Plenty of Nothing

The Scottish Inverted Pyramid

A photo of Gala Fairydean Rovers' Category A listed grandstand Netherdale, suitable for use as the cover of a Pink Floyd album. Source.

Morton visit Arbroath. Morton are second in the Championship with 28 points. Arbroath are ninth with 12. Both sides won their matches in the Scottish Cup Round Three last weekend. 

Arbroath won the first meeting 1 - 2 at Cappielow on September 17th. They are the only side that can sweep Morton this season. But Morton are nine matches without a loss, league and cup. The last time that happened was November/December 2012 when Allan Moore was manager.

Arbroath are last in the division in scoring, with only 10 goals in 16 games. Morton have allowed the fewest goals, 16. (See A below.) Morton are maintaining a positive goal difference for the first time since 2017-18. (See B below.)

Ayr, Morton, Dundee and Queen's Park are all capable of holding first place after today's games.

The SFA is imposing limits on head tennis. Read.

This is a Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup Round Two match. [Arbroath advance on the yellow card rule.]

[Arbroath 1 - 1 Morton. Goal by McGrattan.]

The other Championship matches:

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

Cove Rangers (8th) [1 - 0] Partick Thistle (5th)

Inverness CT (6th) [0 - 1] Dundee (3rd)

Queen's Park (4th) [4 - 0] Hamilton Accies (10th)

Other matches:

Gala Fairydean Rovers [4 - 5] East Kilbride

Beith [4 - 1] Largs Thistle

Barnoldswick Town [0 - 1] FC Isle of Man

Kobe Leonessa [3 - 0] Elfen Saitama (tomorrow)

World Cup:

Japan 2 - 1 Spain (December 1)

Canada 1 - 2 Morocco (December 1)

Japan advance. Canada are out.

Scottish Junior Cup, R4:

Bellshill [2 - 2] Kilbirnie Ladeside [Bellshill win on PK.]

Cumnock [0 - 0] Auchinleck Talbot [Cumnock win on PK.]

A six-mile trip.

Dundee East Craigie [1 - 1] St. Roch's [East Craigie win on PK.]

Gartcairn [1 - 2] Rutherglen Glencairn

Hurlford [1 - 0] Troon

A 17-mile trip.

Larkhall Thistle [1 - 1] Aberdeen East End [Larkhall win on PK.]

Carnoustie Panmure [1 - 3] Glenafton Athletic

Shotts Bon Accord [2 - 2] Arthurlie [Schotts win on PK.]

Highland League Cup, R2:

Banks O' Dee [3 - 2] Forres Mechanics

Scottish Women's Cup, R3: 

Airdrie [2 - 3] Morton (tomorrow)

It's the second round of the 44th Empress's Cup. These are the matches involving universities:

Match No. 19: Ange Violet Hiroshima [0 - 4] Toyo University (tomorrow)

Match No. 23: University of Tsukuba [0 - 1] Sakuyo High School

Match No. 27: NGU Loveledge Nagoya [1 - 2] Waseda University

Canada

HFX Wanderers have hired Patrice Gheisar, formerly of Vaughan Azzurri, as head coach. 

Meanwhile, assistant coach Alejandro Dorado has left the club. Pacific FC have signed Wanderers midfielder Pierre Lamothe. Midfielder Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé has also departed.

The Canadian Premier League has been around for four years, and must continue another four to spare Concacaf the embarrassment of having a World Cup host country without its own national league. The old Canadian Soccer League lasted six years.

The New York Times published an article about how Brampton is the nursery of Canadian soccer.

Former Wanderer Iida Kodai has signed with Preston Lions FC of the NPL2 Victoria league in Australia. It's an incentive to take a look at Australian soccer. Their season starts in February.

Historical matches:

December 3, 1966    Morton 2 - 1 East Fife

A) Best goals against, all divisions:

  9            Dunfermline (16 games)

13            Celtic (15 games)

14            Rangers (15 games)

15            Dumbarton (15 games)

16            Morton (16 games)

16            Stirling Albion (15 games)

B) Morton's plus and minus goal difference years:

1890s                               --    --    --    --    +    --    +

1900s            0    --    --    --    --    --    --    --    --    --

1910s            --    0    --    +    +    +     +    +    +    +

1920s            +    +    --    --    --    --    --    --    +    --

1930s            --    --    --    +    +    +    +    --    --    +

1940s            +    +    +     +    +    +    +    +    --    +

1950s            --    --    +    +    --    +    +    --    --    --

1960s            --    +    +    +     0    --    +    +    --    0

1970s            0    --    --    --    --    --    +    +    --    +

1980s            --    --    --    +    --    --    +    --    0    --

1990s            --    +    +    --    +    +     +    --    +    --

2000s            --    --    +    +    +    +     +    --    0    --

2010s            --    --    +    --    +    --    +    +    --    --

2020s            --    --   [+]

