Plenty of Nothing

Garvock

Four and a half miles from Greenock and eight miles from Largs lies Garvock, population zero. Source.

Morton host Inverness CT. Caley Thistle are ninth in the Championship with 5 points and a minus 4 goal difference. Morton are tenth with 5 points and a minus 8 g.d. Morton are coming off a 4 - 1 win over Kelty Hearts in the Challenge Cup last weekend. Inverness didn't play.

Since entering the league in 1994 Inverness Caledonian Thistle have spent three years in tier IV, two in tier III, thirteen in tier II and twelve in tier I. Ross County, Livingston, Hamilton and Rangers are the only other clubs to have played in all four divisions.

Like Morton, Inverness CT are off to a terrible start. They have only one win in league play, and one from the League Cup group stage when they beat Bonnyrigg Rose. They've scored 6 goals in league play, the fewest in the division.

Morton have not won a league match in two and a half months and have not scored in one in a month.

George Oakley played for Caley Thistle from 2017 to 2019 and in 2022-23. Kirk Broadfoot played for them in 2021-22, as did Steven Boyd in 2022-23. Caley's Wallace Duffy spent several days on loan to Morton in 2020 but never played.

Jack Harkness has had surgery and will probably not get to play for Morton before his loan period ends.

Grant Gillespie was the last Morton player to score against ICT, back on April Fools' Day.

Morton won blowout victories on this date in 1944, 1967 and 1995. (See below.)

[Game postponed.]

The other Championship matches:

Airdrieonians (5th) 1 - 1 Queen's Park (7th) (last night)

Arbroath (4th) vs Raith Rovers (2nd) (postponed)

Dunfermline (6th) [0 - 1] Ayr United (8th)

Partick Thistle (3rd) [0 - 5] Dundee United (1st)

Other matches:

Cardiff Metropolitan University 2 - 1 Newtown (October 17)

Caernarfon [5 - 1] Cardiff Metropolitan University

East Kilbride 2 - 1 Linlithgow Rose (October 18)

Linlithgow Rose [2 - 0] Civil Service Strollers

Albion Rovers [1 - 0] Berwick Rangers

Turriff United vs Banks o' Dee [postponed]

East Craigie vs Dundee Violet [postponed]

Tweedmouth Rangers [4 - 1] Peebles Rovers

FC Isle of Man [3 - 2] Glossop North End

Larne 2 - 0 Carrick Rangers (yesterday)

Honda FC [0 - 0] ReinMeer Aomori

Blaublitz Akita [0 - 1] Vegalta Sendai (tomorrow)

Mito HollyHock [1 - 2] Thespakusatsu Gunma (tomorrow)

[UCD 0 - 2 Cork City (tomorrow)]

West of Scotland League Cup, R1:

Largs Thistle [1 - 0] Wishaw

Aberdeenshire Shield, QF (October 18):

Formartine United 0 - 5 Banks o' Dee

Scottish Junior Cup, R2 (October 18):

Greenock Juniors 1 - 4 Glenafton Athletic

2023-24 UEFA Women's Champions League, R2, second leg (October 18):

Brann 2 - 0 Glasgow City

South Challenge Cup, R3:

Carluke Rovers [scr/wo] East Kilbride

Canadian Premier League playoffs:

Match #4    Cavalry [2 - 1] Pacific

It's the 59th Shakaijin, from today until Wednesday. The 32 entrants are vying for two spots in the Regional Champions League. They are: Brew Kashima, Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth, BTOP Thank Kuriyama, Sendai University, Cobaltore Onagawa, Tochigi City, Tokyo United, Tokyo 23, Vonds Ichihara, Joyful Honda Tsukuba, Toho Titanium, Atsugi Hayabusa, Artista Asama, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Wyvern, FC Kariya, Gakunan F. Mosuperio, Toyota SC, Arterivo Wakayama, Basara Hyogo, Moriyama Samurai 2000, Asuka FC, Hannan University Club, Belugarosso Iwami, Fukuyama City, Baleine Shimonoseki, FC Tokushima, Kochi University Nankoku, J-Lease FC, Veroskronos Tsuno, Nobeoka Agata and KMG Holdings FC. Seven of these clubs are already in the Regional Champions League as league champions, and some clubs are amateur and ineligible for the Regional Champions League, so it's an opportunity for a couple of also-rans to advance. Let's follow Tokyo 23.

2023/10/21    Tokyo 23 [2 - 2] Hannan University Club [Tokyo 23 win on PK]

[2023/10/22    FC Kariya 2 - 1 Tokyo 23]

The new African Football League starts this weekend. It's a club competition meant to promote the best club teams on the continent. This inaugural season it takes the form of a knockout tournament with eight teams. Next year's version is planned to be more elaborate. Let's follow mighty Enyimba of Nigeria, or whoever can defeat them.

