs in this round, six Championship clubs, five from League One, four from League Two, one from the Lowland League, one from the SJFA North Superleague, and three from the West of Scotland Premier Division.

There are no all-Championship matches this round. Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Queen of the South are already out. Dunfermline and ICT are taking this opportunity to make up a league game postponed from December 29th.

From this round forward there are no replays. Draws will be decided with extra time and penalty kicks. So any Premiership club that wins the Cup will have played exactly five matches to earn it. A lower league club could win the Cup in more: Banks O' Dee and Darvel have each played four matches to get this far; if either of them wins the Cup it will have taken them nine. If Morton win the Cup it will have taken them seven.

Morton visit Motherwell. This is a repeat of last year's Round Four, when Morton visited Motherwell and lost in the shootout. Morton have not won at Fir Park since 1970. And they have not beaten Motherwell in a Scottish Cup match since 1922, the year one century ago when Morton won the Cup. But Morton supporters are expecting the planets to align in their favour for this anniversary. One oracle on Pie and Bovril has written, "Maybe Motherwell can beat Morton, but they can't beat Fate."

Morton have won their last two matches, outscoring the opposition 7 to 0. A win today would be Morton's first three-game streak since the 2020-21 playoffs. In the event of a loss, expect their postponed fixture with Queen of the South to land on the Round Five game date of February 12th.

Motherwell, who are currently fourth in the Premiership, have played one match since returning from winter break: they lost 3 - 1 to Ross County Tuesday night. In a move I don't quite understand the Well have just sold their top scorer Tony Watt to Dundee United, the club three rungs below them in the standings.

[Motherwell 2 - 1 Morton in extra time. Morton goal by Muirhead.]

Recent upsets in the first round of Championship participation:

2020/1/18      Ayr United 1 - 0 Ross County

2019/1/29      Queen of the South 3 - 0 Dundee

2019/1/19      Motherwell 1 - 2 Ross County

2017/1/21      Dundee 0 - 2 St Mirren

2016/1/9        Annan Athletic 4 - 1 Hamilton Academical

2014/11/30    Rangers 3 - 0 Kilmarnock    (hardly seems like an upset)

2013/11/30    Albion Rovers 1 - 0 Motherwell

The other Round Four matches:

Hibs 1 - 0 Cove Rangers (January 20)

Rangers 4 - 0 Stirling Albion (January 21)

Auchinleck Talbot [0 - 5] Hearts

Peterhead [2 - 2] East Kilbride    [Peterhead win on PK]

Clydebank [3 - 4] Annan

Banks O' Dee [0 - 3] Raith Rovers

Kelty Hearts [1 - 0] St Johnstone    Upset!

Livi [1 - 0] Ross County

Dumbarton [0 - 1] Dundee

Aberdeen [3 - 0] Edinburgh City

Ayr United [0 - 2] St Mirren

Kilmarnock [1 - 2] Dundee United

Partick Thistle [1 - 0] Airdrieonians

Arbroath [3 - 0] Darvel

Alloa [1 - 2] Celtic

Championship league play:

Dunfermline Athletic (10th) [1 - 1] Inverness Caledonian Thistle (2nd)

Other matches:

Clachnacuddin vs Keith [abandoned]

Duisburg [3 - 4] 1.FC Saarbrücken (tomorrow)

SWF Championship South: Morton [1 - 3] Hutchison Vale (tomorrow)

FC Isle of Man [5 - 2] Cheadle Town

Largs Thistle [0 - 2] Pollok

Beerschot [3 - 1] Leuven

UCD 0 - 2 Cork City (friendly) (January 18)

HFX Wanderers have signed midfielder Aidan Daniels from OKC Energy. And they've drafted midfielder Christopher Campoli of Ontario Tech University and defender Colin Gander of the Guelph Gryphons.

Three Cape Breton Capers were taken by CPL clubs in the university draft, bringing the number of Capers drafted since the league started to 11.

