Plenty of Nothing

Morioka Castle in the Snow

Source.

Saint Paul Ice Palace, 1887

Source.

Spišský Hrad

Source.

Innsbruck Castle, 1494

Dürer passed through Innsbruck on the way to Italy in 1494 and made some watercolours of the medieval city. Source.

Casco Castle, Maine

Source.

Lego Himeji Castle

Source.

Castello Di Roccascalegna

Source.

Castle Levan

Castle Levan is a fortified house overlooking Levan Burn on the west side of Gourock. Source.

Raith Rovers visit Cappielow. Morton are sixth with 48 points, Raith seventh with 42. These two have an even record so far, with a win, a draw and a loss each, but Raith knocked Morton out of the Challenge Cup. Raith are out of the playoffs; Morton still have an outside chance.

Morton have not lost since April 1st; Raith have not won since April 1st.

Raith's top scorer is Aidan Connolly with 12 goals. Robbie Muirhead has 9.

Morton enter this match with 12 draws. (See below.) And they have only 9 losses. If they can avoid another one they will equal their total for 1995-96 and 2012-13.

Michael Tidser is to be the next Kelty Hearts manager.

[Morton win 1 - 0. Goal by King.]

The other Championship matches:

Hamilton 1 - 2 Inverness CT (April 18)

Ayr (5th) 0 - 0 Queen's Park (2nd) (last night)

Arbroath (8th) [0 - 1] Cove Rangers (10th)

Hamilton Academical (9th) [2 - 2] Partick Thistle (4th)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (3rd) [1 - 1] Dundee (1st)

Highland League:

Buckie Thistle [0 - 2] Brechin City

This is for the Highland League title. First-place Buckie Thistle have 87 points, second-place Brechin City 86. The winner of this match will go on to meet The Spartans in the pyramid playoffs. Brechin are trying to become the first club to return to the SPFL after having been relegated out via the playoffs.

Other matches:

[Stirling Albion win League Two.]

Gala Fairydean Rovers [4 - 1] Open Goal Broomhill

The name Open Goal Broomhill becomes plain old Broomhill once this season ends. This is Gala's final league fixture of 2022-23, but they have the Lowland League Cup next weekend.

Largs Thistle [4 - 1] Hurlford United

[South Challenge Cup SF (April 18):

Caledonian Braves 2 - 3 The Spartans]

FC Isle of Man [3 - 1] Wythenshawe Town

Sligo Rovers [3 - 1] UCD

Winterthur [1 -  2] Grasshoppers

Almere City FC 1 - 1 PEC Zwolle (yesterday)

Veres Rivne [1 - 1] Minaj

Nojima Stella [0 - 1] Elfen Saitama

Dryburgh [0 - 0] Morton Women (tomorrow)

Oita Trinita [0 - 1] Mito HollyHock (tomorrow)

NPL2 Vic: Preston Lions 2 - 1 Northcote City (yesterday)

Forge [1 - 1] HFX Wanderers

[Halifax goal by Ferrin.]

Scrosoppi [0 - 2] Vaughan Azzurri

Each CPL club is allowed to partner with a lower league club and send players down to gain increased playing time. York United is affiliated with Alliance United and Forge with Sigma, both of League1 Ontario. HFX Wanderers have their own reserve team that will play a series of exhibition games this summer.

76th Aomori Prefecture Football Championship (April 23):

Match No. 9: ReinMeer Aomori [2 - 3] Blancdieu Hirosaki

73rd Iwate Prefecture Football Championship:

FC Ganju Iwate [1 - 0] Nippon Steel Kamaishi

28th Mie Prefecture Football Championship, semifinals (April 23):

Veertien Mie [7 - 0] Yokkaichi University

FC Ise-Shima [1 - 2] Suzuka Point Getters

Most draws in a season, Morton:

17    1993-94 (44-game season)

16    1989-90 (39-game season)

14    2001-02 (36-game season)

14    1920-21 (42-game season)

Historical matches:

April 17, 1967    Brechin 0 - 4 Morton

April 19, 1967    Morton 13 - 1 Rootes (Linwood)

This was the first round of the Renfrewshire Cup. The final round took place late in 1967.

April 22, 1967    Morton 0 - 0 Arbroath

April 19, 1978    St Johnstone 0 - 1 Morton

Goal by Russell.

April 22, 1978    Stirling Albion 1 - 2 Morton

Goals by Billy Thomas and Goldthorp.