2023 African Football League QF, first leg (tomorrow):

Enyimba [0 - 1] Wydad AC

Historical matches:

1944/10/21    Dumbarton 0 - 4 Morton

1967/10/21    Stirling Albion 0 - 6 Morton

1995/10/21    Morton 4 - 0 St Johnstone

A goal for John Anderson and three for Warren Hawke.

HFX Wanderers versus everyone else all-time, league, cup and playoff, by goal difference:

Valour FC             19    11    3    5    18    10    +8

Guelph United        1      1    0    0      2      0    +2 

FC Edmonton       12      5    3    4    15    14    +1

Vancouver FC        4      1    1    2      6      5    +1

AS Blainville           1      1    0    0      2      1    +1

Vaughan Azzurri     2      1    0    1      3      3      0

Atlético Ottawa     16      6    3    7    21    22     -1

Ottawa Fury           2      0    1    1      4      5     -1

Toronto FC             1      0    0    1      1      2     -1

CF Montréal           1      0    0    1      1      3     -2

York9/United         19     5    9    5     24    28     -4   

Pacific FC             19      5    6    8    18    26     -8     

Cavalry FC           18      2    6   10    13   24    -11

Forge FC              20      4    8    8     17   29    -12

HFX Wanderers have had the most success against Valour, and the least against Cavalry and Forge.

Spišská Nová Ves

Teddy bear toss at Spiš Arena. Source.

HK Poprad visit Spišská Nová Ves.

HK Spišská Nová Ves has been playing hockey since 1934, but they only entered the Extraliga in 2021. They finished third last season and are currently second. Poprad are ninth.

Spišská Nová Ves wear blue, yellow and white. Their rink holds 5,000. They have three Canadians on their squad: former QMJHLers Olivier Archambault, Jérémy Beaudry and Anthony Nellis of the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

[Spišská Nová Ves 3 - 2 Poprad]

Transcona Grain Elevator

The Transcona Grain Elevator in Winnipeg was opened on October 18th, 1913. Within hours of receiving its first load of grain it developed a 28.53 degree list. Source. Watch a video about it.

Lord Elgin by Felice Beato

Elgin was Governor General of the Province of Canada from 1847 to 1854; the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa is named after him. In 1860 London sent him as High Commissioner to China with an army to impose an unequal treaty on the Qing government. On this day in 1860 he ordered the destruction of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, in order to move negotiations along. Objects looted by Elgin's troops turn up in the London auction houses to this day. Source.

Fifth Beatles: Ronnie Scott

Ronnie Scott played the tenor sax solo on "Lady Madonna". Source.

Luisa Espinel

Linda Ronstadt's cool aunt Luisa Espinel had a musical career of her own and appeared in the Marlene Dietrich film The Devil is a Woman (1935). Source.

Napoleon in Wood

This is a wooden bottle box in the form of the Emperor Napoleon. Source.

Town Hall

No. 11 King Street, Port Glasgow, was built in 1758 and for a time served as Town Hall. Source.

It's Round Four of the Challenge Cup. Morton host Kelty Hearts. These two met in the League Cup group stage in July and Morton won 3 - 1.

Morton reached the Challenge Cup semi-finals four straight years from 2005-06 to 2008-09 but haven't been that far since. Between 2009 and now they have been knocked out in their first match six times. They recently went seven years without a Challenge Cup win. Since 1990 twenty-five clubs have built a better record in this cup than Morton's, including one defunct club and one Welsh one.

But last season Hamilton won the Challenge Cup and went on to be relegated, so anything can happen.

Michael Tidser visits Cappielow as a manager for the first time.

[Morton win 4 - 1. Goals by Muirhead (3) and Crawford. Kelty goal by Reece Lyon.]

The other Challenge Cup matches:

Raith Rovers [3 - 1] Montrose

East Kilbride [2 - 5] Hamilton Academical

These two have met twice before, the Accies winning both times.

Falkirk [1 - 0] Queen's Park

These two first met in Round Three of the 1886-87 Scottish Cup. Queen's Park won that one 3 - 8.

Queen of the South [1 - 2] Arbroath

The New Saints [2 - 2] East Fife [TNS win on PK]

The New Saints are the last remaining cross-border club.

Peterhead [0 - 2] Dundee United

Rangers B vs Airdrieonians (November 7)

Rangers B are the last remaining colt team.

