Plenty of Nothing

2019 Serie del Caribe

Estadio Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez in Basquisimeto, Venezuela, where this year's series is not happening. Source.

It's la Serie del Caribe 2019. The teams are: Leñadores de Las Tunas (Cuba), Estrellas Orientales (Dominican Republic), Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico), Cardenales de Lara (Venezuela), Toros de Herrara (Panama) and Charros de Jalisco (Mexico).

The games take place at the Estadio Nacional Rod Carew in Panama City. Venezuela was to have been this year's host, but between the disputed presidential election and the hyperinflation it seemed better to relocate. Which is good of the Panamanians because originally they weren't even invited. This is their first involvement since 1960.

The tournament begins today and goes till February 10th.

Cangrejeros are the only one of this year's participants to have won the series before. They've done it five times: in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1993 and 2000.

Leñadores are lumberjacks, estrellas orientales are eastern stars, cangrejeros are crabbers. Cardenales are cardinals, the bird not the papal elector. Toros are bulls, and charros are horsemen.

[Toros de Herrara beat Leñadores de Las Tunas 3 - 1 in the final. It's Panama's first Caribbean Series championship since 1950.]

Venezuelans are using the country's money, the bolivar, as craft paper. Source.

1923 Mercury Dime

From 1916 till 1945 the US dime looked like this, with a bust of Liberty on the obverse and Roman fasces on the reverse. Liberty had appeared on earlier dimes, but the addition of wings to her cap led to a popular misconception that it was a portrait of Mercury. The fasces that had once seemed a suitable emblem of republican government, now smelled of Mussolini. In 1945 the Mint replaced Winged Liberty/Mercury with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the fasces with a torch. Source.

One Pounder

A one pound note issued by the Greenock Bank Company. Source.

Morton host Dunfermline Athletic. Morton are 6th with 8 pts, Dunfermline 8th with 4 pts. Since the Pars came up from League One the record is Morton 4W, Dunfermline 3W, with 2D.

Morton can end the day anywhere from second to seventh. The only teams that can finish the day in first place are the three that have already held it: Ayr United, Ross County and Inverness CT.

Peter Houston, former manager of Dundee United and Falkirk, joins Morton as assistant manager. Queen's Park manager Gus MacPherson has left that club to take a position at St Mirren. Jim Duffy is in the running for the Raith job.

The Pars' Lee Robinson has played for Morton. Morton's Gregor Buchanan, Robert Thomson and Ryan Scully have played for Dunfermline.

The other matches: Alloa (9th) [0 - 2] Ayr United (3rd). The two promoted teams. Last year Alloa won two, Ayr one, with a draw.

Falkirk (10th) [0 - 2] Dundee United (5th). Present and former McKinnon-managed teams.

Partick (7th) [3 - 2] Queen of the South (4th). It has been eight years since QoS beat Partick in league play.

Ross County (2nd) [0 - 0] Inverness CT (1st). The Highland derby.

[Morton 1 - 1 Dunfermline. Goal by Tiffoney.]

Morton, points after five games, 2010s:

2018        8

2017        8

2016        3

2015        8

2014        9

2013        5

2012        8

2011       11

2010        4

Morton are off to a normal start. Notice, though, how every third year has a bad start. That'll be next year.

Michael Tidser's goals for Morton:

date              park              opponent       goalkeeper          competition

2010/8/10     Cappielow    Partick             Bryn Halliwell        league

2011/8/13     Cappielow    Livingston       Andrew McNeil      league

2011/8/23     Cappielow    St Mirren         Craig Samson       League Cup

2012/3/20     Falkirk          Falkirk         Michael McGovern    league

2012/8/5       Ochilview   E. Stirlingshire  Ryan McWillams    League Cup

2012/8/14     Cappielow    QoS                Lee Robinson      Challenge Cup

2012/11/13   Cappielow  Albion Rovers  Matthew McGinley  Scottish Cup

2012/11/13   Cappielow  Albion Rovers  Matthew McGinley  Scottish Cup

2012/12/17   Cappielow    Turriff Utd        Stephen Coutts     Scottish Cup

2012/12/17   Cappielow    Turriff Utd        Stephen Coutts     Scottish Cup

2012/12/29   Cappielow    Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2012/12/29   Cappielow    Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2013/1/26     Cappielow    Raith               David McGurn         league