Sort the 2022-23 Lowland League clubs into groups according to how they entered the league:

6    founding members (Dalbeattie Star, East Kilbride, Gala Fairydean Rovers, Gretna 2008, Stirling University, The Spartans)

4    entered later by application (Broomhill, Edinburgh University, Cumbernauld Colts, Civil Service Strollers)

3    relegated from the SPFL (East Stirlingshire, Berwick Rangers, Cowdenbeath)

3    promoted from below (Caledonian Braves, Bo'ness United, Tranent Juniors)

3    guest clubs (Rangers B, Celtic B, Hearts B)

Now sort the clubs that have left the Lowland League:

5    relegated (Threave Rovers, Preston, Hawick Royal Albert, Whitehill Welfare, Vale of Leithen)

3    promoted to SPFL (Edinburgh City, Kelty Hearts, Bonnyrigg Rose)

1    folded (Selkirk)

Brutalist Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld Town Centre, 1968. Source.

It's matchday three in the League Cup group stage. Morton are off, which is just as well, given their Covid situation.

On Thursday a SPFL disciplinary tribunal threw out Kilmarnock's 2 - 0 July 10th win against East Kilbride, and instead awarded EK a 3 - 0 win, and handed Killie a £5,000 fine. This for fielding a suspended player in the 72nd minute of that game. So now two of the four Group G matches have been decided by the league. The other was Morton's Covid game. Kilmarnock enter today's match in last place, and East Kilbride are first. David Goodwillie of Clyde leads all Group G scorers, with one goal.

Coming into today's games Clyde are in the driver's seat. They are the only Group G club that can finish with 12 points. East Kilbride can finish with 10. Stranraer and Kilmarnock can only earn 9 max. The best Morton can do is 8.

The record for winning a group with the fewest points is shared by Peterhead and Ayr United: 8.

Ross County have forfeited a second match.

The games:

Clyde [1 - 2] Kilmarnock

Stranraer [1 - 0] East Kilbride

Group standings after these games:

Stranraer         3    2    0    0    1    4    1   +3    6

East Kilbride    3    1    0    1    1    3    1   +2    4

Clyde               2    1    0    0    1    2    2     0    3

Kilmarnock      2    1    0    0    1    2    4    -2    3

Morton             2    0    1    0    1    0    3    -3    2

2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference 1QR, second leg (July 15):

Coleraine 1 - 2 Velež Mostar

Sligo Rovers 1 - 2 FH

KÍ 2 - 4 Rīgas

Larne 1 - 0 Bala Town

Bohemians 3 - 0  Stjarnan

The New Saints 2 - 0 Glentoran

Newtown 0 - 1 Dundalk

Breiðablik 2 - 0 Racing Luxembourg

NSÍ 1 - 3 Honka

Coleraine, Glentoran, Sligo, Bala Town, New Town, Stjarnan, Racing, KÍ and NSÍ are out.

Other matches:

Treaty United 2 - 1 UCD (last night)

J2: Matsumoto Yamaga [0 - 1] Mito HollyHock

JFL: FC Kariya [1 - 3] ReinMeer Aomori (tomorrow)

Pohang Steelers vs Gwangju (tomorrow) (postponed)

Tohoku Div 1: Dogizaka vs Sendai University (tomorrow) (postponed)

Tohoku Div 1 N: Gonohe [0 - 4] Lascivo Aomori (tomorrow) (July 4)

[This Tohoku league schedule is very haphazard.]

TPS 0 - 0 KPV (yesterday)

HFX Wanderers [1 - 2] Cavalry FC

[Halifax goal by Samuel Salter. They named Salter Street after that guy.]

The Lowland, East, South and West of Scotland Leagues start today.

Largs Thistle [0 - 2] Rutherglen Glencairn

The Strongest [2 - 1] Guabira (tomorrow)

Winterthur [0 - 4] Real Betis (friendly)

Real Betis finished sixth in La Liga last season.

Karlsruher  [1 - 0]  1.FC Saarbrücken (friendly)

Karlsruher SC play in 2.Bundesliga.

Developments:

The Old Firm's latest proposal to put reserve teams in the SPFL has been rejected.

About la ligue de football de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon:

This league has been around since 1976 and brings together the three clubs of the archipelago. They are:

Association Sportive Saint-Pierraise (abbreviated ASSP)    Founded in 1903, they play at Stade Léonce Claireaux on the north side of Saint-Pierre town. League champions 13 times, cup winners 8 times. Green.

