Plenty of Nothing

Barbara Hepworth, Single Form

Source.

Women Drinking Beer, by Manet

Women Drinking Beer, by Manet, circa 1878. Part of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. Source.

Girl in Yellow Sweater (1936)

Girl in Yellow Sweater by Prudence Heward. Source.

Caspar Wolf

Caspar Wolf (1735-83), View from the Muntigalm across Lake Seeberg toward the Stockhorn Chain.  Source.

Morton 1889-90

"Drying sails, Greenock," by Charles J. Lauder. Source.

Morton host Dunfermline Athletic. Dunfermline are ninth with 15 points, Morton tenth with 14. The Pars have scored 18 goals this season, the Ton 17. Both teams have allowed 31 goals. But Morton have a win and a draw against Dunfermline.

This game is crucial to both sides because the season could end at any moment, meaning the tenth-place club would be relegated while the ninth-place club stays safe, if 2019-20 is a precedent.

This is the Pars' sixth consecutive year in the Championship after coming up from League One, and Morton's seventh.

Nikolay Todorov, who scored 9 goals for ICT last season, has 2 for the Pars so far in 2021-22.

Read an interview with Peter Weatherson about his days with the club.

[Morton win 5 - 0. Goals by Oliver, Blues, Reilly and Muirhead, plus an own goal.]

The other Championship matches:

Ayr United (7th) [1 - 0] Arbroath (1st)

Both previous matches ended in a draw.

Ayr have hired Lee Bullen as manager. He was caretaker manager at Sheffield Wednesday on three occasions.

Hamilton (6th) [2 - 2] Partick (5th)

Partick won both previous games.

ICT (2nd) [1 - 1] Raith (3rd)

Raith have scored one goal since November.

QoS (8th) [0 - 2] Kilmarnock (4th)

KIllie have hired Derek McInnes as their new manager. He played for Morton from 1988 to 1995, and managed Aberdeen from 2013 to 2021.

Queen of the South have played four consecutive games in which one team or both scored three goals.

Other matches:

East Kilbride vs University of Stirling [postponed]

Clachnacuddin vs Lossiemouth [postponed]

FC Isle of Man [2 - 0] West Didsbury & Chorlton Wythenshawe Amateurs

Largs Thistle [1 - 0] Cumbernauld United

Eight of the ten Highland League fixtures scheduled for January 3rd were postponed due to Covid.

Alex Marshall, Jake Ruby, Eriks Santos, Pierre Lamothe, Marcello Polisi, Cory Bent and Samuel Salter will all be back with HFX Wanderers in 2022.

43rd Empress's Cup, semi-finals (January 5):

Match No. 45: Urawa Reds Ladies (WE) 1 - 0 Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies (N1)

Match No. 46: JEF United Ladies (WE) 1 - 0 Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Menina (Kanto)

None of these teams has won the Empress's Cup before, though Urawa Reds and JEF United have been finalists in recent years. Currently Urawa Reds are third and JEF United fourth in the WE League. Cerezo Osaka Sakai are third in N1. Menina are the Cinderella side of the tournament, having progressed farther than their parent club Beleza.

The final takes place at the end of February.

Sort the Championship clubs by number of scoreless draws so far this season:

5        Morton    (3 league matches + 2 cup ties decided on PK)

5        Raith Rovers    (2 league matches + 3 cup ties decided on PK)

4        Dunfermline    (4 league matches)

4        Partick Thistle    (4 league matches)

4        Inverness CT    (3 league matches + 1 cup tie decided on PK)

3        Arbroath    (3 league matches)

2        Queen of the South    (2 league matches)

2        Ayr United    (1 league match + 1 cup tie decided on PK)

1        Hamilton    (1 league match)

1        Kilmarnock    (1 league match)

Morton's last ten winning seasons:

2017-18    36    13    11    12    47    40      +7    50    7th, Championship

2016-17    36    13    13    10    44    41      +3    52    4th, Championship

2014-15    36    22      3    11    65    40    +25    69    1st, League One

2012-13    36    20      7      9    73    47    +26    67    2nd, First Division

2006-07    36    24      5      7    76    32    +44    77    1st, Second Division

2005-06    36    21      7      8    58    33    +25    70    2nd, Second Division

2004-05    36    18      8    10    60    37    +23    62    3rd, Second Division

2003-04    36    16    11      9    66    58      +8    59    4th, Second Division

2002-03    36    21      9      6    67    33    +34    72    1st, Third Division

1995-96    36    20      7      9    57    39    +18    67    3rd, First Division

Dunfermline Athletic's last ten winning seasons:

2020-21    27    10      9      8    38    34      +4    39    4th, Championship

2017-18    36    16    11      9    60    35    +25    59    4th, Championship

2015-16    36    24      7      5    83    30    +53    79    1st, League One

2013-14    36    19      6    11    68    54    +14    63    2nd, League One

2010-11    36    20    10      6    66    31    +35    70    1st, First Division

2009-10    36    17      7    12    54    44    +10    58    3rd, First Division

2008-09    36    14      9    13    51    43      +8    51    3rd, First Division

2007-08    36    13    12    11    36    41       -5    51    5th, First Division

2003-04    38    14    11    13    45    52       -7    53    4th, Premier League

1999-00    36    20    11      5    66    33    +33    71    2nd, First Division

('winning season' defined as more wins than losses)

1999-2000

January 8, 2000.    Morton traveled to Inverness and were trounced 6 - 2. Harry Curran and Craig MacPherson were the Morton scorers. Clydebank were at Falkirk where they fell 4 - 0.

