Plenty of Nothing

Hvidovre

Not Somerset Park, but Hvidovre Stadion. Source.

Morton visit Ayr United. Willie Collum officiates.

Ayr defeated Morton 3 - 1 in the League Cup group stage at Somerset Park in July, and in September won 5 - 1 at Cappielow. Lawrence Shankland scored 5 of those 8 goals.

Shankland has 12 goals in league play. McHugh has 5 for Morton, and Tidser has 4.

The Honest Men sit four points clear atop the division and so cannot be dislodged today. Morton are fifth and could end the afternoon in fourth, fifth or sixth place. Ayr have scored 25 goals in league play, Morton 18. Ayr have allowed 12 goals, Morton 21. Ayr are on a four-game undefeated streak. Morton lost to Alloa last weekend. Ayr have 12 clean sheets this season, league and cup. Morton have 4.

Yet Ayr's home jersey is a plain white t-shirt.

Kerr Waddell has extended his loan (from Dundee) to the end of the season.

Flemming Nielsen, Danish midfielder who played for Morton from 1964 to 1966, has died at 84. His home club was B 93. He's the tall one on the right in this photo.

Two other Championship matches go today:

Falkirk (10th) [1 - 1] Partick Thistle (9th)

Falkirk will never have a better chance to get out of the cellar. [Ha ha.]

Queen of the South (6th) [3 - 3] Inverness CT (4th)

It's match 14 and ICT are still undefeated.

[Ayr 0 - 0 Morton.]

Dundee United and Dunfermline Athletic are idle. But Ross County and Alloa are busy because it's the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup. The matches are:

Motherwell colts [1 - 2] Ross County

Motherwell's is the first colt team to make it to the quarter-finals of this cup.

Edinburgh City [2 - 2] Alloa. [Edinburgh City win on PK.]

This is the first game ever between these two clubs.

Queen's Park [1 - 2] Connah's Quay Nomads

This is Queen's Park's first game against another team with an apostrophe in its name since Bo'ness United in the 2010-11 Scottish Cup. David Rock, who normally officiates National League matches in England, is referee.

Bohemians p-p East Fife.

This one is delayed until January or February.

1928-29. Morton hosted Alloa Athletic and lost 3 - 4.

1951-52. Morton hosted Third Lanark and won 3 - 1.

Morton reserves played Manchester United U-23s at Cappielow Thursday. Man U won 0 - 1. The Mancunians were up at Largs for a training camp.

What are the football clubs of South Ayrshire?

SPFL: Ayr United.

SJFA West Region Premiership: Troon

SJFA West Region Championship: Girvan, Whitletts Victoria

SJFA West Region League One: Maybole

SJFA West Region League Two: Annbank United

Arthurlie versus Montrose. These two played together in Division Three in 1923-24. Arthurlie won the first game 3 - 0 at home. The second game in Montrose ended 1 - 1.

Angus derby: Brechin [1 - 5] Arbroath

Manageria: Arbroath manager Dickie Campbell has been suspended 8 games for storming the pitch during the October 6th match against Raith Rovers. He was suspended 7 games back in February, also for storming the pitch. He's a stormer.

Number of matches in which Morton scored or conceded 5 or more goals each season this decade, expressed as a scoreline:

2018-19        2 - 2        (in progress)

2017-18        1 - 0

2016-17        2 - 0

2015-16        1 - 0

2014-15        1 - 0

2013-14        1 - 3

2012-13        4 - 1

2011-12        3 - 3

2010-11        2 - 1

(Includes league and cup games.)

How have Morton fared in Match Fourteen this decade?

2017/11/25        Falkirk 0 - 3 Morton

2016/11/19        Morton 0 - 0 Dundee United

2015/11/7          Morton 1 - 0 Livingston

2014/11/22        Morton 3 - 1 Stenhousemuir

2013/11/23        Morton 1 - 5 Livingston

2012/12/8          Raith Rovers 3 - 3 Morton

2011/11/26        Morton 2 - 2 QoS

2010/12/11        Morton 0 - 1 Dundee

3 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses.

2018-19 Championship card standings:

                        yellow    red

Dunfermline        23        0

QoS                    23        0

Ross County      23        1

Ayr Utd               23        2

Morton                24        0

Falkirk                25        1

Partick                27        0

Alloa                   27        1

Dundee Utd        27        1

ICT                     29        1

(Up to and including Nov 10th. League matches only.)

Danish 1st Division: Hvidovre [2 - 0] Fredericia

Hvidovre is a suburb of Copenhagen. Originally it was just Ovre, but they started calling it Hvidovre (White Ovre) in honour of its white church, to differentiate it from Rødovre which has a red church and is in another part of town. Hvidovre is pronounced something like vee-our.

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Beith [3 - 3] Largs Thistle

J2: Zweigen Kanazawa [3 - 1] Mito HollyHock

Here ends the J2 regular season. The promotion playoffs begin next, but Mito didn't make them.

The JFL also ends this weekend. Here are your unofficial Tohoku derby standings:

    1st Stage:

Sony Sendai                3    3    0    0    7    1    +6    9

Vanraure Hachinohe    3    1    1    1    3    2    +1    4

ReinMeer Aomori         3    1    0    2    3    6     -3    3

Cobaltore Onagawa     3    0    1    2    1    5     -4    1

    2nd Stage:

Sony Sendai                3    2    1    0    8    3    +5    7

Vanraure Hachinohe    3    2    1    0    7    2    +5    7

ReinMeer Aomori         3    1    0    2    6    9     -3    3

Cobaltore Onagawa     3    0    0    3    1    8     -7    0

    Combined:

Sony Sendai                6    5    1    0   15    4   +11  16

Vanraure Hachinohe    6    3    2    1   10    4   +6    11

ReinMeer Aomori         6    2    0    4    9   15    -6     6

Cobaltore Onagawa     6    0    1    5    2   13   -11    1

Kanto University League: Meiji vs Tsukuba

Japanese speakers abbreviate university names differently than I have been doing. The Japanese for Meiji University is Meiji Daigaku, which a Japanese college student would shorten to Meidai instead of Meiji or Meiji U.

Ayr United versus the world:

1951/5/12      Luton 4 - 2 Ayr United

1951/5/14      Bedford Town 1 - 0 Ayr United

1951/5/16      Plymouth Argyle 2 - 1 Ayr United

1951/5/19      Brighton and Hove Albion 5 - 1 Ayr United

1972/9/13      Ayr United 0 - 0 Newcastle United

1972/9/27      Newcastle United 2 - 0 Ayr United

1973/9/19      Ayr United 1 - 1 Leicester City

1973/10/3      Leicester City 2 - 0 Ayr United

1974/9/17      Birmingham City 3 - 0 Ayr United

1974/10/2      Ayr United 0 - 0 Birmingham City

1975/9/15      Ayr United 0 - 1 Mansfield Town

1975/9/29      Mansfield Town 2 - 0 Ayr United

1976/9/15      Ayr United 3 - 0 Newcastle United

1976/10/20    Nottingham Forest 2 - 1 Ayr United

1976/11/3      Ayr United 0 - 2 Nottingham Forest

1997/7/20      York City 0 - 0 Ayr United

Lesmahagow Forever

The Ritz movie theatre loomed over the back garden of this little shop in Lesmahagow from the Thirties till the Eighties. Source.

Morton welcome Alloa Athletic to Cappielow Park.

Morton are coming off a pair of wins against Queen of the South and Partick Thistle. These are Morton's first consecutive wins since the League Cup group stage in July, and their first in league play since February, when they beat Dumbarton and Inverness CT. Alloa are on a three-game winless streak.

The season is one-third over. Morton hold 4th place with 5 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses, 18 goals for, and 19 goals against, for 19 points. If they keep up this pace they will finish the season with 57 points, good enough for 5th place in last year's Championship. They have a chance to move into third place today.

Alloa are on course for 24 points, which would be better than 2015-16, when they were relegated, but worse than 2013-14 and 2014-15, when they finished 8th and 9th respectively.

In their first meeting, at Alloa's home ground on August 11th, Morton won 0 - 2.

At the end of the League Cup group stage I said that there would be no doormat in this year's Championship. Turns out there are three: Falkirk, Alloa and Partick. Morton have already beaten each of them once. The division without any doormat is League One, where eight points separate 3th place and 10th.

The 2018-19 Morton team photo reshoot took place this week.

The other matches: Ayr United (1st) [1 - 1] QoS (6th)

Dunfermline (7th) [0 - 1] Falkirk (10th)

Ross County (2nd) [0 - 1] Dundee United (3rd)

Partick Thistle (8th) [0 - 1] Inverness Caledonian Thistle (5th)

Can ICT make it 8 draws in a row, or will they be forced to win?

The 2018-19 Championship includes two clubs named Athletic, two named United, and two named Thistle, but only one named Morton.

[Morton 0 - 2 Alloa.]

Manageria: Brechin have hired Barry Smith as manager. Smith played for Morton in 2008. Albion Rovers have hired Kevin Harper. Stenhousemuir have fired Brown Ferguson. Jonatan Johansson already has seniority over a dozen other SPFL managers.