Association Sportive Miquelonnaise (ASM)    Founded 1949. Their ground is Stade de l'Avenir in Miquelon-Langlade at the north of the archipelago. League champions 4 times, including last year. Cup winners 8 times. Blue. Orange.

Association Sportive Ilienne Amateur (ASIA)    This is the youngest club, started in 1953, but by far the most successful. Their park is Stade John Girardin, in the west end of the town of Saint-Pierre. League champions 28 times, cup winners 25 times. Yellow.

It's a summer league, playing from May to September. Each team plays 16 league matches. To make it more interesting the schedule is divided into four cups. The first cup ends in June, the second July, third August and fourth September. The combined standings determine the year's league champion.

At the end of the season the first- and second-placed teams play for the Coupe de l'Archipel.

The Football Federation of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is part of the French Football Federation. Since 2018 the three clubs have participated in the Coupe de France. They play against each other in Rounds One and Two, and the winner flies to France for Round Three. In September 2018 Saint Pierraise lost 2 - 1 to ALC Longvic. In 2019 FC Lyon beat Ilienne Amateur 5 - 1. Saint Pierraise were to play La Roche VF in 2020 but it was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

The clubs play friendlies against teams in Newfoundland, and sometimes participate in cup competitions there. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is seeking membership in Concacaf.

Ontario Science Centre

Source.

Brutalist Glasgow

Part of the Queen Margaret Union at the University of Glasgow. Source.

Morton visit Partick Thistle for the last League Cup group stage match of 2020-21.

The situation:

To advance to Round Two Morton must beat Partick for 3 points while Queen's Park beat St Mirren for 3 points. That would leave Morton with 8 points, St Mirren and QoS each with 7, and Partick with 5.

It's highly unlikely that 8 points would be enough to make Morton one of the top four second-place teams. Two groups already have second-place teams with 9 points. That said, Morton did advance with 8 points last year. But they had a +6 goal difference, whereas coming into today's game they are +1.

Like Morton, Partick can win the group if they win for 3 points and Queen's Park beat St Mirren for 3.

St Mirren will win the group if they beat Queen's Park for 3 or 2 points.

And it seems to me, though Wikipedia disagrees, that if Queen's Park beat St Mirren by 2 or more goals, and Morton and Partick go to a shootout, then Queen of the South should win the group on goal difference.

Win or lose, Queen's Park can't get out of fifth place.

[Albion Rovers have forfeited their final Group F match against Hamilton Accies.]

The results:

Partick [0 - 0] Morton [Partick win on PK. Jacobs and McGinty score in the shootout.]

Queen's Park [0 - 1] St Mirren.

[Group G final standings:

                        P   W  PW PL   L   F    A  GD  Pts

St Mirren           4    2    2    0    0    8    4    4    10

QoS                  4    1    1    2    0    7    5    2      7

Partick              4    1    2    0    1    3    4   -1      7

Morton              4    1    0    3    0    4    3    1      6

Queen's Park    4    0    0    0    4    1    7   -6     0    ]

Elsewhere:

J2: Ventforet Kofu 2 - 0 Mito HollyHock (Nov 11)

Mito HollyHock [2 - 1] Kyoto Sanga (tomorrow)

JFL: Mio Biwako Shiga [0 - 3] Iwaki FC (tomorrow)

3.Liga: Viktoria Köln [0 - 2] 1.FC Saarbrücken

SWF Championship South: Morton vs Ayr United (postponed)

WoSFL: Largs Thistle [4 - 1] Cumbernauld United

Lowland League: Bonnyrigg Rose 2 - 0 Civil Service Strollers (November 10)

Spartans [0 - 2] Bonnyrigg Rose

Berwick Rangers [1 - 3] East Stirlingshire

Finnish relegation playoffs:

KTP 0 - 0 TPS (November 11)

TPS [1 - 1] KTP [KTP win on the away goal rule. TPS are relegated.]

The four Tohoku clubs in J3 have completed their games against each other. Here are the final standings:

                                    G    W    D    L    F    A    GD    Pts

Blaublitz Akita              6    6    0    0    14     2    +12    16

Fukushima United        6    2    1    3      7     9      -2      7

Grulla Morioka             6    1    2    3      5    11      -6      5

Vanraure Hachinohe    6    1    1    4      6   10       -4     4

Blaublitz Akita are miles ahead at the top of J3 and should win the league this week, in which case they will have earned promotion to J2 and also claimed a spot in the 2020 Emperor's Cup quarterfinals.

