Plenty of Nothing

2022-23 Scottish Cup Final

ICT on their 2015 cup run. Source.

It's the 2022-23 Scottish Cup final: Celtic versus Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Inverness CT have reached the final only once before, in 2015, and they won, after having first beaten Celtic in the semi-final. Celtic and Caley Thistle have met in the Scottish Cup seven times before today, and Inverness have prevailed three times. (But, to be fair, Celtic met Inverness Caledonian in 1930 and Inverness Thistle in 1985 and beat them both 6 - 0.)

If ICT win they will draw even with St Johnstone, who have two Scottish Cups from two Scottish Cup finals. And even if they lose they will have done in 30 years what it has taken Morton 150 to do, namely, become Scottish Cup champions once and runners-up once. If they win they will be the first club outside the top division to do it since Hibs in 2015-16 and only the fourth overall.

If Celtic win they will have completed their eighth domestic treble, which would be a world record. They won the League Cup on February 26th, and the league title on May 7th.

[Celtic 3 - 1 Inverness CT]

Scottish Junior Cup final (yesterday):

Cumnock Juniors 1 - 0 Rutherglen Glencairn

Premiership playoff final:

Partick Thistle 2 - 0 Ross County (June 1)

Ross County [3 - 1] Partick Thistle (tomorrow)

[Ross County win on PK and stay up.]

Canadian Premier League:

The CPL season is 1/4 done. HFX Wanderers are seventh with 6 draws and 1 loss. If they continue in their present form they will finish the season with 24 draws and 4 losses. The current record for draws in a season is 12, held by York United.

Atlético Ottawa [2 - 0] HFX Wanderers

Other matches:

ProStars 2 - 0 Scrosoppi (May 30)

UCD 1 - 3 St. Patrick's (yesterday)

St Catharines Roma [1 - 2] Scrosoppi (yesterday)

NPL2 Vic: Preston Lions 2 - 1 Dandenong City (yesterday)

Sanfrecce Hiroshima [1 - 0] Elfen Saitama (yesterday)

Minaj [0 - 3] Zorya Luhansk (tomorrow)

This ends the Ukrainian Premier League schedule. [Minaj finish 10th out of 16.]

There was brawl at a Turkish hotel back in February between FC Minaj players and players from Russian club Shinnick Yaroslavl. Read.

Omiya Ardija [1 - 2] Mito HollyHock

Suzuka Point Getters [0 - 4] Honda FC

Blancdieu Hirosaki [16 - 0] Morioka Zebra (tomorrow)

Wyvern vs Fujieda City Hall (tomorrow) [postponed]

Swiss Cup (tomorrow):

BSC Young Boys [3 - 2] Lugano

2023 Concacaf Champions League final:

First leg (May 31): 

León 2 - 1 Los Angeles FC

Second leg (tomorrow): 

Los Angeles FC [0 - 1] León

2023 UEFA Europa League final (May 31):

Sevilla 1 - 1 Roma    (Sevilla win on PK.)

Mortonalia:

Jai Quitongo has signed on for next season.

Morton will vote No to the Scottish Conference League when the SFA clubs meet Tuesday.

Dumbartonalia:

Broomhill will be groundsharing at Dumbarton Stadium next season, which means Rangers B will not.

How did the 2022-23 Championship clubs fare in the cups?

                        Scottish Cup     League Cup    Challenge Cup        score

Inverness CT        [F]                     R2                   QF                       [10]

Hamilton               R5                     GS                   winner                  9

Raith Rovers        QF                     GS                   F                           9

Dundee                R4                      QF                   SF                        8

Partick Thistle      R5                      QF                   R3                        6

Arbroath               R4                     R2                    QF                        6

Morton                  R4                     GS                   QF                        5

Ayr United            QF                     GS                   R3                        5

Queen's Park       R4                      GS                   QF                       5

Cove Rangers      R4                     GS                   R3                        3

scoring: Scottish Cup R4 = 1, R5 = 2, QF = 3, SF = 4, F = 5, winner = 6; League Cup GS = 1, R2 = 2, QF = 3; Challenge Cup R3 = 1, R4 = 2, QF = 3, SF = 4, F = 5, winner = 6

Championship versus Premiership 2022-23:

2022/7/9        St Mirren 0 - 1 Arbroath    LCup GS

2022/7/12      Livingston 1 - 2 Inverness CT    LCup GS

2022/7/13      Kilmarnock 1 - 1 Partick Thistle (Partick won on PK)    LCup GS

2022/7/16      Cove Rangers 1 - 2 Livingston    LCup GS

2022/7/20      Hibs 0 - 3 Morton (awarded)   LCup GS

2022/7/23      St Johnstone 1 - 0 Ayr United    LCup GS

2022/7/24      Aberdeen 3 - 0 Raith Rovers    LCup GS

2022/8/31      Motherwell 4 - 0 Inverness CT    LCup R2

2022/10/19    Rangers 1 - 0 Dundee    LCup QF

2022/10/19    Aberdeen 4 - 1 Partick Thistle    LCup QF

2023/1/21      Arbroath 0 - 2 Motherwell    SCup R4

2023/1/21      St Mirren 0 - 0 Dundee (St Mirren won on PK)    SCup R4

2023/1/21      Hamilton 0 - 0 Ross County (Accies won on PK)    SCup R4

2023/1/21      Celtic 5 - 0 Morton    SCup R4

2023/2/10      Hamilton 0 - 2 Hearts    SCup R5

2023/2/11      Raith Rovers vs Motherwell    SCup R5

2023/2/11      Livingston vs Inverness CT    SCup R5

2023/2/12      Rangers vs Partick Thistle    SCup R5

2023/3/10      Inverness CT 2 - 1 Kilmarnock    SCup QF

2023/6/3        Celtic vs Inverness CT    SCup final

Which Scottish clubs have played the most playoff games?

32        New Airdrieonians

30        Queen's Park

28        Alloa

26        Cowdenbeath

24        Brechin

22        Stranraer

Historical matches:

1944/6/3        Raith Rovers 1 - 2 Morton    Summer Cup R1, first leg

When World War Two broke out the powers that be hastily cancelled all football. But they soon came around to the view that instead of no football there should be as much a possible, even in the close season. Hence the Summer Cup, which was played in June throughout the war, sometimes beginning in May and sometimes ending in July.

It was to be a busy week. The Allies entered Rome on June 4th, and invaded Normandy on June 6th.

North American Soccer League:

1967/5/31      Hibs 1 - 2 Aberdeen

1967/6/4        ADO Den Haag 0 - 2 Hibs

Early Glasgow football clubs with compass point names in the Scottish Cup:

Southern FC in the Scottish Cup:

1873/10/25    R1    3rd LRV wo/scr Southern

Western FC in the Scottish Cup:

1873/10/25    R1    Western 0 - 1 Byythswood

1874/10/24    R1    Western 0 - 1 Queen's Park

1875/10/23    R1    Caledonian 0 - 0 Western

1875/10/30    R1    Caledonian 0 - 3 Western

1875/11/6      R2    Western 3 - 0 Sandyford

1875/11/27    R3    Western 3 - 0 Helensburgh

1875/12/18    QF    3rd LRV 5 - 0 Western

1876/9/30      R1    Govan wo/scr Western

Eastern FC in the Scottish Cup:

1873/10/18    R1    Eastern 4 - 0 Rovers

1873/11/22    R2    Queen's Park 1 - 0 Eastern

1874/10/17    R1    Eastern 3 - 0  23rd Renfrewshire RV

1874/11/21    R2    Kilmarnock 0 - 3 Eastern

1874/12/26    R3    Renton 1 - 0 Eastern

1875/10/16    R1    Clydesdale 1 - 0 Eastern

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

South Western FC in the Scottish Cup:

1876/9/30      R1    1st LRV 0 - 1 South Western

1876/10/28    R2    South Western 0 - 2 Dumbreck

1877/9/29      R1    South Western 8 - 0 Our Boys

1877/10/27    R2    South Western 2 - 0 Havelock

1877/11/10    R3    South Western 4 - 0  1st LRV

1877/12/1      R4    South Western 5 - 0 Glengowan

1877/12/29    R5    Hibs 1 - 3 South Western

1878/1/12      QF    South Western 1 - 0  3rd LRV (protested)

1878/1/19      QF    South Western 1 - 2  3rd LRV

1878/10/5      R1    South Western 2 - 0 Caledonian

1878/10/19    R2    South Western 5 - 0 Petershill (protested)

1878/10/26    R2    South Western 8 - 0 Petershill

1878/11/2      R3    3rd LRV 2 - 1 South Western

1879/9/20      R1    Whiteinch scr/wo South Western

1879/10/11    R2    South Western 9 - 0 Athole

1879/11/1      R3    South Western 2 - 1 John Elder

1879/11/22    R4    South Western 4 - 0 Arbroath

1879/12/27    R5    Parkgrove 2 - 3 South Western

1880/1/3        QF    Pollokshields Athletic 6 - 1 South Western

1880/9/11      R1    South Western 7 - 0 Ingram

1880/10/9      R2    South Western 2 - 0 Partick

1880/10/23    R3    bye

1880/11/13    R4    Arthurlie 4 - 3 South Western (protested)

1880/11/27    R4    Arthurlie 2 - 1 South Western

1881/9/17      R1    South Western wo/scr Jordanhill

1881/10/1      R2    Eastern Athletic scr/wo South Western

1881/11/5      R3    South Western 1 - 0 Partick

1881/11/12    R4    bye

1881/12/3      R5    South Western 1 - 2 Rangers (protested)

1881/12/24    R5    Rangers 4 - 0 South Western

1882/9/9        R1    South Western 0 - 3  3rd LRV

1883/9/8        R1    Battlefield 8 - 1 South Western

Northern FC in the Scottish Cup:

1875/10/16    R1    Northern 4 - 0 Ramblers

1875/11/6      R2    Queen's Park 5 - 0 Northern

1876/9/30      R1    Northern 12 - 0 Telegraphers

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

1876/11/11    R3    St Clement 1 - 2 Northern

1876/12/2      R4    Queen's Park 4 - 0 Northern

1877/9/29      R1    Northern 3 - 0 Pollokshields Athletic

1877/10/20    R2    Northern 1 - 2 Sandyford

1878/9/28      R1    Northern 2 - 2 Partick

1878/10/5      R1    Partick 2 - 0 Northern

1879/9/20      R1    Northern 3 - 0 Thistle

1879/10/11    R2    Whitefield 3 - 1 Northern (protested)

