HMS Thrush was built at Scott's of Greenock in 1889 and stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia where for a time it came under the command of HRH Prince George, who was later to be King George V. HMS Thrush played a role in the 40-minute Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 and the Second Boer War. Source.
Morton host Stenhousemuir. These two have played six League Cup matches since 1946. Morton's record: 5W 1L.
This is Morton's first home date of the year.
The situation: The highest points total Morton can possibly earn in the group stage is 6, which is not enough for them to become one of the top four runners-up. No runner-up with fewer than 9 points has ever made it to Round Two, under the present format. The only hope for Morton is to finish in first place. This can happen if the final Group E standings are a five-way tie with every team having 6 points. Morton need lopsided wins against Stenny and Albion Rovers so as to have the best goal difference at the end. This scheme relies on Albion Rovers beating both Partick and Ayr and then losing to Morton, so pinch of salt.
If Morton are eliminated today it means no cup game on August 18th. That would create the opportunity to move one of Morton's two already scheduled Tuesday night league fixtures to that date. Who do Morton play on those two nights? Queen of the South ... and Queen of the South. Currently QoS are first in Group G with 6 points, so they might not be available. Another option is a friendly against some Premiership squad that finds itself similarly idle. Kilmarnock and Hamilton look like possibilities.
Morton have signed Kyle Thomson, formerly of Loyola University Chicago.
Other game of the day: Albion Rovers [0 - 2] Ayr United.
[Morton win 2 - 0. Goals by MacLean and McHugh.
Group E standings:
Pld W PW PL L F A GD Pts
Ayr United 2 2 0 0 0 5 1 +4 6
Partick 2 2 0 0 0 4 1 +3 6
Stenny 3 1 0 0 2 4 4 0 3
Morton 3 1 0 0 2 4 5 -1 3
Albion Rovers 2 0 0 0 2 0 6 -6 0 ]
What was Stenhousemuir's greatest League Cup moment?
October 4th, 1972 they beat Rangers 1 - 2 at Ibrox.
By the bye. In 1946 when the League Cup first began every club took part in the opening group stage. But under the present format forty teams participate in the group stage, and four others (the ones involved in European competition) receive a bye into Round Two. A group stage side that reaches the League Cup final will have played eight matches. A side that enters in Round Two and reaches the final will have played four. Since 2016 when the group stage was reintroduced, which teams have made the final, and were they from the group stage or did they have a bye?
2016-17 Celtic (bye)
2016-17 Aberdeen (bye)
2017-18 Celtic (bye)
2017-18 Motherwell (group stage)
How many games did each club with a bye eventually play in Europe?
14 Celtic (2017-18)
12 Celtic (2016-17)
6 Aberdeen (2016-17)
4 Aberdeen (2017-18)
4 Hearts (2016-17)
2 Hibs (2016-17)
2 Rangers (2017-18)
2 St Johnstone (2017-18)
Robert McHugh's goals for Morton:
date venue opponent goalkeeper competition
2017/7/18 Cappielow Queen's Park W. Muir League Cup
2017/7/29 Cappielow Edinburgh City C.Antell League Cup
2017/7/29 Cappielow Edinburgh City C.Antell League Cup
2017/8/12 Cappielow St Mirren Craig Samson league
2017/9/23 Tannadice Dundee Utd Harry Lewis league
2017/10/21 Cappielow Dumbarton Scott Gallacher league
2018/1/6 Glebe Park Brechin City Graeme Smith* league
2018/2/10 Cappielow Dumbarton Scott Gallacher Scottish Cup
[2018/7/21 Cappielow Stenhousemuir Graeme Smith* League Cup]
*The one born in 1983, not the one born in 1982.
UEFA Europa League 1QR, second leg (midweek):
Molde 5 - 1 Glenavon. Glenavon are out.
Shkupi 0 - 0 Rangers. Rangers advance.
Progrès Niederkorn 0 - 1 Gabala. Nonetheless Progrès progress.
Coleraine 0 - 2 Spartak Subotica. Coleraine are out.
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 2 - 0 Connah's Quay Nomads. Nomads are out.
Nordsjælland 2 - 1 Cliftonville. Cliftonville are out.
NSÍ Runavík 4 - 6 Hibs. Hibs advance, having scored 12 goals altogether.
Sarpsborg 2 - 0 ÍBV. The Vestmannaeyjar men are out.
Titograd 1 - 2 B36. B36 advance.
Elsewhere:
JFL: ReinMeer Aomori [1 - 5] Sony Sendai
League of Ireland, First Division: UCD 2 - 0 Galway United
Allsvenskan: Örebro SK [1 - 2] Malmö FF
J2: Renofa Yamaguchi [2 - 2] Mito HollyHock
Kantō Soccer League: Tokyo 23 FC [1 - 3] Joyful Honda Tsukuba
USL: Ottawa Fury [2 - 0] Nashville FC
It's the beginning of the 2018-19 Swiss Challenge League. Let's watch:
Wil [2 - 0] Winterthur
Testspiel: 1. FC Saarbrücken [1 - 0] SG Wattenscheid 09
SG Wattenscheid play in (tier IV) Regionalliga West.
Friendly: Largs Thistle 2 - 1 Greenock Morton's development squad (July 20)
Yesterday the Canadian Premier League unveiled its Victoria club, to be named Pacific FC. The league expects to begin play next spring, with eight clubs for the first season. (Ottawa Fury is most probably the eighth, but because they currently play in the USL, the CPL is not really in a position to announce them.) The league has instituted quotas for Canadian talent and a salary cap.
The 7th Kantō University Football Tournament concludes tomorrow. [The final: Meiji Gakuin University 1 - 2 Hosei University.
The top eight Kantō university teams, as a result of this tournament, are: 1. Hosei, 2. Meiji Gakuin, 3. Komazawa, 4. Meiji, 5. Waseda, 6. Senshu, 7. Ryutsu Keizai, 8. Tokai. The top six move on to the Prime Minister Cup in the fall.]