Plenty of Nothing

Ethiopian Taxis

Blue and white Ladas were the way to go in Addis Ababa for many years. Source.

The Nights in Ayr

Inside the Cinema Nightclub, Ayr. Source.

It's Ayr United versus Morton. This is the match postponed from March 23rd due to international call-ups.

Both teams need a win. Ayr are 9 points behind second-place Dundee United, but with three games in hand. Morton are in sixth place but only 5 points ahead of last-place Alloa.

If Morton lose today it will be their first three-game losing streak of 2018-19. They have been consistently inconsistent all season, as opposed to clubs that were bad in 2018 then good in 2019 (like Falkirk) or good in 2018 and bad in 2019 (like Ayr United). But they have only two wins so far in 2019. The last time Morton got through a year without a three-game losing streak was the second-place season of 2012-13.

Morton have scored 27 goals in 29 games, worst in the Championship. Ayr have scored 43 in 28, second best behind Ross County.

Staying out of the relegation zone involves consistently beating the teams at the bottom. Morton have two wins against Ross County, but Alloa have two wins against Morton.

Also tonight:

Queen of the South [1 - 1] Falkirk

This is a key match. If Morton lose, the winner of this one will move above them in the table.

Inverness CT [1 - 2] Ross County

Some of supporters have taken to smashing the seats at the other club's ground, prompting a joint statement.

[Ayr Utd 1 - 1 Morton. KiItie's goal may have saved Morton's season.]

League One: Dumbarton [3 - 3] Airdrieonians

Angus derby: Brechin [0 - 3] Montrose

How have Morton performed against Ayr United in league action in the 21st Century?

2018-19        2 draws, 1 loss so far.

2016-17        2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss; 8 gf, 5 ga; 7 points.

2014-15        1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses; 3 gf, 4 ga; 4 points.

2011-12        3 wins, 1 draw; 8 gf, 2 ga; 10 points.

2009-10        3 wins, 1 loss; 5 gf, 3 ga; 9 points.

2006-07        2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss; 5 gf, 3 ga; 7 points.

2005-06        2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss; 4 gf, 6 ga; 7 points.

2004-05        1 win, 3 losses; 3 gf, 6 ga; 3 points.

2000-01        2 draws, 2 losses; 2 gf, 11 ga; 2 points.

2018-19 Championship clubs sorted by longest winning streak (league + cup) so far this year:

5    Ross County

5    Ayr United

5    Dunfermline

5    Partick Thistle

4    Dundee United

4    Inverness CT

3    Queen of the South

3    Alloa

2    Morton

2    Falkirk

What years did Ayr United finish above Morton?

1922-23        Ayr United 10th (Div 1), Morton 14th (Div 1)

---

1927-28        Ayr United 1st (Div 2), Morton 18th (Div 2)

1928-29        Ayr United 16th (Div 1), Morton 2nd (Div 2)

1929-30        Ayr United 9th (Div 1), Morton 18th (Div 1)

---

1932-33        Ayr United 16th (Div 1), Morton 19th (Div 1)

1933-34        Ayr United 8th (Div 1), Morton 5th (Div 2)

1934-35        Ayr United 18th (Div 1), Morton 6th (Div 2)

1935-36        Ayr United 20th (Div 1), Morton 3rd (Div 2)

1936-37        Ayr United 1st (Div 2), Morton 2nd (Div 2)

1937-38        Ayr United 17th (Div 1), Morton 20th (Div 1)

1938-39        Ayr United 14th (Div 1), Morton 12th (Div 2)

1939-40        Ayr United 18th (Div 1), Morton 15th (Div 2)

---

1952-53        Ayr United 5th (Div B), Morton 6th (Div B)

---

1954-55        Ayr United 8th (Div B), Morton 9th (Div B)

1955-56        Ayr United 2nd (Div 2), Morton 9th (Div 2)

1956-57        Ayr United 18th (Div 1), Morton 4th (Div 2)

1957-58        Ayr United 5th (Div 2), Morton 13th (Div 2)

1958-59        Ayr United 1st (Div 2), Morton 11th (Div 2)

1959-60        Ayr United 8th (Div 1), Morton 14th (Div 2)

1960-61        Ayr United 18th (Div 1), Morton 19th (Div 2)

---

1966-67        Ayr United 18th (Div 1), Morton 1st (Div 2)

---

1971-72        Ayr United 12th (Div 1), Morton 13th (Div 1)

1972-73        Ayr United 6th (Div 1), Morton 12th (Div 1)

1973-74        Ayr United 7th (Div 1), Morton 14th (Div 1)

1974-75        Ayr United 7th (Div 1), Morton 17th (Div 1)

1975-76        Ayr United 6th (Prem), Morton 11th (Div 1)

1976-77        Ayr United 8th (Prem), Morton 4th (Div 1)

1977-78        Ayr United 9th (Prem), Morton 1st (Div 1)

---

1989-90        Ayr United 10th (Div 1), Morton 11th (Div 1)

---

1991-92        Ayr United 6th (Div 1), Morton 7th (Div 1)

---

1993-94        Ayr United 7th (Div 1), Morton 11th (Div 1)

1994-95        Ayr United 9th (1st Div), Morton 1st (2nd Div)

---

1998-99        Ayr United 3rd (1st Div), Morton 6th (2nd Div)

1999-00        Ayr United 7th (1st Div), Morton 8th (1st Div)

2000-01        Ayr United 2nd (1st Div), Morton 9th (1st Div)

2001-02        Ayr United 3rd (1st Div), Morton 10th (2nd Div)

2002-03        Ayr United 6th (1st Div), Morton 1st (3rd Div)

2003-04        Ayr United 9th (1st Div), Morton 4th (2nd Div)

Is Morton's promotion at the end of a season generally foreshadowed by a win in the first league match of the season?