2013/2/3       Dens            Dundee           Rab Douglas          Scottish Cup

2013/2/23     East End      Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2013/2/23     East End      Dunfermline    Paul Gallacher       league

2013/3/16     Dumbarton   Dumbarton    Stephen Grindlay    league

2015/9/22     Cappielow    Motherwell     Connor Ripley        League Cup

2016/12/3     Bellsdale    Beith Juniors    Stephen Grindlay   Scottish Cup

2017/1/7       Cappielow    Dumbarton      Mark Brown           league

2017/2/12     Ibrox             Rangers       Wes Foderingham    Scottish Cup

2017/8/12     Cappielow    St Mirren        Craig Samson        league

2017/8/12     Cappielow    St Mirren        Craig Samson        league

2018/2/3       Cappielow    Dunfermline    Lee Robinson       league

2018/7/14     Somerset     Ayr United        Ross Doohan       League Cup

2018/7/28     Cappielow   Albion Rovers    Gareth Hallford    League Cup

2018/7/28     Cappielow   Albion Rovers    Gareth Hallford    League Cup

2018/8/4       Cappielow    QoS                    Alan Martin         league

2018/8/25     Cappielow    Ross County        Scott Fox           league

2018/9/15     Tannadice   Dundee United   Matej Rakovan     league

Tidser is off to his best year since 2012-13.

1928-29: On September 17th, 1928, Morton played Arthurlie at Cappielow in the first leg of the 1927-28 Renfrewshire Victoria Cup final. Morton won 2 - 0 in front of 1000 spectators.

On September 22nd Morton visited Forthbank Park in Stirling where they lost 4 - 3 to King's Park.

1951-52. Morton hosted St Mirren and won 3 - 0.

Five years ago this week Morton knocked Celtic out of the 2013-14 Scottish Cup. Who were those Morton men and where are they now?

    Allan Moore, manager >>> Clyde, assistant manager

    Nicolas Caraux, goalkeeper >>> Atlanta United II (USL)

    Marc Fitzpatrick >>> Airdrieonians, captain

    Jonathan Page >>> Airdrieonians

    Tomas Peciar >>> FC Andau (Burgenland II. Liga Nord, Austria)

    Scott Taggart >>> Alloa Athletic

    David O'Brien >>> last seen at University of Stirling

    Michal Habai >>> SV Petzenkirchen (Niederösterreich 1. Klasse West, Austria)

    Fouad Bachirou >>> Malmö FF (Allsvenskan)

    Reece Hands >>> Cincinnati United, coach

    Dougie Imrie, goalscorer >>> Hamilton Accies, captain

    Kabba-Modou Cham >>> last seen at Royal Capellen (Belgian tier IV)

    Tony Wallace (sub) >>> Annan Athletic

    Archie Campbell (sub) >>> Dundonald Bluebell (EoSL)

    Mark McLaughlin (sub) >>> retired

Angus: Forfar [1 - 1] Brechin

It's the first round of the 2018-19 Scottish Cup. The six winners from the preliminary rounds mix it up with the Highland and Lowland League clubs. Because Selkirk quit the Lowland League the week before the draw, BSC Glasgow get a bye. Let's follow:

Nairn County [1 - 3] Beith

Forres Mechanics [2 - 2] Civil Service Strollers

Blue collar vs white collar.

Burntisland Shipyard [1 - 4] Cumbernauld Colts

Win or lose this is already the Shipyard's best Scottish Cup ever.

Linlithgow Rose [3 - 0] Fort William

Dalbeattie Star [0 - 0] Kelty Hearts

Wick Academy [1 - 2] Auchinleck Talbot

Strathspey Thistle [0 - 2] Coldstream

Coldstream is right on the English border. Long ago in the prehistory of football they played a game of ba there to decide whether the playing field was part of Scotland or England.