Gourock Castle

Gourock Castle stood on Bath Street from 1840 to 1896 and played no part whatsoever in Scottish history. Source.

Inverness CT visit Cappielow. Morton are fifth in the Championship with 43 points. ICT are sixth with 39.

So far this season Morton have 2 wins and a draw against ICT and have outscored them 7 goals to 2. Muirhead and Gillespie each have 2 goals against the Caledonian Thistle. In previous years ICT have never failed to beat Morton at least once.

ICT have scored 40 goals to Morton's 41 and have allowed 41 to Morton's 35. ICT's top scorer is Billy Mckay with 12 goals. He has one goal against Morton.

2022-23 is shaping up to be ICT's poorest season since 2001-02. That year they finished 6th in the First Division with 48 points. But they beat Partick Thistle last weekend, a big win for them and Morton both.

They're skint.

[Morton 1 - 2 ICT. Morton goal by Gillespie. Morton cannot finish in tenth place.]

The other Championship matches:

Arbroath (8th) 2 - 0 Ayr United (3rd) (last night)

Dundee (2nd) [7 - 0] Hamilton Accies (10th)

Raith Rovers (7th) [2 - 0] Queen's Park (1st)

Cove Rangers (9th) [0 - 5] Partick Thistle (4th)*

*This is a Plenty of Nothing Championship Consolation Cup quarter-final.

Other matches:

St Patrick's 3 - 0 UCD (yesterday)

PEC Zwolle 2 - 0 Jong FC Utrecht (yesterday)

Forres Mechanics [2 - 3] Buckie Thistle

Hearts B [3 - 0] Gala Fairydean Rovers

Morton Women [1 - 4] Renfrew (tomorrow)

Largs Thistle [0 - 2] Darvel

Lower Breck [0 - 2] FC Isle of Man

Basel [2 - 0] Winterthur

Minaj [1 - 2] Inhulets'

Tokyo 23 FC [1 - 0] Toho Titanium

Elfen Saitama [0 - 1] Vegalta Sendai

Montedio Yamagata [0 - 1] Mito HollyHock (tomorrow)

Briobecca Urayasu [1 - 1] Honda FC (tomorrow)

NPL2 Vic: Langwarrin SC [1 - 2] Preston Lions

[Preston Lions have applied to join the proposed national second division or Championship which is due to begin play in 2024.]

Vancouver Whitecaps [5 - 0] CF Montreal

HFX Wanderers vs University of South Florida (in Florida) (March 27)

South Challenge Cup quarter-finals:

Caledonian Braves [2 - 1] Auchinleck Talbot

Kilwinning Rangers [1 - 4] Gartcairn

Sauchie Juniors [1 - 4] Drumchapel United

The Spartans [4 - 2] University of Stirling

I'm going to follow Fujieda City Hall SC this season. They compete in the same league as FC Kariya, the Tokai Adult Soccer League. They've already played a bunch of training matches:

March 5th: Wyvern 3 - 2 Fujieda City Hall

March 11th: Fujieda City Hall 1 - 0 Shizuoka University

March 19th: Tohoka University 3 - 2 Fujieda City Hall

March 26th: Fujieda City Hall 10 - 2 Nihon Fukushi University

The 2023 Shizuoka Prefecture Football Championship [preliminary tournament] has been going on since February, but I've only just found the bracket. It started out with 25 teams, and is now down to the final four:

Fujieda City Hall [1 - 5] Tohoka University (April 2)

Gakunan F Mosuperio [0 - 1] Shizuoka Sangyo University (April 2)

76th Aomori Prefecture Football Championship:

Match No. 1: Oirase FC 0 - 9 Bogolle D. Tsugaru (March 26)

Match No. 2: Shichinohe SC [3 - 7] Hachinohe Gakuin University (April 2)

Match No. 3: Japan Marine Self-Defence Force [5 - 2] Aomori Chuo Gakuin University (April 2)

Match No. 4: Blancdieu Hirosaki [14 - 0] Air Self-Defence Force Misawa (April 2)

Match No. 5: Bogolle D. Tsugaru [2 - 5] Aomori University (April 2)

Historical matches:

April 1, 1967    East Fife 0 - 1 Morton

Galston FC in the Qualifying Cup and Scottish Cup, 1920s:

1920/9/4       QC1     Maybole scr/wo Galston

1920/9/18     QC2     Galston 7 - 4 Girvan Athletic

1920/10/2     QC3     bye

1920/10/16   QC4     bye

1920/10/30   QC5     Galston 0 - 0 Johnstone

1920/11/6     QC5     Johnstone 3 - 0 Galston

1921/1/22     SC1     Bo'ness 1 - 0 Galston

1921/9/2       QC1     Galston 0 - 0 Stevenston United

1921/9/10     QC1     Stevenston United 0 - 0 Galston

1921/9/17     QC1     Galston 0 - 4 Stevenston United

1922/9/2       QC1     Galston wo/scr Girvan Athletic

1922/9/16     QC2     Galston 3 - 0 Hamilton Garrison

1922/9/30     QC3     Dalbeattie Star 1 - 2 Galston

1922/10/14   QC4     bye

1922/10/28   QC5     Mid-Annandale 0 - 0 Galston

1922/11/4     QC5     Galston 0 - 4 Mid-Annandale

1923/1/13     SC1     Galston 1 - 0 Stenhousemuir

1923/1/27     SC2     Peterhead 1 - 0 Galston

1923/9/1       QC1     Hurlford scr/wo Galston

1923/9/15     QC2     bye

1923/9/29     QC3     Beith 4 - 4 Galston

1923/10/6     QC3     Galston vs Beith not played?

1924/1/19     SC1     Galston 6 - 2 Gala Fairydean

1924/2/9       SC2     Hearts 6 - 0 Galston

1924/9/6       QC1     Moorpark 0 - 2 Galston

1924/9/27     QC2     Galston 4 - 0 Glasgow University

1924/10/4     QC3     Dykehead 3 - 1 Galston

1925/1/24     SC1     Motherwell 6 - 3 Galston

1925/9/5       QC1     Galston 4 - 0 Paisley Grammar School FP

1925/9/19     QC2     Galston 1 - 1 Moorpark

1925/9/26     QC2     Moorpark 4 - 2 Galston

1926/9/4       QC1     Galston 6 - 1 Moorpark

1926/9/18     QC2     Helensburgh 3 - 0 Galston

1927/9/3       QC1     Galston 0 - 4 Royal Albert

1928/9/1       QC1     Galston 7 - 0 Paisley Grammar School FP

1928/9/15     QC2     Dykehead vs Galston not played?

1928/9/29     QC3     Galston wo/scr Nithsdale Wanderers

1928/10/13   QC4     bye

1928/10/27   QC5     Glasgow University 2 - 1 Galston

1929/1/19     SC1     Albion Rovers 7 - 1 Galston

1929/9/7       QC1     Galston 4 - 1 Moorpark

1929/9/21     QC2     bye

1929/10/5     QC2     Galston 2 - 3 Dalbeattie Star

1930/1/18     SC1     Arbroath 6 - 1 Galston

QC = Qualifying Cup; SC = Scottish Cup

(Source: The Beautiful Dribbling Game)

Boleyn Castle

From 1904 until 2016 West Ham United played at the Boleyn Ground, which was built on the grounds of Green Street House, at one time (reputedly) the home of Anne Boleyn. The brick tower in this picture survived until 1955. Source.

Morton host Kilmarnock in a Friday nighter broadcast on BBC Scotland. Killie are first in the division with 59 points. Morton are seventh with 36. This is Morton's last chance to get a win off Kilmarnock. So far Killie have earned two wins and a draw, as well as a win in the League Cup group stage. The last time Morton beat Killie at Cappielow was Round Three of the 2006-07 Scottish Cup. 3 - 1.

If Morton win, and Arbroath beat Partick, Kilmarnock's lead will be reduced to 1 point.

In the four-division era no team with greater than 9 losses has won tier II. Kilmarnock come into this game with 8. Second-place Arbroath have 4. Morton won League One with 11 losses in 2015.

This was the first season in the 21st century that Killie, Ayr United and Morton all appeared in the same division. (See below.)

What happened the last time Killie and Morton met in the top division? On March 19th, 1983, Killie won 4 - 0 at Rugby Park.

What was the most important Kilmarnock/Morton game? Probably the 1919-20 Scottish Cup semi-final played at Hampden on March 27th, 1920. Killie won 3 -2 and went on to beat Albion Rovers in the final, also by a score of 3 - 2.

[Morton 1 - 1 Kilmarnock. Goal by Ugwu.]