Arthurlie vs Alloa Athletic. These two clubs played five seasons together in Division Two in the Twenties. Arthurlie won five games, Alloa two, with three draws. Scoring: 15 (Arthurlie) to 10 (Alloa). They also met in Round Three of the 1926-27 Scottish Cup. They played to a scoreless draw in Alloa, then Arthurlie won the replay 3 - 0 in Barrhead.

Altogether Arthurlie were greater than Alloa.

1928-29. Morton visited Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill in Coatbridge and played to a 2 - 2 draw.

1951-52. Hibs came to Cappielow and lost 2 - 1.

Most autumnal first league win, Alloa:

1925/11/21        Alloa 2 - 1 Third Lanark

1977/11/5          St Johnstone 0 - 1 Alloa

2018/10/20        Alloa 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1953/10/17        Alloa 1 - 0 Kilmarnock

1924/10/4          Alloa 1 - 0 Forfar

Alloa Athletic versus the world:

2016/10/8      Bala Town 2 - 4 Alloa

What is Morton's record in Match Thirteen this decade?

2017/11/21        Dunfermline 1 - 1 Morton

2016/11/12        Dumbarton 0 - 2 Morton

2015/10/31        Dumbarton 1 - 2 Morton

2014/11/15        Airdrieonians 0 - 1 Morton

2013/11/16        QoS 2 - 0 Morton

2012/11/24        Morton 1 - 0 Cowdenbeath

2011/11/12        Morton 1 - 2 Dundee

2010/11/13        Partick 0 - 0 Morton

4 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses.

Derek Gaston's clean sheets for Morton, part two:

2015/8/1          Cappielow        Elgin City          5 - 0        League Cup

2015/8/21        Cappielow        St Mirren           0 - 0        league

2015/9/12        Cappielow        Dumbarton        0 - 0        league

2015/10/14      Cappielow        Alloa                 1 - 0         league

2016/1/9         Almondvale       Livingston         0 - 1        Scottish Cup

2016/2/24       Easter Road      Hibs                  0 - 3        league

2016/3/1         Almondvale       Livingston         0 - 0        league

2016/4/2          Dumbarton       Dumbarton        0 - 0        league

2016/4/23        Cappielow        Hibs                  0 - 0        league

2016/7/30        Cappielow        Berwick             2 - 0        League Cup

2016/10/15      Palmerston       QoS                  0 - 5        league

2016/11/12      Dumbarton       Dumbarton        0 - 2        league

2016/11/19      Cappielow        Dundee Utd       0 - 0        league

2016/12/3        Bellsdale          Beith                  0 - 6        Scottish Cup

2017/1/14        Cappielow        Raith Rovers     2 - 0        league

2017/1/21        Cappielow        Falkirk               2 - 0        Scottish Cup

2017/2/7         Stark's Park      Raith Rovers      0 - 1        league

2017/3/11        Cappielow        QoS                   1 - 0        league

2017/3/18        Falkirk              Falkirk                0 - 1        league

2017/3/29        Easter Park      Hibs                   0 - 0        league

2017/7/15        Shielfield          Berwick              0 - 1        League Cup

2017/7/29        Cappielow     Edinburgh City      5 - 0        League Cup

2017/8/5          Dumbarton       Dumbarton         0 - 0        league

2017/10/14      Glebe Park       Brechin              0 - 1        league

2017/11/25       Falkirk              Falkirk                0 - 3        league

2017/12/23      Cappielow        Inverness CT      1 - 0        league

2018/1/27        Tannadice        Dundee Utd        0 - 3        league

2018/2/10        Cappielow        Dumbarton         3 - 0        Scottish Cup

2018/2/24        Caledonian       Inverness CT     0 - 2        league

2018/3/17        East End          Dunfermline        0 - 0        league

2018/3/24        Cappielow        Brechin               2 - 0        league

2018/7/28        Cappielow        Albion Rovers     5 - 0       League Cup

Top and bottom Championship teams week by week (1 of 3):

Week 1            Ayr United            Partick Thistle

Week 2            Ross County        Alloa

Week 3            Ayr United            Falkirk

Week 4            Ross County        Falkirk

Week 5            Inverness CT       Falkirk

Week 6            Ayr United            Falkirk

Week 7            Ayr United            Falkirk

Week 8            Ayr United            Falkirk

Week 9            Ross County        Falkirk

Week 10          Ross County        Falkirk

Week 11          Ayr United            Falkirk

Week 12          Ayr United            Falkirk

Angus derby: Arbroath [2 - 0] Montrose

Brechin [4 - 0] Forfar

Europa League group stage, matchday 4:

Group B: Celtic 2 - 1 Red Bull Leipzig

Group G: Spartak Moscow 4 - 3 Rangers

Group I: Malmö 1 - 1 Sarpsborg

AFC Champions League final, second leg:

Persepolis [0 - 0] Kashima Antlers

[Kashima win on aggregate and will represent the AFC in the FIFA Club World Cup.]

Allsvenskan: Malmö FF vs IF Elfsborg

This is the last fixture of the 2018 Allsvenskan schedule. To make the top three and get into the 2019-20 Europa League Malmö must win and hope that Östersund hold Hammarby to at most a draw.

[Malmö win 2 - 0, and Östersund and Hammarby play to a 3 - 3 draw, so Malmö do indeed squeeze into the Europa League.]

J2: Mito HollyHock [1 - 1] FC Gifu

Kanto University League: Ryutsu Keizai [2 - 2] Tsukuba

It's the National Regional Football Champions League 2018, in which the winners of the Japanese fifth-tier regional leagues plus three other teams compete for promotion to the JFL. Tochigi Uva are in it for the Kantō region and Blancdieu Hirosaki for Tōhoku. The first round, a group stage, goes for three days this weekend with a match a day for each team:

Group A: FC Kariya, Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth, Blancdieu Hirosaki, Kochi United

Group B: Arista Tomi, Banditonce Kakogawa, Suzuka Unlimited, J.FC Miyazaki

Group C: Matsue City FC, Ococias Kyoto AC, Tochigi Uva, Saurcos Fukui

[FC Kariya, Suzuka Unlimited, Matsue City and J.FC Miyazaki advance to the final round.]

Danish 1st Division: Lyngby [1 - 3] Fredericia

Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur [1 - 3] Servette

Regionalliga Südwest: Hessen Dreieich [1 - 1] 1. FC Saarbrücken

West of Scotland Cup, First Round: Lesmahagow [2 - 1] Largs Thistle

Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire may have been named after the same saint who founded St Malo in Brittany. There was a Benedictine priory here in the Middle Ages. Alexander Muir, who composed "The Maple Leaf Forever" was born in Lesmahagow.

Crossing my fingers that the Canadian Premier League can arrange some friendlies against Icelandic clubs. The punchline of which is: Valour vs Valur.

[University of Ottawa Gee-Gees win the Canadian university women's title. Les Carabins de l'Université de Montréal win the men's title.]

Grass Surface

CD Guadalajara's Estadio Akron has a grass surface. The stadium is home to CD Guadalajara, current CONCACAF champions. With luck Guadalajara and Kashima Antlers will meet in the FIFA Club World Cup next month. Source.

Morton host Partick Thistle. The Ton sit 6th with 16 points. The Jags are 8th with 9 points. Partick have two wins against Morton, one in league play and one in the League Cup. Morton have not beaten Partick since 2012, so a win today would be a season highlight.

Partick are having a bad time. They are on a 5-game losing streak* and have scored less than a goal a game in league play. Their record away from home in the league is dire: 0W 0D 5L 3GF 10GA.

Morton are coming off a win against Queen of the South and have scored a little bit better than a goal a game.

Partick can finish the day 7th, 8th or 9th. Morton can finish 4th, 5th or 6th; though to finish 4th Morton must win by 7 goals, Dundee United and Queen of the South must draw, and ICT must draw or lose. [No, that's all wrong. Morton had to win, and Qos and ICT had to draw or lose, which they did.]

Jai Quitongo plays for Partick. He has one goal so far, scored against Dundee United.

*Their worst run since ... 2015.

The other matches: Alloa (9th) [0 - 1] Dunfermline (7th)

Dundee United (3rd) [2 - 0] Queen of the South (5th)

Falkirk (10th) [0 - 1] Ayr United (1st)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (4th) [2 - 2] Ross County (2nd). It's a Highland derby. ICT are on a run of 6 draws in a row, a club record.

[Morton tromp 5 - 1. Goals by Oliver, McHugh (2), Iredale and Tidser. Morton are in 4th place. ICT earn their 7th straight draw.]

Managerial chairs: Brechin City have fired manager Darren Dods.

League Two watch: Edinburgh City [0 - 1] Clyde

Edinburgh City approach today's encounter riding a 12-game winning streak (league + cup).

1928-29. Morton visited East Fife at Bayview Park in Methil and lost 2 - 1.

1951-52. Morton visited East Fife and lost 4 - 1.

How have Morton fared in Match Twelve this decade?

