Portraits of the Earls of Mar and sundry Erskines may be viewed in Alloa Tower, a National Trust property. Source.
Morton visit Alloa Athletic.
This is Alloa's fourth year in the Championship this decade. Morton were around for three of those, having been relegated in 2014, thanks in no small part to Alloa who beat them four games out of four that season. Head to head in league play in the 2010s Alloa have 4 wins, Morton 3, with a draw.
Alloa finished third in League One last year, and earned promotion to the Championship by beating Raith Rovers and Dumbarton in the playoffs. They are almost everyone's favourite to finish tenth this year, mainly because teams that come up to the Championship through the playoffs usually go down again after a year. But this is the Championship, where something always goes inexplicably wrong for some team that was supposed to do well.
Is that team Morton?
Alloa earned 8 points in the League Cup group stage, which is better than Morton did. They lost their league opener 1 - 0 to Ross County.
Alloa players Andy Graham, Alan Trouten and Scott Taggart used to play for Morton. Robert Thomson once played for Alloa.
The name Alloa is unlikely to derive from the Hawai'ian aloha.
Scott Tiffoney has signed with Livingston, but will be loaned back to Morton for six months.
Morton management have taken their contract offer to Jai Quitongo off the table.
[Morton win 0 - 2. Both goals by Millar.]
Other match of the day: Partick [2 - 1] Falkirk. These two have played 175 Scottish League matches since 1905, but their last league game was five years ago.
Mark Russell has signed with Falkirk.
Also: Dunfermline [1 - 3] Ross County
ICT [0 - 0] Ayr United
Earlier this week Ayr turned down a £150,000 bid for Lawrence Shankland. Shankland has scored 9 goals for them so far this season (league + League Cup). As a team Ayr have scored 14 and allowed 1. Who scored against them? Michael Tidser.
QoS [1 - 2] Dundee United
Most significant Partick/Falkirk league match:
2013/4/20 Falkirk 0 - 2 Partick This victory earned Partick a spot in the Premier League, where they stayed five years. Match report.
Which SPFL club is in the longest current streak of losing seasons? Cowdenbeath, six seasons (2012-13 to 2017-18 and counting). Joint second are Partick Thistle and Ross County at five each.
Have Celtic ever had a losing season? Yes.
It's the First Preliminary Round of the 2018-19 Scottish Cup. Let's watch:
Hawick Royal Albert [0 - 5] Bonnyrigg Rose
Auchinleck Talbot [3 - 1] Banks O'Dee
Threave Rovers [0 - 3] Beith
Tynecastle [0 - 2] Shortlees AFC
Golspie Sutherland [1 - 4] Burntisland Shipyard
[This is only Shipyard's third win ever in the Scottish Cup. See:
Burntisland Shipyard in the Scottish Cup:
2017-18 PR1 Burntisland Shipyard 0 - 7 Colville Park
2016-17 PR2 Bonnyrigg Rose 14 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
2015-16 PR1 St Cuthbert Wanderers 3 - 1 Burntisland Shipyard
2014-15 PR Lothian Thistle HV 3 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
2013-14 R1 Inverurie Loco Works 3 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
2012-13 R1 Turriff United 6 - 1 Burntisland Shipyard
2011-12 R1 Culter 4 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
2010-11 R1 Glasgow University 1 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
2009-10 R2 Edinburgh City 5 - 1 Burntisland Shipyard
2008-09 R1 Clachnacuddin 4 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
2007-08 R1 Wigtown & Bladnoch 3 - 5 Burntisland Shipyard
R2 Albion Rovers 8 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
1994-95 R2 Burntisland Shipyard 6 - 2 St Cuthbert Wanderers
R3 Huntly 7 - 0 Burntisland Shipyard
1938-39 R1 Burntisland Shipyard 3 - 8 Celtic
1935-36 R1 Burntisland Shipyard 2 - 2 Dumbarton
Dumbarton 4 - 2 Burntisland Shipyard ]
This year I want to follow Morton through the 1928-29 and 1951-52 seasons.
