Plenty of Nothing

2016-17 Scottish Cup, Fourth Round

Castle Aaargh.

It's Round Four of the Scottish Cup. Morton host divisional rivals Falkirk. The record:

1911-12        R2        Falkirk 0 - 0 Morton

                                  Morton 3 - 1 Falkirk

1912-13        R2        Morton 2 - 2 Falkirk

                                  Falkirk 3 - 1 Morton

1924-25        R1        Falkirk 1 - 1 Morton

                                  Morton 0 - 3 Falkirk

1947-48        R2        Morton 3 - 2 Falkirk

1967-68        R1        Morton 4 - 0 Falkirk

1968-69        R1        Falkirk 1 - 2 Morton

Both league games between Morton and Falkirk this season have ended in draws.

Earlier this season Morton played another divisional rival, Dundee United, in the League Cup. Was there ever a year when Morton played only divisional rivals in cup competition? Yes, 1974-75, in the days of two divisions. Morton played Division One rivals Airdrieonians in the Scottish Cup, and Dunfermline, Aberdeen and Hearts in the League Cup.

This round is Falkirk's point of entry into the tournament. Morton joined in the Third Round and beat Beith Juniors 0 - 6 to advance.

Morton are riding a 16-game home unbeaten streak, counting league and cup games.

[Morton win 2 - 0. Goals by Lindsay and Forbes. Match report.]

Some other games:

Ross County [6 - 2] Dundee United

The Tangerines knocked Ross County out of the Scottish Cup last year.

Raith Rovers [1 - 1] Hearts

It's the first Scottish Cup game between these two since 1979.

Bonnyrigg Rose [1 - 8] Hibs

This is Bonnyrigg's seventh game of the tournament. They have outscored their opponents 30 to 5.

Ayr United [0 - 0] Queen's Park

This is the sixth Scottish Cup tie between these two. Ayr have won each time except 1975.

Alloa [2 - 3] Dunfermline

Alloa and Dunfermline are 15 miles apart. This is their first Scottish Cup encounter since 1961.

Dundee [0 - 2] St Mirren

These two have met in the Scottish Cup five times before, Dundee winning every time except 1962.

Partick [4 - 0] Formartine

These two teams have never met before, not even at the mall.

Albion Rovers [0 - 3] Celtic

This is the first competitive match between these two since 1976. Albion Rovers have never won the Scottish Cup, but they were finalists in 1919-20, beating Rangers in a semifinal replay before losing to Kilmarnock in the final. And they made the semifinals the next year, losing to Rangers this time. Celtic have won the Scottish Cup five times in the 21st Century.

Albion Rovers, of League One, are not even among the five lowliest clubs Celtic have met in cup competition the 21st Century. Who are they?

2015-16        East Kilbride (Lowland League)    Scottish Cup R5

2001-02        Stirling Albion (Third Division)    League Cup R3

2010-11        Berwick Rangers (Third Division)    Scottish Cup R4

2011-12        Peterhead (Third Division)    Scottish Cup R4

2006-07        Dumbarton (Third Division)    Scottish Cup R3

Which clubs have eliminated Celtic from the Scottish Cup in this century?

01-02        Rangers

02-03        Inverness CT

05-06        Clyde

07-08        Aberdeen

08-09        St Mirren

09-10        Ross County

11-12        Hearts

13-14        Aberdeen

14-15        Inverness CT

15-16        Rangers

Which clubs have won the Scottish Cup in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries?

Hibs, Hearts, Celtic, Rangers.

The top scorer of last year's Scottish Cup tournament was Peter Weatherson, who netted 5 goals for Annan Athletic. Already this year four players have surpassed that mark: Sean Jamieson of Bonnyrigg Rose has 6 goals; Josh Morris of Hawick Royal Albert and John McLeod of Buckie Thistle each have 7; and Wayne McIntosh of Bonnyrigg has 8. (I'm trusting Wikipedia on this. The SFA site doesn't mention the scorers in the results.)

