Plenty of Nothing

Cardiff Devils versus Fife Flyers

Jamie Arniel from Kingston, Ontario plays for Cardiff now, but he spent the 2021-22 season with HK Poprad. Source.

Fife Flyers visit Cardiff Devils at the Canolfan iâ Cymru, a.k.a. Ice Arena Wales.

Cardiff Devils have been around since 1986. They played in the Premier League, the Super League and British League, when those existed, and have been in the Elite League since it began in 2003. The Devils have been the top British club six times, and have regularly played in the Champions Hockey League and Continental Cup. (See below.)

They currently have one Welsh player, Ben Davies.

This is the first of six games between Cardiff and Fife this season. Cardiff are currently third in the standings, Fife fifth.

[Cardiff Devils 6 - 0 Fife Flyers]

Cardiff Devils in the Champions Hockey League:

2017/8/24      Davos 10 - 1 Cardiff Devils

2017/8/26      Liberec 5 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2017/8/31      Cardiff Devils 3 - 7 Liberec

2017/9/3        Cardiff Devils 4 - 3 Davos

2017/10/3      Cardiff Devils 5 - 1 Växjö Lakers

2017/10/11    Växjö Lakers 3 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2018/8/30      Cardiff Devils 2 - 5 Red Bull Salzburg

2018/9/1        Cardiff Devils 2 - 3 SC Bern

2018/9/6        Red Bull Salzburg 4 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2018/9/8        SC Bern 3 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2018/10/9      Växjö Lakers 3 - 1 Cardiff Devils

2018/10/16    Cardiff Devils 5 - 6 Växjö Lakers

2019/8/30      Cardiff Devils 3 - 2 Mountfield

2019/9/1        Cardiff Devils 4 - 3 Graz 99ers

2019/9/5        Mountfield 5 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2019/9/7        Graz 99ers 2 - 5 Cardiff Devils

2019/10/8      Frölunda 9 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2019/10/15    Cardiff Devils 2 - 9 Frölunda

2021/8/26      Cardiff Devils 0 - 5 Adler Mannheim

2021/8/28      Cardiff Devils 4 - 1 Lausanne

2021/9/2        Adler Mannheim 7 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2021/9/4        Lausanne 2 - 0 Cardiff Devils

2021/10/6      Lukko 5 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2021/10/13    Cardiff Devils 3 - 6 Lukko

Cardiff Devils in the Continental Cup:

1998/10/9      Cardiff Devils 2 - 3 Olimpija Ljubljana

1998/10/10    Cardiff Devils 2 - 4 Dunaferr Dunaújváros

1998/10/11    Cardiff Devils 5 - 3 Podhale Nowy Targ

1999/10/22    Cardiff Devils 9 - 2 Lyon

1999/10/23    Cardiff Devils 5 -3 Nottingham Panthers

1999/10/24    Lada Toljatti 8 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2022/11/18    Cardiff Devils 3 - 1 Ducs d'Angers

2022/11/19    Acroni Jesenice 0 - 3 Cardiff Devils

2022/11/20    Cardiff Devils 5 - 2 Zemgale/LLU

2023/1/13      Cardiff Devils 1 - 2 Ducs d'Angers

2023/1/14      Cardiff Devils 7 - 1 Asiago

2023/1/15      HK Nitra 3 - 2 Cardiff Devils

2023/11/17    Cardiff Devils 4 - 5 Nomad Astana

2023/11/18    Zemgale/LBTU 2 - 5 Cardiff Devils

2023/11/19    Cardiff Devils 1 - 0 Brûleurs de Loups

Cardiff have earned a place in the final round of the Continental Cup in January.

Bo'ness

Bo'ness FC, probably in 1922 when they won the Calder Shield. Source.

It's the Scottish Cup, Round Three. Morton host Bo'ness United.

Bo'ness United have been around since 1945. They won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1948, 1976 and 1984. In 2018 they crossed over from the juniors to the East of Scotland League, won that league in 2020 and were promoted to the Lowland League beginning in 2020-21. There they have finished 7th, 11th and 9th, and are currently 4th. They wear blue. Their nickname is "The B.U.'s."

You may recall that Bo'ness United's pitch was set on fire in 2019.

