Plenty of Nothing

100th Vasaloppet

Usually it's just the kranskullas and kransmases who dress in period costume, but this year everyone is going 1924. Source.

Alice Babs

Swedish jazz singer Alice Babs was born on this date in 1924, a hundred years ago. She worked extensively with Duke Ellington in the 1960s, for instance here.

Ester Blenda Nordström

Swedish adventurer and writer Ester Blenda Nordström (1891 - 1948) is shown fooling around with the object that would ultimately cause her demise, while pointing a revolver with the other hand. Source.

Swedish Solar System

A map superimposing the solar system on the geography of Sweden. Source.

Swedish Greenock

Swedish educator Jane Miller Thengberg was born in Greenock in 1822. Source.

Morton host Stranraer.

Ten or fifteen years ago a cup tie against Stranraer was just the way Morton liked to start the season.

2008/8/5        Stranraer 3 - 6 Morton    LCup R1

2010/7/31      Stranraer 1 - 7 Morton    LCup R1

2011/7/23      Stranraer 0 - 8 Morton    ChCup R1

But when they were drawn together in the 2021-22 League Cup group stage Morton had the Covid and Stranraer were awarded a 3 - 0 win.

Thomas Orr (Morton 2014-17) plays for Stranraer.

The last Morton player to score on Stranraer was Declan McManus on April 25th, 2015, when both clubs were in League One.

Morton have made it out of the group stage twice in modern times. (See below.)

Stranraer haven't made it out of the group stage since 1972. Last year they earned 1 point.

While Morton have employed Finnish, Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic players, they've never had a Swedish player. However, Michael Tidser and Fouad Bachirou have both been signed by Östersunds FK, and Bachirou later appeared for Malmö FF.

[Morton win 3 - 0. Goals by Baird, Blues and Robbie Crawford.]

Tomorrow: Edinburgh City [3 - 5] Kelty Hearts.

Ross County are off.

Standings after these games:

Morton                2    2    0    0    0    6    1    +5    6

Ross County       1    1    0    0    0    5    1    +4    3

Kelty Hearts        2    1    0    0    1    6    6      0    3

Edinburgh City    1    0    0    0    1    3    5     -2    0

Stranraer             2    0    0    0    2    1    8     -7    0

Other matches:

Dundee United [1 - 2] Partick Thistle (Group B)

Yokohama F. Marinos [6 - 4] Celtic (friendly) (tomorrow)

Bangor [0 - 3] Rangers B (friendly)

Linlithgow Rose vs Dunipace (friendly)

Banks o' Dee [5 - 2] Stonehaven (friendly) (tomorrow)

Forth Wanderers [6 - 1] Carluke Rovers (Clydesdale Cup)

2023-24 UEFA Champions League, 1QR, second leg:

Breiðablik [2 - 1] Shamrock Rovers

Larne [2 - 2] HJK (tomorrow)

The New Saints [0 - 2] Häcken

[Shamrock Rovers, Larne and The New Saints drop down to the Conference League.]

Morton in the modern League Cup group stage:

2016-17        4    3    1    0    0          5    0    +5        11     1st    SF

2017-18        4    2    1    0    1          8    6    +2          8    2nd

2018-19        4    2    0    0    2          9    5    +4          6    3rd

2019-20        4    2    1    0    1        14    8    +6          8    2nd    R2

2020-21        4    1    0    3    0          4    3    +1          6     4th

2021-22        4    1    1    1    1          3    5     -2          6    3rd

2022-23        4    2    0    1    1          6    3    +3          7    2nd

Japanese regional league leaders:

Hokkaido: Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth

Tohoku: Blancdieu Hirosaki

Kanto: Vonds Ichihira

Hokushinetsu: Fukui United

Tokai: Wyvern

Kansai: Arterivo Wakayama

Chugoku: Fukuyama City

Shikoku: Lavenirosso

Kyushu: Veroskronos Tsuno

Åland Autonomy Day

The parliament of the Åland Isalnds first met 100 years ago today. Source.

1955 Vasaloppet Pin

Source.

Norrbotten Tourist Information Centre

Source.

Motion Capture ABBA

Source.

Norrbotten Regiment

Source.