Morton versus the Highland League in the Scottish Cup:

2019/12/3      Brora Rangers 1 - 3 Morton              R3 replay

2019/11/23    Morton 1 - 1 Brora Rangers              R3

2012/12/17    Morton 6 - 0 Turriff United                 R4 replay

2012/12/1      Turriff United 1 - 1 Morton                 R4

2011/11/9      Morton 5 - 1 Deveronvale                  R3

2007/11/24    Morton 3 - 2 Buckie Thistle                R3

2004/12/11    Cove Rangers 1 - 7 Morton               R2

2003/1/13      Morton 4 - 3 Deveronvale                  R2

1968/3/9        Morton 2 - 1 Elgin City                       R3

1955/10/22    Morton 5 - 2 Clachnacuddin              R4

1952/2/9        Clachnacuddin 1 - 2 Morton              R2

1950/1/28      Ross County 0 - 3 Morton                  R1

1949/1/26      Morton 2 - 0 Inverness Caledonian    R1 replay

1949/1/22      Inverness Caledonian 2 - 2 Morton    R1

1938/1/22      Morton 4 - 0 Peterhead                      R1

1999-2000

January 22, 2000.    Morton beat Airdrieonians 4 - 0 at Cappielow. Robert Earnshaw, John Anderson, and Paul McDonald (twice) were the goalscorers. Clydebak were at Livingston and lost 3 - 0.

Greenock Morton results for 1887-88:

1888/5/5        Morton 1 - 2 Cambuslang                  

1888/4/21      Dumbarton Athletic 3 - 1 Morton    Greenock Charity Cup SF

1888/4/14      Renton 2 - 2 Morton

1888/4/7        Victoria (Helensburgh) 4 - 0 2nd Morton                         

1888/4/7        Morton 1 - 3 Hearts

1888/3/31      Abercorn 6 - 4 Morton

1888/3/17      3rd Morton 6 - 1 Carlton                      

1888/3/17      Morton 5 - 3 Renfrew                        

1888/3/10      Morton 3 - 2 Third Lanark

1888/3/3        Morton Strollers 4 - 5 Partick Thistle Swifts

1888/3/3        Partick Thistle 6 - 2 Morton               

1888/2/25      Morton 0 - 3 Kilmarnock 3

1888/2/18      Morton Strollers 1 - 1 2nd Airdrieonians                

1888/2/18      Airdrieonians 2 - 6 Morton                

1888/2/11      Morton 10 - 1 Campbeltown Athletic

1888/2/4        Summerton (Govan) 2 - 3 Morton Strollers

1888/2/4        Morton 2 - 1 Pollokshields Athletic

1888/1/28      Ayr FC 4 - 2 Morton                           

1888/1/21      Morton 3 - 3 Royal Albert                   

1888/1/14      Morton 2? - 3? Rangers                              [murky]

1888/1/7        3rd Morton 1 - 1 Carlton

1888/1/7        1st RRV 2? - 5? Morton                            [very murky]

1887/12/31    Morton 9? - 1 Dumbarton? Rangers       [messy scan]

1887/12/24    Morton 11 - 1 1st RRV

1887/12/17    Dumbarton Rangers 0 - 2 Morton Strollers                     

1887/12/17    Morton 0 - 5 Dumbarton

1887/12/10    Morton Strollers 3 - 4 Queen's Park Strollers                   

1887/12/10    St Mirren 2 - 0 Morton                    Renfrewshire Cup R3

1887/12/3      Dumbarton 1 - 4 Morton                   

1887/11/26    3rd Morton 2 - 0 John Dunlop

1887/11/19    Morton 11 - 2 Mearns Athletic        Renfrewshire Cup R2

1887/11/12    3rd Morton 3 - 0 West End Strollers (Paisley)

1887/11/5      Morton 4 - 1 Hurlford                        

                      Howwood scr/wo Morton               Refrewshire Cup R1

1887/10/29    Morton 8? - 0 Arthurlie

1887/10/22    Queen's Park 8 - 1 Morton                    

1887/10/15    Morton 4 - 1 Thornliebank

1887/10/15    2nd Abercorn 6 - 3 2nd Morton

1887/10/8      Govan Athletic 6 - 6 Morton Strollers              

1887/10/8      Dundee Wanderers 2 - 3 Morton     

1887/10/1      Morton Strollers 3 - 1 1st RRV (scratch)

1887/10/1      Cambuslang 4 - 1 Morton

1887/9/24      3rd Morton 2 - 1 Overton

1887/9/17      3rd Morton 1 - 1 Belville

1887/9/17      Morton 2 - 3 St Mirren                     2nd XI Cup R1

1887/9/17      Morton 0 - 3 Rangers                        

1887/9/10      Morton 3 - 2 Partick Thistle              

1887/9/3        Dykebar 5 - 2 Morton                     Scottish Cup R1

1887/8/27      Morton Strollers 0 - 3 Rangers Swifts

1887/8/27      Rangers 2 - 2 Morton                        

1887/8/20      Morton 5 - 2 Ayr FC                          

(Sources: The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Renfrewshire Cup, 2nd XI Cup and Greenock and District Charity Cup; the Glasgow Herald for ordinary matches.)