Plenty of Nothing

FM Kahoku 78.7

Community radio in Ishikawa Prefecture. Source. Listen.

Iturbide

Agustin de Iturbide, aka Emperor Agustin, abdicated on this date in 1823, bringing the First Mexican Empire to a close. Here he is on an 8 reales piece. Source.

Pirckheimer

This drawing added to a page in the Aldine edition of Julius Pollux's Onomasticon now held in the Oldenburg State Library, which playfully combines the Aldine logo with the family crest of the book owner Willibald Pirckheimer, is now thought to be by Pirckheimer's friend Albrecht Dürer. Source.

Collect Them All

One of the perks of playing in the Premiership is getting your face in the Panini album: Morton Panini stickers 1984-85. Source.

Morton visit Arbroath for a Friday night game broadcast on BBC. Morton are fifth with 42 points, Arbroath tenth with 24. But this season Arbroath have taken two wins and a draw from Morton. In fact, since Arbroath entered the Championship in 2019 Morton have only beaten them twice and only once at Gayfield Park. If Morton drop this one they will be in danger of losing touch with the playoff pack, and they will also miss out on gaining a win from every Championship opponent this season.

[Arbroath 1 - 1 Morton. Morton goal by Oakley. Derek Gaston owns Morton.]

The other Championship matches (tomorrow):

Hamilton (9th) [0 - 2] Ayr United (4th)

Partick Thistle (3rd) [0 - 0] Dundee (2nd)

Raith Rovers (7th) [6 - 1] Cove Rangers (8th)

Queen's Park (1st) [2 - 1] Inverness CT (6th)*

*This is a Plenty of Nothing Championship Consolation Cup quarter-final.

Other matches:

Bohemians [2 - 1] UCD

Elfen Saitama [0 - 3] Nagano Parceiro (Saturday)

University of Stirling vs Gala Fairydean Rovers (Saturday) [abandoned]

Deveronvale [2 - 1] Forres Mechanics (Saturday)

Rob Roy vs Largs Thistle (Saturday) [postponed]

FC Isle of Man [3 - 5] Longridge Town (Saturday)

Winterthur [1 - 0] St Gallen (Sunday)

De Graafschap 0 - 1 PEC Zwolle (March 13)

PEC Zwolle [2 - 0] NAC Breda

NPL2 Vic: Manningham United Blues [2 - 2] Preston Lions (Saturday)

Kolos [0 - 1] Minaj (Sunday)

Blaublitz Akita [1 - 1] Mito HollyHock (Sunday)

Reilac Shiga [2 - 2] Honda FC (Sunday)

Tokyo Cup final: Tokyo United [0 - 3] Tokyo 23 FC (Sunday)

Canada

The CPL will use a five-team playoff format this fall.

HFX Wanderers are training in Florida. They have an exhibition game tomorrow:

HFX Wanderers vs Montverde Academy

2023 Concacaf Champions League, Round of 16, second leg (March 15):

RCD España 3 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps advance.

Historical matches:

March 15, 1978    Morton 1 - 2 Aberdeen

Scottish Cup Round Five replay. Morton goal by John McNeil.

March 18, 1978    Queen of the South 2 - 3 Morton

Goals by Robert Russell and Goldthorp (2).

Galston FC in the Qualifying Cup, Consolation Cup and Scottish Cup, 1900s:

1900/9/8       QC1    Monkcastle scr/wo Galston

1900/9/22     QC2    Galston 2 - 2 Beith

1900/9/29     QC2    Beith 1 - 3 Galston

1900/10/6     QC3    Galston 2 - 4 Ayr

1901/9/7       QC1    Ayr Parkhouse 1 - 0 Galston

1902/9/6       QC1    Galston 1 - 2 Ayr Parkhouse

1903/9/5       QC1    Beith 0 - 2 Galston

1903/9/19     QC2    Hurlford 1 - 4 Galston

1903/10/3     QC3    Ayr 1 - 1 Galston

1903/10/10   QC3    Galston 0 - 0 Ayr

1903/10/17   QC3    Ayr 2 - 0 Galston

1904/9/3       QC1    Ayr Parkhouse 1 - 1 Galston

1904/9/10     QC1    Galston 1 - 1 Ayr Parkhouse

1904/9/17     QC1    Ayr Parkhouse 2 - 1 Galston

1905/9/2       QC1    Girvan 0 - 1 Galston

1905/9/16     QC2    Galston 1 - 0 Hurlford

1905/9/30     QC3    bye

1905/10/14   QC4    Galston 0 - 0 Dunblane

1905/10/21   QC4    Dunblane 2 - 0 Galston

1906/1/27     SC1     Third Lanark 5 - 0 Galston

1906/9/1       QC1    Kilwinning Eglinton 0 - 1 Galston

1906/9/15     QC2    Ayr Academicals 0 - 3 Galston

1906/9/29     QC3    bye

1906/10/13   QC4    Galston 1 - 1 Dumfries

1906/10/20   QC4    Dumfries 1 - 0 Galston

1907/2/9       SC1     Galston 2 - 1 Motherwell

1907/2/16     SC2     Galston 0 - 4 Rangers

1907/9/7       QC1    Maybole 1 - 5 Galston

1907/9/21     QC2    Galston 3 - 1 Ayr

1907/10/5     QC3    Galston 12 - 0 St Cuthbert Wanderers

1907/10/19   QC4    Albion Rovers 1 - 5 Galston

1907/11/2     QC5    St Bernard's 1 - 0 Galston

1908/1/18     SC1    Galston 6 - 0 Uphall

1908/2/8       SC2    Queen's Park 6 - 2 Galston

1908/9/5       QC1    Beith 1 - 0 Galston

1909/1/9       CC1    Hurlford 2 - 4 Galston

1909/1/23     CC2    bye

1909/2/6       CC3    Galston 1 - 1 Wishaw Thistle

1909/2/13     CC3    Wishaw Thistle 0 - 1 Galston (protested)

1909/2/20     CC3    Wishaw 2 - 0 Galston

1909/9/4       QC1    Galston 3 - 1 Maybole

1909/9/18     QC2    Galston 2 - 4 Ayr

1910/1/8       CC1    Galston 1 - 1 Nithsdale Wanderers

1910/1/15     CC1    Nithsdale Wanderers 0 - 0 Galston

1910/1/22     CC1    Nithsdale Wanderers 2 - 0 Galston

CC = Consolation Cup; QC = Qualifying Cup; SC = Scottish Cup

(Source: The Beautiful Dribbling Game)

The Scottish Cup began in 1873, open to all members of the Scottish Football Association. Participation in the Cup increased until 1890-91 when there were 168 entrants. After that the members of the new Scottish Football League were given a bye to the fifth round. The earlier rounds became known as the preliminary stage, and in 1895 these were spun off into a separate competition called the Qualifying Cup. Originally, the top 16 clubs in the Qualifying Cup advanced to the Scottish Cup. In 1908 the Consolation Cup was introduced for those teams that played in the Qualifying Cup but failed to advance to the Scottish Cup. It was last played in 1913-14.

Grant Gillespie was the only Morton player to make the 2022-23 Match Attax card set. Source.

42nd All Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship

Sapporo Infinitys. Source.

It's the 42nd All Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship. Championship tournaments for group A (the top 8 teams), group B (teams 9 to 16) and group C (teams 17 to 24) are going on simultaneously, A and B in Obihiro, C in Sapporo.

Group A

March 16th:

Match No. 1: Road Construction Peregrine [1 - 0] Sapporo Infinitys

Match No. 2: Kushiro Bears [0 - 6] Daishin

Match No. 3: Seibu Princess Rabbits [10 - 1] Obihiro Cranes

Match No. 4: Vortex Sapporo [1 - 3] Toyota Cygnus

March 17th:

Match No. 5: [Sapporo Infinitys 2 - 1 Kushiro Bears]

Match No. 6: [Obihiro Cranes 2 - 3 Vortex Sapporo]

Match No. 7: [Road Construction Peregrine 2 - 1 Daishin]

Match No. 8: [Seibu Princess Rabbits 4 - 3 Toyota Cygnus]

March 18th:

Match No. 9: [Sapporo Infinitys 3 - 1 Obihiro Cranes]

Match No. 10: [Kushiro Bears 1 - 4 Vortex Sapporo]

Match No. 11: [Road Construction Peregrine 3 - 1 Toyoto Cygnus]

Match No. 12: [Daishin 3 - 2 Seibu Princess Rabbits]

March 19th:

Match No. 13: [Obihiro Cranes 1 - 4 Kushiro Bears]

Match No. 14: [Sapporo Infinitys 1 - 0 Vortex Sapporo]

Match No. 15: [Toyoto Cygnus 4 - 3 Seibu Princess Rabbits]

Match No. 16: [Road Construction Peregrine 4 - 3 Daishin]

Group B are Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz, Nishinomiya Ice Hockey Club, Hasegawa Witches, Fiori Torspo, Karuizawa Fairies, Saitama Iceball Girls, Makomanai Ladies Ice Hockey Club and Tweedie Crest. Mikage Gretz win.

