
Blur used Martin Parr's photo of the Gourock Saltwater Pool for the cover of their latest release. Source.
It's the Scottish Challenge Cup, Round Three, featuring the ten winners from Round Two, the rest of League One, the Championship, plus Bala Town and The New Saints from Wales, and Cliftonville and Coleraine from Northern Ireland.
The New Saints finished top of the Cymru Premier last season. Bala were fifth. Cliftonville and Coleridge were fourth and sixth in the NIFL Premiership.
This is second time in this cup for Cliftonville, Coleraine and Bala Town, and the sixth time for The New Saints. The New Saints have been in the Challenge Cup more often than Aberdeen, Celtic and Motherwell (zero times each); Hearts, Tranent and Turriff (once each); Broomhill (twice); Fraserburgh, Hibs and University of Stirling (three times each); Bonnyrigg, Buckie, Kelty, Kilmarnock and Rangers (four times each); Brora Rangers (five times); and as just as often as Dundee United, East Kilbride and Formartine United.
Morton have not played an opponent from outside the SFA since 1980. (Answer: Notts County, Anglo-Scottish Cup.) Read about that time Ayr United played Wrexham.
Only two colts teams remain: Hibs B and Rangers B.
Morton host Elgin City. These two have only ever met six times before, and Elgin have never won. Morton and Elgin last played each other on August 1st, 2015 in Round One of the League Cup and Morton won that 5 - 0. John Scullion scored the fifth goal.
Nobody on the Morton squad has played for Elgin. Nobody on Elgin has played for Morton, except for Barry Smith, who was appointed Elgin manager just this week. He appeared for Morton in 2008. Since then he has managed Dundee, Alloa, Aldershot Town, East Fife, Raith Rovers, Brechin and Pittsburgh City United, and he has been assistant manager at Forfar, Dumbarton and most recently York United of the Canadian Premier League. Maybe Elgin can enjoy a new manager bounce today.
Morton have lost four games in a row. Elgin have not won in three.
Morton made £235,000 in gate receipts off the Rangers game. Source.
[Morton win 2 - 1. Goals by Muirhead and McGrattan.]
The other Challenge Cup matches:
Ayr United 0 - 1 Falkirk (September 5)
Hibs B 0 - 3 The New Saints (yesterday)
Dumbarton [1 - 3] Kelty Hearts
University of Stirling [2 - 3] Airdrieonians
Dundee United [3 - 0] Dunfermline
Arbroath [4 - 2] Inverness CT
Apart from Morton, Arbroath are the only club in the 2023-24 Championship who have not played a cross-border club in this cup.
Partick Thistle [2 - 3] Queen of the South
Coleraine [1 - 3] Hamilton Accies
Raith Rovers [3 - 0] Cliftonville
Bala Town [0 - 3] Queen's Park
Edinburgh City [1 - 4] East Kilbride (See below.)
Annan Athletic [0 - 2] Peterhead
Cove Rangers [0 - 2] Montrose
East Fife [2 - 1] Albion Rovers
Rangers B vs Alloa (September 26)
As usual, Rangers make their own schedule.
Other matches:
Pacific [1 - 1] HFX Wanderers (yesterday)
[HFX goal by Armaan Wilson. Wanderers are in fourth place.]
Former Wanderer Iida Kodai has joined Sheikh Russel FC of the Bangladesh Premier League. That league starts in December.