1879/10/25    R2    Northern wo/scr Whitefield

1879/11/1      R3    Pollokshields Athletic 2 - 1 Northern

1880/9/11      R1    Northern 3 - 1  3rd LRV

1880/10/2      R2    Northern 0 - 1 Rangers

1881/9/10      R1    Battlefield 1 - 3 Northern

1881/10/1      R2    Luton 1 - 9 Northern

1881/10/22    R3    Northern 1 - 2 Clyde

1882/9/16      R1    1st LRV 0 - 4 Northern

1882/9/30      R2    Northern 0 - 0 Pollokshields Athletic

1882/10/7      R3    Pollokshields 4 - 0 Northern

1883/9/8        R1    Northern 0 - 1 Rangers

1884/9/13      R1    Northern 6 - 4 Glasgow University YMCA

1884/10/4      R2    Granton 1- 3 Northern

1884/10/25    R3    Renton 9 - 2 Northern

1885/9/12      R1    Northern 4 - 1 Linthouse

1885/10/3      R2    Northern 7 - 2 Whitefield

1885/10/24    R3    Cowlairs 2 - 1 Northern

1886/9/11      R1    Northern 1 - 4  3rd LRV

1887/9/3        R1    Northern 5 - 1 Govan Athletic

1887/9/24      R2    Northern 6 - 3 Shettleston

1887/10/15    R1    Northern 3 - 4 Albion Rovers

1888/9/8        R1    Northern 2 - 3 Queen's Park

1889/9/7        R1    Whitefield 0 - 5 Northern

1889/9/28      R2    Clyde 1 - 2 Northern

1889/10/19    R3    Northern 2 - 1 Carfin Shamrock (abandoned)

1889/11/2      R3    Northern 3 - 4 Carfin Shamrock

1890/9/6        R1    Northern 5 - 0 Clydesdale (protested)

1890/9/20      R1    Northern 7 - 1 Clydesdale

1890/9/27      R2    Queen's Park 5 - 1 Northern

1891/11/28    R1    Broxburn Shamrock 7 - 2 Northern

1892/11/26    R1    Northern 1 - 3 Leith Athletic

1893/9/2      PR1   Northern 0 - 3 Wishaw Thistle

1894/9/1      PR1   Northern 3 - 3 Gordon Highlanders

1894/9/8      PR1   Northern 4 - 1 Gordon Highlanders

1894/9/22    PR2   Hamilton Harp 0 - 0 Northern

1894/9/29    PR2   Northern 4 - 1 Hamilton Harp

1894/10/13  PR3   bye

1894/11/3    PR4   Forfar 4 - 0 Northern

1895/8/31    QC1   Hamilton Harp 5 - 2 Northern

1896/8/29    QC1   Wishaw Thistle wo/scr Northern

(Source: The Beautiful Dribbling Game)

Seasons of Largs Thistle, Revised

Barrfields. Source.

This is an improved list of Largs Thistle seasons, still not complete but better than the one I posted two years ago. It's drawn almost entirely from the excellent Scottish Football Historical Archives league tables.

1888-89                                                                                             WaCup

1889-90                                                                                             WaCup

 

1891-92                                                                                             L&DJCup

 

1895-96                                                                                             AyrDCup

 

1906-07    19      5     4    10    28    32      -4    14    10th, NDJL

 

1922-23                                                                                             A&SHCup

1923-24    34    15     4    15    56    51     +5    34    10th, WJL

1924-25    34    13     3    18    41    74    -33    29    15th, WJL        AyrLCup

1925-26    32    10     6    16    56    69    -13    26    15th, WJL

1926-27    34    18     3    13    83    79     +4    39      6th, WJL

1927-28    32    10     4    18    57    71    -14    24    14th, WIL

1928-29    30      9     4    17    56    99    -43    22    14th, WIL

1929-30    26    11     3    12    74    75      -1    25      8th, WIL

1930-31    20      5     5    10    40    53    -13    15      8th, WIL

1931-32    26    13     4      9    58    52     +6    30      6th, WL

1932-33    26    13     4      9    60    50   +10    30      4th, WL

1933-34    30      5     7    17?  49    84    -35    17    16th, WL

1934-35    32    11     7    14    58    69      -9    29      9th, WL

1935-36    32    11     2    19    71    97    -26    24    14th, WL

1936-37    32    12    5    15    63    81    -18     29    11th, WL            StVdPChCup

1937-38    34      7    7    20    67    86    -19     21    18th, WL

1938-39    38    10  11    17    83  109    -26     31    15th, WL

1939-40    10      3    1      6                                7    19th, WL

1939-40    12      0    4      8                                4    12th, WLNS

1946-47    26      8     3    15    60    79    -19    19      9th, WLNS

1947-48    26    13     1    12    55    46    +9     27      8th, WLNS

1948-49    26    13     4      9    64    45   +19    30      5th, WLNS

1949-50    30      9     7    14    55    60     -5     25    12th, WLNS

1950-51    30    11     4    15    43    60    -17    26    11th, WLNS

1951-52    30    14     5    11    70    63     +7    33      6th, WLNS

1952-53    30    19     6     5    85    58    +27    44      3rd, WLNS

1953-54    30    14     3   13    67    71       -4    31      9th, WLNS

1954-55    30    17     6     7   101    61    +40   40      3rd, WLNS

1955-56    30    25     4     1   114    40    +74   54      1st, WLNS          A&SHCup

1956-57    30    18     5     7     95    52    +43   41      3rd, WLNS         AyrDCup

1957-58    30    20     6     4   123    60    +63   46      2nd, WLNS        AyrLCup

1958-59    28    13    10    5     69    31    +38   36       4th, WLNS        A&SHCup

1959-60    28      9     6    13    58    68    -10    24     11th, WLNS

1960-61    28    15     2    11    74    54    +20   32       6th, WLNS

1961-62    28    13     4    11    66    59     +7    30       7th, WLNS

1962-63    28    12     6    10    56    63     -7     30       8th, WLNS

1963-64    28    13     5    10    57    60     -3     31       7th, WLNS

1964-65    28      9     4    15    62    81    -19    22     10th, WLNS

1965-66    28      5     5    18    43    98    -55    15     14th, WLNS

1966-67    28    10     7    11    57    61     -4     27       8th, WLNS

1967-68    26      6     7    13    44    75    -31    19     12th, WLNS

1968-89    22    13     4      3    68    43   +25    32      3rd, ALNS

1969-70    20      3     2    15    29    68    -39      8    11th, ALNS

1970-71    20    14     2      4    59    41   +18    30     2nd, ALNS

1971-72    20    10     2      8    52    43     +9    22     3rd, ALNS

1972-73    20      5     5    10    29    44    -15    14     9th, ALNS

1973-74    20      9     3      8    39    41      -2    21     5th, ALNS

1974-75    18      5     5      8    32    26     +6    15     7th, ALNS

1975-76    18      9     3      6    31    29     +2    21     4th, ALNS

1976-77    18      2     3    13    24    58    -34      7    10th, AL1

1977-78    22    11     6      5    47    30   +17    28     2nd, AL2

1978-79    20      4     4    12    23    38    -15    12     9th, AL1

1979-80    22      9     3    10    44    47      -3    21     8th, AL2

1980-81    22      8     5      9    36    45      -9    21     7th, AL2

1981-82    22    11     4      7    34    31     +3    26     3rd, AL2

1982-83    20      2     3    15    18    64    -46      7    10th, AL1

1983-84    22    12     4      6    53    32   +21    28      1st, AL2

1984-85    20      5     5    10    33    47    -14    15      8th, AL1

1985-86    20      6     3    11    28    40    -12    15    10th, AL1

1986-87    22    11     2      9    38    35     +3    24      5th, AL2

1987-88    22    15     3      4    48    23   +25    33     2nd, AL2

1988-89    20      5     2    13    31    53    -22    12    10th, AL1

1989-90    22      7     4    11    47    51      -4    18      8th, AL2

1990-91    22    15     3     4    48    26    +22    33      3rd, AL2        WoScCup

1991-92    20      4     2   14    27    51     -24    10    11th, AL1

1992-93    20    11     5     4    39    22    +17     27     4th, AL2

1993-94    22    15     4     3    50    19    +31    34      1st, AL2        ScJCup

1994-95    20      7     2    11    27    32      -5    23      7th, AL1

1995-96    20      8     5      7    27    30      -3    29      5th, AL1

1996-97    20      7     3    10    27    32      -5    24      7th, AL1

1997-98    20      6     5      9    22    37    -15    23      9th, AL1

1998-99    20      6     3    11    29    39    -10    21      9th, AL1

1999-00    20      3     4    13    25    40    -15    13      9th, AL1

2000-01    22    14     3      5    62    19   +43    45      3rd, AL2

2001-02    21    15     3      3    58    17   +41    48      1st, AL2

2002-03    22      3     6    13    20    37    -17    15    12th, WSL1

2003-04    24    13     2      9    60    44   +16    41      6th, ADL

2004-05    22    15     4      3    54    23   +31    49      1st, ADL

2005-06    26    13     6      7    51    33   +18    45      3rd, WSL1        NAyrCup

2006-07    26    11     5    10    31    30     +1    38      6th, WSL1

2007-08    26    11     9      6    37    32     +5    42      5th, WSL1

2008-09    26    18     4      4    53    22   +31    58      1st, WSL1

2009-10    22      9     3    10    31    43    -12    30      7th, WSLP

2010-11    22      9     5      8    34    33     +1    32      5th, WSLP

2011-12    22      4     5    13    20    44    -24    17    11th, WSLP

2012-13    26    14     3     9    59    39    +20    45     3rd, WSL1        AyrWPCup

2013-14    22      6     1   15    27    48     -21    19    12th, WSLP

2014-15    26      9     6   11    37    36      +1    33      9th, WSL1

2015-16    26    16     6     4    47    26    +21    54     2nd, WSL1

2016-17    22      6     1   15    30    50    +20    19    11th, WSLP

2017-18    26    15     5     6    42    27    +15    50     3rd, WSL1

2018-19    30    12   10     8    69    41    +28    46     7th, WRJLP

2019-20    25      9     4   12    41    44       -3    31    11th, WRJLP

2020-21      7      3     2     2    11      7       +4    11      6th, WoSLP

2021-22    38    16     7    15    79    60    +19    55    10th, WoSLP

2022-23    30    14     5    11    48    42      +6    47    6th, WoSLP

Sources: Scottish Football Historical Archive; "Largs Thistle FC" and ""2022-23 West of Scotland Football League" (Wikipedia).