Deveronvale [2 - 1] Bonnyrigg Rose

The top two clubs from last year's Highland and Lowland leagues don't enter till Round Two. In the case of the Lowland League that's Spartans and East Kilbride, who are also the league leaders at this moment. They play today. Given that Albion Rovers are so bad, this match could go a long way in deciding which will play in League Two next year.

Spartans [0 - 0] East Kilbride

Kelty Hearts in the Scottish Cup:

2017-18    1QR    Kelty Hearts 0 - 1 Lothian Thistle HV

2015-16    2QR    Civil Service Strollers 0 - 4 Kelty Hearts

                  R1      Lothian Thistle HV 3 - 0 Kelty Hearts

Arthurlie vs Aberdeen. These two played each other twice in the 1904-05 Scottish League Division Two when Aberdeen first joined the league. Arthurlie won the first match 2 - 0. The second was a scoreless draw. Do you see what I'm telling you? Aberdeen have never scored on Arthurlie.

Europa League group stage, matchday 1:

Group B: Celtic 1 - 0 Rosenborg

These two met in the Champions League 2QR where Celtic eliminated Rosenborg before they themselves went out in 3QR. But because all the CL qualifying round losers go into the Europa League the two could possibly meet up again, and here they do. So Celtic will play Rosenborg four times this season, while they face many of the below-the-split clubs in their own domestic league three times. "It's no right," say the people of Scotland. "Unless it helps the coefficient."

Group G: Villareal 2 - 2 Rangers

These two met in the Round of 16 of the 2005-06 Champions League, Villareal advancing. The Spanish club has also been paired with Celtic twice, in 2003-04 and 2008-09, progressing both times.

Group I: Genk 2 - 0 Malmö

AFC Champions League quarter-finals, second leg:

Tianjin Quanjian 0 - 3 Kashima Antlers

Kashima advance.

League of Ireland, First Division: Longford Town [2 - 2] UCD

This concludes the League of Ireland 1st Division regular season. UCD will play in the Premier Division next year.

SWFL Division 1 South: Cumbernauld Colts [6 - 0] Morton

Allsvenskan: Malmö FF [4 - 0] Kalmar FF

USL: Louisville City [4 - 0] Ottawa Fury

J2: Mito HollyHock [0 - 1] Albirex Niigata

Kanto Soccer League: Vertfee Takahara Nasu [1 - 1] Tokyo 23 FC

Here ends the Kanto League season. [Tokyo 23 end up in fourth place. Summer is over.]

Kanto University League: Tsukuba University [3 - 2] Tokyo Int'l University

It's the 37th Tohoku Women's Football Championship and Empress Cup qualifier. The quarter-finals and semi-finals go this weekend:

Match No. 1: Tokiwa Gakuen High School [10 - 1] Hachinohe Gakuin University

Match No. 2: Meioh High School [0 - 5] Seiwa Gakuen High School

Match No. 3: FC Bloom Fukushima [1 - 4] Tsuruoka High School

Match No. 4: Senshu University Kitakami Senior High School [0 - 9] Sendai University

[Match No. 5: Tokiwa Gakuen High School 1 - 2 Seiwa Gakuen High School]

[Match No. 6: Tsuruoka High School 0 - 9 Sendai University]

Source.

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [2 - 0] Lyngby BK

Lyngby is part of Copenhagen. Lungby BK were Danish champions in 1983 and 1992, and they met Rangers in the 1992-93 Champions League.

Swiss Challenge League: Vaduz [0 - 1] Winterthur

Though they play in the Swiss league Vaduz are from Liechtenstein. They almost always win the Liechtenstein Cup, so they're in European competition nearly every year. What games have they played against Swiss clubs in UEFA competition?

2006/8/10        Basel 1 - 0 Vaduz        UEFA Cup 2QR

2006/8/24        Vaduz 2 - 1 Basel        UEFA Cup 2QR

(Basel advanced on the away goal rule.)

2015/7/30        Thun 0 - 0 Vaduz        Europa League 3QR

2015/8/6          Vaduz 2 - 2 Thun        Europa League 3QR

(Thun advanced on the away goal rule.)