2017/11/4      Morton 1 - 2 Queen of the South

2016/11/5      Falkirk 1 - 1 Morton

2015/10/24    Morton 1 - 0 Alloa

2014/11/8      Morton 2 - 0 Forfar

2013/11/9      Morton 2 - 0 Dumbarton

2012/11/17    Dumbarton 1 - 5 Morton

2011/11/5      Ayr United 0 - 1 Morton

2010/11/6      Morton 2 - 1 Dunfermline

6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.

Derek Gaston's clean sheets for Morton, part one:

2012/7/28        Cappielow        Albion Rovers        2 - 0        Challenge Cup

2012/9/1          Cappielow        Dumbarton             3 - 0        league

2012/9/22        Cappielow        Raith Rovers         1 - 0         league

2012/11/13      Cappielow        Albion Rovers        3 - 0        Scottish Cup

2012/11/24      Cappielow        Cowdenbeath        1 - 0         league

2012/12/15      Cappielow        Airdrie United        2 - 0         league

2012/12/17      Cappielow        Turriff United          6 - 0        Scottish Cup

2013/1/12        Falkirk              Falkirk                    0 - 1         league

2013/1/26        Cappielow        Raith Rovers         1 - 0         league

2013/2/9          Excelsior          Airdrie United        0 - 4          league

2013/3/9          Cappielow        Falkirk                   2 - 0          league

2013/3/23        Dumbarton       Dumbarton            0 - 3          league

2013/8/10        Cappielow        Cowdenbeath        2 - 0          league

2013/11/9        Cappielow        Dumbarton             2 - 0         league

2014/4/1          Cappielow        Dumbarton            3 - 0          league

2014/4/5          Cappielow        Livingston              2 - 0         league

2014/4/19        Cappielow        Dundee                  1 - 0         league

2014/7/26        Cappielow        Spartans                1 - 0         Challenge Cup

2014/8/16        Cappielow        Stranraer                4 - 0         league

2014/10/11      Cappielow        Stirling Albion         2 - 0         league

2014/11/1        Cappielow        Airdrieonians          0 - 0         Scottish Cup

2014/11/8        Cappielow        Forfar                     2 - 0         league

2014/11/11       Excelsior          Airdrieonians         0 - 2         Scottish Cup

2014/11/15       Excelsior          Airdrieonians         0 - 1         league

2015/1/24        Cappielow        Dunfermline           2 - 0         league

2015/2/21        Cappielow        Stranraer               2 - 0         league

2015/3/3          Cappielow        Stirling Albion        4 - 0         league

2015/3/28        East End          Dunfermline           0 - 4         league

2015/4/18        Forthbank         Stirling Albion        0 - 2         league

2015/4/25        Stair Park         Stranraer               0 - 2         league

Partick Thistle versus the world:

1886/10/23    Blackburn Olympic 1 - 3 Partick Thistle

1886/11/20    Partick Thistle 7 - 0 Fleetwood Rangers

1886/12/4      Cliftonville 0 - 11 Partick Thistle

1887/1/29      Old Westminsters 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1963/9/16      Glentoran 1 - 4 Partick Thistle

1963/9/30      Partick Thistle 3 - 0 Glentoran

1963/11/18    Partick Thistle 3 - 2 Spartak Brno

1963/11/27    Spartak Brno 4 - 0 Partick Thistle

1972/9/13      Honved 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1972/9/27      Partick Thistle 0 - 3 Honved

1976/9/14      Bolton Wanderers 0 - 0 Partick Thistle

1976/9/29      Partick Thistle 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers

1976/11/8      Partick Thistle 0 - 1 Leyton Orient

1976/11/24    Leyton Orient 3 - 2 Partick Thistle

1978/9/13      Partick Thistle 1 - 0 Mansfield Town

1978/10/3      Mansfield Town 3 - 2 Partick Thistle

1995/6/25      LASK Linz 2 - 2 Partick Thistle

1995/7/1        Partick Thistle 3 - 1 Keflavik

1995/7/8        Metz 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1995/7/22      Partick Thistle 1 - 2 NK Zagreb

Arthurlie versus Queen's Park: The Spiders met Arthurlie three times in the Scottish Cup, in 1885, 1914 and 1928, and won each time.

Arthurlie versus Kilmarnock and Hibs: I have yet to find any game between Arthurlie and either of these clubs.

Scottish Junior Cup third round:

Auchinleck Talbot [9 - 1] Lesmahagow

UEFA Women's Champions League, Round of 16, second leg:

Glasgow City 0 - 3 Barcelona

The Glaswegians are out.

AFC Champions League final, first leg:

Kashima Antlers [2 - 0] Persepolis

Allsvenskan:

Malmö FF 4 - 0 Örebro SK (Nov 1)

IFK Göteborg [0 - 3] Malmö FF (Nov 4th)

J2: Mito HollyHock [2 - 0] Ventforet Kofu

Kanto University League: Waseda [0 - 0] Tsukuba

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [1 - 7] Roskilde

Swiss Cup, Round Three (Nov 1): Winterthur 0 - 1 Basel

Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur [3 - 2] Rapperswil

[Winterthur are in the promotion playoff zone.]

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken [5 - 0] 1899 Hoffenheim II

1899 Hoffenheim II has been in Regionalliga Südwest since the division was re-established seven years ago.

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [1 - 1] Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

FAI Cup final (tomorrow): Dundalk [2 - 1] Cork City

It's the first round of the 40th Empress's Cup. Let's!

Match No. 1: JFA Academy Fukushima [1 - 0] Chifure AS Elfen Saitama (N2)

Match No. 2: Hokkaido Otani Muroran High School [1 - 4] Daito Bunka University

Match No. 3: Nippon TV Menina [5 - 2] Kibi Int'l University Charme Okayama Takahashi

Match No. 4: Fukuoka J. Anclas [0 - 3] Waseda University

Match No. 5: Mukogawa Women's University [5 - 4] Kagawanishi High School

Match No. 6: Tokiwagi Gakuen High School [3 - 1] Albirex Niigata Ladies U-18

Match No. 7: Kanagawa University [3 - 2] Ryukyu Deigos

Match No. 8: Norddea Hokkaido [1 - 3] Bunnys Kyoto SC (N2)

Match No. 9: Fujieda Junshin High School [4 - 0] Sakuyo High School

Match No. 10: Seiwa Gakuen High School [0 - 4] AS Harima Albion (N2)

Match No. 11: Seisen University [0 - 6] Teikyo Heisei University

Match No. 12: Angeviolet Hiroshima [4 - 0] Fukui Senior High School

Match No. 13: Sendai University [2 - 5] Okayama Yunogo Belle (N2)

Match No. 14: JEF United Chiba Ladies U-18 [3 - 0] Tachibana High School of Tohoka University

Match No. 15: Nippon University Fields Yokohama [0 - 0] Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences [Fields win on PK.]

Match No. 16: NGU Loveledge Nagoya [3 - 0] Osaka Toin High School

(N2 means a club is in the second tier of the professional league.)

Partick Thistle mascot Kingsley writes an advice column at Glasgow Live.

Alice Braga

Alice Braga stars in the crime drama Queen of the South.

Morton visit Palmerston Park in Dumfries for their second league match against Queen of the South. The first meeting, on August 4th at Cappielow, ended in a 2 - 2 draw. Morton enter this evening's match in 6th place with 13 points and a -6 goal difference; QoS are 4th with 16 points and a +9 gd.

Morton are coming off a 5 - 0 scelping in Dingwall Saturday. They also surrendered 5 goals to Ayr United on Sept 29th. It's worrisome. Three 5-or-more goal losses in a season is the record for Morton in the 21st Century: it happened in 2000-01, 2011-12 and 2013-14.

The Ton will end the evening in 6th or 7th place. QoS can finish 3rd, 4th or 5th. (Okay, Morton can finish 4th or 5th, but it means scoring something like 15 goals.)

Stephen Dobbie leads the league with 12 goals. Collectively Morton have 11.

Michael Doyle and Gary Harkins have played for Morton. Bob McHugh and Gary Oliver have played for QoS. On the QoS roster is a Canadian named David Norman Jr., on loan from the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Other Championship matches:

Ayr United (2nd) vs Alloa (9th)

Ayr won the first match. [Ayr 3 - 0 Alloa]

Falkirk (10th) vs Ross County (1st)

Ross County won the first match. [Falkirk 1 - 1 Ross County.]

Inverness CT (5th) vs Dunfermline (7th)

A scoreless draw between ICT and the Pars would serve Morton best, and it just so happens that ICT are riding a streak of five draws in a row, three of them scoreless. [ICT 2 - 2 Pars]

Leagues One and Two do not play this midweek, but the Premiership have a full slate of games tomorrow evening.

[Morton win 1 - 2. Goals by McHugh and Lyon.]

Morton's most recent win at each 2018-19 Championship home ground:

2018/8/11      Alloa 0 - 2 Morton

2018/2/24      Inverness CT 0 - 2 Morton

2018/1/27      Dundee United 0 - 3 Morton

2018/1/20      Dunfermline 1 - 2 Morton

2017/11/25    Falkirk 0 - 3 Morton

2017/9/16      QoS 1 - 2 Morton

2017/1/28      Ayr United 1 - 4 Morton

2012/12/26    Partick Thistle 1 - 2 Morton

2003/1/25      Ross County 1 - 2 Morton

Who has beaten whom so far in Championship play?

