Plenty of Nothing

2022 Women's Worlds

Akane Shiga plays for Obihiro in the Smile League. She scored Japan's only goal against Switzerland in their game August 26th, and two out of three against Finland on August 29th. Source.

The 2022 Women's World Championship is going on in Denmark. Normally there would be no Women's Worlds in a Winter Olympics year, but the IIHF changed the rule.

Group A consists of Canada, USA, Switzerland, Finland and Japan. Group B are the Czech Republic, Sweden, Hungary, Denmark and Germany. Sweden are here in place of Russia who were kicked out.

It’s highly significant that nobody on the Canadian and US squads plays in the Premier Hockey Federation, the only women’s pro hockey league in North America. Seven players at the Worlds do play in the PHF, but they’re all from Europe.

Let's follow Japan who so far are having a hard time against the US and Canada. And the Finns.

Preliminary Round:

2022/8/25      Japan 0 - 10 USA

2022/8/26      Switzerland 3 - 1 Japan

2022/8/28      Japan 0 - 9 Canada

2022/8/29      Finland 9 - 3 Japan

QF:

2022/9/1        [Switzerland 2 - 1] Japan

5th to 8th place SF:

2022/9/3        [Sweden 4 - 5 Japan]

[Japan finish in fifth place.]

Traprain Law Silver Reproductions

In 1919 a hoard of Roman silver tableware was discovered on Traprain Law in Midlothian, the citadel of the Votadini of Gododdin in the Dark Ages. The silver had been broken up for use as money, but the designs were recoverable, so Brook and Sons silversmiths produced a series of reproductions which are now collectible in their own right. Source.

It’s the Scottish League Cup, Round Two. Sixteen teams remain, nine from the Premiership, four from the Championship, two from League One and one from League Two. The games are:

Rangers [3 - 1] Queen of the South

QoS have never beaten Rangers in this cup. Rangers last won the Cup in 2010-11, QoS never.

Partick Thistle [1 - 0] Arbroath

Arbroath appear in Round Two for the third straight year. Partick Thistle last won the Cup in 1971-72, Arbroath never.

Dundee [3 - 0] Falkirk

This is the first League Cup match between these two since 1988. Dundee last won the Cup in 1973-74, Falkirk never.

Annan Athletic [1 - 4] Aberdeen

Annan have never made it to Round Two before. Aberdeen last won the Cup in 2013-14.

Motherwell [4 - 0] Inverness CT (tomorrow)

This is the first League Cup match between these two since 2009. Motherwell last won the Cup in 1950-51, ICT never.

Livingston [1 - 2] Dundee United (tomorrow)

First League Cup match between these two since 2007. Livi last won the Cup in 2003-04, Dundee United in 1980-81.

Hearts [0 - 1] Kilmarnock (tomorrow)

Killie last beat Hearts in this cup in the year 2000. Killie last won the Cup in 2011-12, Hearts in 1962-63.

Ross County [1 - 4] Celtic (tomorrow)

Ross County knocked Celtic out of the Cup in 2011. Celtic won the Cup last year. Ross County won it in 2015-16.

The 2022-23 Championship table as predicted by points earned in the League Cup group stage:

12    Dundee (7 points, 3rd)

12    Arbroath (2 points, 10th)

11    Inverness CT (5 points, 6th)

11    Partick Thistle (7 points, 2nd)

  8    Hamilton Accies (3 points, 8th)

  7    Queen’s Park (7 points, 4th)

  7    Morton (5 points, 7th)

  6    Raith Rovers (6 points, 5th)

  4    Cove Rangers (3 points, 9th)

  4    Ayr United (8 points, 1st)

The numbers in brackets show the club's points and league position after four league matches. Queen's Park and Raith Rovers were the only teams to earn the same number of points in the group stage and their first four league matches. Morton and Cove Rangers were the only teams to land on their predicted positions. The big surprise is how Arbroath and Ay United have swapped places.

Addison Sod House

Addison Sod House in Addison, Saskatchewan. Source.

Plastic Karuizawa Band

The Ono Lennons vacationed at Karuizawa in 1979.

Source. 

Fort George

Fort George was built to control the sea approaches to Inverness. It has been garrisoned since the 18th Century but is due to be decommissioned in 2032, because the Highland rebellions are over. Source.