 

Abbreviations:

Leagues:

NDJL = Northern District Junior League

WJL = Western Junior League

WIL = Western Intermediate League

WL = Western League

WLNS = Western League, North Section

ALNS = Ayrshire League, North Section

AL1 = Ayrshire League, Division 1

AL2 = Ayrshire League, Division 2

WRJLP = West Region Junior League Premiership

WSLP = West Super League, Premier Division

WSL1 = West Super League, 1st Division

ADL = Ayrshire District League

WoSFLP = West of Scotland Football League Premiership

Cups:

A&SHCup = Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald Cup

AyrDCup = Ayrshire District Cup

AyrLCup = Ayrshire League Cup

AyrWPCup = Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup

L&DJCup = Largs and District Junior Cup

NAyrCup = North Ayrshire Cup

ScJCup = Scottish Junior Cup

StVdPChCup = Saint Vincent de Paul Charity Cup

WaCup = Walker Cup

WoScCup = West of Scotland Cup

Barrfields. Source.

This is an improved list of Largs Thistle seasons, still not complete but better than the one I posted two years ago. It's drawn almost entirely from the excellent Scottish Football Historical Archives league tables.

1888-89                                                                                             WaCup

1889-90                                                                                             WaCup

 

1891-92                                                                                             L&DJCup

 

1895-96                                                                                             AyrDCup

 

1906-07    19      5     4    10    28    32      -4    14    10th, NDJL

 

1922-23                                                                                             A&SHCup

1923-24    34    15     4    15    56    51     +5    34    10th, WJL

1924-25    34    13     3    18    41    74    -33    29    15th, WJL        AyrLCup

1925-26    32    10     6    16    56    69    -13    26    15th, WJL

1926-27    34    18     3    13    83    79     +4    39      6th, WJL

1927-28    32    10     4    18    57    71    -14    24    14th, WIL

1928-29    30      9     4    17    56    99    -43    22    14th, WIL

1929-30    26    11     3    12    74    75      -1    25      8th, WIL

1930-31    20      5     5    10    40    53    -13    15      8th, WIL

1931-32    26    13     4      9    58    52     +6    30      6th, WL

1932-33    26    13     4      9    60    50   +10    30      4th, WL

1933-34    30      5     7    17?  49    84    -35    17    16th, WL

1934-35    32    11     7    14    58    69      -9    29      9th, WL

1935-36    32    11     2    19    71    97    -26    24    14th, WL

1936-37    32    12    5    15    63    81    -18     29    11th, WL            StVdPChCup

1937-38    34      7    7    20    67    86    -19     21    18th, WL

1938-39    38    10  11    17    83  109    -26     31    15th, WL

1939-40    10      3    1      6                                7    19th, WL

1939-40    12      0    4      8                                4    12th, WLNS

1946-47    26      8     3    15    60    79    -19    19      9th, WLNS

1947-48    26    13     1    12    55    46    +9     27      8th, WLNS

1948-49    26    13     4      9    64    45   +19    30      5th, WLNS

1949-50    30      9     7    14    55    60     -5     25    12th, WLNS

1950-51    30    11     4    15    43    60    -17    26    11th, WLNS

1951-52    30    14     5    11    70    63     +7    33      6th, WLNS

1952-53    30    19     6     5    85    58    +27    44      3rd, WLNS

1953-54    30    14     3   13    67    71       -4    31      9th, WLNS

1954-55    30    17     6     7   101    61    +40   40      3rd, WLNS

1955-56    30    25     4     1   114    40    +74   54      1st, WLNS          A&SHCup

1956-57    30    18     5     7     95    52    +43   41      3rd, WLNS         AyrDCup

1957-58    30    20     6     4   123    60    +63   46      2nd, WLNS        AyrLCup

1958-59    28    13    10    5     69    31    +38   36       4th, WLNS        A&SHCup

1959-60    28      9     6    13    58    68    -10    24     11th, WLNS

1960-61    28    15     2    11    74    54    +20   32       6th, WLNS

1961-62    28    13     4    11    66    59     +7    30       7th, WLNS

1962-63    28    12     6    10    56    63     -7     30       8th, WLNS

1963-64    28    13     5    10    57    60     -3     31       7th, WLNS

1964-65    28      9     4    15    62    81    -19    22     10th, WLNS

1965-66    28      5     5    18    43    98    -55    15     14th, WLNS

1966-67    28    10     7    11    57    61     -4     27       8th, WLNS

1967-68    26      6     7    13    44    75    -31    19     12th, WLNS

1968-89    22    13     4      3    68    43   +25    32      3rd, ALNS

1969-70    20      3     2    15    29    68    -39      8    11th, ALNS

1970-71    20    14     2      4    59    41   +18    30     2nd, ALNS

1971-72    20    10     2      8    52    43     +9    22     3rd, ALNS

1972-73    20      5     5    10    29    44    -15    14     9th, ALNS

1973-74    20      9     3      8    39    41      -2    21     5th, ALNS

1974-75    18      5     5      8    32    26     +6    15     7th, ALNS

1975-76    18      9     3      6    31    29     +2    21     4th, ALNS

1976-77    18      2     3    13    24    58    -34      7    10th, AL1

1977-78    22    11     6      5    47    30   +17    28     2nd, AL2

1978-79    20      4     4    12    23    38    -15    12     9th, AL1

1979-80    22      9     3    10    44    47      -3    21     8th, AL2

1980-81    22      8     5      9    36    45      -9    21     7th, AL2

1981-82    22    11     4      7    34    31     +3    26     3rd, AL2

1982-83    20      2     3    15    18    64    -46      7    10th, AL1

1983-84    22    12     4      6    53    32   +21    28      1st, AL2

1984-85    20      5     5    10    33    47    -14    15      8th, AL1

1985-86    20      6     3    11    28    40    -12    15    10th, AL1

1986-87    22    11     2      9    38    35     +3    24      5th, AL2

1987-88    22    15     3      4    48    23   +25    33     2nd, AL2

1988-89    20      5     2    13    31    53    -22    12    10th, AL1

1989-90    22      7     4    11    47    51      -4    18      8th, AL2

1990-91    22    15     3     4    48    26    +22    33      3rd, AL2        WoScCup

1991-92    20      4     2   14    27    51     -24    10    11th, AL1

1992-93    20    11     5     4    39    22    +17     27     4th, AL2

1993-94    22    15     4     3    50    19    +31    34      1st, AL2        ScJCup

1994-95    20      7     2    11    27    32      -5    23      7th, AL1

1995-96    20      8     5      7    27    30      -3    29      5th, AL1

1996-97    20      7     3    10    27    32      -5    24      7th, AL1

1997-98    20      6     5      9    22    37    -15    23      9th, AL1

1998-99    20      6     3    11    29    39    -10    21      9th, AL1

1999-00    20      3     4    13    25    40    -15    13      9th, AL1

2000-01    22    14     3      5    62    19   +43    45      3rd, AL2

2001-02    21    15     3      3    58    17   +41    48      1st, AL2

2002-03    22      3     6    13    20    37    -17    15    12th, WSL1

2003-04    24    13     2      9    60    44   +16    41      6th, ADL

2004-05    22    15     4      3    54    23   +31    49      1st, ADL

2005-06    26    13     6      7    51    33   +18    45      3rd, WSL1        NAyrCup

2006-07    26    11     5    10    31    30     +1    38      6th, WSL1

2007-08    26    11     9      6    37    32     +5    42      5th, WSL1

2008-09    26    18     4      4    53    22   +31    58      1st, WSL1

2009-10    22      9     3    10    31    43    -12    30      7th, WSLP

2010-11    22      9     5      8    34    33     +1    32      5th, WSLP

2011-12    22      4     5    13    20    44    -24    17    11th, WSLP

2012-13    26    14     3     9    59    39    +20    45     3rd, WSL1        AyrWPCup

2013-14    22      6     1   15    27    48     -21    19    12th, WSLP

2014-15    26      9     6   11    37    36      +1    33      9th, WSL1

2015-16    26    16     6     4    47    26    +21    54     2nd, WSL1

2016-17    22      6     1   15    30    50    +20    19    11th, WSLP

2017-18    26    15     5     6    42    27    +15    50     3rd, WSL1

2018-19    30    12   10     8    69    41    +28    46     7th, WRJLP

2019-20    25      9     4   12    41    44       -3    31    11th, WRJLP

2020-21      7      3     2     2    11      7       +4    11      6th, WoSLP

2021-22    38    16     7    15    79    60    +19    55    10th, WoSLP

2022-23    30    14     5    11    48    42      +6    47    6th, WoSLP

Sources: Scottish Football Historical Archive; "Largs Thistle FC" and ""2022-23 West of Scotland Football League" (Wikipedia).

 

Abbreviations:

Leagues:

NDJL = Northern District Junior League

WJL = Western Junior League

WIL = Western Intermediate League

WL = Western League

WLNS = Western League, North Section

ALNS = Ayrshire League, North Section

AL1 = Ayrshire League, Division 1

AL2 = Ayrshire League, Division 2

WRJLP = West Region Junior League Premiership

WSLP = West Super League, Premier Division

WSL1 = West Super League, 1st Division

ADL = Ayrshire District League

WoSFLP = West of Scotland Football League Premiership

Cups:

A&SHCup = Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald Cup

AyrDCup = Ayrshire District Cup

AyrLCup = Ayrshire League Cup

AyrWPCup = Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup

L&DJCup = Largs and District Junior Cup

NAyrCup = North Ayrshire Cup

ScJCup = Scottish Junior Cup

StVdPChCup = Saint Vincent de Paul Charity Cup

WaCup = Walker Cup

WoScCup = West of Scotland Cup

Nankatsu

Nankatsu SC. Source.

Nankatsu SC is a Tokyo club playing in the Kanto league, Division 1. They started out in 1983 as Tokiwa Club, but in 2013 assumed the name Nankatsu SC, after Captain Tsubasa's fictional home town. The Nankatsu uniform is based on the one in the manga, too. (See below.)

Tokyo 23 FC [1 - 0] Nankatsu SC

The Scottish Premiership season ends this weekend. Dundee United are all but guaranteed to finish 12th, and Ross County all but guaranteed to finish 11th.

Motherwell [3 - 2] Dundee United (tomorrow)

Kilmarnock [3 - 1] Ross County (tomorrow)

[Dundee United are relegated. Ross County go to a playoff against Partick Thistle.]

SPFL Premiership playoff semi-final, second leg:

Ayr United 0 - 5 Partick Thistle

Partick advance.

The Canadian Championship semi-finals were held midweek:

Pacific 0 - 3 Vancouver Whitecaps

CF Montréal 2 - 0 Forge

South Challenge Cup final (tomorrow):

The Spartans [2 -1] Drumchapel United

Other matches:

Pacific [1 - 1] HFX Wanderers

[Goal by Aidan Daniels. Wanderers are still without a win.]