Who:                Whom:

Ross County:   Ayr Utd, Dundee Utd, Morton, Dunfermline, Partick, Alloa, Falkirk

Ayr Utd:            Dundee Utd, Morton, Dunfermline, Partick (2), Alloa, Falkirk

Dundee Utd:     QoS, Dunfermline, Partick (2), Falkirk

QoS:                 Ayr Utd, Dunfermline, Falkirk (2)

ICT:                   Dunfermline, Partick, Falkirk

Morton:             Ross County, Alloa, Falkirk

Dunfermline:     Dundee Utd, Partick, Falkirk

Partick:             QoS, Morton, Falkirk

Alloa:                Partick

Falkirk:              Alloa

(A name in bold indicates a higher-placed club.)

Queen of the South versus the world:

2008/8/14      QoS 1 - 2 Nordsjaelland

2008/8/26      Nordsjaelland 2 - 1 QoS

2016/10/9      QoS 2 - 0 Linfield

2017/11/12    The New Saints 0 - 0 QoS (TNS won on PK.)

2018/9/8        QoS 4 - 3 Crusaders

QoS got into the 2008-09 UEFA Cup as 2007-08 Scottish Cup finalists.

Arthurlie versus Queen of the South. These two clubs played five seasons together in the Twenties, one in Division Three, and four in Division Two. Arthurlie won five games, QoS four, with one draw. Arthurlie outscored Queens 22 to 17.

Denny Johnstone's goals for Morton:

date              venue             opponent     goalkeeper             competition

2015/8/1       Cappielow      Elgin            Stewart Black         League Cup

2015/9/5       Almondvale    Livingston    Darren Jamieson    league

2015/9/19     Palmerston    QoS             Robbie Thomson    league

2015/10/27   Cappielow     St Johnstone    Alan Mannus      League Cup

2015/10/31   Dumbarton    Dumbarton    Mark Brown           league

2015/11/7     Cappielow      Livingston     Marc McCallum      league

2015/11/14   Cappielow      QoS             Robbie Thomson    league

2015/11/14   Cappielow      QoS              Robbie Thomson    league

2015/11/28    Cliftonhill   Albion Rovers   Ross M. Stewart    Scottish Cup

2016/2/13     Cappielow     Dumbarton    Jamie Ewings         league

2016/2/24     Easter Road    Hibs             Mark Oxley            league

2016/3/11     Ibrox               Rangers     Wes Foderingham    league

2016/3/15     Cappielow      QoS            Robbie Thomson     league

2016/3/15     Cappielow      QoS            Robbie Thomson     league

2016/3/19     Cappielow      Alloa            Scott Gallacher       league

2016/4/9       Cappielow     Livingston     Marc McCallum       league

2016/4/16     Paisley          St Mirren       Jamie Langfield      league

How have Morton fared in Match Eleven this decade?

2017/10/28    St Mirren 2 - 2 Morton

2016/11/1      Morton 3 - 1 St Mirren

2015/10/17    Falkirk 1 - 0 Morton

2014/10/25    Dunfermline 1 - 2 Morton

2013/10/26    Raith Rovers 2 - 1 Morton

2012/11/10    Morton 0 - 1 Hamilton

2011/10/29    Morton 0 - 2 Ross County

2010/10/30    Morton 0 - 1 Raith Rovers

2 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses.

Eddie Morton

Eddie Morton, "I'm A Member of the Midnight Crew" (1909).

Ross County host Greenock Morton.

The Championship season is one-quarter complete. Morton have 3W 4D 2L for 13 points, which puts them on track for 52 points at the end of the season, good for sixth place in last year's Championship.

Statistical Third Lanark sit in 5.5th place.

Morton enter today's game in 6th place, and can end the day anywhere from 3rd to 7th. Ross County will either hold on to first place or slip to second. Morton beat Ross County in their first encounter August 25th. Ross County, Alloa and Falkirk are the only teams Morton can sweep this season. But have Morton ever defeated Ross County twice in one season? No. And when was the last time Morton won in Dingwall? 2003.

Ross County's Michael Gardyne, Jamie Lindsay, Declan McManus and Brian Graham have all played for Morton at some point. Ross County have two players named Dingwall -- Tony Dingwall and Russell Dingwall.

Reghan Tumilty has played for Ross County.

Other Championship matches today:

Alloa (9th) [0 - 0] Inverness CT (3rd)

These two played to a 2 - 2 draw in their first encounter.

Dunfermline (7th) [0 - 2] Dundee United (4th)

Dunfermline won their first meeting.

Partick Thistle (8th) [0 - 1] Ayr United (2nd)

Ayr won the first league meeting, and their League Cup match.

Queen of the South (5th) [2 - 0] Falkirk (10th)

QoS won the first time.

Another top-half versus bottom-half day. The last one was September 1st, but Morton were in the top half and QoS in the bottom half.

[Ross County 5 - 0 Morton.]

It's the League Cup semi-finals. Both games take place tomorrow, one after the other, to suit television. The original plan was to stage both matches at Hampden, but nobody was having it, least of all the police who have got to control the mobs. Eventually the SPFL moved Hearts vs Celtic to Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

Hearts [0 - 3] Celtic

Aberdeen [1 - 0] Rangers

When was the last time these four were the semi-finalists? 1976-77.

Managerial chairs: Albion Rovers axed John Brogan after last Saturday's loss to Formartine United. On Sunday Dumbarton hired Jim Duffy who was sacked by Morton at the end of last season. On Monday Stirling Albion hired Kevin Rutkiewicz as manager. He played for Morton during the magical season of 2012-13.

Morton's complaint against Falkirk over the poaching of Ray McKinnon and staff has been taken seriously enough by the SPFL that they have convened a hearing.

A third of SPFL clubs have changed managers since the end of last season. By way of comparison, Theresa May has been in her current job for two years and four months; only eleven SPFL managers have been in theirs longer.

1928-29. Morton hosted Dumbarton and won 3 - 1.

1951-52. Morton visited Motherwell and won 1 - 2.

Games without a loss, league + cup:

8            Ross County

7            Inverness CT

3            Alloa

2            Dundee United

2            Morton

1            Queen of the South

0            Ayr United

0            Dunfermline

0            Partick

0            Falkirk

Morton goals for and against, after nine games, the last ten years:

                      for       against

2018-19        11        12

2017-18        12          9

2016-17        13        12

2015-16          9        12

2014-15        16        12

2013-14          9        17

2012-13        20        13

2011-12        12        16

2010-11          7          9

2009-10          6        17

average       11.5    12.9

So far 2018-19 is a very average year.

Arthurlie vs St Johnstone. These were both members of the Scottish League Division Two from 1911-12 to 1914-15. Arthurlie won four, St Johnstone three, with one draw. St Johnstone scored 18, Arthurlie 17.

Angus derby: Brechin [1 - 3] Montrose

Scottish Cup Round Two replay:

Auchinleck Talbot [2 - 1] Cove Rangers

It's Round Three of the 2018-19 Scottish Junior Cup. I've totally ignored this cup so far this year. Let's watch:

Arthurlie [1 - 3] Dundee Violet

Auchinleck Talbot vs Lesmahagow Juniors [Postponed because of above. How Talbot find time for league matches is a mystery to me.]

Kilsyth Rangers [2 - 0] Irvine Meadow

Largs Thistle [4 - 0] Shotts Bon Accord

Pumpherston [1 - 4] Blantyre Victoria

Troon [4 - 2] Nairn St. Ninian

Tier 6. The Scottish FA's Pyramid Working Group has announced that the SJFA West and East Regions have agreed to join the Scottish pyramid. They'll be fitted in immediately below the Lowland League. The West Region are ready to make the move now, having restructured into what will be tier 6, 7, 8 and 9 divisions this past summer. The East needs some work, though, with the East of Scotland League and the East Region having to accommodate each other somehow. Part of the difficulty that the SFA has faced in creating the Scottish Pyramid stems from the fact that they -- unlike the Egyptians -- began at the top and worked down.

Europa League group stage, matchday 3 (Oct 25):

Group B: Red Bull Leipzig 2 - 0 Celtic

Group G: Rangers 0 - 0 Spartak Moscow

Group I: Sarpsborg 1 - 1 Malmö

AFC Champions League, semi-finals, second leg:

Suwon Samsung Bluewings 3 - 3 Kashima Antlers

Kashima advance on aggregate.

Allsvenskan: AIK vs Malmö FF (Oct 29)

J2: Montedio Yamagata [0 - 1] Mito HollyHock (Oct 28)

Kanto University League: Juntendo [0 - 1] Tsukuba

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia 1 - 2 Viborg (Oct 25)

Fredericia [1 - 2] F. Amager (Oct 28)

Swiss Challenge League: Schaffhausen [2 - 2] Winterthur

Regionalliga Südwest: SSV Ulm [1 - 1] 1. FC Saarbrücken

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm.