The other Championship matches:

Ayr United (8th) [1 - 1] Hamilton Accies (6th) (also tonight)

Partick (4th) [0 - 0] Arbroath (2nd) (tomorrow)

Dunfermline (9th) vs Raith (5th) (postponed)

QoS (10th) vs ICT (3rd) (postponed)

Which bottom-five side has the hardest home stretch?

Hamilton           Ayr, Arbroath, Morton, Raith, ICT

Morton              Killie, Raith, Hamilton, ICT, Arbroath

Ayr United        Hamilton, ICT, Dunfermline, QoS, Partick

Dunfermline      Raith, Killie, Ayr, Partick, QoS

QoS                  Partick, Arbroath, ICT, Ayr, Dunfermline

Morton have four top-five opponents, Ayr two, the rest three. Morton have the hardest home stretch.

If Dunfermline and QoS were to win all their remaining games, the Pars would finish with 44 points and QoS 41. But they can't both win all their games because they play each other on the final weekend. So at best they can finish with 44 (Pars) and 38 (QoS), or 41 (Pars) and 41 (QoS), or 42 (Pars) and 39 (QoS) if they tie that game. 

If Morton were to go on a winning streak while Dunfermline and QoS lost all their games, how soon would Morton be safe from relegation? April 9th.

The Challenge Cup final is Sunday:

Raith Rovers [3 - 1] Queen of the South

Has any team won the Challenge Cup and then been relegated?

Ross County (2006-07)

South Challenge Cup quarter-finals (tomorrow):

Auchinleck Talbot [2 - 1] Pollok

Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic [3 - 0] Bo'ness United

East Kilbride [0 - 2] Sauchie Juniors

Jeanfield Swifts [3 - 4] The Spartans

Other matches:

Dundalk [2 - 0] UCD

Beerschot [1 - 3] Club Brugge KV    [Goal by Shankland.]

Winterthur [2 - 1] Ouchy (tomorrow)

East Kilbride vs Berwick Rangers (tomorrow) (postponed)

Brechin City [4 - 0] Clachnacuddin (tomorrow)

FC Isle of Man [2 - 1] Abbey Hulton (tomorrow)

Mito HollyHock 0 - 1 Tochigi SC (March 30)

Thespakusatsu Gunma [2 - 1] Mito HollyHock (Sunday)

JUFA Kanto 1: Waseda University [0 - 0] University of Tsukuba (Sunday)

SWF Championship South: Hutchison Vale [2 - 3] Morton (Sunday)

Darvel 2 - 1 Largs Thistle (March 30)

Kilbirnie Ladeside [1 - 2] Largs Thistle (tomorrow)

Simcoe County Rovers 0 - 1 HFX Wanderers (friendly) (March 31)

Simcoe County Rovers play in League1 Ontario. HFX Wanderers have signed three young players, Ousman Mahese, Wesley Timoteo and C.J. Smith, and simultaneously loaned them out to FC Edmonton.

1860 Munich [1 - 1] 1.FC Saarbrücken (tomorrow)

Saarland Cup quarter-final (March 30):

FC 08 Homburg  2 - 1  1.FC Saarbrücken

1.FC Saarbrücken in the previous rounds:

2021/10/12    Mettlach/Merzig  0 - 4  1.FC Saarbrücken    Round Five

2021/11/10    Jägersburg  0 - 4  1.FC Saarbrücken    Round of 16

Archive of Saarland Cup results.

75th Aomori Soccer Championship, Round One (Sunday):

Match No. 1: Aomori University [8 - 0] Gonohe SC

Match No. 2: Misawa Japan Air Self-Defense Force [0 - 15] Hachinohe Gakuin University

Match No. 3: Blancdieu Hirosaki [11 - 0] Shichinohe SC [Highlights.]

Kilmarnock's last ten winning seasons:

2018-19        38    19    10      9    50    31    +19    67    3rd, Premiership

2017-18        38    16    11    11    49    47      +2    59    5th, Premiership

2006-07        38    16      7    15    47    54       -7    55    5th, Premier League

2005-06        38    15    19    13    63    64       -1    55    5th, Premier League

2002-03        38    16      9    13    47    56       -9    57    4th, Premier League

2000-01        38    15      9    14    44    53       -9    54    4th, Premier League

1998-99        36    14    14      8    47    29    +18    56    4th, Premier League

1997-98        36    13    11    12    40    52     -12    50    4th, Premier Division

1992-93        44    21    12    11    67    40    +27    54    2nd, Division One

1991-92        44    21    12    11    59    37    +22    54    4th, Division One

