Mount Greenock, Alberta. Source.
It's the Scottish Cup, Round Four. This round introduces the twelve Premiership clubs, who will mix it up with six from the Championship, six from League 1, five from League 2, two from the Highland League and one from the Lowland League.
Morton host Montrose. These two last met in the third round of the 2021-22 Challenge Cup. They played to a scoreless draw before Morton won in the shootout. They've met twice before in the Scottish Cup, in 1975-76 and in 1995-96, and Montrose won both times.
Morton are nine games without a loss, going back to Round Three of the Scottish Cup on November 25th. Montrose are four games without a win.
The last Morton player to score on Montrose was Craig McGuffie on May 11th, 2021.
Montrose defender Kerr Waddell played for Morton in 2018-19, as did midfielder Martin Gardyne in 2007. Nobody on the Morton squad has played for Montrose.
Montrose manager Stewart Petrie has been in the job since 2016. He's second on the SPFL seniority list after Spartans' Douglas Samuel.
The Premiership clubs have it pretty easy this round: ten of them face opponents from lower leagues. All five League Two entrants play on home ground, but four of them have Premiership opponents. The Premiership clubs are just back from their winter break, which lasted from January 3rd to the 19th, so some of them might be rusty. But not Rangers. They played two friendlies last week: Hertha on January 13th (a loss) and Copenhagen on the 16th (a draw).
Is the winter break just there so that Premiership managers can concentrate on the winter transfer window?
Imrie has spent the transfer window extending the current squad's contracts rather than searching for new players.
[Morton 2 - 0 Montrose. Goals by Gillespie and Oakley. Morton advance.]
The other Scottish Cup matches:
Clyde 0 - 2 Aberdeen (yesterday)
These two have met in the cup six times before. Clyde won the first two times, Aberdeen the next four. Aberdeen beat Clyde 10 - 3 on January 31st, 1962.
Kilmarnock [2 - 0] Dundee
This is the only all-Premiership match in this round. These two have met in the Scottish Cup seven times before. Kilmarnock won four times, Dundee three.
St Mirren [1 - 0] Queen of the South
They met in the 2013-14 cup and St Mirren advanced.
Livingston [2 - 1] Raith Rovers
They met in 2019-20 and 2020-21 and Livi won both times.
Ross County [0 - 3] Partick Thistle Upset
These two met once before, in 2007, and Partick won.
Motherwell [3 - 1] Alloa
They've met three times before, and Motherwell have always won.
Airdrieonians [1 - 0] St Johnstone Upset
They met in the 2002-03 cup and St Johnstone squeaked through.
Ayr United [3 - 0] Kelty Hearts
First match ever. Ayr sacked manager Lee Bullen Monday.
Inverness CT [4 - 0] Broomhill
First match ever.
Bonnyrigg Rose [2 - 1] Falkirk Upset
First Scottish Cup match.
Dumbarton [1 - 4] Rangers
These two have met in the Scottish Cup eleven times before. Dumbarton triumphed the first three times (1874-75, 1880-81 and 1881-82); Rangers have won every time since. They met in the 1896-97 final.
The Spartans [1 - 2] Hearts
These two Edinburgh clubs have never played a competitive match before.
Forfar [0 - 1] Hibs
They've met in the Scottish Cup six times before and Hibs have always won.
Celtic [5 - 0] Buckie Thistle (tomorrow)
First meeting ever.
Brora Rangers vs Cove Rangers (January 23 30)
First meeting in this cup.
Other matches:
Dunfermline Athletic vs Queen's Park [postponed again]
This is a Championship match postponed from December 2nd.
Banks o' Dee [3 - 0] Inverurie Loco Works
Lochee United vs East Craigie [postponed]
Largs Thistle [1 - 3] Pollok
Carluke Rovers [2 - 1] Saltcoats Victoria
FC Isle of Man [1 - 1] Kendal Town
Coleraine [0 - 2] Carrick Rangers
Abahani Dhaka [3 - 1] Sheikh Russel
Morton Women vs Westdyke (tomorrow) [postponed]
Lowland League Cup, Round One (tomorrow):
Stirling University [4 - 2] Cowdenbeath
2023 Asian Cup, Group D:
2024/1/19 Iraq [2 - 1] Japan
It's the 46th Empress's Cup semi-finals:
Match No. 45: INAC Kobe Leonessa [3 - 2] Elfen Saitama
Match No. 46: Urawa Reds [3 - 3] Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina [Urawa win on PK]
How many times have Morton played Montrose each decade?