The 54th All Japan Senior Football Championship was played from October 19th to 24th. Thirty-two tier V and VI clubs participated, including six from the Kantō region (Tokyo Int'l University, Tochigi Uva, Vonds Ichihara, Tokyo United, Esperanza SC and Ryutsu Keizai University) and two from Tōhoku (Fuji Club 2003 and Iwaki FC). The top four finishers were Matsue City FC (tournament champions), FC Kariya, Iwaki FC, and Tochigi Uva. Some of these will move on to the Regional Champions League in November. Iwaki FC cannot, however, because they are still only in the 2nd Division of their league.

98th Emperor's Cup, Quarter-Finals

Dear old Waseda University, pictured in 1909. Source.

It's the quarter-finals of the Emperor's Cup. The matches are:

Match No. 81: Urawa Red Diamonds [2 - 0] Sagan Tosu

Match No. 82: Kashima Antlers vs Ventforet Kofu [to be played Nov 21 because Kashima Antlers have an AFC Champions League semi-final at the exact same kick-off time.]

Match No. 83: Júbilo Iwata [1 - 1] Vegalta Sendai. [Vegalta win on PK.]

Match No. 84: Kawasaki Frontale [2 - 3] Montedio Yamagata [Upset!]

[Kashima Antlers' successes are causing fixture congestion on an international scale. Kashima play Tehran club Persepolis in the AFC Champions League final on Nov 3 and Nov 10. If they win that tournament they will advance to the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, with games on Dec 15, 18 and 22.

Right now the Emperor's Cup semi-finals and final are scheduled for Dec 16 and 24. If Kashima win their Nov 21 Emperor's Cup quarter-final and the AFC Champions League final, then the Emperor's Cup semi-finals will be brought forward to Dec 5 and the final to December 9.]

Seven of the quarter-finalists are from J1. Montedio Yamagata play in J2 and are therefore our favourite, though if Vegalta Sendai win the cup that's okay too. Three were quarter-finalists in last year's Emperor's Cup: Kashima Antlers, Júbilo Iwata and Kawasaki Frontale. Three were League Cup quarter-finalists this year: Kashima Antlers, Ventforet Kofu and Kawasaki Frontale.

Only three of the eight have ever won the Emperor's Cup: Kashima Antlers five times, most recently two years ago; Urawa Red Diamonds six times, most recently in 2006; and Júbilo Iwata twice, most recently in 2003.

Which teams have won the Emperor's Cup/League Cup double? Kashima Antlers (1997, 2000); Gamba Osaka (2014); Cerezo Osaka (2017).

Waseda University in the Emperor's Cup:

96回        R1        Grulla Morioka 4 - 0 Waseda University

77回        R1        Kagawa Shiun Club 1 - 0 Waseda University

76回        R1        YKK 0 - 5 Waseda University

                R2        NTT Kanto 1 - 0 Waseda University

73回        R1        Waseda University 3 - 0 Hokuriku Electric Power

                R2        Waseda University 0 - 2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

71回        R1        Waseda University 1 - 2 Mazda

70回        R1        Waseda University 0 - 3 Yomiuri

66回        R1        Waseda University 0 - 1 Yanmar Diesel

63回        R1        Waseda University 0 - 2 Yamaha Motors

61回        R1        Waseda University 6 - 0 Gonohe Town Hall

                R2        Waseda University 0 - 3 Mitsubishi Motors

59回        R1        Waseda University 2 - 1 Tanabe Pharmaceuticals

                R2        Hitachi 1 - 0 Waseda University

58回        R1        Toyota Motors 0 - 1 Waseda University

                R2        Waseda University 1 - 3 Mitsubishi Motors

57回        R1        Waseda University 5 - 1 Sapporo University

                R2        Fujita Industries 3 - 2 Waseda University

56回        R1        Sapporo University 0 - 6 Waseda University

                R2        Waseda University 0 - 1 Mitsubishi Motors

55回        R1        Nippon Kokan 2 - 0 Waseda University

54回        R2        Honda 1 - 2 Waseda University

                R3        Toyota Motors 1 - 0 Waseda University

53回        R2        Meijo University 0 - 1 Waseda University

                R3        Furukawa Electric 2 - 2 Waseda University (Furukawa won on penalty kicks.)

52回        R1        Waseda University 2 - 3 Nippon Light Metal

51回        QF        Yanmar Diesel 3 - 1 Waseda University

48回        QF        Toyo Industries 0 - 2 Waseda University

                SF        Waseda University 3 - 4 Mitsubishi Motors

46回        QF        Mitsubishi Motors 1 - 3 Waseda University

                SF        Yawata Steel 1 - 2 Waseda University

                 F         Toyo Industries 2 - 3 Waseda University

45回        QF        Waseda University 3 - 0 Hitachi

                SF        Yawata Steel 4 - 3 Waseda University

44回        GS        Waseda University 1 - 2 Yawata Steel

                GS        Waseda University 4 - 0 Mitsubishi Motors

                GS        Waseda University 2 - 0 Kansai University

                GS        Waseda University 7 - 0 Nihon University

43回        QF        Waseda University 2 - 1 Toyo Industries

                SF        Waseda University 2 - 1 Kansai University

                 F         Hitachi 0 - 3 Waseda University

42回        R1        Waseda University 5 - 1 Kyoto Shiko

                QF        Waseda University 0 - 1 Toyo Industries

38回        R1        Waseda University 1 - 3 Yawata Steel

37回        R1        All Hokkaido 0 - 7 All Waseda University

               QF        All Waseda University 1 - 2 Toyo Industries

35回        R1        Waseda University 2 - 2 Chuo University Club (Chuo won by lottery.)

31回        R1        Waseda University WMW 8 - 0 Sapporo Club

                QF        Waseda University WMW 0 - 1 Sendai Soccer

30回        R1        Waseda University WMW 4 - 2 Nagoya Soccer

                QF        Waseda University WMW 7 - 0 Nittetsu Mining

                SF        Waseda University WMW 2 - 4 All Kwangaku

26回        R1        All Waseda University 2 - 1 Shonan Club

                QF        Tokyo Shukyu-dan 1 - 6 All Waseda University

                SF        University of Tokyo LB 2 - 0 All Waseda University

20回        QF        All 延禧 1 - 2 Waseda University WMW

                SF        Imperial University of Kyoto 1 - 2 Waseda University WMW

                 F         Waseda University WMW 0 - 1 Keio BRB

19回        QF        Waseda University 6 - 0 Kobe Higher Commercial School

                SF        Waseda University 2 - 2 All 普成 (Waseda won by lottery.)

                 F         Waseda University 2 - 3 Keio BRB

18回        SF        Yonhi College 2 - 2 Waseda University (Waseda won by lottery.)

                 F         Keio University 1 - 4 Waseda University

 8回        QF        Nagoya Technical College 0 - 2 Waseda University WMW

               SF        Keio BRB 1 - 5 Waseda University WMW

                F         Imperial University of Kyoto 1 - 6 Waseda University WMW

 7回        QF        Waseda Gakuin 1 - 0 Sendai Club

               SF        Kobe-Ichi Junior High School Club 1 - 0 Waseda Gakuin

I'm unsure whether Waseda Gakuin is connected to Waseda University.

Danish Morton

Morton were able to rebound from their 1960-61 wooden spoon to Division One in 1964-65 by recruiting in Denmark, where there was a shortage of professional opportunities. Source.

Falkirk visit Cappielow. It's Ray McKinnon's first trip back to Greenock. Well, second. He had to return the company car he used to drive to the job interview in Falkirk.

Morton are 7th in the Championship with 10 points; Falkirk are 10th with only 3 points. Morton can finish the day anywhere from 5th to 8th. It's either 9th or 10th for the Bairns.

As tenth-place team in the Championship Falkirk are 22nd in the land. What was their worst standing ever? In 1977-78 the league was divided into three divisions, and Falkirk finished fifth in the lowest division, or 29th overall.

Gregor Buchanan grew up in Falkirk. Robert McHugh played for Falkirk FC from 2015 to 2017, and Regham Tumilty played for them last season.

Former Mortoneers Joe McKee and Mark Russell play for Falkirk, as does Canadian Marcus Haber.

Morton's task for today is to earn three points without being deducted points for fan misbehaviour.

The other matches: Alloa (9th) [1 - 0] Partick (8th)

Dundee United (4th) [1 - 1] Inverness CT (3rd)

Dunfermline (5th) [0 - 1] Queen of the South (6th)

Ross County (2nd) [2 - 1] Ayr United (1st)

Most of the games are between clubs next to each other in the table so there could be some shifting of positions today.

[Morton win 1 - 0. Goal by McHugh.]

Falkirk's longest-awaited first league win:

Jan 2, 1974       Dumbarton 1 - 5 Falkirk        Game 17

Nov 21, 2009    Falkirk 2 - 0 Hamilton            Game 12

Nov 1, 1952      Hearts 0 - 1 Falkirk                Game 8

Oct 21, 1995     Raith Rovers 0 - 1 Falkirk      Game 9

Oct 8, 1932       Ayr United 0 - 1 Falkirk          Game 11

Their first league win this year came on Sept 29 in Game 7.

Can Falkirk earn promotion this season?