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken (4 - 1) Wormatia Worms

These two are old rivals. From 1945 until 1983 they were almost always in the same league. But then for the next 30 years they were almost never. They have been together in Regionalliga Südwest for the past five seasons.

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [6 - 0] Irvine Meadow

See here for a lively discussion of the future shape of the football pyramid in the Highland zone. Included is this map showing the dividing line between the Highlands and Lowlands for fitba purposes:

The Farmers Bank of Rustico

Prince Edward Island used to issue its own banknotes. Source.

Thrupence Ha'penny

Morton host Dundee United.

The situation: Morton will face Dundee United in the playoff quarter-final unless the Tangerines win and Falkirk lose today.

[1 - 1. Morton goal by Oyenuga.]

Ayr must beat Raith by six goals to get out of tenth place. [Nu-huh. Ayr are relegated.]

If Raith beat Ayr and Hibs beat St Mirren, Raith are safe. If St Mirren tie Hibs, Raith must make up a big goal deficit. St Mirren are safe if they beat Hibs.

Dumbarton are safe if they tie or beat Falkirk.

If Raith win, St Mirren draw, and Dumbarton lose, they'll all have 39 points. Goal difference before today's games would put them in the order of St Mirren (7th), Dumbarton (8th), Raith (9th). [And that's how it plays out. Raith go to the relegation playoffs.]

If Hamilton, Motherwell and Dundee all win today, Inverness are relegated to the Championship; otherwise, next week. The Premiership continues until May 21st. [Inverness beat Hamilton 2 - 1.]

The League Two title will be decided today: either Arbroath or Forfar. The helicopter with the trophy in it will have to park midway between Stirling and Forfar where the two matches are taking place, probably at Perth Airport. [Arbroath win the division.]

Cowdenbeath can still escape tenth place if they beat Elgin and either Berwick or Clyde lose. [But no. Cowdenbeath go to the pyramid playoffs.]

In the second leg of the pyramid playoffs it's East Kilbride vs Buckie Thistle. Winner meets the loser of the previous paragraph. [East Kilbride win 2 - 1 and advance to the playoff against Cowdenbeath.]

[Statistical Third Lanark end up with 58 points, good for 2.5th place.]

How did Morton fare against each Championship rival this season?

Queen of the South        3 wins, 1 loss. 7 goals for, 3 goals against. 9 points.

Raith Rovers        3 wins, 1 loss. 4 goals for, 2 goals against. 9 points.

Ayr United        2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss. 8 goals for, 5 goals against. 7 points.

Dumbarton        2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss. 5 goals for, 3 goals against. 7 points.

Falkirk        1 win, 3 draws. 5 goals for, 4 goals against. 6 points.

St Mirren        1 win, 2 draws, 1 loss. 6 goals for, 7 goals against. 5 points.

Dunfermline.        1 win, 3 losses. 4 goals for, 7 goals against. 3 points.

[Dundee United.        3 draws, 1 loss. 3 goals for, 4 goals against. 3 points.]

Hibs.        3 draws, 1 loss. 2 goals for, 6 goals against. 3 points.

(The most points that one team can earn off another is 12, but 11 is impossible.)

Did Morton achieve the goals Plenty of Nothing set for them at the beginning of the season?

1) Beat everyone at least once. No. They didn't beat Hibs.

2) Make the playoffs. Yes.

3) Make the semi-finals of any cup. Yes. League Cup.

4) Play Hearts. No.

5) Finish above St Mirren. Yes.

6) Allow less than a goal a game. No.

7) Get on TV. Yes.

Since 1994, the average points earned by fourth-place teams in this division has been 56.27. Morton have 51 and cannot do better than 54. At one point they were on track for 64.

What were Morton's most memorable games of 2016-17?

July 23rd 2016        Kilmarnock 0 - 2 Morton                 League Cup group stage

Aug 9th 2016          Hamilton 1 - 2 Morton                     League Cup R2

Sept 20th 2016       Morton 2 - 1 Dundee United           League Cup quarter-final

Oct 15th 2016         Queen of the South 0 - 5 Morton    League

Nov 1st 2016           Morton 3 - 1 St Mirren                    League

March 18, 2017       Falkirk 0 - 1 Morton                        League

Which games would Morton like to forget?