It's also Round Four of the Scottish Junior Cup.

Beith Juniors [0 - 1] Auchinleck Talbot

Linlithgow Rose [4 - 0] Blantyre Victoria

Renfrew [2 - 0] Greenock Juniors

Girvan [2 - 3] Penicuik

No game today in 1898-99.

The Copa Libertadores starts off the day after tomorrow. It's South America's answer to the UEFA Champions League, so it bears looking into and can serve as a way into South American futbol for people like me who know nothing about it. First stage, leg one:

Universitario de Sucre (BOL) [3 - 2] Montevideo Wanderers (URU)

Deportivo Municipal (PER) [0 - 1] Independiente del Valle (ECU)

Deportivo Capiatá (PAR) [1 - 0] Deportivo Táchira (VEN)

How are FC Aarau like Greenock Morton?

Aarau have spent many years in the second flight. Like Morton they have a county (or in this case canton) rival in FC Wohlen. Aarau came close to financial collapse in 2002, just when Morton were doing the same. They have one Swiss Cup, dated 1985.

Stadion Brügglifeld has a medium-sized grandstand in the midfield and a small one next to it on one side of the field, and terracing on the other three sides, a bit like Cowdenbeath's Central Park.

FC Aarau play in Aarau, in Aargau Canton, on the river Aar, at the beginning of the phone book.

Largs Thistle [1 - 2] Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Rocky Loma

Ivy Levan performs "Science Fiction Double Feature" in front of Casa Loma in Fox's remake of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Films referenced in the song:

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) with Michael Rennie

Flash Gordon (1936, with sequels in 1938 and 1940)

The Invisible Man (1933) with Claude Rains

King Kong (1933) with Fay Wray

It Came From Outer Space (1953)

Doctor X (1932)

Forbidden Planet (1956) with Anne Francis

Tarantula (1955) with Leo G. Carroll

Day of the Triffids (1962) with Janette Scott

Night of the Demon (1957) with Dana Andrews

When Worlds Collide (1951) by George Pal

RKO Pictures operated from 1928 to 1957.

Edo Castle

Owner of a Lonely Moat

Kitting up. Morton Castle was used as a location for the 1978 version of The 39 Steps.

It is at this point in the season that our soccer coverage descends into magical medieval fantasy. Four years ago I designated the second league match at Palmerston Park between Morton and Queen of the South The Battle for Morton Castle. According to me the winner of today's game assumes ownership of this strategic ruin. Two previous battles have taken place, on January 28, 2012 and March 29, 2014. QoS won both. Morton must win today, as in the event of a draw the castle will remain with the incumbent QoS. To my mind it is intolerable that Greenock Morton should not have custody of this historic fortification which has their own name on it.

Normally you would expect this match to occur sometime from January to May 2016. It was originally scheduled for Boxing Day 2015, itself a little bit too early, but then they bumped it forward to the vacant October 10th international weekend slot.

How did Morton fare in the first quarter of the schedule? They earned 2 wins (Alloa and Livi), 4 draws and 3 losses, with 9 goals for and 12 against, for a goal difference of -3. They are in 6th place with 10 points, ahead of Dumbarton, St Mirren, Alloa, and Livingston, and just behind Queen of the South who have 11 points. QoS have 3 wins (Alloa, Livi and Dumbarton), 2 draws and 4 losses, with 9 goals for and 14 against, for a goal difference of -5. They have not won a match in any competition since August 22nd. Both clubs have mid-table written all over them.

[QoS win 1 - 0 and retain the castle.]

It's the Challenge Cup quarter-finals: Peterhead [3 - 0] Stenny; St Mirren [4 - 0] Dunfermline; Queen's Park [2 - 1] Elgin City. Rangers vs Livi goes in ten days, owing to Rangers' international call-ups. Elgin City have made the quarter-finals once before, in 2009-10. Queen's Park made the semi-finals in 2002-03. Of the eight quarter-finalists only three are from the Championship.