Group C are Hiroshima Collectors, Crystal Blaze, Kashiwabara Carets, Hachinohe Club Ice Hockey Team, Fukuoka Silkies, Showa University Blue Winds, Chunichi Ladies and White Dolphins. Showa University Blue Winds win.

Previous Plenty of Nothing coverage of the All Japan Women's Hockey Championship:

41st (2022), cancelled.

40th (2021), won by Peregrine.

39th (2020), cancelled.

38th (2019), won by Peregrine.

Crystal Palace, Montreal

Montreal's Crystal Palace was built for the Industrial Exhibition of 1860, and later served as a hockey rink for McGill University and the Montreal Crystals of the AHAC. It burned down in 1896. Source.

Joust by Sylvia Hahn

Source.

Shipping Receiving

Source.

Are There Enough NHLers Playing in the Czech Extraliga to Stock a 33rd Franchise?

Tomas Plekanec. Source.

Kometa Brno: Tomas Vincour (95 NHL games); Tomas Kundratek (30 games).

HC Olomouc: Rostislav Olesz (365 games).

Mountfield HK: Nikita Scherbak (37 games).

Energie Karlovy Vary: none.

BK Mladá Boleslav: Pontus Aberg (132 games).

Bílí Tygři Liberec: Michael Frolik (858 games).

HC Litvinov: Petr Straka (3 games).

Dynamo Pardubice: Lukas Sedlak (192 games); Lukas Radil (50 games); Tomas Hyka (27 games); David Musil (4 games); Roman Will (1 game).

HC Škoda Plzeň: none.

HC Motor České Budějovice: Stuart Percy (12 games).

Sparta Prague: Vladimir Sobotka (548 games); Milan Jurcina (430 games); Dominik Simon (256 games); Michal Kempny (247 games); Roman Horak (84 games); Michal Repik (72 games); Josef Korenar (12 games); David Kase (7 games).

HC Oceláři Třinec: Martin Marincin (227 games); Marko Dano (141 games); Andrej Nestrasil (128 games); Marek Mazanec (31 games); Jakub Jerabek (2 games).

HC Vítkovice Ridera: Peter Mueller (297 games); Tobias Lindberg (6 games).

Rytíři Kladno: Jaromir Jagr (1733 games); Tomas Plekanec (1001 games); Jake Dotchin (103 games); Jakub Klepis (66 games).

There are enough.

Undersea Creatures Against Partick

That sealife sculpture on the Greenock waterfront could take Kingsley. Source.

Morton host Partick Thistle. This is the final meeting between these two unless they pair up in the playoffs. Partick have won twice, Morton once. Partick arrive with a newly appointed permanent manager, Kris Doolan, who has been interim manager since McCall was sacked. Thistle is his first managerial gig.

Partick's top scorer is Brian Graham with 11 goals.

The schedule is three-quarters done. Every Championship side has played 27 games. But the Scottish Cup quarter-finals introduce a new set of postponements that won't be cleared away until April 11th.

[Morton 0 - 0 Partick Thistle.]

The other Championship matches:

Queen's Park 1 - 0 Cove Rangers (last night)

Dundee vs Ayr United (postponed)

ICT vs Arbroath (postponed)

Raith Rovers vs Hamilton Academical (postponed)

It's the Scottish Cup quarter-finals:

Inverness CT 2 - 1 Kilmarnock (yesterday)    Upset

Hearts [0 - 3] Celtic

Rangers [3 - 0] Raith Rovers (Sunday)

Falkirk [2 - 1] Ayr United (Monday)    Upset

Other matches:

Gala Fairydean Rovers [1 - 1] Cowdenbeath

I project Celtic B to win the Lowland League by 1 point, and The Spartans to finish second and represent the league in the pyramid playoff.