2020s 4 (2 playoff, 1 Challenge Cup, 1 Scottish Cup)
2010s 1 (League Cup)
2000s 4 (all league matches)
1990s 7 (4 league, 2 Scottish Cup, 1 Challenge Cup)
1980s 7 (all league matches)
1970s 11 (8 league, 2 Spring Cup, 1 Scottish Cup)
1960s 11 (all league matches)
1950s 9 (all league matches)
1940s 0
1930s 10 (all league matches)
1920s 0
Historical matches:
1945/1/20 Queen's Park 2 - 1 Morton
1968/1/20 Morton 5 - 2 Dundee United
1996/1/20 Clydebank 0 - 1 Morton
Goals by Warren Hawke.
Montrose FC in the Northern League:
1919-20 8 5 1 2 24 12 +12 11 1st
1918-19 no league
1917-18 no league
1916-17 no league
1915-16 no league
1914-15 3 1 1 1 7 7 0 3 6th
1913-14 14 5 1 8 21 21 0 11 3rd
1912-13 12 4 3 5 21 18 +3 11 3rd
1911-12 9 3 2 4 9 16 -7 8 5th
1910-11 11 3 2 6 12 26 -14 8 6th
1909-10 10 3 3 4 14 15 -1 9 4th
1908-09 21 5 2 14 21 41 -20 12 12th
1907-08 22 7 2 13 36 51 -15 16 11th
1906-07 26 7 6 13 31 57 -26 20 13th
1905-06 21 7 5 9 33 42 -9 19 8th
1904-05 23 10 5 8 30 27 +3 25 6th
1903-04 22 17 0 5 53 25 +28 34 1st
1902-03 23 9 3 11 39 41 -2 21 9th
1901-02 21 4 1 16 33 69 -36 9 11th
1900-01 17 1 4 12 20 74 -54 6 10th
1899-00 14 2 1 11 29 58 -29 5 8th
1898-99 14 1 0 13 24 64 -40 2 8th
1897-98 14 5 2 7 25 28 -3 12 5th
1896-97 14 4 3 7 23 41 -18 11 6th
1895-96 14 4 3 7 30 41 -11 11 6th
1894-95 no league
1893-94 11 4 2 5 26 32 -6 10 3rd
1892-93 18 10 2 6 81 48 +33 22 3rd
1891-92 14 5 4 5 49 45 +4 14 3rd
(Source: Scottish Football Historical Archive)
Arthurlie FC 1893-94:
date unkn Wishaw Thistle 2 - 3 Arthurlie SA
1894/5/12 Royal Albert 3 - 2 Arthurlie SA
1894/5/5 Airdrieonians 1 - 4 Arthurlie SA
1894/4/28 Arthurlie 2 - 1 Cambuslang SA
1894/3/31 Cambuslang 5 - 1 Arthurlie SA
1894/3/10 Kilmarnock 3 - 3 Arthurlie friendly
1894/3/3 Arthurlie 5 - 1 Albion Rovers SA
1894/2/24 Arthurlie 2 - 0 Ayr friendly
1894/2/17 Methlan Park 3 - 3 Arthurlie Is this Helensburgh Arthurlie?
1894/1/13 St Mirren 3 - 1 Arthurlie RCup SF
1893/12/23 Arthurlie 5 - 4 Cartvale
1893/12/2 Neilston 2 - 2 Arthurlie friendly
1893/11/18 Arthurlie 6 - 0 Paisley Celtic RCup R3
1893/11/11 Arthurlie 4 - 0 Thornliebank
1893/11/4 Arthurlie 2 - 0 Stevenston Thistle friendly
1893/10/28 Arthurlie 10 - 1 Lochwinnoch RCup R2
1893/10/21 Arthurlie 7 - 6 Dykebar
1893/10/14 Ayr 4 - 4 Arthurlie
1893/10/7 bye RCup R1
1893/10/7 Arthurlie 4 - 0 Neilston friendly
1893/9/30 Arthurlie 4 - 4 Airdrieonians SA
1893/9/23 Arthurlie 2 - 2 Kilmarnock Athletic friendly
1893/9/15 Albion Rovers 1 - 0 Arthurlie SA
1893/9/9 Arthurlie 2 - 4 Royal Albert SA
1893/9/2 Saltcoats Victoria 5 - 3 Arthurlie SCup PR1
1893/8/26 Arthurlie 3 - 2 Wishaw Thistle SA
(Sources: Scottish Football Historical Archive for the Scottish Alliance, the Renfrewshire Cup; The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; Glasgow Herald for 1893/9/23, 1893/10/7, 1893/10/14, 1893/10/21, 1893/11/4, 1893/11/11, 1893/12/2, 1893/12/23 I have called a match a friendly only if the Herald used the word.)
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