Since 1994, 28 teams have been promoted from tier II to tier I. One had 1 loss, three had 3 losses, two had 4 losses, six had 5 losses, six had 6 losses, three had 7 losses, five had 8 losses, one had 9 losses and one had 11 losses. A quarter of the way into the season Falkirk already have 7 [now 8] losses.

Manageria: Partick Thistle have hired Gary Caldwell, former Celtic star and manager of Wigan Athletic and Chesterfield. Berwick Rangers have hired Johnny Harvey who has previously managed various junior clubs. Dundee sacked Neil McCann on Tuesday and hired Jim McIntyre on Wednesday. Ian Murray is the new Airdrieonian boss.

Kicking the tires: The Daily Mail reports that a consortium with ties to Newcastle United is sizing up a purchase of Greenock Morton.

It's the Second Round of the 2018-19 Scottish Cup. Let's watch:

Beith [4 - 0] Linlithgow Rose

Brora Rangers [6 - 0] Coldstream

Cove Rangers [1 - 1] Auchinleck Talbot

Highland League versus ought to be in the Lowland League.

East Kilbride [3 - 1] Spartans

1928-29. Morton visited Bo'ness at Newtown Park and played to a 2 - 2 draw.

1951-52. Morton 1 - 4 Raith Rovers. After four straight losses Morton were in tenth place out of sixteen.

Lee Kilday's goals for Morton:

date            park              opponent            goaltender         competition

2014/11/22    Cappielow    Stenhousemuir    Greg Fleming       league

2014/11/22    Cappielow    Stenhousemuir    Greg Fleming       league

2015/3/28      East End      Dunfermline         Ryan Scully          league

2015/7/25     Cappielow     Dumbarton          Mark Brown      Challenge Cup

2016/7/16     Cliftonhill       Albion Rovers     Ross Stewart*      League Cup  

2016/8/13     Cappielow     Falkirk       Deniz Dogan Mehmet   league

2016/11/5      Falkirk          Falkirk                Danny Rogers      league

2017/2/7     Stark's Park    Raith                  Conor Brennan      league

2017/2/25    Tannadice      Dundee Utd        Cameron Bell        league

*Shoot-out

Matches at Cappielow October 2018:

Oct 2          Celtic reserves 0 - 1 Aberdeen reserves

Oct 15        Morton reserves 0 - 1 QoS reserves

Oct 20        Morton [1 - 0] Falkirk

Oct 29        Celtic reserves vs QoS reserves [at Lennoxtown instead]

The draw for the Challenge Cup quarter-finals occurred Tuesday, with matches scheduled to be played the weekend of Nov 17. Bohemians of the League of Ireland drew a home date against East Fife. But the 2018 League of Ireland ends next week, after which Bohs' players are out of contract. So they have asked that the fixture be brought forward. When could it be played? Here are the two teams' schedules:

Fri, Oct 19        Bray vs Bohemians

Sat, Oct 20      East Fife vs Brechin

Mon, Oct 22     Sligo vs Bohemians

Fri, Oct 26        Bohemians vs Dundalk

Sat, Oct 27      Dumbarton vs East Fife

Sat, Nov 3       Arbroath vs East Fife

(Sun, Nov 4    Dundalk vs Cork City, FAI Cup final)

Sat, Nov 10     East Fife vs Raith Rovers

Sat, Nov 17     Airdrieonians vs East Fife

I think Nov 3 would be the ideal timeslot. It falls a day before the finale of the Irish football season, and allows the East Fife fans to stick around Dublin to take in a cup final. Instead of rescheduling East Fife's Airdrieonians match, the SPFL reschedules the Arbroath match.

People of East Fife: "How can something be ideal when it's an Absolute Shambles?"

[Through the middle of the week it looked as if the match would be scheduled for Nov 3rd, but on Friday the SPFL came out with "likely in early 2019". The semi-finals are supposed to go the weekend of Feb 17, 2019. If 2019 is like 2018 Bohs will begin to train in January.]

Arthurlie vs Falkirk. Both these clubs were in the Scottish Federation from 1891 to 1893. Arthurlie finished the first season in first place, Falkirk were fourth. The second season Arthurlie were third and Falkirk eighth.  The scores:

1891/10/3        Falkirk 2 - 4 Arthurlie

1892/3/19        Arthurlie 5 - 4 Falkirk

1892/8/27        Arthurlie 7 - 1 Falkirk

1893/3/18        Falkirk 4 - 3 Arthurlie

Source.

Falkirk played in the Scottish League Division Two with Arthurlie in 1902-03, 1903-04 and 1904-05, six matches altogether. The Bairns won four, Arthurlie one, with one draw. Falkirk outscored Arthurlie 9 to 5. 

UEFA Women's Champions League, Round of 16, first leg:

Barcelona 5 - 0 Glasgow City (Oct 17)

SWFL Division 1 South: Falkirk [1 - 2] Morton (Oct 21)

This concludes the SWFL schedule. [Morton finish in 11th place out of twelve, with 2 wins and 20 losses, one of which was a forfeit.]

How do you account for Morton's terrible season, coming as it did on the heels of such a good campaign the year before? I suspect it had to do with the uncertainty about promotion. The team did not know whether they were promoted until the schedule came out, roughly two weeks before the season began. Did their best players slip off to other clubs during the months of uncertainty?

Allsvenskan: Malmö FF [2 -1] Hammarby

J2: Mito HollyHock [3 - 2] Roassa Kumamoto

Kanto University League: Tsukuba [2 - 1] Toin University of Yokohama

Danish 1st Division: Nykobing [0 - 3] Fredericia

Morten is a popular name in Denmark. It's also sometimes employed on Pie and Bovril to remind Morton supporters of this result:

2014/5/3        Hamilton Academical 10 - 2 Morton

Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur [2 - 1] Vaduz

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken [3 - 2] Mainz 05 II

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Clydebank [3 - 0] Largs Thistle

Which Scottish clubs have gone to the UEFA Women's Cup/Champions League, and how did they do?

2001-02    Ayr United        2QR

2002-03    Kilmarnock       2QR

2003-04    Kilmarnock       2QR

2004-05    Hibernian         1QR

2005-06    Glasgow City    1QR

2006-07    Hibernian         1QR

2007-08    Hibernian         1QR

2008-09    Glasgow City    2QR

2009-10    Glasgow City    QR

2010-11    Glasgow City    QR

2011-12    Glasgow City    R16

2012-13    Glasgow City    R32

2013-14    Glasgow City    R16

2014-15    Glasgow City    QF

2015-16    Glasgow City    R32

2016-17    Glasgow City    R32

                  Hibernian         R32

2017-18    Glasgow City    R32

                  Hibernian         QR

2018-19    Glasgow City    R16 so far

"Oh! There's a Judo 5 concert in Greenock tonight!"

Migrant Greenock

Rollo Campbell, Two Lectures on Canada, delivered in the Sheriff Court Hall, Greenock, published in 1857, when you could still book passage to Canada and die of typhoid fever before you got there. Source.

Championship. Partick Thistle and Dundee United are out of the Challenge Cup, so they've moved their October 30th fixture to today, just because Saturday afternoons are better than Tuesday nights. Morton cannot do the same however because their two scheduled Tuesday games are against Queen of the South who are still in the cup. Ayr United, ICT and Falkirk are also idle. [Partick 1 - 2 Dundee United.]

Managerial chairs: Partick sacked their manager Alan Archibald after last Saturday's loss. Berwick Rangers gave Robbie Horn the heave-ho. Dumbarton fired Stevie Aitken. Airdrieonians axed Steve Findlay. Robbie Neilson, who has managed Hearts and Milton Keynes Dons, becomes the new manager at Dundee United. Queen's Park have hired Mark Roberts who managed Ayr United from 2012 to 2014.

1928-29. Morton hosted Stenhousemuir and won 3 - 0.

1951-52. October 10th: Morton 0 - 1 Celtic.

October 13th: Hibs 1 - 0 Morton.

Morton have played three 1 - 1 draws in the past month. Sometimes a 1 - 1 draw comes as a crushing disappointment (September 15th vs Dundee United), sometimes as an escape from the jaws of defeat (September 22nd vs Dunfermline), and sometimes it's an accurate reflection of an even match (October 6th vs ICT). In which seasons did Morton rack up the most 1 - 1 draws in league play?

2016-17        10        (in 36 games)

1922-23          8        (in 38 games)

1989-90          8        (in 39 games)

It's the third round of the Challenge Cup. Non-Scottish clubs have never met in the Challenge Cup until now. In this round it happens twice. The matches are:

Bohemians vs Sutton United

Ireland vs England. Bohemians have played an English club once before. They faced Newcastle United in the 1977-78 UEFA Cup and lost by an aggregate score of 4 - 0. Sutton United are currently 9th out of 24 in the National League. Bohemians are 6th out of 10 in the League of Ireland Premier Division.

How keen will Bohemians be to win this game? On the one hand it's a home fixture against an English club. On the other hand a win would commit them to a quarter-final in late November, three weeks after the end of their season. This hasn't come up before because last year the League of Ireland clubs were out by September 2nd.