Morton have never played the B.U.'s before, but they did play Bo'ness FC (1878-1945) four times, twice in the 1928-29 Division Two, taking a win and a draw, and twice in the Scottish Cup, winning 10 - 0 in 1900-01, and 9 - 0 in 1934-35.

There's another Bo'ness club, Bo'ness Athletic, who are playing in an Alex Cup semi-final today. (See A below.)

Bo'ness is short for Borrowstounness. It's a seaside town in West Lothian.

If Morton lose today it'll be their second earliest exit from all the cups ever. (See B below.)

[Morton win 4 - 0. Goals by Oakley, Bearne, Muirhead and O'Boy in his debut.]

The other Scottish Cup matches:

Dunfermline Athletic (Ch) 0 - 3 Raith Rovers (Ch) (yesterday)

They've met six times before in the Scottish Cup and taken three wins each. This is their fourth meeting in all competitions so far this season.

Clyde (L2) 2 - 0 Jeanfield Swifts (ELP) (yesterday)

First meeting ever.

Cumnock (WLP) [0 - 3] Broomhill (LL)

Partick Thistle (Ch) [3 - 0] Queen's Park (Ch)

They met in this cup four times in the 19th century and twice in the 20th, but not since 1928. Queen's Park won every time. See B below for their Glasgow Cup results.

Annan Athletic (L1) [4 - 5] Dumbarton (L2)    Upset

This is their first Scottish Cup meeting.

Stranraer (L2) [0 - 1] Airdrieonians (Ch)

This is their first Scottish Cup meeting.

Dunbar United (ELP) [1 - 2] Alloa Athletic (L1)

Broxburn Athletic (ELP) [2 - 2] Buckie Thistle (HL) [Buckie win on PK]

Hamilton Academical (L1) [0 - 2] Kelty Hearts (L1)

First Scottish Cup match.

Brora Rangers (HL) [1 - 0] Pollok (WLP)

Montrose (L1) [3 - 0] Edinburgh City (L1)

They met in the 2009-10 and 2012-13 Scottish Cups and took one win each.

Falkirk (L1) [3 - 0] Formartine United (HL)

First meeting ever.

Stirling Albion (L1) [0 - 2] Cove Rangers (L1)

First meeting in the Scottish Cup.

Inverness CT (Ch) [2 - 0] Cowdenbeath (LL)

First meeting in the Scottish Cup.

Peterhead (L2) [1 - 2] Ayr United (Ch)

They've met in the Scottish Cup three times before and Ayr have always won.

Tranent (LL) [0 - 1] Forfar (L2)

First meeting ever.

Queen of the South (L1) [2 - 2] Dundee United (Ch) [QoS win on PK]    Upset

They've met in the Scottish Cup six times before and Dundee United have always won.

The Spartans (L2) [2 - 1] Arbroath (Ch)    Upset

They met in the 1996-97 cup when Arbroath won, and the 2003-04 cup when The Spartans won.

Albion Rovers (LL) [0 - 1] Bonnyrigg Rose (L2)

First Scottish Cup meeting.

Other matches:

Turriff United 0 - 4 Banks o' Dee (November 22)

After this win Banks o' Dee hold second place in the Highland League.

Huntly [1 - 3] Banks o' Dee

Dundee Downfield [1 - 3] East Craigie

Largs Thistle [2 - 0] Johnstone Burgh

FC Isle of Man [0 - 1] Cheadle Town

Coleraine [1 - 1] Carrick Rangers

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 - 2 Elfen Saitama (November 23)

Elfen Saitama [0 - 1] Cerezo Osaka (tomorrow)

Honda FC [3 - 1] Criacao Shinjuku (tomorrow)

This ends the 2023 JFL season.