Linlithgow Rose [2 - 2] East Kilbride (September 5)
Inverurie Loco Works vs Banks o' Dee [postponed]
East Craigie [0 - 1] Broughty Athletic
Largs Thistle [1 - 1] St Cadoc's
Ormiston Primrose [0 - 1] Peebles Rovers
Carluke Rovers [0 - 5] Thorn Athletic
Edinburgh City [2 - 2] Morton Women (tomorrow)
UCD 0 - 5 Derry City (September 6)
Pilkington 3 - 1 FC Isle of Man (September 6)
FC Isle of Man [0 - 2] Prestwich Heys
Cardiff Metropolitan University 2 - 0 Pontypridd (yesterday)
Carrick Rangers [0 - 1] Ballymena
Mito HollyHock [3 - 0] Zweigen Kanazawa
Honda FC [3 - 4] Suzuka Point Getters
Tokyo 23 FC [3 - 1] Joyful Honda Tsukuba
FC Kariya [2 - 0] Fujieda City Hall
Morioka Zebra [0 - 11] Blancdieu Hirosaki
INAC [1 - 0] Elfen Saitama (tomorrow)
East of Scotland Centenary Cup final (tomorrow):
Linlithgow Rose [2 - 3] Whitburn
2023-24 UEFA Women's Champions League, 1QR SF (September 6):
Glasgow City 2 - 0 Shelbourne
Brøndby 0 - 1 Celtic
1QR final (September 9):
Glasgow City [3 - 0] Gintra
Celtic [2 - 2] Vålerenga [Vålerenga win on PK]
2023-24 Women's Scottish Cup, preliminary round (tomorrow):
Armadale Thistle [6 - 0] Arbroath Women
Buchan Ladies [2 - 6] Inverurie Loco Works
Buckie Ladies [0 - 4] Dunfermline Athletic
Cumbernauld Colts [4 - 3] Harmony Row
Dunipace Ladies [8 - 2] Annan Athletic Women
Dyce Women Football Club [4 - 0] Huntly
Edinburgh South [21 - 0] Brora Rangers
Flip the Mindset Women [7 - 3] Nairn St. Ninians
Glenrothes Strollers [5 - 2] Ardrossan Winton Rovers
Grampian Ladies [4 - 2] Alloa Athletic
Kilwinning [4 - 1] Stonehaven Ladies
Linlithgow Rose [8 - 1] Central Girls
Murieston United [4 - 2] Bishopton
Orkney Women [0 - 6] Drumchapel United
Stewarton United [5 - 4] McDermid Ladies
West Park United [0 - 4] Elgin City
Historical matches:
1882/9/9 Morton 2 - 1 Johnstone Rovers (Scottish Cup R1)
1944/9/9 St Mirren 2 - 2 Morton
1967/9/9 Kilmarnock 3 - 1 Morton
Morton start their Division One league season with a loss.
1995/9/9 Morton 2 - 2 Dundee
Two goals for Lilley.
Music.
Blur, "Far Away Island".
The New Saints in the Scottish Challenge Cup:
2016/10/8 R4 Forfar 1 - 3 The New Saints
2016/11/13 QF Livingston 0 - 3 The New Saints
2017/2/19 SF St Mirren 4 - 1 The New Saints
2017/9/3 R2 The New Saints 1 - 1 Livingston (TNS won on PK)
2017/10/7 R3 The New Saints 4 - 0 Elgin
2017/11/12 QF The New Saints 0 - 0 Queen of the South (TNS won on PK)
2018/2/17 SF The New Saints 1 - 2 Dumbarton
2018/9/8 R2 The New Saints 2 - 2 Queen's Park (QP won on PK)
2019/9/7 R3 Stenhousemuir 1 - 1 The New Saints (Stenny won on PK)
2022/9/23 R3 The New Saints 0 - 3 Dundee
Edinburgh City versus East Kilbride, the record:
2013/11/2 East Kilbride 1 - 3 Edinburgh City LL
2014/2/15 Edinburgh City 0 - 1 East Kilbride LL
2014/10/18 Edinburgh City 3 - 2 East Kilbride LL
2015/2/28 East Kilbride 0 - 1 Edinburgh City LL
2015/9/26 East Kilbride 1 - 2 Edinburgh City LL
2016/3/12 Edinburgh City 1 - 1 East Kilbride LL
2018/9/8 East Kilbride 2 - 3 Edinburgh City CHCup R2
2019/7/6 Edinburgh City 5 - 2 East Kilbride 2017-18 EoS Cup final
2019/7/23 Edinburgh City 0 - 1 East Kilbride LCup GS