Greenock Morton results for 1889-90:

1890/5/31      Dumbarton 9 - 0 Morton             Greenock Charity Cup final

1890/5/14      Morton 10 - 0 Carlton                 Greenock Charity Cup SF

1890/4/26      2nd Port Glasgow 1 - 0 2nd Morton

1890/4/26      Wishaw Thistle 6 - 5 Morton           

1890/4/19      St Mirren 2 - 4 Morton                    

1890/4/12      Morton Strollers 0 - 2 2nd Clyde

1890/4/12      Clyde 5 - 4 Morton                          

1890/4/5        Morton 1 - 2 Port Glasgow              

1890/3/29      Morton 6 - 1 Vale of Leven Wanderers    Greenock Charity Cup R1

1890/3/22      Partick Thistle 1? - 0 Morton        

1890/3/15      Morton 5 - 4 Dykebar                     

1890/3/8        Morton 6 - 2 Abercorn                    

1890/3/1        Morton 6 - 1 1st Renfrew RV (at Volunteer Park, Greenock)

1890/2/16      Morton 1 - 3 St Mirren                Renfrewshire Cup SF replay

1890/2/15      Morton 9 - 0 Dalry                          

1890/2/9        St Mirren 3 - 3 Morton                Renfrewshire Cup SF

1890/2/8        Morton 3 - 2 Ayr FC                       

1890/2/1        Morton 6 - 4 Northern                    

1890/1/25      Greenock Abstainers 0 - 4 Morton Strollers

1890/1/25      Morton 2 - 2 Albion Rovers             

1890/1/18      Ayr FC 2 - 1 Morton

1890/1/11      Morton 4 - 0 Clyde                         

1889/12/28    Morton Strollers 1 - 1 2nd Abercorn

1889/12/28    Abercorn 6 - 2 Morton                     

1889/12/21    Morton 4 - 0 Pollokshaws              

1889/12/14    Dykebar 5 - 6 Morton                     

1889/12/8      Lochwinnoch 2 - 4 Morton         Renfrewshire Cup R3

1889/12/7      Morton 3 - 1 Northern                    

1889/11/30    Morton Strollers 1 - 2 Kilmacolm

1889/11/30    Uddingston 2 - 1 Morton                

1889/11/23    Partick Thistle Swifts 8? - 1 Morton Strollers

1889/11/16    Morton 1 - 2 Kilmarnock                 

1889/11/9      Morton Strollers 2 - 0 Rangers Swifts

1889/11/9      Rangers 3 - 3 Morton                     

1889/10/27    Cartvale 0 - 3 Morton                 Renfrewshire Cup R1

1889/10/19    Morton 1 - 4 Ayr FC                    Scottish Cup R3

1889/10/12    Port Glasgow 3 - 3 Morton             

1889/10/5      Morton 3 - 2 Dykebar                    

1889/9/28      Morton Strollers 4 - 0 2nd Port Glasgow

1889/9/28      1st Renfrew RV 2 - 10 Morton    Scottish Cup R2

1889/9/21      Morton Strollers 1 - 2 2nd Abercorn

1889/9/21      Renton 3 - 2 Morton                       

1889/9/14      Lochwinnoch 4 - 3 Morton Strollers

1889/9/14      Morton 3 - 2 Rangers                    

1889/9/7        Morton 8 - 0 Carlton                    Scottish Cup R1

1889/8/31      Morton 0 - 5 Thistle                        

1889/8/24      Morton Strollers 6? - 0 Lochwinnoch

1889/8/24      Queen of the South Wanderers 1 - 10 Greenock "Morton"

I don't know why the typesetter decided to put Morton in scare quotes.

1889/8/17      Morton 4 - 3 Renton                      

1889/8/10      Morton 3 - 1 Port Glasgow       Morton Sports

1889/8/3        Morton 3 - 2 Dykebar                Morton Sports

This season the Glasgow Herald used the term 'ordinary match' to describe non-cup games. Though there was no Scottish league yet, you can see clubs behaving with the discipline associated with league membership, seeking out opponents at the same level, scheduling fixture and reverse fixture, and refraining from disputes.

(Sources: Wikipedia for the Scottish Cup; Scottish Football Historical Archive for the Renfrewshire Cup and Greenock and District Charity Cup; the Glasgow Herald for ordinary matches.)

Anna, by Prudence Heward

Anna, c. 1927, by Prudence Heward. Source.

Woman in a Fur Hat

Gretchen W. Rogers painted this self-portrait about 1915. Source.

Zipporah by Botticelli

Detail from Botticelli's Youth of Moses, showing Zipporah the shepherdess. This is the portrait Swann has in mind when he thinks about Odette in Proust's À la Recherche du Temps Perdu. See the whole fresco here.

Caspar David Friedrich

Today is Caspar David Friedrich's 247th birthday. Source.

Hillside (1954)

Hillside (1954) by Canadian abstract expressionist Kazuo Nakamura (1926-2002).