[0 - 0. Bohemians win on PK.]

Connah's Quay Nomads [2 - 0] Coleraine

Wales vs Northern Ireland. Connah's Quay are 2nd in the Welsh Premier League. Coleraine are 5th out of 12 in the NIFL Premiership.

Motherwell colts [2 - 0] Sligo Rovers

Colts.

Dunfermline [2 - 2] Alloa. [Alloa advance on PK.]

This is the only Championship pairing. They have never met in the Challenge Cup before.

East Fife [2 - 0] Queen of the South

These two met once before in the Challenge Cup, eight years ago. QoS won 5 - 0.

[With this win East Fife have won seven in a row, league and cup.]

Ross County [3 - 1] Montrose

Ross County knocked Montrose out of this cup in 2005.

Arbroath 1 - 4 Edinburgh City (yesterday)

League One leader vs League Two leader. These two have never met in the Challenge Cup before.

[With this win Edinburgh City have won ten games in a row, league and cup.]

St Mirren colts [2 - 4] Queen's Park

More colts.

The New Saints versus the world, 2016 to now:

2016/6/28      The New Saints 2 - 1 Tre Penne

2016/7/5        Tre Penne 0 - 3 The New Saints

2016/7/12      The New Saints 0 - 0 APOEL

2016/7/19      APOEL 3 - 0 The New Saints

2016/10/8      Forfar 1 - 3 The New Saints

2016/11/13    Livingston 0 - 3 The New Saints

2017/2/19      St Mirren 4 - 1 The New Saints

2017/6/27      The New Saints 1 - 2 Europa FC

2017/7/4        Europa FC 1 - 3 The New Saints

2017/7/11      Rijeka 2 - 0 The New Saints

2017/7/18      The New Saints 1 - 5 Rijeka

2017/9/3        The New Saints 1 - 1 Livingston (TNS won on PK.)

2017/10/7      The New Saints 4 - 0 Elgin City

2017/11/12    The New Saints 0 - 0 QoS (THS won on PK.)

2018/2/17      The New Saints 1 - 2 Dumbarton

2018/7/10      Shkëndija 5 - 0 The New Saints

2018/7/17      The New Saints 4 - 0 Shkëndija

2018/7/26      The New Saints 2 - 1 Lincoln Red Imps

2018/8/2        Lincoln Red Imps 1 - 1 The New Saints

2018/8/9        The New Saints 0 - 2 Midtjylland

2018/8/16      Midtjylland 3 - 1 The New Saints

2018/9/8        The New Saints 2 - 2 Queen's Park [Queen's Park won on PK.]

Heart of Midlothian in the Challenge Cup:

2014/7/26      R1      Hearts 3 - 1 Annan Athletic

2014/8/20      R2      Livingston 4 - 1 Hearts

Annan are the only club Hearts have ever beaten in the Challenge Cup.

Gretna versus the world:

2006/8/10      Gretna 1 - 5 Derry City      UEFA Cup 2QR      Report.

2006/8/24      Derry City 2 - 2 Gretna      UEFA Cup 2QR      Report.

When did Morton last play a competitive match against a non-Scottish side that wasn't Berwick Rangers?

1980/9/30      Morton 1 - 1 Notts County      Anglo-Scottish Cup, QF leg 2

Arthurlie vs Stenhousemuir. These clubs played each other in five Division Two seasons, 1924-25 to 1928-29. Arthurlie won five, Stenny three, with one draw. Scoring: 24 (Arthurlie), 17 (Stenhousemuir). The second match of 1928-29 was never played.

I haven't been paying much attention to the SPFL Reserve League, but Morton are doing pretty well. They are 5th in the top division, ahead of every other Championship reserve squad except Ross County's, and well ahead of Celtic's reserve squad, who groundshare Cappielow. The Reserve League is made up of a top division of 18 teams, and a second division (accurately named League Two) of nine. There's also a Reserve Cup for the top division, and a Reserve Challenge Cup for League Two. The Reserve League Cup starts day after tomorrow.

Kelty Hearts are atop the Lowland League table. It seems crazy, but next year Ayr United could be in the Premiership, Arbroath in the Championship, Edinburgh City in League One, and Kelty Hearts in League Two.

How many soccer pitches are there in an acre? About four and a half.

SWFL Division 1 South: Morton [0 - 2] Blackburn United (Oct 14th)

J2: Mito HollyHock [0 - 1] Tokyo Verdy (Oct 14th)

Kanto University League: Tsukuba [4 - 0] Kokushikan

USL: Ottawa Fury [0 - 2] Charleston Battery

This concludes the USL regular season. [Ottawa miss the playoffs.]

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia vs Viborg (Oct 14th) (Oct 25th)

Regionalliga Südwest: Astoria Walldorf [3 - 6] 1. FC Saarbrücken

Yes, FC Astoria Walldorf is named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [3 - 0] Cambuslang Rangers

The Angus derby table:

                        P    W    D    L    F    A    GD    Pts

Arbroath          3     2     1     0    9    3    +6    7

Montrose         3     1     1     1    4    7    -3     4

Brechin            3     0     2     1    4    5    -1     2

Forfar               3     0     2     1    4    6    -2     2

Touristic Inverness

The Scottish Kiltmaker Visitor Centre, Inverness. Comments on Trip Advisor include "Pricey," "Waste of time," "Was not interested in giving us a tour," and "Very Disappointing." Source.

Morton visit Inverness Caledonian Thistle. ICT hold third place with 13 points. Morton are sixth with 9 points. Morton can finish the day anywhere from fourth place to eighth. Inverness can finish anywhere from top to fourth. ICT have not lost a league match yet this season, so a Morton win today would be a season highlight. ICT are coming off a scoreless draw with QoS. Morton are trying to forget about a 5 - 1 loss to Ayr United.

Morton's Connor Bell played for Inverness last season.

Caledonian Thistle have a Canadian player, Charlie Trafford, who before this played mainly in the Finnish and Polish leagues.

Greenock Morton now has two employees named Mark Farrell: Mark Farrell the groundskeeper, and Mark Farrell the head of football science and medicine.

Other matches of the day: Partick Thistle (7th) [0 - 2] Ross County (2nd).

This is the first meeting of these two since their joint relegation from the Premiership. Though the Highland Derby will draw more attention, this pairing has a lot of interest, as the Staggies and the Jags had very similar journeys in the top tier. Ross County went up in 2012 and finished 5th, 7th, 9th, 6th, 7th and 12th, making the split twice. Partick went up the following year and finished 10th, 8th, 9th, 6th and 11th, making the split once.

Ayr United (1st) [2 - 0] Dundee United (4th)

This is the Tangerines' first match après-László.

Falkirk (10th) [0 - 2] Dunfermline (8th). [Ha ha.]

Every match between Falkirk and Dunfermline is a grudge match.

QoS (5th) [3 - 3] Alloa (9th)

Stephen Dobbie has been named Championship player of the month for September. He has 9 league goals plus 12 goals in cup competition. Alloa Athletic as a group have 3 league goals so far.

[ICT 1 - 1 Morton. Goal by Telfer. Morton slip to 7th place.]

Managerial chairs: Csaba László and Dundee United parted ways after that 5 - 1 loss to Ross County. Stirling Albion sacked Dave MacKay.

Television: The SPFL has cut a deal with BBC Alba to show 20 Championship matches per year, which presumeably means Morton will get on TV at least once this season.

Premiership watch: Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen all sit mid-table behind Hearts, Hibs, Livi and Killie. This really could be the year a non-Old Firm club wins the title.

When have Morton allowed 5 or more goals at Cappielow in the 21st Century?

2018/9/29      Morton 1 - 5 Ayr United

2013/11/23    Morton 1 - 5 Livingston

2001/1/2        Morton 0 - 6 Ayr United

2000/9/30      Morton 1 - 5 Airdrieonians

When have Dundee United allowed 5 or more at Tannadice this century?

2018/9/29      Dundee United 1 - 5 Ross County

2007/1/1        Dundee United 1 - 5 Falkirk

2003/11/22    Dundee United 1 - 5 Celtic

2001/9/22      Dundee United 1 - 6 Rangers

2000/9/23      Dundee United 3 - 5 Aberdeen

Current winless streaks (league + cup):

0        Ayr United

0        Ross County

0        Dunfermline

0        Falkirk

1        Dundee United

1        Partick

2        Inverness CT

3        Queen of the South

3        Alloa

4        Morton

Morton's wins at Cappielow and away in recent years:

                   home     away

2018-19         3            1

2017-18        10           8

2016-17        12           9

2015-16         9            8

2014-15        15          11

2013-14         6            3

2012-13        14          10

2011-12         6             9

2010-11         7             7

2009-10         6             8

Robert Thomson's goals for Morton:

date                 venue              opponent             goalkeeper       competition

2017/7/29        Cappielow       Edinburgh City        C.Antell         League Cup

2017/7/29        Cappielow       Edinburgh City        C.Antell         League Cup

2017/8/19        Caledonian      Inverness CT     Mark Ridgers     league

2017/9/9          Cappielow       Dunfermline       Sean Murdoch    league

2017/11/25      Falkirk              Falkirk            Robbie Thomson   league

2017/11/25      Falkirk              Falkirk            Robbie Thomson   league

1928-29. On October 1st, Morton visited Arthurlie and won 2 - 4 in the second leg of the 1927-28 Renfrewshire Victoria Cup final, winning the cup.