Has there ever been a Challenge Cup match between non-SFA clubs? Yes:

2018/10/13    Bohemians 0 - 0 Sutton United (Bohemians won on PK)

2018/10/13    Connah's Quay Nomads 2 - 0 Coleraine

2023-24 South Challenge Cup, R3 (selected matches):

Beith [4 - 2] Arthurlie

Auchinleck Talbot [4 - 1] Arniston Rangers

Glenafton Athletic [1 - 0] Dundonald Bluebell

Hurlford United [0 - 1] Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Cumbernauld Colts [4 - 2] Irvine Meadow XI

Jeanfield Swifts [1 - 1] Largs Thistle [Largs win on PK]

Pollok 6 - 2 Camelon Juniors (yesterday)

Gretna 2008 [1 - 6] St Cadoc's

Troon [3 - 0] Abbey Vale

Linlithgow Rose [4 - 2] St Peter's

Scottish Junior Cup, Round 2:

Aberdeen East End [5 - 0] East Kilbride Thistle

Carnoustie Panmure [3 - 2] Letham

Dundee Violet [3 - 0] Deveronside

You have to believe that opposing fans call these guys Neveronside.

Finnart [2 - 1] Dyce

Kello Rovers [2 - 3] Gartcairn

Vale of Leven [1 - 0] Carluke Rovers

Canadian Premier League playoffs:

HFX Wanderers finished the regular season in third place, with an identical record to second-place Forge. It wasn't until the fourth tie-breaker (away game goal difference) that Forge emerged the stronger side.

The league has adopted the Page system for this year's playoffs. Five teams qualify. Match #1, the fourth-place finisher plays the fifth-place finisher. Match #2, the third-place finisher plays the winner of Match #1. Match #3, the first-place finisher plays the second-place finisher. Match #4, the loser of Match #3 plays the winner of Match #2. Match #5, the winner of Match #3 plays the winner of Match #4. So Match #3 and Match #5 can feature the same two teams.

HFX Wanderers and Pacific were even in league play this season, with a win, two draws and a loss each.

Match #1 (October 11):

Pacific 1 - 0 York United

Match #2 (today):

HFX Wanderers [0 - 1] Pacific

Match #3 (today):

Cavalry [1 - 2] Forge

Other matches:

UCD 1 - 2 Bohemians (October 12)

Carrick Rangers 1 - 2 Linfield (yesterday)

Montrose Roselea [1 - 7] East Craigie

Montrose Roselea transferred from the North Region Premier League prior to this season. They use Links Park when Montrose FC are out of town.

Inverurie Loco Works [0 - 2] Banks o' Dee

West Didsbury & Chorlton [2 -1] FC Isle of Man

Dryburgh [5 - 1] Morton Women (tomorrow)

Fuji Club [7 - 1] Morioka Zebra (tomorrow)

Aberdeenshire Shield (October 11):

Hermes 3 - 4 Banks o' Dee

UEFA Women's Champions League 2QR, first leg (October 11):

Glasgow City 0 - 4 Brann

WE League Cup final:

Sanfrecce Hiroshima [0 - 0] Albirex Niigata [Sanfrecce win on PK]

Historical matches:

1882/10/14    Johnstone Rovers 2 - 2 Morton    (Renfrewshire Cup R1)

1944/10/14    Morton 4 - 1 Queen's Park    (Southern League)

1967/10/11    Celtic 7 - 1 Morton   (League Cup semi-final. Match report.)

1967/10/14    Morton 4 - 0 Airdrieonians   (league)

1995/10/14    Morton 2 - 0 Hamilton

Goals by Mahood and Hawke.

Slovan Bratislava

Slovan won the cup in 2022. Source.

Poprad visit Slovan Bratislava.

Slovan is the only Extraliga club in Bratislava. And because the only Bratislava team in the second tier is Slovan's farm team the Slovak capital lacks the kind of Sparta/Slavia rivalry Prague has going on.

Slovan's rink holds 10,000 spectators and is the largest in the league.

Slovan began playing hockey in 1921. They spent four seasons in the wartime Slovak League and were twice champion. From 1946 they were consistently part of the top Czechoslovakian league, except for a couple of seasons, and won it in 1978-79. From 1993 they played in the Slovak Extraliga, which they won eight times. Then from 2012 to 2019 they were in the KHL's Bobrov Division, but only made the playoffs once. They rejoined the Slovak Extraliga in 2019 and won it once again in 2021-22. They have taken the Spengler Cup three times and the Tatra Cup five times. They finished second in the league last season, while Poprad finished seventh.

Slovan are currently ninth in the league, just ahead of tenth-place Poprad.

Slovan have four Canadians this season: Jared Coreau, who played 21 games for the Red Wings; Brett Findlay, a former Toronto Marlie; ex-Halifax Moosehead Matt Murphy; and Zach O'Brien, another former Marlie.

[Slovan Bratislava 7 - 2 Poprad]

Totem Pole, Edinburgh

The House of Ni'isjoohl Memorial Pole that Marius Barbeau removed from its home ground in Nisga'a territory in 1929 and subsequently donated to the National Museum of Scotland is now being returned. Source.