Winterthur 0 - 2 Zurich (May 25)

Young Boys [2 - 1] Winterthur (Monday)

This ends the Super League schedule. [Winterthur finish ninth and stay up.]

Drogheda 3 - 1 UCD (yesterday)

Minajs 0 - 0 Rukh Vynnyky (May 25)

Metalist [1 - 2] Minaj (Monday)

Mito HollyHock [0 - 1] Renofa Yamaguchi (tomorrow)

Honda FC [0 - 0] Tokyo Musashino United

Ganju Iwate [0 - 3] Morioka Zebra

Fujieda City Hall [1 - 2] Tokai Gakuen University (tomorrow)

NPL2 Vic: Preston Lions 1 - 3 Werribee City (yesterday)

North Mississauga [0 - 4] Scrosoppi (yesterday)

Premiership playoff finals to date:

2013-14        Hibs L/W Hamilton Academical

2014-15        Motherwell W/L Rangers

2015-16        Kilmarnock W/L Falkirk

2016-17        Hamilton Academical W/L Dundee United

2017-18        Partick Thistle L/W Livingston

2018-19        St Mirren W/L Dundee United

2019-20        not played

2020-21        Kilmarnock L/W Dundee

2021-22        St Johnstone W/L Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Mortonalia:

The Easdales are worth £1.425 billion. Source.

Read about Gozie Ugwu's time in Saudi Arabia.

Historical Matches:

The North American Soccer League was a twelve-team tournament played across North America from May to July 1967. Ten European and two South American teams took part, playing under assumed North American identities. Hibs, Aberdeen and Dundee United participated under the names Toronto City, Washington Whips and Dallas Tornado. It was a one-time experiment intended to excite North American interest in soccer. The most notable long-term effect of the competition was that Dundee United permanently adopted the orange and black strip they wore as Dallas Tornado.

Let's follow Toronto City (a.k.a. Hibs) through the 12 twelve-game NASL schedule.

1967/5/28      Cerro 1 - 1 Hibs

Clydesdale FC in the Scottish Cup:

1873/10/25    R1    Clydesdale 6 - 0 Granville

1873/11/8      QF    Clydesdale 1 - 1  3rd LRV

1873/11/15    QF    Clydesdale 0 - 0  3rd LRV

1873/12/6      QF    Clydesdale 2 - 0  3rd LRV

1873/12/20    SF    Clydesdale 4 - 0 Blythswood

1874/3/21        F    Queen's Park 2 - 0 Clydesdale

1874/10/24    R1    Clydesdale 0 - 0 Vale of Leven (Vale of Leven disqualified)

1874/11/21    R2    Clydesdale 1 - 0 Dumbreck (protested)

1875/1/16      R2    Clydesdale 1 - 0 Dumbreck

1875/x           QF    bye

1875/3/20      SF    Clydesdale 0 - 0 Queen's Park

1875/3/27      SF    Queen's Park 2 - 2 Clydesdale

1874/4/3        SF    Clydesdale 0 - 1 Queen's Park

1875/10/16    R1    Clydesdale 1 - 0 Eastern

1875/11/6      R2    Clydesdale 6 - 0 Kilmarnock

1875/11/27    R3    Queen's Park 2 - 0 Clydesdale

1876/10/7      R1    Clydesdale 6 - 0 Craigpark

1876/10/21    R2    3rd LRV 0 - 0 Clydesdale

1876/10/28    R2    Clydesdale 0 - 4  3rd LRV

1877/9/29      R1    Clydesdale 3 - 0 Dennistoun

1877/10/20    R2    Clydesdale 0 - 2 Queen's Park

1878/9/28      R1    Clydesdale scr/scr Dennistoun

1879/9/20      R1    Parkgrove wo/scr Clydesdale

1880/9/18      R1    Clydesdale scr/wo Shawlands Athletic

1881/9/17      R1    Clydesdale scr/wo Clyde

(Source: The Beautiful Dribbling Game)

Source.

Scottish Junior Cup Final, 1960

JUNIOR CUP TO ST ANDREWS

From Our Special Correspondent

   St Andrews United 3,

    Greenock Juniors 1

    St Andrews United won the Scottish Junior Cup on Saturday with an unexpected and somewhat fortuitous win in the final against Greenock Juniors at Hampden Park.

    Greenock were much the better side in the first half, when they scored their goal, but poor finishing prevented them from taking as big a lead as their superior outfield play merited. St Andrews' infrequent attacks generally were competently dealt with by the powerful Greenock defence.

    The match continued in the same vein until three goals for the Fife side in less than 12 minutes quite upset the rhythm of Greenock's attack. They eventually recovered, but St Andrews were by then a much more confident and forceful side.

    Lister, sure handed and agile in their goal, and Davidson at centre half served St Andrews best in defence. All of the forwards, whose play if unmethodical was enthusiastic, appeared to profit from the move of Borella, who started on the right wing, to inside left late in the first half, but their attacks often broke down because of inaccurate passing.

    Stewart, at right half, was Greenock's outstanding player. He worked hard in defence and was also very useful in giving added thrust to the attack. Greenock stifled his effectiveness, however, when they moved him to centre forward after their opponents' second goal, relegating the nippy McKellar, their goal-scorer, to the half-back line.

    The defence were less steady after the barrage of goals against them, but Buchanan remained cool at centre half.

Good Goals

    Three of the goals were most intelligently taken. In the twenty-sixth minute Stewart, although he almost lost control, ran the ball down the right wing to the by-line and chipped it across the goal-mouth to Winter, who headed into the centre, and Samuel let the ball run through to McKellar, who beat Lister with a fine drive.

    Borella accepted with alacrity the chance to equalize in the fifty-seventh minute after the defence had failed to stop a weak cross from Smith on the left, and four minutes later he again scored with a magnificent shot from the edge of the penalty area after carrying the ball just clear of the left back. McGinlay, who had no chance to prevent these goals, was most unfortunate in the sixty-eighth minute when an innocuous shot by Penman (W.) struck Buchanan and spun past the goalkeeper.

    Greenock almost reduced the margin in the hard-fought closing stages -- the play was then unfortunately marked more by petty offences and injuries than constructive football -- when Stewart gathered a neat through pass from McCartney, but his shot struck the underside of the crossbar and rebounded to the inside right, whose header was tipped over the bar by Lister.

    ST ANDREWS UNITED --  Lister; Penman (W. P.) and Hughes; Crookston, Davidson, and Wills; Carmichael and Fraser; Smith; Penman (W.) and Borella.

    GREENOCK JUNIORS -- McGinlay; Riley and Hogg; Stewart, Buchanan, and Brabender; Gibson and McCartney; McKellar; Samuel and Winter.

    Referee -- I. Smart (Bo'ness).

Glasgow Herald, May 23, 1960, p. 9. Photo.

Yohei Takaoka

Vancouver Whitecaps goalie Yohei Takaoka has played for Yokohama FC, Sagan Tosu, and Yokohama F. Marinos, and was named to the J. League Best XI in 2022. Source.

Premiership playoff semi-final, first leg:

Partick Thistle 3 - 0 Ayr United (May 19)

Championship playoff final:

Airdrieonians 1 - 0 Hamilton Academical (May 17)

Hamilton Academical [2 - 1] Airdrieonians (May 20)

[Airdrieonians win on PK. They are promoted to the Championship. Hamilton go down to League One.]

League One playoff final:

Annan Athletic 3 - 1 Clyde (May 16)

Clyde 1 - 2 Annan Athletic (May 19)

Annan Athletic make it up to League One for the first time.

League Two playoff, second leg (May 20):

Albion Rovers [0 - 1] The Spartans

[Albion Rovers go down. The Spartans enter the SPFL.]

Lowland League Cup final (tomorrow):

East Kilbride [2 - 2] Bo'ness United [EK win on PK.]

Other matches:

Thespakusatsu Gunma 2 - 1 Mito HollyHock (May 17)

Derry City 4 - 1 UCD (yesterday)

Helmond Sport 2 - 3 PEC Zwolle (yesterday)

NPL2 Vic: Pascoe Vale 0 - 1 Preston Lions (yesterday)

Winterthur [0 - 1] Servette

Chornomorets Odesa [0 - 1] Minaj

HFX Wanderers [0 - 3] York United

The Concacaf rankings are out and HFX Wanderers are in 82nd place between Herrera FC of Panama and CDS Vida of Honduras. Source.

Former Wanderer Iida Kodai has a new vlog up. It's mainly in Japanese, but you get a sense of how his season is going when you see he has his arm in a sling.

Montedio Yamagata [2 - 1] Blaublitz Akita (tomorrow)

Mito HollyHock [0 - 3] Roasso Kumatmoto (tomorrow)

Elfen Saitama [0 - 2] Kobe Leonessa (tomorrow)

Alliance United [1 - 2] Scrosoppi (tomorrow)

Dryburgh [3 - 1] Morton Women (tomorrow)

This ends the 2022-23 SWF Championship. [Morton finish 8th.]

Mortonalia

Reckoning that climate change will bring Greenock even more rain than the too much it already receives the club is installing drainage pipes under the main stand side of the pitch. Picture.

Andrew Barrowman (Morton 2014-15) is the new CEO of Raith Rovers.

SPFL Conference League

The powers that be have been pushing a proposal to insert a new league between League Two and the fifth tier, to be made up of four Premiership reserve squads and six lower league clubs. Almost everyone below League Two hates this idea because it puts another league between them and the SPFL. And almost everyone in the SPFL hates it because it's the next step toward B teams playing in League One and the Championship, which might fly in Germany but no in Scotland.

Aberdeen, who were previously floated as one of four Premiership clubs to participate, have opted out. (They didn't have a reserve team this year.) There is talk that Queen's Park will take the fourth B-team spot.

Which Scottish clubs had reserve teams in 2022-23?

In the Lowland League: Celtic, Hearts, Rangers

In the Reserve League: Ayr Utd, Dundee, Dundee Utd, Hamilton, Hibs, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Motherwell, Queen of the South, Queen's Park

In the South of Scotland League: Caledonian Braves, Stranraer

In the East of Scotland League 2nd Division: Stirling University

In the North Caledonian League: Clachnacuddin, Nairn County

In the North Region Championship: Banks O'Dee

League Two playoffs to date:

2015    Montrose W/L Brora Rangers

2016    East Stirlingshire L/W Edinburgh City

2017    Cowdenbeath W/L East Kilbride

2018    Cowdenbeath W/L Cove Rangers

2019    Berwick Rangers L/W Cove Rangers

2020    not played

2021    Brechin City L/W Kelty Hearts

2022    Cowdenbeath L/W Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic

Renfrew FC in the Scottish Cup:

1876/9/30      R1    Busby 2 - 0 Renfrew

1877/9/29      R1    Renfrew 0 - 0 Pollokshaws Athletic

1877/10/6      R1    Pollokshaws Athletic 0 - 2 Renfrew

1877/10/27    R2    Glenkilloch 0 - 4 Renfrew

1877/11/10    R3    Renfrew 1 - 2 Barrhead

(Some kind of wrangle resulted in Renfrew reappearing in R5.)

