Plenty of Nothing

Contre le Gel

Aerial view of French vineyards being heated against a late frost, April 2021. Source.

Tire de la Sainte-Catherine

In Quebec they pull taffy on Saint Catherine's Day. Source.

Bar Six

Source.

Portuguese Sardine Cans

Source.

Sweet Canada Postage Stamps

Source.

2019-20 Scottish Challenge Cup, Round One

It's the Scottish Challenge Cup, Round One. This round involves 24 teams: twelve 2019-20 Premiership colt teams, the top four 2018-19 Highland League teams, the top four 2018-19 Lowland League teams, and the bottom four 2018-19 League Two teams. (So in terms of 2019-20 positions there are actually five teams from the Lowland league, four from League Two, and three from the Highland League.)

The 24 teams are divided into North and South sections. As usual the border between North and South is haywire, with Fife in the South, and Lanarkshire in the North. Every colt team is unseeded, so each match in this round is between an authentic club and a colt team.

Last year's top attendance in Round One was 700. (See below.) Can Berwick vs Rangers colts beat that? [No.]

The matches:

Fraserburgh [2 - 3] Ross County colts

Hibs colts [3 - 4] Elgin City

Brora Rangers [6 - 0] Aberdeen colts

Livingston colts [1 - 3] Formartine United

Albion Rovers [1 - 4] Hearts colts

St Johnstone colts [1 - 4] Cove Rangers

Kelty Hearts [4 - 0] Kilmarnock colts

Hamilton colts [4 - 0] BSC Glasgow (tomorrow)

This season Hamilton's New Douglas Park is operating under the name Fountain of Youth Stadium.

Berwick Rangers [1 - 2] Rangers colts

St Mirren colts [1 - 0] East Kilbride

Queen's Park [2 - 2] Celtic colts [Celtic win on PK.]

Motherwell colts [1 - 0] Spartans (tomorrow)

What are the attendance figures from games involving colt teams in last year's cup?

  150    East Stirlingshire vs Motherwell U21s    (Aug 14)

  191    Dundee U21s vs Hibs U21s    (Aug 14)

  208    Kilmarnock U21s vs St Mirren U21s    (Aug 14)

  266    Annan vs Celtic U21s    (Aug 14)

  297    Hamilton U21s vs Clyde    (Aug 14)

  344    Hearts U21s vs Ross County    (Aug 14)

  479    Raith Rovers vs Aberdeen U21s    (Aug 14)

  636    Rangers U21s vs Falkirk    (Aug 14)

  700    Dundee Utd vs St Johnstone U21s    (Aug 15)

  460    Livingston U21s vs Forfar    (Aug 21)

  208    Dundee U21s vs Motherwell U21s    (Sept 6)

  316    St Mirren U21s vs Hamilton U21s    (Sept 8)

  408    Sligo Rovers vs Livingston U21s    (Sept 8)

  507    St Mirren U21s vs Queen's Park    (Oct 13)

  950    Motherwell U21s vs Sligo Rovers    (Oct 13)

1209    Motherwell U21s vs Ross County    (Nov 17)

Average: 457

Past sponsors of the Challenge Cup:

1990-95        B&Q (building supplies)

1995-98        nobody

1999-2006    Bell's (whisky)

2006-08        nobody

2008-11        MG Alba (Gaelic media)

2011-14        Ramsdens (pawnbroker)

2014-16        Petrofac (oil drilling)

2016-19        Irn-Bru (soft drink)

2019-            Tunnock's (biscuits)

Port Glasgow Athletic versus Stranraer. Port Glasgow defeated Stranraer 3 - 0 in round one of the 1904-05 Scottish Cup.

UEFA Champions League 3QR, first leg:

Cluj [1 - 1] Celtic (tomorrow)

Maribor [1 - 3] Rosenborg (tomorrow)

UEFA Europa League 3QR, first leg:

Midtjylland [2 - 4] Rangers (Aug 8)

Rijeka (Croatia) [2 - 0] Aberdeen (Aug 8)

Sutjeska (Montenegro) [1 - 2] Linfield (today)

Ludogorets Razgrad [5 - 0] The New Saints (Aug 8)

Slovan Bratislava [1 - 0] Dundalk (tomorrow)

Vaduz [0 - 5] Eintracht Frankfurt (Aug 8)

Malmö [3 - 0] Zrinjski Mostar (Aug 8)

2019 CONCACAF League, preliminary round, second leg:

Antigua GFC [0 - 0] Forge FC (Aug 8) [Forge advance.]

Capoise [1 - 1] Robinhood (tomorrow) [Robinhood advance.]

2019 Canadian Championship, semi-finals, first leg:

Ottawa Fury [0 - 2] Toronto FC (tomorrow)

Montreal Impact [2 - 1] Cavalry FC (tomorrow)

Salmon and Green Beans

Vin de Suresnes

Suresnes, a wine-producing village that in modern times has been engulfed by the city of Paris, was in Brillat-Savarin's day synonymous with bad vintages. Yet it carries on in its tradition despite it all. Source.

Mastic

Resin from the mastic trees of Chios has been used as a breath freshener for millenia.

Amul Topicals

For decades Indian food manufacturer Amul Coop has framed its advertising in the form of topical cartoons featuring the Amul Butter Girl and/or some kind of egregious pun. Source.