Morton (7th) visit Inverness Caledonian Thistle (6th). Both teams have 5 points and identical records of 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss. Both have a 0 goal difference. ICT have scored 6 and allowed 6. Morton have scored 3 and allowed 3, which makes the Ton the best defensive squad in the Championship and joint-worst at scoring.

Last season ICT won three out of four league matches against Morton, but the Ton knocked them out of the Scottish Cup.

ICT are managed by Billy Dodds who has been in the job since June 2021.

Dougie Imrie has signed a contract extension.

The Championship has had four different clubs in first place so far this season: Cove Rangers, Partick Thistle, Dundee and Ayr United.

For the first time this season Morton can finish the day neither top nor bottom of the table.

Celtic and Dumbarton are the only SPFL clubs with 12 points after four games. It’s the Sons’ best start since 1959. (But Rangers B beat them 7 - 0 in the Challenge Cup on Tuesday.)

Gozie Ugwu has signed with Jeddah Club of the Saudi Arabian second tier.

[Morton win 0 - 1. Goal by Gillespie.]

Other Championship matches:

Ayr United (1st) 3 - 1 Dundee (3rd) (last night)    Amazing.

Hamilton Accies (8th) [1 - 0] Arbroath (10th)

Queen's Park (4th) [2 - 1] Cove Rangers (9th)

Partick Thistle (2nd) [2 - 1] Raith Rovers (5th)*

*This is a Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup Round Two match.

It’s the Scottish Cup preliminary round. 48 clubs play today, including several that have never been in it before. The total number of clubs in this year’s cup is 126, the most since 1890-91. In a break with tradition this will be the only round in this year’s cup in which draws are decided by replays. Let’s look at:

Auchinleck Talbot [7 - 0] Coldstream

Burntisland Shipyard [1 - 5] Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale

Clydebank [4 - 1] Bonnyton Thistle

Haddington Athletic [1 - 3] Darvel

Irvine Meadow [1 - 1] Hill of Beath Hawthorn

Penicuik [0 - 1] Musselburgh

Pollok [6 - 0] Girvan

Rutherglen Glencairn [2 - 2] Kilwinning Rangers

Tower Hearts [scr/wo] Cumnock Juniors

Scottish Amateur Cup winners in the Scottish Cup:

2016/8/13      PR1    Edusport Academy 2 - 2 Colville Park

2016/8/20      PR1    Colville Park 1 - 0 Edusport Academy

2016/9/3        PR2    Colville Park 0 - 1 Girvan

2017/8/12      PR1    Burntisland Shipyard 0 - 7 Colville Park

2017/9/2        PR2    Colville Park 5 - 0 Preston Athletic

2017/9/23      R1      Colville Park 2 - 1 Cumbernauld Colts

2017/10/14    R2      Peterhead 9 - 0 Colville Park

2018/8/12      PR1    Tynecastle 0 - 2 Shortlees

2018/9/1        PR2    Bonnyrigg Rose 3 - 0 Shortlees

2019/8/18      PR1    Colville Park 0 - 4 Whitehill Welfare

2022/8/27      PR      Tower Hearts [scr/wo] Cumnock Juniors

Scottish Junior Cup, Round One:

Let's follow the WoSFL Premier Division teams, plus Greenock Juniors. Clubs that are also in the Scottish Cup get a bye to the second round.

Arthurlie [10 - 1] Harthill Royal

Coupar Angus [0 - 8] Beith

Craigmark Burtonians [2 - 2] Largs Thistle [Burtonians win on PK.]

East Craigie [2 - 1] Cambuslang Rangers

Glenafton Athletic [8 - 1] East Kilbride Thistle

Greenock Juniors [7 - 2] Saltcoats Victoria

Petershill [4 - 0] Nairn St Ninian

Troon [4 - 1] Androssan Winton Rovers

Other matches:

Broomhill [5 - 1] Gala Fairydean Rovers

Brora Rangers vs Forres Mechanics (midweek) (postponed)

Forres Mechanics [1 - 2] Keith (today)

Morton Women [1 - 3] Hutchison Vale (tomorrow)

Vale of Leithen, who finished dead last in the 2021-22 Lowland League and were relegated are presently last in the East of Scotland League Premier Division.