Aug 27th 2016        Hibs 4 - 0 Morton                             League

Sept 3rd 2016         Queen's Park 2 - 0 Morton              Challenge Cup R3

Feb 4th 2017          Queen of the South 3 - 0 Morton     League

March 25th 2017    Morton 0 - 1 Dunfermline                 League

April 11th 2017       Morton 1 - 4 St Mirren                      League

Top and bottom Championship clubs, week by week 3/3:

Week 25            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 26            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 27            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 28            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 29            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 30            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 31            Hibs                    St Mirren

Week 32            Hibs                    Ayr

Week 33            Hibs                    Ayr

Week 34            Hibs                    Ayr

Week 35            Hibs                    Ayr

Week 36            Hibs                   [Ayr]

1898-99. On this day in 1899 Morton met St Mirren in front of 10,000* at Underwood Park in Paisley for a Renfrewshire Cup final replay. Morton won 0 - 2. Source.

ST MIRREN v. MORTON -- Renfrewshire Cup Final. These teams met in their undecided Renfrewshire final tie at Underwood Park, Paisley on Saturday. There was a record crowd present. The teams were -- St Mirren -- Patrick; M'Blane and Holmes; Wells, Bruce, and Cairney, Chalmers and Steel, Orr, Cheyne and Faulds. Morton -- M'Pherson; Anderson and Orr, Colligan, Henderson and Blair, Dale and Hunter, Hughes, Lynn and Fraser. Referee -- Mr M'Arthur, Stirling. The play for the greater portion of the first half was comparatively even, but towards half-time Morton took the upper hand, and succeeded in scoring from Hunter. St Mirren tried hard to equalize, but failed, and the interval arrived without further scoring. In the second portion Morton resumed the pressure, and, rushing the game, scored once more from Dale. The home team, although trying hard, could not improve their position, and the game ended -- Morton, 2 goals; St Mirren, 0 goals. The gate amounted to £145.*

Glasgow Herald, May 8th, 1899, page 10.

*Which would make the price of admission thrupence ha'penny.

We're also told that the next day Morton and St Mirren played to a 1 - 1 draw in Glasgow and West of Scotland Football League play, but I wonder.

What was Dundee United's record against Gretna?

They met in Round Three of the 2004-05 Scottish Cup. Tangerines won.

In the 2007-08 Premier League Gretna took two wins to Dundee United's one. So, although United finished above the split, they had a losing record against last place Gretna.

The 2016-17 Championship clubs ranked according to their all-time record against Gretna:

Hibs                        +5 wins

Morton                    +4

Falkirk                     +2

St Mirren                 +1

Dunfermline            +1

Dundee United        0

QoS                        -2

Ayr United               -3

Raith Rovers           -4

Dumbarton              -5

Elsewhere:

Wohlen [2 - 1] Winterthur

Europa League semi-finals, first leg:

Celta Vigo 0 - 1 Manchester United

Have Celtic ever played Celta Vigo? Yes. They met in Round 3 of the 2002-03 UEFA Cup. Celtic won the first game 1 - 0 at home, then lost 2 - 1 away. Celtic advanced thanks to the away goal rule and eventually lost to Porto in the cup final.

Copa Libertadores, Group B:

The Strongest 5 - 1 Sporting Cristal

Santos 3 - 2 Santa Fe

OFC Champions League final, second leg:

Team Wellington 0 - 2 Auckland City

Auckland City qualifies for the 2017 FIFA Clubs World Cup in the UAE in December.

Canadian Championship, preliminary round, first leg:

Ottawa 1 - 0 Edmonton

The Première Ligue de soccer du Québec starts today and will go till October 22nd. The league winner will participate in the 2018 Canadian Championship.

The Newfoundland Challenge Cup starts sometime around now.

May 3rd it was: Vanraure Hachinohe 1 - 2 Sony Sendai FC. ReinMeer Aomori 1 - 1 Tochigi Uva.