1877/1/5        R5    Renfrew 0 - 2 Mauchline 

1878/9/28      R1    Renfrew 1 - 1  17th Renfrewshire RV

1878/10/5      R1    17th Renfrewshire RV 1 - 2 Renfrew

1878/10/19    R2    Levern 1 - 2 Renfrew

1878/11/9      R3    bye

1878/11/30    R4    Renfrew 0 - 4  3rd LRV

1879/9/20      R1    Barrhead 0 - 5 Renfrew

1879/10/11    R2    bye

1879/11/1      R3    Arthurlie 1 - 2 Renfrew

1879/11/22    R4    Pollokshields Athletic 2 - 1 Renfrew

1880/9/18      R1    Thornliebank 3 - 0 Renfrew

1881/9/17      R1    Cartvale 4 - 2 Renfrew

1882/9/16      R1    Pollock 3 - 2 Renfrew

1883/9/8        R1    Morton 1 - 0 Renfrew

1884/9/13      R1    Renfrew 1 - 0 Johnstone Rovers

1884/10/4      R2    Clippens 1 - 7 Renfrew

1884/10/25    R3    St Mirren 1 - 0 Renfrew (protested)

1884/11/8      R3    St Mirren 3 - 0 Renfrew (protested)

1884/11/13    R3    St Mirren 6 - 3 Renfrew

1885/9/12      R1    Renfrew 1 - 0 Greenock Northern

1885/10/3      R2    Renfrew 0 - 3 Abercorn

1886/9/11      R1    Renfrew 3 - 3 Abercorn

1886/9/18      R1    Abercorn 9 - 0 Renfrew

1887/9/3        R1    1st RRV 1 - 8 Renfrew

1887/9/24      R2    Renfrew 3 - 3 Port Glasgow Athletic

1887/10/1      R2    Port Glasgow Athletic 5 - 3 Renfrew

1888/9/1        R1    Renfrew 0 - 0 Arthurlie

1888/9/8        R1    Arthurlie 3 - 1 Renfrew

1889/9/7        R1    Renfrew scr/wo Greenock Abstainers

(Source: The Beautiful Dribbling Game)

Made Up Cups:

2022-23 Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup:

R1    Cove Rangers 1 - 2 Ayr    Aug 20

R2    Partick Thistle 2 - 1 Raith Rovers    Aug 27

R1    Queen's Park 1 - 2 Morton    Oct 4

R2    Dundee 2 - 1 Ayr    Oct 15

R2    Inverness CT 0 - 1 Hamilton Accies    Oct 18

R2    Arbroath 1 - 1 Morton    Dec 3    Arbroath advance on the yellow card rule.

SF    Hamilton 1 - 1 Dundee    February 4    Dundee advance on the yellow card rule.

SF    Arbroath 0 - 0 Partick Thistle   February 25    Arbroath advance on the yellow card rule.

F      Arbroath 0 - 0 Dundee    April 8    Dundee win on the corner kicks rule.

Consolation Cup:

R1    Queen's Park 2 - 1 ICT    March 18

R1    Cove Rangers 0 - 5 Partick Thistle    April 1

SF    Partick Thistle 4 - 0 Queen's Park April 8

R1    Morton 2 - 0 Hamilton    April 11

R1    Ayr 1 - 0 Raith    April 29

SF    Ayr vs Morton    no fixture available

F      Partick vs Ayr or Morton    no fixture available

Championship League Cup winners so far:

2019-20    no winner

2020-21    no winner

2021-22    Arbroath

2022-23    Dundee

Consolation Cup winners:

2021-22    no winner

2022-23    no winner

Seasons of St Andrews United FC

St Andrews United with all the cups. Source.

Seasons:

1920-21                                                                                                     κ

1921-22                                                                          ENJL                  κ

1922-23    22    11      2      9      23      27       -4    24    7th, FCJL East

1923-24    17      9      2      6      28      27      +1    20    4th, FCJL East

1924-25    13      4      1      8      26      26        0      9    6th, FCJL East    κ

1925-26    14      9      1      4      33      25      +8    19    5th, FCJL            κ

1926-27    20    13      3      4      59      32    +27    29    1st, FCJL            γεκ

1927-28    22    17      1      4      60      35    +25    35    1st, FCJL            βγεκ

1928-29    26    16      4      6      80      48    +32    36    1st, FCJL            βγ

1929-30    24    12      5      7      51      46      +5    29    5th, FCJL

1930-31    22    12      4      6      52      43      +9    28    3rd, FCJL

1931-32    22      9      2    11      49      59     -10    20    7th, FCJL

1932-33    24      7      7    10      51      68     -17    21    10th, FCJL

1933-34    26    12      5      9      65      57      +8    29    4th, FCJL

1934-35    28    12      2    14      54      73     -19    26    9th, FCJL

1935-36    34    14      7    13      85      79      +6    35    7th, FCJL             κ

1936-37    33    15      5    13      94    101       -7    35    11th, FCJL           κ

1937-38    16      9      1      6      48      37    +11    19    2nd, FCJL East    κ

1938-39    20      6      3    11      46      52       -6    15    9th, FCJL             κ

1939-40      2      0      0      2        3      10       -7      0    13th, FCJL East

1939-40      4      1      0      3        5      10       -5      2    12th, FCJL East

1946-47    29      9      5    15      52      88     -36    23    13th, FCJL

1947-48    34    12      5    17      76    105     -29    29    15th, FCJL

1948-49    41    18      8    15      90      76    +14    44    7th, FCJL

1949-50    40    19      4    17    104      96      +8    42    7th, FCJL

1950-51    30    13      5    12      61      58      +3    31    14th, FCJL

1951-52    34    24      1      9    105      64    +41    49    2nd, FCJL

1952-53    32    19      9      4      97      52    +45    47    2nd, FCJL            λ

1953-54    30    19      6      5      93      47    +46    44    4th, FCJL

1954-55    28    14      4    10      79      66    +13    32    4th, FCJL

1955-56    28    13      8      7      77      58    +19    34    6th, FCJL

1956-57    24      8      8      8      48      41      +7    24    6th, FCJL            λ

1957-58    22    17      1      4      82      26    +56    35    1st, FCJL            ζ

1958-59    22    15      2      5      59      35    +24    32    2nd, FCJL           ι

1959-60    19    14      3      2      62      25    +37    31    1st, FCJL            αβ

1960-61    20    14      3      3      63      22    +41    31    1st, FCJL

1961-62    20    13      3      4      58      40    +28    29    2nd, FCJL

1962-63    22    14      3      5      65      41    +24    31    3rd, FCJL

1963-64    22    15      3      4      74      29    +45    33    2nd, FCJL

1964-65    28    19      4      5      84      46    +38    42    1st, FCJL

1965-66    32    18      0    14      76      67      +9    36    5th, FCJL            βζλ

1966-67    29    20      4      5    107      44    +63    44    3rd, FCJL

1967-68    28    15      4      9      85      57    +28    34    6th, FCJL

1968-69    30    18      5      7      83      57    +26    41    4th, FRJL            ζ

1969-70    32    19      6      7      78      53    +25    44    4th, FRJL

1970-71    32    10      3    19      66      98     -32    23    14th, FRJL

1971-72    32    11      6    15      70      76       -6    28    11th, FRJL

1972-73    14      5      2      7      21      26       -5    12    6th, FRJL West

1973-74    30      9      2    19      41      71     -30    20    16th, FRJL

1974-75    30    18      5      7      70      53    +17    41    5th, FRJL

1975-76    28    15      5      8      64      39    +25    35    5th, FRJL

1976-77    30    15      6      9      68      51    +17    36    7th, FRJL

1977-78    32      9      6    17      49      64     -15    24    13th, FRJL

1978-79    16    10      4      2      32      16    +16    24    1st, FRJL Div B

1979-80    14      7      3      4      31      23      +8    17    3rd, FRJL Div A

1980-81    30    13      9      8      62      48    +14    35    6th, FRJL

1981-82    30    11      2    17      65      64      +1    24    11th, FRJL

1982-83    32    13      8    11      65      50    +15    34    8th, FRJL

1983-84                                                                          FRJL

1984-85                                                                          FRJL

1985-86                                                                          FRJL

1986-87    24    13      9      2      55      26    +29    35    2nd, FRJL West

1987-88    24    10    10      4      43      25    +18    30    4th, FRJL Div 1    η

1988-89    24    11      8      5      41      29    +12    30    4th, FRJL Div 1    βηθ

1989-90    30    25      5      0      84      14    +70    55    1st, FRJL             βη

1990-91    21    13      4      4      39      22    +17    30    2nd, FRJL Div A    ζ

1991-92    26    17      5      4      67      22    +45    39    3rd, FRJL

1992-93    26    14      6      6      44      25    +19    34    3rd, FRJL

1993-94    28    16      4      8      55      29    +26    36    4th, FRJL

1994-95    28    17      4      7      77      36    +41    38    3rd, FRJL              δ

1995-96    28    16      7      5      96      34    +62    39    5th, FRJL

1996-97    28    11      9      8      60      39    +21    31    6th, FRJL

1997-98    28    13      9      6      63      48    +15    48    6th, FRJL

1998-99    30    10      8    12      61      49    +12    38    10th, FRJL

1999-00    28    11      4    13      65      57      +8    37    8th, FRJL

2000-01    28    16      6      6      72      39    +33    54    5th, FRJL

2001-02    28    15      4      9      61      49    +12    49    7th, FRJL

2002-03    22      9      5      8      51      45      +6    32    5th, ERJLFD

2003-04    18    10      4      4      36      26    +10    34    2nd, ERJLFD

2004-05    22      9      5      8      46      34    +12    32    6th, ERJLFD         β

2005-06    24    18      1      5      81      39    +42    55    2nd, ERJLFD

2006-07    22      8      2    12      38      41       -3    26    10th, ERSL1

2007-08    22    17      0      5      67      30    +37    51    2nd, ERC

2008-09    24    19      5      0      84      29    +55    62    1st, ERC

2009-10    22      7      6      9      35      39       -4    27    8th, ERSL1

2010-11    22    17      3      2      51      21    +30    54    1st, ERSL1

2011-12    20      6      4    10      28      40     -12    22    9th, ERSL

2012-13    22      3      2    17      24      66     -42    11    12th, ERSL

2013-14    30      4      9    17      42      68     -26    21    16th, ERSL

2014-15    30    18      3      9      63      45    +18    57    2nd, ERPL

2015-16    30      7      3    20      38      68     -30    24    15th, ERSL

2016-17    28      5      8    15      37      56     -19    23    13th, ERPL

2017-18    30    10      5    15      47      68     -21    35    11th, ERPL

2018-19    24      8      5    11      41      46       -5    29    8th, EoSLC

2019-20    22    11      2      9      61      37    +24    35    7th, EoSL1A

2020-21      9      3      1      5      12      25     -13    10    12th, EoSL1A

2021-22    28      8      3    17      45      79     -34    27    12th, EoSL1A

Leagues:

ENJL = East Neuk Junior League; EoSL1A = East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference A; EoSLC = East of Scotland League, Conference C; ERC = East Region Central Division; ERJLFD = East Region Junior League, Fife District; ERPL = East Region Premier League; ERSL = East Region Super League; FCJL = Fife County Junior League; FRJL = Fife Region Junior League

(Sources: Scottish Football Historical Archive for FCJL, FRJL and ERJLFD; Wikipedia for EoSL, ERSL; ejsjfa.net for 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18; Football Club History Database for 2006-07 to 2010-11.)