Padiham 0 - 1 FC Isle of Man (August 23)

Congleton Town [5 - 1] FC Isle of Man

PEC Zwolle 4 - 2 Jong PSV (yesterday)

Winterthur [1 - 5] Young Boys (tomorrow)

Oleksandriya [2 - 1] Minaj (Monday)

Mito HollyHock [0 - 0] Ryukyu

Edmonton [3 - 2] HFX Wanderers (tomorrow)

[Halifax goal by Salter, plus an own goal.]

This is the final meeting of the season between these two as the Eddies cannot make the playoffs.

The Canadian Premier League has hired an American to be its new commissioner.

PLSQ: Royal-Sélect de Beauport [1 - 4] CS Mont-Royal Outremont (tomorrow)

CSL final: Continentals [2 - 1] Scarborough

The winner of this game does not advance to the Canadian Championship because the CSL is not recognized by FIFA.

Waseda University [1 - 0] Kwansei Gakuin University

This is the annual Hayaseki game, which gets played whether these two in the same league or not.

Concacaf League, Round of 16, second leg (August 23):

Herediano 0 - 1 Pacific FC    (Herediano win on PK.)

Pacific are out.

UEFA Champions League, playoff round, second leg (August 24):

PSV Eindhoven 0 - 1 Rangers

Rangers advance.

UEFA Europa League, playoff round, second leg (August 25):

Omonia 2 - 0 Gent

Hearts 0 - 1 Zurich

Shamrock Rovers 1 - 0 Ferencvárosi

Omonia advance. Hearts and Shamrock Rovers drop to the Europa Conference.

UEFA Europa Conference, playoff round, second leg (August 25):

Linfield 1 - 1 RFS    (RFS win on PK.)

Linfield are out.

Historical matches:

August 24, 1966    Stenhousemuir 1 - 4 Morton

This was the first game of the 1966-67 SFL Division Two schedule, played on a Wednesday.

August 27, 1966    East Fife 0 - 1 Morton

The second half of the League Cup group stage begins.

August 27, 1977    Montrose 0 - 1 Morton

Goal by McGhee.

Port Glasgow Athletic in 1881-82:

1882/5/13      Kilbirnie 8 - 2 Port Glasgow

1882/4/29      Abercorn (Blackstoun XI) 3 - 0 Port Glasgow

1882/4/8        Port Glasgow Athletic 2 - 3 Morton              G&D Cup SF

1882/3/11      Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 0 Victoria              G&D Cup R3

1882/3/4        Northern 0 - 6 Port Glasgow Athletic          G&D Cup R2 replay

1882/2/25      Port Glasgow Athletic 4 - 4 Northern            G&D Cup R2

1882/1/28      Arthurlie 6 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic           Renfrewshire Cup R3

1882/1/14      Ladyburn 2 - 0 Port Glasgow Athletic*        G&D Cup R1 replay

1882/1/7        Port Glasgow Athletic [a draw] Ladyburn      G&D Cup R1

1881/12/31    Port Glasgow Athletic 2nd XI 3 - 12 Morton 2nd XI    G&D Cup R1

1881/12/3      Port Glasgow Athletic 0 - 4 Queen's Park [2nd XI?]

1881/11/19    Glenkilloch 2 - 4 Port Glasgow Athletic       Renfrewshire Cup R2

1881/11/12    Ladyburn 3 - 1 Port Glasgow Athletic

1881/10/22    Victoria (Greenock) 5 - 3 Port Glasgow Athletic

1881/10/22    Port Glasgow Athletic 0 - 0 Rangers Shields

1881/10/8      Port Glasgow Athletic 6 - 2 Walworth          Renfrewshire Cup R1

1881/9/17      Paisley Athletic 6 - 1 Port Glasgow Athletic    Scottish Cup R1

*I don't know why Port Glasgow Athletic advanced after that score.

(Sources: The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; Scottish Football Historical Archive for the Renfrewshire Cup and Greenock and District Cup; Glasgow Herald for friendlies

Port Glasgow football in 1880-81:

Broadfield (Port Glasgow) 1880-81

Nothing found.