Departures from HFX Wanderers: Fumpa Mwandwe, Mohamed Omar

45th Empress's Cup, Round 2:

Match No. 5: Orca Kamogawa (N1) [2 - 0] Okayama Yunogo Belle (N2)

Match No. 6: Fujieda Junshin High School (Tokai) [4 - 0] Lily Wolf F Ishikawa (Hokushin'etsu)

Match No. 7: Bunnys Gunma (N1) [1 - 1] Osaka University of Physical Education (Kansai) [Osaka win on PK]

Match No. 8: Ehime FC Ladies (N1) [4 - 0] Jumonji High School (Kanto)

Match No. 9: Asahi Intec Loveledge Nagoya (N1) [1 - 2] Viamaterrasu Mitazaki (N2)

Match No. 10: Toyo University (Kanto) [1 - 1] JFA Academy Fukushima (N2) [Toyo win on PK]

Match No. 11: AS Harima Albion (N1) [4 - 1] Enagic Ryukyu Deigos (Kyushu)

Match No. 12: Speranza Osaka (N1) [1 - 0] Tezukayama Gakuin University (Kansai)

Match No. 13: Iga FC Kunoichi Mie (N1) [2 - 1] Nihon University (Kanto)

Match No. 14: Fukuoka J Anclas (N2) [1 - 0] Nordea Hokkaido (N2)

Match No. 15: Nittaidai SMG Yokohama (N1) [3 - 1] Mynavi Sendai Ladies Youth (Tohoku)

Match No. 16: Shizuoka SSU Bonita (N1) [1 - 2] Teikyo Heisei University (Kanto)

Match No. 17: Sfida Setagaya (N1) [1 - 0] Waseda University (Kanto)

Match No. 18: Shunan Public University Vinculum (Chugoku) [0 - 1] Tokyo Verdy Menina (Kanto)

Match No. 19: Yokohama FC Seagulls (N1) [5 - 1] FC Imabari Ladies (Shizuoka)

Match No. 20: Yamato Sylphid (N1) [2 - 0] Yanagigaura High School (Kyushu)

Matches 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 18 are tomorrow.

The final stage of the Japanese Regional Champions League is going on:

Match No. 19: Vonds Ichihara 1 - 0 Joyful Honda Tsukuba (November 22)

Match No. 20: Tochigi City 1 - 2 Fukuyama City (November 22)

Match No. 21: Vonds Ichihara 0 - 1 Tochigi City (November 24)

Match No. 22: Joyful Honda Tsukuba 2 - 0 Fukuyama City (November 24)

They enter the final day of play in a four-way tie, with Joyful Honda Tsukuba one goal ahead on goal difference. The first-place finisher will be promoted to the JFL to fill the 16th spot left vacant when FC Kagaku Mane dropped out of the league. The second-place finisher will play off against the 15th-place JFL club.

Match No. 23: Vonds Ichihara [2 - 0] Fukuyama City (November 26)

Match No. 24: Joyful Honda Tsukuba [0 - 4] Tochigi City (November 26)

[The final pecking order is: Tochigi City, Vonds Ichihara, Joyful Honda Tsukuba and Fukuyama City.]

A) Alex Jack Cup, semi-final:

Arniston Rangers [0 - 3] Bo'ness Athletic

B) When was the earliest Morton were out of all the cups, and who finally put the sword to them?

2001/11/17        Queen of the South

2008/11/29        Peterhead

2014/11/29        The Spartans

2013/11/30        Inverness CT

2005/12/10        Ayr United

C) Queen's Park versus Partick Thistle in the Glasgow Cup:

1888/12/8      Queen's Park 8 - 0 Partick Thistle    F

1889/11/2      Queen's Park 6 - 3 Partick Thistle    R3

1898/9/17      Queen's Park 6 - 1 Partick Thistle    R1

1928/9/4        Queen's Park 3 - 0 Partick Thistle    R1

1937/9/1        Partick Thistle 1 - 1 Queen's Park     R1

1937/9/6        Queen's Park 1 - 5 Partick Thistle    R1 replay

1941/8/27      Partick Thistle 5 - 3 Queen's Park    R1

1945/9/24      Partick Thistle 0 - 0 Queen's Park      SF

1945/10/1      Queen's Park 2 - 1 Partick Thistle     SF replay

1954/8/24      Partick Thistle 1 - 1 Queen's Park     R1

1954/8/26      Queen's Park 1 - 1 Partick Thistle     R1 replay

1954/8/30      Partick Thistle 0 - 0 Queen's Park (Partick won coin toss)    R1 replay

1958/8/25      Queen's Park 2 - 1 Partick Thistle    R1

1979/3/5        Queen's Park 0 - 3 Partick Thistle    R1

1981/9/29      Partick Thistle 0 - 1 Queen's Park     R1

1983/5/10      Partick Thistle 2 - 0 Queen's Park    R1

1989/4/18      Queen's Park 0 - 1 Partick Thistle    R1

(Source: Scottish Football Historical Archive)

Historical matches:

1944/11/25    Morton 3 - 1 Third Lanark

1967/11/25    Morton 0 - 3 Dunfermline

1995/11/25    Dunfermline 0 - 2 Morton

Goals by Lilley and Hawke.