Cups:

α = Scottish Junior Cup; β = Fife Junior Cup; γ = East Fife Cup; δ = Fife & Lothians Cup; ε = Fife Shield; ζ = Cowdenbeath Cup; η = East Coast Windows Cup; θ = Laidlaw Shield; ι = Express Cup; κ = Martin-White Cup; λ = Mitchell Cup

(Sources: nonleaguescotland.co.uk for the cups.)

Whither Albion?

Source.

It's the playoffs. The match of the day is between Lowland League champions The Spartans and team 42 Albion Rovers.

Albion Rovers go back to 1882. They've been in the Scottish League since 1903, with time out for the two world wars. They have spent 92 seasons in the bottom division and only 18 above there. But they were finalists in the 1919-20 Scottish Cup and semi-finalists in 1920-21. They finished last in League Two this year, although they had 39 points and a goal difference of only -1.

The Spartans go back to 1951, were longtime members of the East of Scotland League, which they won nine times, before co-founding the Lowland League, which they have won three times, the first two times before the pyramid playoffs came in. They play at Ainslie Park, FC Edinburgh's old home, a ground that is certainly suitable for League Two.

These teams have met twice before, in the 2013-14 Scottish Cup, when the Wee Rovers won, and the 2017-18 Challenge Cup, when The Spartans won.

The pyramid playoff and League Two playoff are under the auspices of the SFA, not the SPFL.

First leg: The Spartans [1 - 1] Albion Rovers

Premiership playoff quarter-finals:

Partick Thistle 4 - 3 Queen's Park (May 9)

Queen's Park 0 - 4 Partick Thistle (May 12)

Partick Thistle progress.

Championship playoff semi-finals:

Alloa 1 - 0 Hamilton Accies (May 9)

Hamilton Accies [5 - 2] Alloa (May 13)

[Hamilton advance.]

Airdrieonians 6 - 2 Falkirk (May 9)

Falkirk [0 - 1] Airdrieonians (May 13)

[Airdrieonians advance.]

League One playoff semi-finals:

East Fife 0 - 1 Clyde (May 9)

Clyde 1 - 1 East Fife (May 12)

Clyde advance.

Annan 6 - 0 Dumbarton (May 9)

Dumbarton [0 - 0] Annan (May 13)

[Annan advance.]

Linlithgow Rose have won the East of Scotland League, Abbey Vale the South of Scotland League, and Beith Juniors the West of Scotland League. As Linlithgow Rose are the only one with the necessary license they go directly into the Lowland League without a playoff. Dalbeattie Star are relegated from the Lowland League.

Other matches:

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 0 - 1 Largs Thistle (May 10)

Largs Thistle [5 - 1] Pollok

[This ends Largs Thistle's season. They finish sixth out of sixteen in the WoSFL Premier Division.]

[Scottish Amateur Cup final:

Cupar Hearts 2 - 1 Steins Thistle]

The North West Counties Football League Premier Division season is complete. FC Isle of Man finish 13th out of 22.

Morton Women [2 - 4] Inverness CT (tomorrow)

Beleza [9 - 0] Elfen Saitama (tomorrow)

Lugano [2 - 1] Winterthur (tomorrow)

UCD 0 - 3 Shamrock Rovers (yesterday)

Jong PSV 3 - 1 PEC Zwolle (May 8)

PEC Zwolle 3 - 1 Roda JC (yesterday)

Minaj [0 - 1] Dnipro-1 (Monday)

Vegalta Sendai [2 - 1] Montedio Yamagata

Mito HollyHock [2 - 2] Tochigi SC

Iwaki FC [0 - 1] Blaublitz Akita (tomorrow)

Veertien Mie [0 - 1] Honda FC (tomorrow)

Toin Yokohama [3 - 2] Tokyo 23 FC (tomorrow)

Morioka Zebra [0 - 4] Cobaltore Onagawa (tomorrow)

Fujieda City Hall [2 - 2] FC Ise-Shima (tomorrow)

NPL2 Vic: Brunswick City [1 - 0] Preston Lions

Cavalry [2 - 2] HFX Wanderers

[HFX goals by Collomb and Fernandez.]

The Wanderers and Cavalry have each started 2023 with four [now five] consecutive draws. Halifax's record is six in a row, played from September 2nd to October 2nd, 2019.

CF Montreal [2 - 0] Toronto FC

Scrosoppi [4 - 0] Woodbridge Strikers

Pickering FC have dropped out of League1 Ontario.

The Canadian Championship quarter-finals were held midweek:

Match No. 7: Pacific (CPL) 2 - 0 TSS Rovers (L1BC)

Match No. 8: York United (CPL) 1 - 4 Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS)

Match No. 9: Toronto FC (MLS) 1 - 2 CF Montréal (MLS)

Match No. 10: Forge (CPL) 1 - 1 Atlético Ottawa (CPL) (Forge win on PK.)

Mortonalia:

Lawton Green, Carlo Pignatiello, Efe Ambrose and Josh Gemmell are leaving Morton. Brian Schwake, Ali Crawford, Ally Roy and Calum Waters return to their home clubs.

Dougie Imrie is now the 11th-longest-serving current manager in the SPFL at 1.38 years! Source.

Who scored on Morton this season?

2022/7/16      Oliver McDonald (Clyde)

2022/7/16      Ross Cunningham (Clyde)

2022/7/20      Ewan Henderson (Hibs) <expunged>

2022/7/23      Kevin Smith (Bonnyrigg Rose)

2022/7/30      Andy Ryan (Hamilton)

2022/8/13      Liam Dick (Raith Rovers)

2022/8/13      Aidan Connolly (Raith Rovers)

2022/9/3        Dipo Akinyemi (Ayr United)

2022/9/3        Mark McKenzie (Ayr United)

2022/9/17      Dale Hilson (Arbroath)

2022/9/17      Michael McKenna (Arbroath)

2022/9/22      Josh Mullin (Ayr United)

2022/10/1      Brian Graham (Partick Thistle)

2022/10/1      Kevin Holt (Partick Thistle)

2022/10/1      Aaron Muirhead (Partick Thistle)

2022/10/1      Scott Tiffoney (Partick Thistle)

2022/10/1      Anton Dowds (Partick Thistle)

2022/10/4      Malachi Boateng (Queen's Park)

2022/11/5      Alexander Michael Kirk (Ayr United)

2022/11/12    Anton Dowds (Partick Thistle)    2nd

2022/11/19    Leighton McIntosh (Cove Rangers)

2022/11/26    Lewis Gibson (Queen of the South)

2022/12/3      David Gold (Arbroath)

2022/12/10    Lewis Vaughan (Raith Rovers)

2022/12/23    Tom Lang (Raith Rovers)

2022/12/23    Aidan Connolly (Raith Rovers)    2nd

2023/1/7        Steven Lawless (Partick Thistle)

2023/1/7        Ross Docherty (Partick Thistle)

2023/1/14      Andrew Winter (Hamilton)

2023/1/23      Aaron Mooy (Celtic)

2023/1/23      Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic)

2023/1/23      David Turnbull (Celtic)

2023/1/23      Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic)    2nd

2023/1/23      Aaron Mooy (Celtic)    2nd

2023/1/28      Colin Hamilton (Arbroath)

2023/1/28      Michael McKenna (Arbroath)    2nd

2023/2/4        Billy Mckay (Inverness CT)

2023/2/4        Ethan Cairns (Inverness CT)

2023/2/11      Grant Savoury (Queen's Park)

2023/2/11      Connor Shields (Queen's Park)

2023/2/25      Leighton McIntosh (Cove Rangers)    2nd

2023/3/4        Tommy Robson (Queen's Park)

2023/3/4        Marcel Oakley (Queen's Park)

2023/3/7        Sam Ashford (Ayr United)

2023/3/7        Sean McGinty (Ayr United)

2023/3/7        Dipo Akinyemi (Ayr United)    2nd

2023/3/17      Sean Adarkwa (Arbroath)

2023/4/1        Scott Allardice (Inverness CT)

2023/4/1        David Carson (Inverness CT)

2023/4/8        Frankie Musonda (Ayr United)

2023/4/15      Luke Hannant (Dundee)

2023/4/15      Kwame Thomas (Dundee)

2023/4/15      Ryan Sweeney (Dundee)

2023/4/29      Malachi Boateng (Queen's Park)    2nd

2023/5/5        Declan Glass (Cove Rangers)

Historical matches:

The Premiership playoffs were introduced in 2013-14 as part of the new SPFL league structure, but there was an earlier experiment with them. When the four-division format was brought in in 1994-95 it included a playoff between the 9th Premier League team and the 2nd-place First Division team. This arrangement lasted three years. The results were:

1995/5/21      Aberdeen 3 - 1 Dunfermline

1995/5/25      Dunfermline 1 - 3 Aberdeen

Aberdeen stayed up.

1996/5/12      Partick Thistle 1 - 1 Dundee United

1996/5/16      Dundee United 2 - 1 Partick Thistle

Partick were relegated, Dundee United were promoted.

1997/5/17      Hibs 1 - 0 Airdrieonians

1997/5/22      Airdrieonians 2 - 4 Hibs

Hibs stayed up.

Coronation Special

Aberdeen celebrates the coronation of George VI, May 12, 1937. Source.

Hey, where's the Coronation Cup?

Morton close out the schedule with a Friday-nighter in Aberdeen against Cove Rangers. For the third straight year Helicopter Saturday lands on a Friday.

