
This is a 1/72 scale model of the Supermarine Stranraer, a flying boat that could have flown from the Clyde to Stranraer in the days of RAF Greenock and RAF Wig Bay. Source.
It's the 2021-22 League Cup group stage, matchday one. Morton are in Group G with Kilmarnock, Clyde, Stranraer and East Kilbride.
This year the eight group winners plus the three best second-place teams will advance to Round Two. If Morton do not win their group, what will it take to be one of the top three second-place teams? Here's what worked in past years:
pts gd
2016-17 9 +4
2017-18 10 +6
2018-19 9 +6
2019-20 8 +6
2020-21 9 +5
That team that snuck in with 8 points was Morton. But, to be on the safe side this year, they should try to get 3 points from each of Clyde, Stranraer and East Kilbride, and take Kilmarnock to a shootout. Also, they want to be at the high end of a 5 - 0 score, because goal difference will likely be the deciding factor.
Today Morton visit Stranraer.
Ten years ago a cup game at Stranraer was just the way Morton liked to start a season.
2010/7/31 Stranraer 1 - 7 Morton League Cup R1
2011/7/23 Stranraer 0 - 8 Morton Challenge Cup R1
Morton and Stranraer were both members of League One in 2014-15. Morton took three wins to one win for the Blues, the total goals scored being 8 goals to 2 in Morton's favour.
Stranraer FC is older than Greenock Morton, having been founded in 1870. The club joined Division C in 1949 and Division B in 1955. They made it up to tier II in 1993, 1998 and 2004 but lasted only one year there each time.
Former Morton man Ruaridh Langan plays for Stranraer.
Stranraer played three Championship clubs in the preseason, losing to Raith Rovers, Ayr United and Queen of the South. It was a much more ambitious series of friendlies than Morton's.
[Morton test positive for Covid and forfeit the match. Stranraer are awarded a 3 - 0 win. Ross County also forfeit their match against Forfar, and Dumbarton their match against St Mirren.]
The other match:
East Kilbride [0 - 2] Kilmarnock
These two will meet again in the Challenge Cup Round Two if EK can beat Falkirk in Round One.
Clyde are off.
Group G have no televised games. Group A (with Hearts) and Group F (with Motherwell) have two each.
[Group G standings after today's matches are:
Stranraer 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 3
Kilmarnock 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 3
Clyde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
East Kilbride 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
Morton 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 ]
Mortonalia:
Morton played a friendly against Cumbernauld Colts on July 6th and won 0 - 2 on goals by Michael Garrity and Cameron Blues.
Morton are advertising for a part-time general manager, which looks to be a backroom position not concerned with managing the football squad or drumming up sponsorship money. It's here if you want to apply.
Morton signed goalkeeper Jack Hamilton on Tuesday. He made 18 appearances for Dundee last season.
Bobby Barr (Morton 2015-16) has signed with Cowdenbeath.
Canadian Premier League:
HFX Wanderers [2 - 1] FC Edmonton
[Two goals for Morelli.]
The Eddies are the oldest club in the Canadian league, having played seven seasons in the NASL from 2011 to 2017 before the CPL was ever thought of. Their park is Clarke Stadium, which stands in the shadow of Commonwealth Stadium, like Lesser Hampden beside Hampden.
Edmonton professional outdoor men's soccer teams:
1979-82 Edmonton Drillers North American Soccer League (1)
1983 Edmonton Eagles Canadian Professional Soccer League
1987-90 Edmonton Brick Men Canadian Soccer League
2004 Edmonton Aviators USL A-League
2011-17 FC Edmonton North American Soccer League (II)
2019- FC Edmonton Canadian Premier League
Wanderers' record against the Eddies is 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses, 4 goals for and 6 goals against. Edmonton finished eighth in the Island Games.
Head coach Stephen Hart is out until the end of the month.
Developments:
Auchinleck Talbot and Irvine Meadow have become SFA members this summer.
J1 League side Gamba Osaka missed the whole month of March due to Covid and will have to play through the Olympic break to catch up. They're about six games behind the rest of the league. This will be complicated by success in the AFC Champions League and the Emperor's Cup.