Innsbruck Castle, 1494

Dürer passed through Innsbruck on the way to Italy in 1494 and made some watercolours of the medieval city. Source.

The Fail Whale

Designed by Yiling Lu. Source.

More Governor General Schools

 

Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary, New Westminster. Source.

 

Lord Lansdowne School, Toronto. Source.

Watch Out for Students

Nobody seems to remember exactly when or why these metal figures of uniformed students were erected next to roads in Iwami, Tottori Prefecture, but they're a tourist attraction now. Source.

Greenlandic Paper Coins, WWII

Source.

Eleonora d'Arborea

Eleanora ruled the Judgedom of Arborea in Sardinia in the late 14th century. Source.

Gourock Train Station

Gourock Train Station before the Seventies. Source.

It's the Challenge Cup quarter-finals. Morton host Airdrieonians. Morton have to be glad to get back to cup play, where they have earned 5 of their 7 wins, but their opponent today is a league rival. (See the history of that below.) Morton are coming off three 2 - 1 losses in a row in the division.

Airdrie came to Cappielow September 30th and won 0 - 1.

Airdrieonians got to the Challenge Cup quarter-finals by beating the University of Stirling 3 - 2 and Rangers B 4 - 2. Morton beat Elgin City 2 - 1 and Kelty Hearts 4 - 1. These two clubs have met only once before in this cup, in Round Two of the 2003-04 edition: Airdrie won it 1 - 2 at Cappielow.

The winner of this game will meet the winner of Hamilton versus Raith in the semi-finals. If Morton are to play The New Saints it will have to be in the final.

Morton have hired Dale Pryde-MacDonald as general manager. He has held administrative positions at Brora Rangers, Ross County and Morecambe FC in Lancashire.

Malky MacKay has departed Ross County, moving Dougie Imrie up to ninth on the SPFL manager seniority list. Imrie is still a month away from his second anniversary at Morton. Ian McCall is the new manager at Clyde. He briefly played for Morton in the year 2000. And Andy Graham is the new Alloa boss. He played for Morton in 2011-12.

[Morton 0 - 0 Airdrieonians. Airdrie win on PK. Gillespie, Oakley, Blues, Crawford and Wilson scored in the shoot-out and McGrattan missed.]

The other Challenge Cup matches:

Falkirk 4 - 2 Dundee United (yesterday)

You really just want them both to lose.

Hamilton Accies 1 - 4 Raith Rovers (yesterday)

This is a rematch of last year's final.

The New Saints [4 - 1] Arbroath

With this match Morton become the only 2023-24 Championship club never to have played a non-SFA team in the Challenge Cup.

SPFL Championship:

Dunfermline [1 - 1] Inverness CT

2023-24 South Challenge Cup, R4:

Beith [2 - 3] Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Broxburn [3 - 0] Auchinleck Talbot

Caledonian Braves [2 - 0] Cumbernauld United

Cowdenbeath [6 - 0] Lanark United

Dunbar United vs Cumbernauld Colts [postponed]

Heriot Watt University [1 - 3] Rutherglen Glencairn

Kennoway Star Hearts vs St Andrews United [postponed]

Kilwinning Rangers [3 - 0] Albion Rovers

Largs Thistle [1 - 2] Ashfield

Lugar Boswell Thistle [0 - 5] Tranent

Musselburgh Athletic [0 - 2] Johnstone Burgh

Pollok [2 - 0] Linlithgow Rose

Pollok's website has an archive of results going back to the year 2000.