If Morton win today they will have taken wins in all four matches against Cove Rangers. Morton have not swept an opponent since they came up from League One.

Coming into tonight's games there are 30 points separating first place and tenth. The smallest points differences between top and bottom of the First Division (aka Championship) since 1994 are: 26 (2008-09), 29 (2006-07), 31 (2001-02), 33 (2018-19).

Leighton McIntosh is the only Cove player to have scored on Morton this season, and he's done it twice.

The other Championship matches:

Queen's Park (2nd) [3 - 5] Dundee (1st)

Inverness CT (5th) [1 - 2] Ayr United (4th)

Raith Rovers (7th) [2 - 2] Partick Thistle (3rd)

Arbroath (8th) [0 - 0] Hamilton (10th)

[Cove Rangers 1 - 2 Morton. Goals by Baird and Muirhead. Morton relegate Cove but miss the playoffs, finishing fifth. Dundee are league champions.]

The situation:

The winner of the QP/Dundee match earns promotion. A draw will also get Dundee to the Premiership.

Partick (56 points), Ayr (55), Inverness (55) and Morton (54) can each get to the playoffs. Two will make it, two will not. Morton can make the playoffs if:

1) Morton win and Partick lose,

2) Morton win, Partick win or draw, and Ayr and ICT play to a draw.

Morton will miss the playoffs if:

3) Morton lose or draw,

4) Morton win, Partick win or draw, and either Ayr or ICT win.

The bottom three positions can go almost any way. Because of goal difference Arbroath are pretty safe from tenth place, and Hamilton have faint hope of eighth. Cove can finish eighth, ninth or tenth.

If Inverness CT go all the way through the playoffs:

May 9        Premiership playoff QF, first leg

May 12      Premiership playoff QF, second leg

May 19      Premiership playoff SF, first leg

May 26      Premiership playoff SF, second leg

June 3       Scottish Cup final

June 6       Premiership playoff final, first leg

June 9       Premiership playoff final, second leg

five weeks later:

July 15      League Cup matchday 1 (if ICT lose the Scottish Cup final)

Pyramid playoff, second leg:

Brechin City [3 - 2] The Spartans

[The playoff ends 3 - 3 on aggregate. It goes to penalty kicks, and The Spartans prevail.]

Other matches:

Elfen Saitama 1 - 2 Omiya Ardija (May 3)

Nagano Parceiro [2 - 1] Elfen Saitama (May 7)

Kilwinning Rangers [1 - 0] Largs Thistle (tomorrow)

Sion [0 - 1] Winterthur (tomorrow)

UCD 0 - 2 Dundalk (May 1)

Shelbourne [1 - 0] UCD

Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 0 Minaj (May 3)

Minaj [2 - 0] Vorskla (Monday)

V-Varen Nagasaki 4 - 0 Mito HollyHock (May 3)

Vegalta Sendai 2 - 2 Blaublitz Akita (May 3)

Mito HollyHock [1 - 0] Vegalta Sendai (May 7)

Morioka Zebra [2 - 5] Fuji Club 2003

NPL2 Vic: Preston Lions [1 - 2] Eastern Lions

Valour [0 - 0] HFX Wanderers (tomorrow)

Sigma FC vs Scrosoppi (tomorrow)

2022 AFC Champions League final, second leg (tomorrow):

Urawa Red Diamonds [1 - 0] Al-Hilal

[Urawa Red Diamonds are Asian champions.]

2023 Concacaf Champions League, SF, second leg:

Los Angeles FC 3 - 0 Philadelpha (May 2)

León 3 - 1 UANL (May 3)

LAFC and León advance.

Times the title was decided on goal difference, 21st Century:

2009-10 Second Division:

    1st     Stirling Albion     65 points, +20

    2nd    Alloa                   65 points, +14

2005-06 Third Division:

    1st     Cowdenbeath     76 points, +47

    2nd    Berwick              76 points, +27

2002-03 Premier Division:

    1st     Rangers              97 points, +73

    2nd    Celtic                  97 points, +72

2000-01 Third Division:

    1st     Hamilton             76 points, +34

    2nd    Cowdenbeath     76 points, +27

2022-23 Scottish Championship top and bottom teams week by week (3 of 3):

Week 25            Queen's Park         Hamilton Academical

Week 26            Queen's Park         Arbroath

Week 27            Queen's Park         Arbroath

Week 28            Queen's Park         Arbroath

Week 29            Queen's Park         Hamilton Academical

Week 30            Queen's Park         Hamilton Academical

Week 31            Queen's Park         Hamilton Academical

Week 32            Dundee                  Cove Rangers

Week 33            Dundee                  Cove Rangers

Week 34            Dundee                  Cove Rangers

Week 35            Dundee                  Hamilton Academical

[Week 36           Dundee P               Cove Rangers R]

(1 of 3), (2 of 3)

Morton highlights 2022-23:

2022/7/2        Livingston 0 - 3 Morton

2022/7/20      Hibs 1 - 1 Morton (Morton win on PK, but are awarded a 0 - 3 win)

2022/10/8      Morton 5 - 0 Hamilton Accies

2022/10/28    Morton 4 - 0 Inverness CT

2022/11/26    Morton 4 - 1 Queen of the South

2023/2/11      Morton 3 - 2 Queen's Park    Beat the first-place club.

Morton low points 2022-23:

2022/7/16      Clyde 2 - 0 Morton

2022/10/1      Partick Thistle 5 - 1 Morton

2022/12/10    Raith Rovers 1 - 1 Morton (Raith win on PK.)    Out of Challenge Cup.

2023/1/14      Hamilton 1 - 0 Morton    Lost to the last-place club.

2023/1/23      Celtic 5 - 0 Morton    Out of Scottish Cup.

What were Plenty of Nothing's objectives for Morton this season, and did they pan out?

1)    Make the Premiership playoffs.    [No]

2)    Make the final of any cup.    No

3)    Get a win off each Championship opponent.    No

4)    Sweep an opponent.    [Yes]

5)    Play a Premiership side at Cappielow.    [No]

6)    Score on Aberdeen.    No

7)    Play Kelty Hearts.    No

8)    Have a top scorer with at least 10 goals. Yes

How did Morton fare against the other Championship clubs?

[Cove Rangers   4 wins.    7 gf, 3 ga, +4 gd.    12 points.]

Queen's Park     3 wins, 1 draw.    9 gf, 6 ga, +3 gd.    10 points.

Hamilton            2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.    8 gf, 2 ga, +6 gd.    7 points.

Inverness CT     2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.    8 gf, 4 ga, +4 gd.    7 points.

Raith Rovers      2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.    5 gf, 4 ga, +1 gd.    7 points.

Dundee              1 win, 3 draws.    4 gf, 3 ga, +1 gd.    6 points.

Partick Thistle    1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses.    4 gf, 8 ga, -4 gd.    4 points.

Arbroath             2 draws, 2 losses.    4 gf, 6 ga, -2 gd.    2 points.

Ayr United          2 draws, 2 losses.    4 gf, 7 ga, -3 gd.    2 points.

Seasons of Greenock Juniors FC

Source.

1956-57

1957-58

1958-59    34    19      6      9    85    66    +19    44    4th, SCJLB

1959-60    34    19      4    11    93    74    +19    42    4th, SCJLA                βδε

1960-61    20    16      3      1    88    31    +57    35    1st, SCJLC               αβε

1961-62    30    16      7      7    83    44    +39    39    4th, SCJLW               ε

1962-63    30    15      7      8    58    44    +14    37    4th, SCJLA                β

1963-64    30    21      5      4    85    41    +44    47    2nd, SCJLW              β

1964-65    28    18      4      6    85    46    +39    40    4th, SCJLW

1965-66    28    22      4      2  115    48    +67    46    1st, SCJLA                αγ

1966-67    28    16      3      9    66    53    +13    35    4th, SCJLA               αβ

1967-68    22    11      4      7    60    36    +24    26    8th, SCJLA

1968-69    26    12      7      7    49    33    +16    31    6th, CRJLB

1969-70    26    10      6    10    45    43      +2    26    8th, CRJLB

1970-71    26    12      5      9    60    44    +16    29    6th, CRJLB

1971-72    26    14      6      6    54    34    +20    34    4th, CRJLB

1972-73    26      8      4    14    43    58     -15    20    12th, CRJLA

1973-74    26    12      9      5    49    38     -11    33    5th, CRJLB

1974-75    26      4      4    18    41    75     -34    12    14th, CRJLB

1975-76    26    10      5    11    47    42      +5    25    7th, CRJLC

1976-77    24    13      4      7    57    40    +17    30    3rd, CRJLC

1977-78    26    13      7      6    62    48    +14    33    4th, CRJLB

1978-79    26      6      6    14    21    46     -25    18    12th, CRJLA

1979-80    26      7      5    14    30    64     -26    19    12th, CRJLB

1980-81    24    11      4      9    41    36      +5    26    8th, CRJLC

1981-82    24    11      5      8    46    32    +14    27    6th, CRJLC

1982-83    22    11      3      8    45    34    +11    25    5th, CRJLC

1983-84    24      9      8      7    39    27    +12    26    7th, CRJLC

1984-85    24      7      5    12    30    38       -8    19    9th, CRJLC

1985-86    24      8      5    11    34    43       -9    21    9th, CRJLC

1986-87    24      9    11      4    32    25      +7    29    5th, CRJLC

1987-88    24    16      2      6    53    29    +24    34    3rd, CRJL2

1988-89    26    13      2    11    40    42       -2    28    5th, CRJL1

1989-90    26      7      8    11    23    32       -9    22    12th, CRJL1

1990-91    20      9      3      8    35    30      +5    21    6th, CRJL2

1991-92    26    12      5      9    51    38    +13    29    6th, CRJL2

1992-93    26    14      2    10    55    41    +14    30    5th, CRJL2

1993-94    24    11      8      5    48    26    +22    30    6th, CRJL2

1994-95    24    12      6      6    41    28    +13    42    5th, CRJL2

1995-96    24    15      4      5    61    28    +33    49    3rd, CRJL2

1996-97    26      8      5    13    34    44     -10    29    12th, CRJL1

1997-98    24    19      3      2    64    29    +35    60    1st, CRJL2

1998-99    26    14      4      8    55    33    +22    46    5th, CRJL1

1999-00    26    10      4    12    40    42       -2    34    8th, CRJL1

2000-01    26    14      5      7    50    43      +7    47    5th, CRJL1

2001-02    26    10    10      6    40    37      +3    40    6th, CRJL1

2002-03    22    12      4      6    34    21    +13    40    3rd, WRJLCD1

2003-04    22    12      4      6    50    37    +13    40    3rd, WRJLCD1

2004-05    22      6      7      9    33    37       -4    25    9th, WRJLCD1

2005-06    22      7      3    12    32    46     -14    24    10th, WRJLCD1

2006-07    22    12      5      5    57    34    +23    41    4th, WRJLCD2

2007-08    18      7      4      7    33    30      +3    25    6th, WRJLCD2

2008-09    20      7      4      9    27    38     -11    25    7th, WRJLCD2

2009-10    20    12      4      4    46    22    +24    40    3rd, WRJLCD2

2010-11    24      7      7    10    47    46      +1    28    10th, WRJLCD1

2011-12    26    17      4      5    60    36    +24    55    3rd, WRJLCD1

2012-13    26    17      5      4    66    33    +33    56    1st, WRJLCD1

2013-14    26      9      5    12    41    49       -8    32    10th, WRJLSL1

2014-15    26    10      4    12    47    50       -3    34    8th, WRJLSL1

2015-16    26      9      4    13    34    39       -5    31    11th, WRJLSL1

2016-17    26    10      5    11    41    49       -8    35    9th, WRSLCD1

2017-18    28    10      4    14    38    52     -14    34    12th, WRJLCD1

2018-19    30    15      3    12    49    46      +3    48    5th, WRJLL1

2019-20    22    10      5      7    51    40    +11    PpG 1.59    7th, WRJLL1

2020-21      8      6      1      1    23      8    +15    19    2nd, WoSLCB

2021-22    28    12      6    10    68    54    +14    42    8th, WoSLCB

Leagues:

CRJL1 = Central Region Junior League Division 1; CRJL2 = Central Region Junior League Division 2; CRJLA = Central Region Junior League Division A; CRJLB = Central Region Junior League Division B; CRJLC = Central Region Junior League Division C; SCJLA = Scottish Central Junior League Division A; SCJLB = Scottish Central Junior League Division B; SCJLC = Scottish Central Junior League Division C; SCJLW = Scottish Central Junior League West; WoSLCB = West of Scotland League, Conference B; WRJLCD1 = West Region Junior League Central Division 1; WRJLCD2 = West Region Junior League Central Division 2; WRJLL1 = Western Region Junior League, League 1; WRJLSL1 = West Region Junior League Super League Division 1

Cups:

α = Central League Cup; β = Renfrewshire Junior Cup; γ = Pompey Cup ; δ = Erskine Hospital Charity Cup; ε = Greenock and District Junior Cup

(Source: Scottish Football Historical Archive for leagues and cups; Wikipedia "Greenock Juniors FC" for cups.)

The Red and the Black, Part Vancouver

I was all set to dislike Vancouver FC based purely on their colourless black home kit, but then they unveiled their away strip and -- it's Dennis the Menace. Source.

Morton host Queen's Park. QP are second in the Championship with 58 points, Morton sixth with 51 points. Despite their relative positions Morton have dominated QP this season, taking two wins and a draw.

Morton's path to the playoffs basically involves winning both remaining games while Partick and Ayr lose theirs.

If Queen's Park mean to finish top of the Championship they must win today. Queen's Park held first place for twelve consecutive weeks but gave it up to Dundee on April 8th. A win today will put them in first place.

Regardless of the results this weekend and next Morton have had a winning season, their first since 2018.

Declan McManus has won the Cymru Premier League scoring title for the second consecutive year.

[Morton win 2 - 1. Goals by Gillespie and Robbie Crawford.]

The other Championship matches:

Dundee (1st) 0 - 0 Cove Rangers (10th) (last night)

Partick (4th) [2 - 0] Arbroath (8th)

Ayr United (5th) [1 - 0] Raith Rovers (7th)*

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

It's the Scottish Cup semi-finals.

Falkirk [0 - 3] Inverness CT

Rangers [0 - 1] Celtic (tomorrow)

Celtic have won the Cup 40 times, Rangers 34, Falkirk twice and Inverness CT once. ICT are in this after being awarded a fourth round win over Queen's Park after the latter fielded an ineligible player.

Other times in the 21st Century that the Scottish Cup semi-finals included two teams outwith the Premiership:

2001-02        Partick Thistle and Ayr United

2005-06        Dundee and Gretna

2007-08        St Johnstone and Queen of the South

2009-10        Ross County and Raith Rovers

2014-15        Hibs and Falkirk

2015-16        Rangers and Hibs

Has any team beaten both Old Firm clubs on the way to winning the Scottish Cup?

In 1901-02 Hibs beat Rangers in the semi-finals and Celtic in the final.

In 1925-26 St Mirren beat Rangers in the semi-finals and Celtic in the final.

In 1928-29 Kilmarnock beat Celtic in the semi-finals and Rangers in the final.

In the 1955-56 cup Hearts beat Rangers in the quarter-finals and Celtic in the final.

The last time each 2022-23 Championship team played Rangers:

2023/3/12        Rangers 3 - 0 Raith Rovers       SCup QF

2023/2/12        Rangers 3 - 2 Partick Thistle     SCup R5

2022/10/19      Rangers 1 - 0 Dundee               LCup QF

2021/4/4          Rangers 4 - 0 Cove Rangers    SCup R3

2021/2/7          Hamilton 1 - 1 Rangers             Premiership

2018/9/26        Rangers 4 - 0 Ayr United           LCup QF

2017/2/24        Inverness CT 2 - 1 Rangers    Premiership

2017/2/12        Rangers 2 - 1 Morton                SCup R5

2014/8/26        Queen's Park 1 - 2 Rangers      LCup R1

2014/3/23        Arbroath 1 - 2 Rangers              League One

It's the pyramid playoff, first leg:

The Spartans [1 - 0] Brechin City

Brechin are attempting to reenter the SPFL after an absence of two years. You'll recall that they were in the Championship as recently as 2017-18. They're the only one of the four clubs relegated out of the SPFL to have made a serious effort to get back in, and there's a lot of public sentiment in their favour on account of that hedge.

The Spartans have won the Lowland League three times now, but this is their first trip to the pyramid playoffs.

So far this season the Highland League is ahead in head-to-head games with the Lowland League.

2022/9/16      Broomhill (LL) 3 - 2 Brora (HL)    SCup R1

2022/9/17      Formartine (HL) 3 - 1 East Stirlingshire (LL)    SCup R1

2022/9/17      Civil Service Strollers (LL) 1 - 2 Fraserburgh (HL)    SCup R1

2022/9/17      Deveronvale (HL) 2 - 4 East Kilbride (LL)    SCup R1

2022/10/22    Buckie Thistle (HL) 1 - 3 Broomhill (LL)    SCup R2

Who beat Brechin this season?

2022/9/24      Inverness CT 3 - 3 Brechin (ICT won on PK)    Challenge Cup R3

2022/10/22    Brechin 2 - 2 Stirling Albion (Stirling won on PK)    Scottish Cup R2

2023/2/22      Formartine 2 - 0 Brechin    Highland League

2023/3/4        Inverurie Loco Works 2 - 0 Brechin    Highland League Cup

Other matches:

Lowland League Cup, R1:

Gala Fairydean Rovers [2 - 2] Caledonian Braves (Braves win on PK)

This ends Gala's season. They finished twelfth (out of nineteen) in the league.

South Challenge Cup, SF: Gartcairn 0 - 1 Drumchapel United (April 26)

Largs Thistle 1 - 0 Auchinleck Talbot (April 25)

Luzern 3 - 1 Winterthur (April 27)

Winterthur [1 - 4] Basel (tomorrow)

UCD 1 - 1 Bohemians (yesterday)

JEF United [2 - 2] Elfen Saitama

PEC Zwolle 4 - 0 FC Dordrecht (yesterday)

Darby FC [1 - 2] Scrosoppi (yesterday)

Minaj [1 - 1] Metalist 1926

Mito HollyHock [0 - 2] Tokyo Verdy

Honda FC [1 - 1] Tiamo Hirakata

Morioka Zebra [1 - 1] Oshu United

Tokyo United [0 - 3] Tokyo 23 FC (tomorrow)

Yazaki Valente [0 - 2] Fujieda City Hall (tomorrow)

NPL2 Vic: Bulleen Lions [3 - 4] Preston Lions (Monday)

Welsh Cup final (tomorrow):

The New Saints [6 - 0] Bala Town

KNVB Beker final (tomorrow):

Ajax [1 - 1] PSV Eindhoven [PSV win on PK]

Coupe de France final:

Nantes [1 - 5] Toulouse

2022 AFC Champions League final, first leg:

Al-Hilal [1 - 1] Urawa Red Diamonds

2023 Concacaf Champions League, SF, first leg:

UANL 2 - 1 León (April 25)

Philadelphia Union 1 - 1 Los Angeles FC (April 26)

Canada:

HFX Wanderers play their first home game of the season, and their first ever match against Vancouver FC.

[HFX Wanderers 1 - 1 Vancouver. Goal by Collomb.]

If you do a Google search on Vancouver FC almost all results that come back are for Vancouver Whitecaps, so you can imagine a rebranding is in the not so distant future.

Meanwhile, the league has taken over York United.

The Halifax sports calendar falls pretty neatly into Wanderers season and Mooseheads season. But is there ever any overlap?

2019/5/4        first Wanderers home game

2019/5/11      last Mooseheads home game

2019/9/27      first Mooseheads home game

2019/10/9      last Wanderers home game

2021/10/2      first Mooseheads home game

2021/11/7      last Wanderers home game

2022/4/30      first Wanderers home game

2022/5/11      last Mooseheads home game

2022/10/1      last Wanderers home game and first Mooseheads home game

2023/4/29      first Wanderers home game

2023/5/4 at the earliest         last Mooseheads home game

How do Morton tend to finish a Championship season?

  1st

  2nd    2013

  3rd    1996

  4th    2017

  5th    1998, 2016, 2019 [2023]

  6th    1999, 2009

  7th    2011, 2018, 2020, 2022

  8th    1997, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2012

  9th    2001, 2021

10th    2014

They tend to finish eighth.

Historical matches:

April 24, 1967    Queen's Park 1 - 2 Morton

April 29, 1967    Morton 6 - 1 Hamilton Academical

This ends the 1966-67 season. Morton finished in first place with 69 points and a +93 goal difference and were promoted to Division One. If it had been the three-point-win era they would have had 102 points. They allowed only 20 goals in 38 league matches.

April 26, 1978    Morton 3 - 1 Airdrieonians

Goals by Davie Hayes, Goldthorp and Ritchie.

April 29, 1978    Morton 2 - 3 Dundee

Two goals for Russell. This ends the schedule. Morton win the league, beating Hearts on goal difference and Dundee by a point. Morton and Hearts are promoted.