UEFA Women's Champions League this week: Chelsea 1 - 0 Glasgow City. Scotland ranks 12th in Europe in women's football, which means Glasgow City got to enter the competion after the group stage was over. Tomorrow is the semi-finals of the women's Scottish Cup. Rangers [0 - 2] Glasgow City. Hibs [2 - 0] Celtic. [City and Hibs advance to the final.]

It's the two-legged J League Nabisco Cup semi-finals this week. On Wednesday it was Albirex Niigata 2 - 1 Gamba Osaka; and Vissel Kobe 1 - 2 Kashima Antlers. Tomorrow Gamba [2 - 0] Albirex; Antlers [4 - 1] Vissel. [Gamba and Kashima will meet in the final.]

Gamba Osaka officially open their new stadium today. The old one, Osaka Expo '70 Stadium, was built in 1972 on the World's Fair site. Gamba have had a busy year, including a Super Cup win, eleven AFC Champions League matches to date, a good League Cup run, and the Emperor's Cup yet to come.

Yesterday: UCD 1 - 0 Cabinteely. UCD qualify for the promotion playoffs, and Shelbourne don't.

West of Scotland Cup: Troon [2 - 0] Largs Thistle.

UCD at Waterford

Reginald's Tower in Waterford. Once part of the city walls, it was erected by the invading Vikings to keep out the invading Normans.

UCD AFC visit Waterford United in the first game of the second half of the League of Ireland First Division season. At the halfway mark UCD are in 2nd place with 25 points.

Waterford United, The Blues, have been around since 1930, have won the League of Ireland six times (all of them between 1965 and 1973), and the FAI Cup and League of Ireland Cup twice each. They are currently 7th in the division. They wear blue.

Waterford was established by Danish Vikings in the mid-9th Century. In the 12th Century the Normans, expanding westward from South Wales, took over. The 17th Century saw an influx of Huguenots. Trade with Newfoundland made the city wealthy in the 18th Century. During the Irish Civil War Waterford was on the Republican side. Waterford crystal is from Waterford.

[Result: 0 - 0.]

Women's World Cup yesterday: Canada 0 - 0 Netherlands. Today: Japan [2 - 1] Cameroon.

Celtic are the 34th-wealthiest soccer club in the world.

Most SPFL clubs are receptive to summer football.

Crown Work

From a recent auction.

Morioka Castle

Morioka Castle. Source.

Grulla Morioka entertain the Japanese Under 22 team. [Grulla win 3 - 1.]

The Japanese national team play Colombia on Tuesday in their final Group C game. If Japan beat Colombia, and Greece beat Ivory Coast, and Japan end up with a better goal difference than Greece, Japan will advance. [Colombia 4, Japan 1. Japan are out. Colombia go on the meet Uruguay.]

The Battle for Morton Castle

Morton Castle, by Andrew Spratt.

Two years ago I determined that the winner of the season's final meeting at Palmerston between Morton and Queen of the South would be awarded title to Morton Castle. QoS won and took the castle, but they went on to be relegated, so there was no meeting between QoS and Morton last year. But then Queen of the South finished first and rejoined Morton's division. Today the second-half meeting at Palmerston between the two clubs has come around again. Rules: Morton has to win to take the castle; if the game ends in a draw possession will remain with the incumbents QoS. Looking forward, the next Morton Castle seige is at least two years away, given the Ton's probable demotion at the end of this season. [Queen of the South win 3 - 0 and retain the castle. Morton can not finish better than ninth.]

The Scottish Junior Cup has two quarter-final fixtures pencilled in for today. Irvine Meadow host Bo'ness United, and Camelon Juniors entertain Whitletts Victoria. You'll recall that Whitletts Victoria are the ones who dress almost exactly like Dennis the Menace. It seems the lower you go in the Scottish football pyramid the more often the games get postponed. Throw in replays and you have a situation where the clubs don't advance so much as stagger through to the next round. [Irvine Meadow and Camelon Juniors win.]