Tomorrow: Vanraure [5 - 0] Briobecca Urayasu. Veertien Mie [0 - 1] ReinMeer.

Princess Patricia

The Canadian dollar issued on March 17th, 1917 featured a portrait of Princess Patricia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of the Duke of Connaught. She lived in Ottawa from 1911 to 1916 while her dad was Governor-General, and was the acme of celebrity in Canada at that time. The Princess Pat's Canadian Light Infantry is named after her.

1967 Coinage

Source.

Dionysus Rides a Panther

Young Dionysus rides a panther on a coin from Nicaea in Bithynia. Source.

Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus, the famous assassin of the dictator Julius Caesar, died on October 23rd, 42 BC, after losing the Second Battle of Philippi. 

In 54 BC while he was in charge of the mint Brutus issued this coin in memory of his ancestor L. Junius Brutus, who founded the Roman Republic. It's hard not to see it as an example of contemporary political messaging.

Source.

It's Made Round to Go Round

This is an 1821 Mexican 8 real piece, countermarked J.McK & Son Greenock. 4/6. Source.

Morton visit Queen of the South at Palmerston Park.

How awesome are Queen of the South? They sit first in the division, with 5 wins, 3 draws and 0 losses, for 18 points and a +10 gd. Stephen Dobbie has 6 goals in league play. Morton have 8. QoS held Hibernian to a scoreless draw. QoS have not lost at home since April 9th. Morton have not won at Palmerston in league action since 2011. Last weekend QoS knocked Linfield FC out of the Challenge Cup. They were eliminated from of the League Cup, however, by Rangers, 5 - 0.

Both QoS and Morton have played Dumbarton to a draw this season, so from that perspective they're equal.

Morton can finish the day anywhere from fifth to eighth.

[Queens are not very awesome today. Morton win 0 - 5. Goals by Forbes, McDonagh, Oliver, Quitongo and O'Ware. Match report. Morton end the first quarter of the season with 3 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses and a gd of +1.]

Last weekend was an international weekend, so the top divisions of European football did not play. But how many members of national squads actually play for clubs in their own leagues? Let's look at the five countries of the British Isles. Where do the players play?

Scotland: 13 in England, 5 in Scotland, 1 in Wales

Wales: 19 in England, 2 in Wales, 1 in Scotland, 1 in Spain

Northern Ireland: 20 in England, 4 in Scotland

Ireland: 24 in England, 3 in Scotland

England: 21 in England, 1 in Italy

1898-99. Today in 1898 Morton visited Kilmarnock (not at Rugby Park?) and lost 0 - 2.

After nine games Morton had three wins, one draw, and five losses, and a goal difference of -6. They had met two clubs twice (Airdrieonians and Kilmarnock), and two others (Linthouse and Abercorn) not at all.

How is the Macedonian 2. MFL like the Scottish Championship?

The 2. MFL is a winter league. Greatest travel distance, Tetovo to Strumica, is 153 km. Average stadium capacity is 4,100. The oldest club was founded in 1930, the youngest in 2010; the average age is 54.5 years. Pandev is an academy team. Its senior team is one league below it. There is a 27-game schedule. The top two Macedonian leagues are going to restructure into one league with east and west divisions for 2017-18, so there will be no promotion playoff at the top, but there should still be one at the bottom.

UEFA Women's Champions League Round of 32, second leg:

Glasgow City 1 - 2 Eskilstuna United

Bayern Munich 4 - 1 Hibs

Both Glasgow City and Hibs are out.

CAF Champions League final, first leg: Mamelodi Sundowns [3 - 0] Zamelek

Drogheda United vs UCD AFC. A win gets UCD into the playoffs. [Drogheda win 2 - 1. Cobh Ramblers also win. So UCD finish fourth and miss out on promotion. This concludes our League of Ireland coverage for this season.]

Huntly [2 - 1] Strathspey Thistle

Largs Thistle [1 - 0] Wishaw

Tomorrow: AIK [2 - 0] Östersund

Also tomorrow: Kagoshima [1 - 0] Blaublitz Akita

And: Víkingur [2 - 0] B36

How it's supposed to look. Source.