
"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.)