Developments

Chrisnovic N'sa (HFX Wanderers 2019 and 2020) has signed with York9. Luca Gasparotto has retired from soccer at age 25 to become a tree surgeon, a fancy name for a guy with a chainsaw, which says a lot about how poorly a CPL job pays.

Players on Kashiwa Reysol have tested positive for Covid, forcing the postponement of the J League Cup final.

The interim head of the Bolivian Football Federation was arrested on corruption charges at a World Cup qualifier in La Paz Thursday.

Scotland have qualified for Euro 2020, which will be held in 2021.

Historical matches:

Nov 14, 1914. Morton visited Ayr United and lost 2 - 1.

Nov 10, 1992. Challenge Cup, Semi-finals. Morton hosted Montrose and won 3 - 1. Alex Mathie scored two, and Rowan Alexander one.

Nov 14, 1992. Morton visited Love Street and beat St Mirren 2 - 3. Morton scorers were Ian McDonald, Scott McArthur and Rowan Alexander.

St Johnstone's ten most recent losses against non-Premiership sides:

2019/7/27      Forfar 2 - 1 St Johnstone    League Cup group stage

2019/7/16      Montrose 1 - 0 St Johnstone    League Cup group stage

2016/7/26      Brechin 1 - 1 St Johnstone (Brechin won on PK)    League Cup group stage

2015/2/7        QoS 2 - 0 St Johnstone        Scottish Cup

2009/4/19      St Johnstone 2 - 3 QoS        First Division

2009/3/14      Livingston 1 - 0 St Johnstone    First Division

2008/8/30      St Johnstone 2 - 3 Clyde        First Division

2008/8/26      Livingston 2 - 1 St Johnstone    League Cup

2008/8/23      Partick Thistle 4 - 0 St Johnstone    First Division

2008/8/16      St Johnstone 0 - 3 Dunfermline    First Division

SFL Division Three results, November 15, 1924:

Clackmannan 2 - 1 Brechin City (played at Alloa)

Dumbarton Harp 2 - 2 Beith

Leith Athletic 3 - 2 Montrose

Lochgelly United 0 - 2 Nithsdale Wanderers

Queen of the South 3 - 1 Dykehead

Solway Star 2 - 1 Mid Annandale

Vale of Leven 2 - 1 Peebles Rovers

1924-25 Scottish Qualifying Cup, semi-finals:

Helensburgh 1 - 1 Royal Albert

Clachnacuddin 2 - 1 Inverness Caledonian

Source: Glasgow Herald, November 17, 1924, p. 13.

Brutalist Paisley

The Civic Centre, Paisley. Source.

Morton visit Paisley for a televised Renfrewshire Derby League Cup group stage match.

This is the first meeting between these two clubs since April 21st, 2018, when St Mirren won 2 - 1. This is their first League Cup meeting since August 23rd, 2011, when St Mirren won 3 - 4.

Morton's Kalvin Orsi played for St Mirren in 2016-17. Reece Lyon was in their youth system. St Mirren's Jack Baird played for Morton last year. St Mirren have a goalkeeper, Jamie Langfeld, aged 40, who played his first league match in 1998. There can't be many 20th-century players still playing.

St Mirren had two games postponed in late October due to Covid quarantine, and are currently 11th in the Premiership.

Yesterday it was Queen's Park 1 - 3 Queen of the South.

Prior to these games, how many points could each Group G side accumulate, maximum?

11    St Mirren

10    Morton

  8    Partick

  7    QoS

  6    Queen's Park

[St Mirren 1 - 1 Morton. St Mirren win on PK. Morton goal by MacIver. And MacIver, Omar, McGuffie, Oliver and McGinty score in the shootout.

Group G standings after this weekend's matches:

                         P   W  PW PL   L   F    A  GD  Pts

St Mirren           3    1    2    0    0    7    4    3    7

QoS                  4    1    1    2    0    7    5    2    7

Morton              3    1    0    2    0    4    3    1    5

Partick              3    1    1    0    1    3    4   -1    5

Queen's Park    3    0    0    0    3    1    6   -5    0    ]

Elsewhere:

Club The Strongest beat Palmaflor 3 - 2 in a preparation match Monday.

Inside Scarborough College

The Meeting Place at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, or possibly the hangar deck of Battlestar Galactica. Witold Rybczynski compares Scarborough College and Massey College here.

Ramp Supports

Source.

St Nicolas Church in Hérémence

Source.

Brutalism Against Brutality

A Tito-era monument to victims of Ustashe and Nazi violence, at Kozara in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Source.

The Rebecca Cohn