Plenty of Nothing

The Mirror of Venus

Lago Specchio di Venere is a lake contained in a volcanic crater on the island of Pantelleria between Sicily and Tunisia. Source.

Sant'Adriano al Foro, 1909

The Church of Saint Adriano in the Forum (the building between the pillars) started life as the Curia Julia, the meeting-house of the Roman Senate. Source.

The Master of the Blue Jeans

Blue denim has been worn in Italy since the 16th Century. The word "jeans" possibly derives from the placename Genoa. An anonymous 17th-Century painter who specialized in portraits of peasants dressed in denim is now known as the Master of the Blue Jeans.

Perdonanza Celestiniana

When he became Pope in 1295, Celestine V issued a plenary indulgence to any penitent who entered at the Holy Door of the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L'Aquila, Abruzzo, the site of his coronation. To this day the event attracts pilgrims and is celebrated as a local festival. Source. Also.

L'Uomo Meccanico (1921)

Movie. Review.

Abruzzo Lion

Italy hasn't run out of archaeology yet. This sandstone lion from the 13th Century was uncovered in L'Aquila in 2014. Source.

Monreale Door

Visit the cassandra pages for a bigger view.

Forte Spagnolo

The Spanish Fort was built in L'Aquila, Abruzzo, in 1534 by Viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo to nail down the northern edge of Spain's Italian empire. Source.

Stadio dei Marsi

Avezzano Calcio play at the Stadio dei Marsi, located in the ancient territory of the Umbrian Marsi. Source.

The Ton visit Dunfermline Athletic. So far this season Morton have two wins and a draw against the Pars, plus a win in the Scottish Cup. Regardless of today's result, Morton have won the season series.

Dundee United are third in the division with 43 points, Morton fourth with 42, Dunfermline fifth with 38. A win for Morton coupled with a loss or a draw for Dundee United would restore Morton to third place.

Morton finished last season with 52 points. To equal that this year they need to get 3 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses in their remaining games; or 2 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses; or 1 win, 7 draws and 0 losses. Last season Morton did not win a game after March 18th.

[0 - 0.]

Other match of the day: Dundee United [1 - 1] Inverness CT.

1978-79. March 14th, 1979, Morton defeated Motherwell 6 - 0 at Cappielow. Bobby Thomson scored two, as did Jim Tolmie, plus one by Ritchie and an own goal. Motherwell really were the worst team in the division.

March 17th Morton travelled to Paisley and lost 3 - 1. Andy Ritchie scored the lone Morton goal.

1933-34. March 17th Morton visited Alloa and played to a 1 - 1 draw.

1944-45. Morton visit Queen's Park and lose 2 - 1 in Southern League Cup group stage action.

It's the Scottish Junior Cup quarter-finals:

Beith [1 - 4] Lochee United

Bo'ness [2 - 2] Hurlford

Carnoustie Panmure [0 - 2] Auckinleck Talbot

Plus this match left over from the Fifth Round:

Yoker [1 - 3] Wishaw

The survival of Cowdenbeath FC has become a matter of concern for the Scottish Parliament.

Airdrieonians (1878-2002) and Third Lanark (1872-1967) -- two defunct clubs. Which was greater?

League. In 82 games over 41 seasons, Third Lanark took 31 wins, and Airdrieonians 29, with 22 draws.

Scottish Cup. They met four times, Third Lanark winning every game.

League Cup. They were together in the same group five times. Thirds took six wins, Airdrie three, with one draw.

Third Lanark was greater.

Lochgelly United, another defunct club, were in the Scottish Football League from 1914 to 1926. How did they stack up against the other Fife clubs in league play?

Lochgelly United vs Cowdenbeath: 8 league games played, Lochgelly won 2, Cowdenbeath won 6. Lochgelly scored 7, Cowdenbeath scored 20.

Lochgelly United vs Dunfermline Athletic: 8 league games played, Lochgelly won 3, Dunfermline won 3, with 2 draws. Lochgelly scored 11, Dunfermline scored 16.

Lochgelly United vs East Fife: 6 league games played, Lochgelly won 3, East Fife won 3. Lochgelly scored 6, East Fife scored 8.

Lochgelly United vs Raith Rovers: no league games played.

What are the football clubs of Fife?

SPFL Premiership: none

SPFL Championship: Dunfermline Athletic

SPFL League One: Raith Rovers, East Fife

SPFL League Two: Cowdenbeath

Lowland League: none

East of Scotland League: Burntisland Shipyard, Kelty Hearts

SJFA East Region Super League: Dundonald Bluebell, Hill of Beath Hawthorn, Kennoway Star Hearts

SJFA East Region Premier League: Glenrothes, St. Andrew's United, Tayport, Thornton Hibs

SJFA East Region North Division: Lochore Welfare, Newburgh

SJFA East Region South Division: Crossgates Primrose, Kirkcaldy YMCA, Lochgelly Albert, Oakley United, Rosyth

2018 CONCACAF Champions League, quarterfinals, second leg:

Guadalajara 3 - 0 Seattle Sounders. Guadalajara advance.

New York Red Bulls 3 - 1 Tijuana. New York advance.

UANL 3 - 2 Toronto FC. Toronto advance on the away goal rule.

Tauro 1 - 3 América. América advance.

2018 AFC Champions League, Group Stage, matchday 4:

Group E: Kitchee 1 - 0 Kashiwa Reysol

Group F: Melbourne Victory 1 - 0 Kawasaki Frontale

Group G: Cerezo Osaka 2 - 2 Buriram United

Group H: Kashima Antlers 1 - 1 Sydney FC

Kashima are still the only Japanese club liable to advance.

Abruzzo: Avezzano [3 - 1] Francavilla

Regionalliga Südwest: FCA Walldorf vs 1. FC Saarbrücken [postponed]

League of Ireland, First Division: Athlone Town 1 - 3 UCD

SWFL Division 1 South: Morton vs Renfrew [postponed]

J2: Mito HollyHock [3 - 0] Renofa Yamaguchi

[I don't want freak anyone out but after four weeks Mito HollyHock are in first place with 8 goals for and 1 goal against. I'll work up some statistics to prove that this is so unprecedented as to be virtually impossible.]

Tokyo Cup final: Cerveza [0 - 2] Tokyo United

This game takes place on the very frontier between professional and amateur football. Compare Tokyo United's website to Cerveza's Facebook page.

For the history of the Tokyo Cup cup see here. Next up is this tournament.

The second tier of US and Canadian soccer, the United Soccer League, starts today. Let's follow the Ottawa Fury. Today it's:

Charlotte Independence [4 - 1] Ottawa Fury

Enjoy the anthem of FC Barcelona played on beer bottles.

Lake Ficino

Lake Ficino and the Abruzzi Mountains (c 1789) by Joseph Bidauld. Lake Ficino was at least partly drained by the Romans via the Tunnels of Claudius, but it filled up again in the Middle Ages and was not definitively reclaimed until the 1870s. The Avezzano grew up on the shores of the lake. Source.