Celtic won the Premiership championship Wednesday. The Championship championship will probably take till the final weekend of the schedule to decide.

Yesterday US Boulogne visited Paris FC. [1 - 1.]

Tomorrow Grulla Morioka visit F.C. Ryūkyū in Okinawa, a journey of 1936 km by air. After Week 3 of the J3 season Morioka held first place and Ryūkyū second. [Grulla win 0 - 1.]

It's No a Castle, It's a Toby Jug

Claypotts Castle, Dundee, Scotland's only kiln-fired ceramic castle. Can hold up to four million fluid ounces. Source.

Morton visit Dens Park to play division leaders Dundee FC. Morton are twelve points out of ninth place going into today's play. Only the most Panglossian optimist could suppose the Greenock men will avoid relegation now. Or would the most Panglossian optimist think Morton's relegation makes this the best of all possible worlds? Whatever! Can Morton play the spoiler and knock Dundee out of first, that's the question.

What would be the best of all possible Scottish Championships? I think it would be: Morton, St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Partick, Dumbarton, Airdrieonians, Queen of the South, Ayr United, Falkirk and Clydebank. Clydebank?! They only exist as a junior club now, but surely in their time they were Morton's ideal local rival, the Other Shipbuilding Town on the Clyde. The year Morton won the Cup they had to go through Clydebank, and the Bankies were the only one of seven opponents to hold them to a draw. See here.

Fouad Bachirou will play for the Comoros national team against Burkina Faso Wednesday. (Against Burkina Faso ON Wednesday. Burkina Faso Wednesday is no a real club.)

[Dundee win 2 - 0. Morton cannot finish better than third place.]

Four Japanese clubs joined the Asian Football Confederation Champions League group stage this midweek. Cerezo Osaka played Pohang Steelers. Sanfrecce Hiroshima played Beijing Guoan. Yokohama F Marinos played Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. And Kawasaki Frontale played Guizhou Renhe. [Pohang 1 - 1 Osaka. Hiroshima 1 - 1 Beijing. Jeonbuk 3 - 0 Yokohama. Kawasaki 1 - 0 Guizhou.]

Boulogne visit Uzes. [Uzes win 1 - 0.]

Dennis the Menace on Ash Street, Dundee. Source.

Yakuimon

Mito was once a stronghold of the Tokugawa clan, so obviously there's a castle, right? Unfortunately, Mito Castle was bombed to pieces in WWII. This gate did survive, however, and you can see it today on Mito Castle Ruins Street, right next to the high school. See here for a tour of the castle site. Photo.

A yakuimon is a specific type of gate, described here. For defensive purposes it was not the best design, because the large overhanging roof tended to block the defenders' view of the enemy's approach.

The character 門 is pronounced mon, and means gate. It is probably the easiest Japanese character to remember because it looks just like what it describes, and is the basis of a lot of kanji related to doors and coming and going. Good word to know at the airport too.

The soccer season is half over in the places where they play from March to November. After 21 games Mito HollyHock sit eleventh out of twenty-two clubs, with 9 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses, and a goal difference of +2. This is an improvement on last year, when they finished 17th.

Our men in Ireland, University College Dublin AFC, find themself in eleventh place as well, which is a bit worse for them because there are now only eleven clubs in the Premier Division, twelfth-place Monaghan United having dropped out at the half for financial reasons. But it means that UCD and everyone else in the division are safe from relegation this year.

Pohang Steelers are off last year's pace, and currently sit in seventh place in the K League.

Montreal Impact are eighth out of ten clubs in the MLS Eastern Conference, but they're ahead of Toronto FC, which is the main thing.

Today is Fair Saturday in Greenock.