Shotts Bon Accord [2 - 1] Glenafton Athletic

St Cadoc's [2 - 5] East Kilbride

Threave Rovers vs Leith Athletic [postponed]

Troon [3 - 2] Thornton Hibs

Other matches:

Banks o' Dee [2 - 1] Formartine United

Dundee St James vs East Craigie [postponed]

Auchinleck Talbot 1 - 0 Largs Thistle (November 15)

Largs Thistle vs Cumnock Juniors (postponed)

East Kilbride Thistle [2 - 2] Carluke Rovers

Carrick Rangers [0 - 3] Cliftonville (tomorrow)

Colne vs FC Isle of Man [postponed]

Inverness CT [9 - 0] Morton Women (tomorrow)

It's the 45th Empress's Cup, Round One:

Match #1: Okayama Yunogo Belle (N2) [7 - 0] Sapporo University Vista (Hokkaido) (tomorrow)

Match #2: Viamaterras Miyazaki (N2) [4 - 0] Diavorosso Hiroshima (N2)

Match #3: Veertien Mie Ladies (N2) [0 - 4] Nihon University (Kanto University 1) (tomorrow)

Match #4: Waseda University (Kanto University 1) [2 - 1] Kibi International University Charme Okayama Takahashi (N2)

It's the 110th Grey Cup tomorrow. Incredibly, this is the first time that teams from Montreal and Winnipeg have met in the final. Also, Winnipeg becomes the only team to have played every* other CFL city in the Grey Cup. (*If you forget about the Americans.)

Winnipeg Blue Bombers [24 - 28] Montreal Alouettes

Random:

Renfrew FC's website is a treasure trove of stats.

Historical matches:

1944/11/18    Albion Rovers 4 - 3 Morton

1967/11/18    Morton 3 - 1 Clyde

1995/11/18    Morton 0 - 3 St Mirren

Morton versus divisional rivals in the Challenge Cup:

2022/12/10    Raith Rovers 1 - 1 Morton (RR won on PK)

2022/9/22      Morton 1 - 1 Ayr United (Morton won on PK)

2021/12/1      Queen of the South 2 - 1 Morton

2019/9/7        Inverness CT 3 - 1 Morton

2017/8/15      Morton 0 - 2 Livingston

2015/7/25      Morton 2 - 3 Dumbarton

2011/9/4        Hamilton Academical 2 - 1 Morton

2010/8/10      Ross County 3 - 1 Morton

2009/8/18      Ross County 2 - 1 Morton

2008/10/12    Ross County 4 - 1 Morton

2008/9/7        Queen of the South 0 - 2 Morton

2007/10/2      Morton 1 - 3 St Johnstone

2007/8/14      Morton 1 - 0 Livingston

2006/8/29      Morton 3 - 2 Cowdenbeath

2005/9/14      Stirling Albion 1 - 2 Morton

2005/7/30      Morton 3 - 2 Gretna

2004/7/31      Forfar 3 - 1 Morton

2003/8/12      Morton 1 - 2 Airdrieonians

2003/8/2        Morton 4 - 3 Arbroath

2002/8/5        Morton 3 - 2 Stirling Albion

2000/8/15      Raith Rovers 0 - 4 Morton

1999/8/10      Dunfermline 2 - 2 Morton (Morton won on PK)

1996/9/10      Morton 2 - 1 Partick Thistle

1994/10/4      Dundee 2 - 1 Morton

1994/9/27      Morton 4 - 3 St Johnstone

1993/10/19    Morton 2 - 4 St Mirren

1992/12/13    Hamilton Academical 3 - 2 Morton

1992/10/28    Kilmarnock 1 - 2 Morton

1991/10/22    Morton 2 - 3 Raith Rovers

1991/10/15    Morton 2 - 1 Kilmarnock

Liptovský Mikuláš

HK 32. Source.

HK Poprad host HK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš.

These two teams met on October 6th and Liptovský Mikuláš won 4 - 2.

HK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš has been around since 1932. They play at Titan aréna (capacity 3,680) built in 1967. They wear red, white and blue. This is their 25th season in the Slovak Extraliga; their current residency started in 2016. They have never won the Slovak Extraliga, but they were three-time champions of the Slovak league when it was in the second level of Czechoslovakian hockey. Last season they finished eleventh.

Liptovský Mikuláš is a town of 30,000 in Northern Slovakia. It was a centre of 19th-Century Slovak nationalism. Janko Kráľ, one of the first poets to write in the Slovak language, has his statue and a museum in the town square. The Mikuláš mentioned in the town's name is Saint Nicholas.

[Poprad 2 - 1 Liptovský Mikuláš]