Five of the top ten Covid-infected areas in Europe are in Scotland. Tayside currently has the highest infection rate in Europe.
Lowland League side BSC Glasgow have changed their name to Broomhill FC.
The Challenge Cup schedule is out and it's set up in the form of a bracket, a rare bird in Scottish football.
2021-22 UEFA Champions League 1QR, first leg:
Slovan Bratislava 2 - 0 Shamrock Rovers (July 7)
Connah's Quay Nomads 2 - 0 Alashkert (July 7)
Žalgiris 3 - 1 Linfield (July 6)
Dinamo Zagreb 3 - 2 Valur (July 7)
2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference 1QR, first leg (July 8):
Velež Mostar 2 - 1 Coleraine
FH 1 - 0 Sligo Rovers
Rīgas 2 - 3 KÍ
Bala Town 0 - 1 Larne
Stjarnan 1 - 1 Bohemians
Glentoran 1 - 1 The New Saints
Dundalk 4 - 0 Newtown
Racing Luxembourg 2 - 3 Breiðablik
Honka 0 - 0 NSÍ
Other matches:
J2: Machida Zelvia [2 - 1] Mito HollyHock (tomorrow)
JFL: FC Kariya [2 - 4] Tokyo Musashino United (tomorrow)
[This was Tokyo Musashino United's first win this season.]
[Fuji Club 1 - 1 Dogizaka (July 11)]
UCD 2 - 1 Wexford (yesterday)
Suwon FC vs Pohang Steelers (postponed)
Ulsan vs Pohang Steelers (postponed)
Gnistan 0 - 0 TPS (July 5)
VPS vs TPS (postponed)
Largs Thistle 4 - 0 Irvine Victoria (July 7) (friendly)
Largs Thistle [3 - 0] Bonnyton Thistle (friendly)
Dundee 3 - 0 Leyton Orient (July 6)
Dundee 2 - 2 West Ham United (yesterday)
Lugano 0 - 0 Winterthur (July 8) (friendly)
Coupe de France, Round One (July 7):
AS Saint Pierraise 2 - 1 AS Ilienne Amateur
Real Potosi [1 - 3] The Strongest
1.FC Saarbrücken friendlies to date:
SpVgg Quierschied 0 - 6 1.FC Saarbrücken (June 26)
Quierschied play in the Saarlandliga.
Fola Esch 2 - 1 1.FC Saarbrücken (June 30)
Eupen 1 - 1 1.FC Saarbrücken (July 3)
SC Freiburg [2 - 1] 1.FC Saarbrücken (today)
Freiberg play in the Bundesliga.
AFC Champions League group stage:
Group F
Ulsan Hyundai 2 - 1 Kaya (July 5)
Ulsan Hyundai 3 - 0 Viettel (July 8)
BG Pathum United [0 - 2] Ulsan Hyundai (tomorrow)
Group G
Pohang Steelers 1 - 1 Nagoya Grampus (July 7)
Group H
Gamba Osaka 8 - 1 Tampines Rovers (July 7)
Chiangrai United 1 - 3 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (July 7)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors [2 - 1] Gamba Osaka (July 10)
Group I
United City 0 - 2 Kawasaki Frontale (July 5)
Beijing Guoan 0 - 3 Daegu FC (July 5)
Daegu FC 1 - 3 Kawasaki Frontale (July 8)
United City [0 - 4] Daegu FC (tomorrow)
Kawasaki Frontale [4 - 0] Beijing Guoan (tomorrow)
Group J
Cerezo Osaka 5 - 0 Guangzhou Evergrande (July 6)
Kitchee 0 - 0 Cerezo Osaka (July 9)
[The four South Korean teams advance: Ulsan Hyundai, Pohang Steelers, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daegu FC. Three Japanese teams advance: Nagoya Grampus, Kawasaki Frontale and Cerezo Osaka. Gamba Osaka are out. BG Pathum United of Thailand also advance.]