Forres Mechanics [1 - 1] Formartine United

Five teams can still win the Highland League: Buckie, Brechin, Brora, Formartine or Fraserburgh, though realistically it'll come down to Buckie or Brechin, and I think it'll be Brechin.

Largs Thistle [3 - 1] Irvine Meadow XI

UCD 0 - 4 Derry City (March 6)

UCD 0 - 1 Drogheda (yesterday)

Willem II 2 - 3 PEC Zwolle (yesterday)

Minaj [1 - 1] Oleksandriya

Norwich Victoria [1 - 1] FC Isle of Man (tomorrow)

Grasshoppers [2 - 1] Winterthur (tomorrow)

Hutchison Vale [2 - 3] Morton Women (tomorrow)

NPL2 Vic: Western United [0 - 1] Preston Lions (tomorrow)

Machida Zelvia [3 - 0] Mito HollyHock (tomorrow)

Vegalta Sendai [0 - 1] Iwaki FC (tomorrow)

Urawa Reds [1 - 0] Elfen Saitama (tomorrow)

The 2023 JFL starts tomorrow. I've dumped on Honda FC plenty for for their refusal to get a J League license. This year, let's accept them for what they are and follow them through the season.

Honda [3 - 1] Okinawa SV

Tokyo Cup, Round Two (tomorrow):

Tokyo United [2 - 0] Aries

Tokyo 23 FC [4 - 0] Cerveza

2023 Concacaf Champions League, Round of 16, first leg (March 8):

Vancouver Whitecaps 5 - 0 RCD España (Honduras)

Historical matches:

March 11, 1967    Morton 4 - 0 Berwick Rangers

March 8, 1978    Morton 0 - 1 Hearts

March 11, 1978    Aberdeen 2 - 2 Morton

Scottish Cup, Round Five. Goals by Goldthorp and Ritchie.

Alexandra Athletic in the Scottish Cup:

1873/10/18    R1    Alexandra Athletic 2 - 0 Callander

1873/11/22    R2    Alexandra Athletic 0 - 2 Blythswood

1874/10/24    R1    Dumbreck 5 - 1 Alexandra Athletic

1875/10/16    R1    Queen's Park 3 - 0 Alexandra Athletic

1876/9/30      R1    Alexandra Athletic 1 - 1 Eastern

1876/10/7      R1    Eastern 2 - 0 Alexandra Athletic (protested)

1876/10/14    R1    Alexandra Athletic 1 - 0 Eastern

1876/10/21    R2    Northern 4 - 0 Alexandra Athletic

1877/9/29      R1    Alexandra Athletic 2 - 0 Lancefield

1877/10/27    R2    Rangers 8 - 0 Alexandra Athletic

1878/9/28      R1    Alexandra Athletic 3 - 1 Jordanhill

1878/10/19    R2    Alexandra Athletic 3 - 0 Partick Burnside

1878/11/9      R3    Alexandra Athletic 2 - 0 John Elder

1878/11/30    R4    Rangers 3 - 0 Alexandra Athletic

1879/9/20      R1    Alexandra Athletic 4 - 0 Albatross

1879/10/11    R2    Alexandra Athletic 5 - 0 Harmonic Good Templars

1879/11/1      R3    Parkgrove 6 - 2 Alexandra Athletic

1880/9/18      R1    Alexandra Athletic 4 - 1 Kelvinbank

1880/10/2      R2    Alexandra Athletic 1 - 0 Athole

1880/10/23    R3    Cowlairs 2 - 1 Alexandra Athletic (protested)

1880/11/6      R3    Cowlairs 2 - 1 Alexandra Athletic

1881/8/17      R1    Alexandra Athletic wo/scr Possil Blue Bell

1881/10/1      R2    Alexandra Athletic 4 - 1 Whitefield

1881/10/22    R3    Rangers 3 - 1 Alexandra Athletic

1882/9/9        R1    Pollokshields Athletic 6 - 5 Alexandra Athletic

1883/9/8        R1    Whitehill 3 - 1 Alexandra Athletic

(Source: The Beautiful Dribbling Game.)

Alexandra Athletic played at Alexandra Park in east central Glasgow. Despite what Wikipedia will tell you they made it past the first round of the Scottish Cup seven out of eleven times.