Crescent (Port Glasgow) 1880-81

1881/3/26      Grafton 1 - 0 Port Glasgow Crescent

Parklea (Port Glasgow) 1880-81

1880/10/2      Victoria (Greenock) 1 - 1 Parklea (Port Glasgow)

(Source: Glasgow Herald.)

Ayrshire Football Annual, 4th edition, 1880.

    AYRSHIRE FOOTBALL ANNUAL -- The Ayrshire Football Annual for the current year has just been issued. The book, which has now reached the fourth year of publication, is an annual replete with every conceivable item of information relating to the popular [game] in Ayrshire. The number of clubs in the County Association is now, we learn, 54, with a membership of 2862. [This] book, which we commend to all players, is published by [John] Wallace, hon. secretary of the association, who has also taken charge of the [competition/compilation].

Glasgow Herald, September 27, 1880, p. 7.

Apple Records, Our First Four (1968)

Source. See also.

The Beatles

A: “Hey Jude"(Lennon and McCartney)

B: "Revolution" (Lennon and McCartney)

Mary Hopkin

A: "Those Were the Days" (Fomin, Raskin)

B: "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (Pete Seeger)

Jackie Lomax

A: "Sour Milk Sea" (George Harrison)

B: "The Eagle Laughs at You" (Jackie Lomax)

Black Dyke Mills Band

A: "Thingumybob" (Lennon and McCartney)

B: "Yellow Submarine" (Lennon and McCartney)

It turns out that "Thingumybob" is a sped-up orchestral version of an unrecorded song about Maureen Starkey.

Jupiter Aurorae

Source.

Niijima Yae

Niijima Yae (1845 - 1932) fought in the Boshin War with rifle and sword and later served as a nurse in the wars against Russia and China. She married Joseph Hardy Neesima in 1876 and together they founded Doshisha University. Source.

2022-23 Scottish Challenge Cup, Round Two

Stranraer are in the hunt for their second Challenge Cup. They won it the first time in 1996-97. Source.

It's the second round of the Scottish Challenge Cup. Today the 11 winners from Round One meet teams from Leagues One and Two.

The matches:

Elgin [3 - 1] Stenhousemuir

Elgin [also] beat Stenny in 2006.

Forfar [1 - 2] Kelty Hearts

First meeting in this cup.

Brechin [1 - 1] Stirling Albion (tomorrow)    [Brechin win on PK.]

These two last met in this cup in 2003, Stirling winning.

East Fife [4 - 0] St Johnstone B

St Johnstone B had their 2 - 0 first round win against Fraserburgh upgraded to 3 - 0 as a consequence of Fraserburgh having fielded three ineligible players. East Fife beat St Johnstone colts in 2021.

Buckie Thistle [1 - 1] Brora Rangers (tomorrow)    [Buckie win on PK.]

Just a Lowland League match.

Rangers B [7 - 0] Dumbarton

The Rangers colts play at Dumbarton Stadium, so who are the home team, really? [Rangers B.]

East Kilbride [1 - 1] Annan    [Annan win on PK.]

First meeting for these clubs.

Celtic B [3 - 0] Livi B (tomorrow)

B versus B. Which will emerge the victor? [Celtic.]

FC Edinburgh [3 - 2] Stranraer (tomorrow)

First meeting in this cup.

Kilmarnock B [5 - 2] East Stirlingshire

East Stirlingshire last progressed beyond the second round in 2012.

Elsewhere, the Ukrainian Premier League is attempting to hold its 2022-23 season, starting today. Let's follow Minaj, who are located right on the Slovakian border, as far from the missiles is you can get in Ukraine.

Minaj is a suburb of Uzhhorod, the capital of Zakarpattia Oblast, sometimes known as Transcarpathia. The area was part of Hungary until 1918 when it passed to Czechoslovakia, then back to Hungary during WWII, and then to Ukraine.

Uzhhorod’s big club Hoverla went bust in 2016 and Minaj moved into their ground Avanhard Stadium. Minaj were second-last in the Premier League last season.

Minaj can also be spelled Mynai, and often is. The Ukrainian is Минай.

Minaj were scheduled to open against Lviv, but:

Minaj vs Lviv (postponed)

Natural Ellipse House

Source.