Seasons in which Morton played in the same division as both Ayrshire derby clubs:

1913-14; 1914-15; 1915-16; 1916-17; 1917-18; 1918-19; 1919-20

1920-21; 1921-22; 1922-23; 1923-24; 1924-25; 1929-30

1930-31; 1931-32; 1932-33; 1937-38; 1939-40

1949-50

1952-53; 1953-54

1969-70

1970-71; 1971-72; 1972-73; 1974-75

1983-84; 1985-86; 1988-89

1990-91; 1991-92; 1992-93

2021-22

Seasons in which all four Ayrshire and Renfrewshire derby clubs appeared in the same division:

1913-14, 1914-15; 1915-16; 1916-17; 1917-18; 1918-19; 1919-20

1920-21; 1921-22; 1922-23; 1923-24; 1924-25; 1929-30

1930-31; 1931-32; 1932-33; 1937-38; 1939-40

1969-70

1970-71

1992-93

1999-2000

April 1, 2000.    Morton lost 0 - 2 to Inverness CT at Cappielow.

April 2, 2000.    Clydebank lost 0 -1 to Falkirk at Cappielow.

Morton in 1899-1900:

1900/5/15      Morton 2 - 1 Port Glasgow     G&WoS League

1900/5/12      Morton 3 - 1 Kilmarnock         G&WoS League

1900/5/9        Partick Thistle 2 - 1 Morton    G&WoS League

1900/5/5        Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Morton         G&WoS League

1900/5/1        St Mirren 2 - 1 Morton            G&WoS League

1900/4/28      Morton 1 - 1 Port Glasgow     Renfrew. Cup final

1900/4/21      Port Glasgow 3 - 2 Morton     Renfrew. Cup final*

1900/4/14      Morton 3 - 0 Partick Thistle    G&WoS League

1900/4/7        Morton 3 - 0 Motherwell            SFL2

1900/3/31      Morton 4 - 2 Paisley Academicals    Renfrew. Cup SF

1900/3/24      Leith Athletic 0 - 1 Morton         SFL2

1900/3/17      Morton 3 - 1 Cartvale            Renfrewshire Cup R2

1900/3/10      Morton 1 - 0 Abercorn           Renfrewshire Cup R1 replay

1900/3/3        Abercorn 2 - 2 Morton           Renfrewshire Cup R1

1900/2/24      Clyde 2 - 2 Morton                G&WoS League

1900/2/17      Abercorn 2 - 3 Morton               SFL2

1900/2/3        Morton 1 - 0 St Mirren           G&WoS League

1900/1/27      Hamilton 3 - 4 Morton               SFL2

1900/1/20      Morton 5 - 0 Linthouse              SFL2

1900/1/13      Rangers 4 - 2 Morton            Scottish Cup R1

1899/12/30    Port Glasgow 1 - 3 Morton    G&WoS League

1899/12/23    Ayr FC 1 - 4 Morton                   SFL2

1899/12/9      Leith Athletic 1 - 1 Morton (abandoned)    SFL2

1899/12/2      Morton 2 - 0 Airdrieonians         SFL2

1899/11/25    Motherwell 4 - 3 Morton             SFL2

1899/11/18    Morton 0 - 4 Linthouse (abandoned)    SFL2

1899/11/11    Morton 3 - 0 Clyde                 G&WoS League

1899/11/4      Linthouse 0 - 5 Morton               SFL2

1899/10/28    Morton 2 - 3 Partick Thistle        SFL2

1899/10/21    Morton 3 - 2 Port Glasgow         SFL2

1899/9/30      Morton 4 - 0 Leith Athletic          SFL2

1899/9/23      Airdrieonians 0 - 5 Morton         SFL2

1899/9/16      Morton 7 - 1 Ayr FC                   SFL2

1899/9/9        Port Glasgow 6 - 4 Morton         SFL2

1899/9/2        Morton 7 - 0 Hamilton                SFL2

1899/8/26      Partick Thistle 2 - 1 Morton        SFL2

1899/8/19      Morton 3 - 2 Abercorn                SFL2

*The Renfrewshire Cup final was a two-game tie.

(Sources: fitbastats for the Scottish League Division Two; The Beautiful Dribbling Game for the Scottish Cup; SFHA for the Renfrewshire Cup and the Glasgow and West of Scotland League; the Glasgow Herald for the matches on 1899/11/18, 1899/12/9, 1900/3/3.)