On October 6th Morton visited Dundee United and lost 3 - 0. They were now fourth in the table with 11 points and a 1.7273 goal average.

1951-52. East Fife visited Cappielow and won 0 - 2. The Early Fifties were East Fife's glory days.

Arthurlie vs Cowdenbeath. These two appeared together in the Scottish League Division Two from 1905-06 to 1914-15. Arthurlie won 11, Cowdenbeath 7, with 2 draws. Arthurlie outscored Cowdenbeath 29 to 27. They also met in Round One of the 1924-25 Scottish Cup. Arthurlie won 3 - 1. Arthurlie were greater than Cowdenbeath.

Europa League group stage, matchday 2:

Group B: Red Bull Salzburg 3 - 1 Celtic

Celtic are third in Group B.

Group G: Rangers 3 - 1 Rapid Wien

Rangers are on top of Group G.

Group I: Malmö 2 - 0 Beşiktaş

At the moment everyone in Group I has 3 points and a 0 gd. Malmö are in last place due to their low scoring.

AFC Champions League, semi-finals, first leg:

Kashima Antlers 3 - 2 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Allsvenskan: BK Häcken [1 - 1] Malmö FF (Oct 7th)

J2: Ardija Omiya [2 - 1] Mito HollyHock

Mito have been awarded a conditional J1 license. But they're going to have to finish at least sixth to use it. Currently they're in twelfth place.

Kanto University League: Hosei [0 - 2] Tsukuba (Oct 7th)

Danish 1st Division: Thisted [0 Fredericia (Oct 7th)

Charles Darwin's Danish translator Jens Peter Jacobsen was from Thisted.

Swiss Challenge League: Aarau [2 - 3] Winterthur (Oct 7th)

Aarau, their name a cry of anguish, occupy last place with a win, a draw and seven losses.

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken [2 - 0] Elversberg

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Troon [1 - 0] Largs Thistle

SWFL Division 1 South: Westerlands [6 - 2] Morton (Oct 7th)

37th Tohoku Women's Football Championship (Oct 8):

Third place game: Tokiwa Gakuen High School [13 - 0] Tsuruoka High School

Final: Seiwa Gakuen High School [0 - 1] Sendai University

FAI Cup semi-final replay (Oct 8): Cork City [2 - 1] Bohemians

The Scottish Cup got rid of semi-final replays in 2007.

Hamish MacCunn

Pianist and composer Hamish MacCunn (1868-1916) grew up on Ardgowan Street in Greenock. Listen as the Glasgow Philharmonia performs "Land of the Mountain and the Flood" (1887), written when he was 19. Read a biography.

Morton host Ayr United. These two have already met once: Ayr beat Morton 3 - 1 in the first game of the League Cup group stage. Former Morton man Lawrence Shankland scored a hat trick.

Ayr United are back in the Championship after an absence of one season. Since the introduction of the four tiers in 1994, no club has entered the second tier as many times as Ayr United (six times) or exited as often (five times). Last season we determined that Ayr United are statistically the SPFL's median club.

This year they are above average. They have held first place three out of six weeks in 2018-19, and they were the only Championship side to make this year's League Cup quarter-finals. (Rangers knocked them out Wednesday.)

If they are still in first place at season's end they will go into the top division for the first time since 1978 and repeat Livingston's trick of shooting through the Championship from League One to the Premiership in one year.

Ayr, Inverness CT, Ross County and Dundee United all have a shot at first place today. Morton can finish the afternoon anywhere from second place to sixth. To climb to second Morton must beat Ayr by three goals, Dundee United and Ross County must play to a draw, and QoS must beat ICT.

Lewis Strapp and Ruaridh Langan have been loaned out to Annan Athletic till January.

The other matches: Dunfermline 1 - 0 Partick (yesterday)

Alloa [0 - 2] Falkirk

Falkirk must beat Alloa by three goals to climb out of the basement.

Dundee United [1 - 5] Ross County

ICT [0 - 0] QoS

[Morton 1 - 5 Ayr. Yikes! Two for Shankland.]

1928-29. Morton hosted Dunfermline Athletic and played to a 1 - 1 draw.

1951-52. Morton visited Airdrieonians and won 3 - 5. After the day's results Morton were on top of the league with 6 points and a 1.8333 goal average.

Managerial chairs: John McGlynn got the Raith job. He previously managed the club from 2006 to 2012. Jim Duffy is still out of work.

Angus derby: Montrose [2 - 2] Forfar

The League Cup quarter-finals were held midweek:

Hibs 0 - 0 Aberdeen. Dons win on penalties.

Rangers 4 - 0 Ayr United

The last time Ayr United beat Rangers was October 11th, 1975.

St Johnstone 0 - 1 Celtic

Hearts 4 - 2 Motherwell

Which clubs have made it to the League Cup quarter-finals most often?

57    Rangers

56    Celtic

38    Hibs

38    Aberdeen

36    Hearts

35    Dundee United

24    Dundee

24    St Johnstone

23    Motherwell

20    Kilmarnock

Arthurlie versus Ayr United. These two played six seasons together in Division Two, three before the First World War, and three in the late Twenties. In twelve games United took seven wins, Arthurlie one, with four draws. Scoring favoured the Honest Men 24 to 11.

When did each 2018-19 Championship club last finish higher than Morton?

last year    Partick Thistle (11th, Premiership)

last year    Ross County (12th, Premiership)

last year    Dundee United (3rd, Championship)

last year    Dunfermline (4th, Championship)

last year    ICT (5th, Championship)

last year    QoS (6th, Championship)

2016-17    Falkirk (2nd, Championship)

2014-15    Alloa (9th, Championship)

2003-04    Ayr United (9th, First Division)

When did each last finish lower than Morton?

last year    Falkirk (8th, Championship)

last year    Ayr United (1st, League One)

last year    Alloa (3rd, League One)

2016-17    Dunfermline (5th, Championship)

2016-17    QoS (6th, Championship)

2010-11    Ross County (8th, First Division)

2005-06    Partick Thistle (4th, Second Division)

1998-99    ICT (2nd, Second Division)

1967-68    Dundee United (11th, Division One)

Jim McAlister's goals for Morton:

Date                 Park                Opponent      Competition

2004/8/14        Cappielow        Stranraer        league

2005/4/2          Glebe Park       Brechin           league

2005/11/12    Recreation Park    Alloa            league

2005/12/6        Cappielow        Ayr United      league

2006/1/21        Cappielow        Alloa               league

2006/3/28        Cappielow        Dumbarton     league

2006/9/9        Central Park    Cowdenbeath    league

2006/9/30        Cappielow        Brechin           league

2006/12/16      Glebe Park       Brechin           league

2007/1/20        Cappielow     Stirling Albion    league

2007/2/17        Cappielow        Ayr United       league

2007/8/4          Cappielow        Clyde              league

2007/9/4          Balmoor           Peterhead      Challenge Cup

2007/12/22      Firhill                Partick            league

2008/1/12        Cappielow        Gretna           Scottish Cup

2008/3/22        Cappielow        Livingston       league

2008/4/5          Cappielow        Dundee          league

2008/9/23        Cappielow     Inverness CT    League Cup

2010/3/20        Cappielow        Partick            league

Matches at Cappielow September 2018:

Sept 17      Celtic reserves 2 - 0 Aberdeen reserves

Sept 22      Morton 1 - 1 Dunfermline

Sept 25      Morton reserves 3 - 1 Celtic reserves

Sept 29      Morton [1 - 5] Ayr United

SWFL Division 1 South: Morton [1 - 4] Boroughmuir Thistle

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

Glasgow City 0 - 1 Barcelona FA (Cyprus)

Glasgow City advance on aggregate.

J2: Mito HollyHock [1 - 2] Oita Trinita

Kanto University League: Tsukuba [2 - 3] Toyo

Allsvenskan:

IFK Norrköping 3 - 1 Malmö FF (Sept 26)

Malmö FF [0 - 0] GIF Sundsvall (Sept 30)

USL: Ottawa Fury [0 - 0] Bethlehem Steel

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [1 - 2] Silkeborg

Swiss Challenge League:

Winterthur 2 - 1 Lausanne (Sept 26)

Winterthur [0 - 1] Chiasso (today)

FAI Cup semi-finals:

Dundalk 1 - 0 UCD (yesterday)

Bohemians [1 - 1] Cork City (tomorrow) [Replay Oct 8.]

Cork City last won this trophy last year, Dundalk in 2015, Bohemians in 2008, and UCD in 1984.

How UCD got here:

R1        UCD 2 - 0 Pike Rovers

R2        CIE Ranch 2 - 6 UCD

QF        UCD 2 - 1 Waterford

Regionalliga Südwest: FC 08 Homburg [2 - 1] 1. FC Saarbrücken

Ancient Saarlandish rivals. Read a history of FC 08 Homburg here.