1928-29. Morton were members of the First Division from 1900 till 1927, a string of success that they have not since equalled. August 11, 1928 found them beginning their second year back in Division Two. The season-opener was against the old Clydebank (1914-1932) at Cappielow. Morton won 3 - 2.
1951-52 found Morton in Division One.
The St Mungo Cup was held in July. On July 14th Morton went down 1 - 2 to Clyde in the first round at Cappielow.
The League Cup group stage occupied the second half of August. Morton were in Group 1 along with old Airdrieonians, Third Lanark and Celtic. On this date Morton were at home to Airdrieonians and won 2 - 1.
Arthurlie vs Clyde. These two clubs played together in the Scottish League Division Two for the five seasons of 1901-02 to 1905-06, and again in 1924-25 and 1925-26. Altogether Clyde had six wins, Arthurlie three, with five draws. Scoring: 29 to 19 in favour of Clyde. They also met in the 1925-26 Scottish Cup, Round Two, playing to a 2 - 2 draw on Arthurlie's ground before Clyde won 1 - 0 at Shawfield Stadium.
UEFA Champions League 3QR, first leg (midweek):
Celtic 1 - 1 AEK Athens
Malmö 1 - 1 MOL Vidi (Hungary)
If Celtic and Malmö both advance they will meet in the next round.
UEFA Europa League 3QR, first leg (midweek):
Hibs 0 - 0 Molde
Hibs bested Runavik and Asteras Tripolis to get to this round. If they defeat Molde they will progress to their fourth opponent for the first time ever in UEFA competition.
Rangers 3 - 1 Maribor
The New Saints 0 - 2 Midtjylland
Ufa 2 - 1 Progrès Niederkorn
If Rangers and Progrès both advance they will meet in the next round.
Allsvenskan: Dalkurd FF [0 - 1] Malmö FF
Dalkurd was founded in 2004 by Kurds living in Dalarna. [Malmö are 6th in the table.]
J2: Avispa Fukuoka [2 - 0] Mito HollyHock
The Suruga Bank Championship was held August 8th at Yanmar Stadium between J1 champions Cerezo Osaka and Copa Sudamericano holders Independiente of Argentina. This cup has been going on since 2008. Japanese clubs have won six times (twice for Kashima Antlers and once each for FC Tokyo, Júbilo Iwata, Kashiwa Reysol and Urawa Red Diamonds. South American clubs have won four times (Arsenal and River Plate of Argentina, Internacional of Brazil, and Santa Fe of Colombia).
Cerezo Osaka 0 - 1 Independiente
USL: Nashville SC [2 - 0] Ottawa Fury
Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [0 - 0] Hvidovre
Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur [1 - 1] FC Kriens
It says something about Switzerland's place in Europe that the people of Kriens had the time and energy to found a soccer club in 1944.
Regionalliga Südwest: VfB Stuttgart II (0 - 3) 1. FC Saarbrücken (Aug 7)
Another reserve team. Stuttgart II dropped down from 3. Liga in 2016. Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg.
1. FC Saarbrücken [1 - 0] TSV Eintracht Stadtallendorf (Aug 11)
Eintracht Stadtallendorf came up from the Hessenliga in 2016. Eintracht means the same as United.
[Saarbrücken are fourth in the table behind Ulm, Homburg and Steinbach.]
2018 Canadian Championship final, first leg:
Vancouver 2 - 2 Toronto (Aug 8)
SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Pollok 2 - 2 Largs Thistle (Aug 8)
Largs Thistle [1 - 1] Kilwinning Rangers (Aug 11)
UEFA Women's Champions League group stage:
Glasgow City are in Group 3 along with the champions of Belgium, Poland and Georgia.
Glasgow City 1 - 2 Anderlecht (Aug 7)
Glasgow City 7 - 0 Martve (Aug 10)
The top twelve European countries (by coefficient) have two clubs each in this competition. Scotland is country #13. Poland is #16. Belgium is #22. Georgia is not ranked.