1899/8/19      Morton 3 - 2 Abercorn

1928/8/11      Morton 3 - 2 Clydebank

1936/8/8        Morton 6 - 1 Cowdenbeath

1949/9/10      Morton 5 - 0 St Johnstone

1963/8/21      Stranraer 1 - 3 Morton

1966/8/24      Stenhousemuir 1 - 4 Morton

1983/8/20      Meadowbank 1 - 4 Morton

1986/8/9        Morton 3 - 0 Clyde

1994/8/13      Morton 1 - 1 Berwick

2002/8/3        Gretna 1 - 1 Morton

2006/8/5        Morton 2 - 0 Raith Rovers

2014/8/9        Ayr United 1 - 0 Morton

9W 2D 1L. Answer: Yes.

Is Morton's relegation at the end of a season generally foreshadowed by a loss in the first league match of the season?

1926/8/14      Morton 3 - 0 Dunfermline

1932/8/13      East Stirlingshire 0 - 3 Morton

1937/8/14      Morton 1 - 3 Third Lanark

1948/8/14      Celtic 0 - 0 Morton

1951/9/8        Morton 2 - 2 Queen of the South

1965/8/25      Morton 1 - 5 Hibs

1982/9/4        Morton 0 - 0 Kilmarnock

1984/8/11      Morton 2 - 1 Dumbarton

1987/8/8        Morton 0 - 4 Celtic

1993/8/7        Clyde 2 - 1 Morton

2000/8/5        Morton 0 - 2 Livingston

2001/8/4        Morton 4 - 1 Stenhousemuir

2013/8/10      Morton 2 - 0 Cowdenbeath

5W 3D 5L. Answer: No.

(Morton's first league match of 2018-19 was a 2 - 2 draw.)

The Bedford Basin Volvos

There are two dozen or more Volvos on the floor of Bedford Basin, allegedly dumped overboard in 1969. Source.

Troll Supercupe

Read about Norway's sports car. Source.

Bombardier B-12 Auto Neige

Source. Or visit Le Musée de l’ingéniosité J. Armand Bombardier. Website.

1967 Eaton's Sno-Trac

Source.

21st-Century Steamroller

The Mito Bus

All your Japanese team buses are here.

Mito HollyHock visit Ehime. After sitting atop the table in week four Mito have drifted to a more familiar 17th place. Ehime are 21st, in the relegation zone. There are 22 teams in J2, and the bottom two will be relegated. At the moment both relegation spots are occupied by teams from Shikoku: Ehime and Kamatamare Sanuki. Last season there was only one relegation spot at the bottom of J2. The increase to two this year can be taken as a sign that J3 is now regarded as a quality league. [Ehime 0 - 1 Mito.]

Shikoku is a modestly-sized region of just four prefectures. The island separates the Pacific Ocean from the Inland Sea. How do you get to Shikoku by bus?  There are bridges at Naruto, Utazu and Imabari.

What teams come from Shikoku, and what divisions are they in?

J1    none

J2    Ehime FC, Kamatamare Sanuki, Tokushima Vortis

J3    none

JFL    FC Imabari

Shikoku Adult League:    Kōchi United SC, Kōchi University FC, Tadotsu FC, FC Tokushima Celeste, R.Velho Takamatsu, Llamas Kōchi FC, Niisho Club, Koyo Sealing Techno SC

Which teams play in Kyushu?

J1    Sagan Tosu

J2    Avispa Fukuoka, Oita Trinita, Roasso Kumamoto, V-Varen Nagasaki

J3    Kagoshima United, Giravanz Kitakyushu

JFL    Honda Lock, Verspah Oita, Tegevagaro Miyazaki

Kyushu Soccer League:    J.FC Miyazaki, Kaiho Bank SC, Kyushu Mitsubishi Motors SC, Nippon Steel Oita, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya SC, FC Nakatsu, Kumamoto Teacher Kickoff Foundation, Kawabe Club, Saga Lixil FC, Okinawa SV

Kyushu is the southernmost of the four big Japanese islands. Teams from Ryukyu get rolled into this league.

This is the 20th season of the J2 league. Which teams have spent the most years in it?

19        Mito HollyHock

17        Yokohama FC

16        Montedio Yamagata

14        Consadole Sapporo

14        Shonen Bellmare

14        Avispa Fukuoka

13        Sagan Tosu

13        Tokushima Vortis

13        Thespakusatsu Gunma

13        Ehima FC

Which teams are in J2 this year, when did they last join, and did they come from above or below?

2018    Albirex Niigata (above)

2018    Omiya Ardija (above)

2018    Ventforet Kofu (above)

2018    Tochigi FC (below)

2017    Avispa Fukuoka (above)

2017    Oita Trinita (above)

2016    Montedio Yamagata (above)

2016    Matsumoto Yamaga (above)

2016    Machida Zelvia (below)

2016    Renofa Yamaguchi (below)

2015    Tokushima Vortis (above)

2015    Zweigen Kanazawa (below)

2014    Kamatamare Sanuki (below)

2011    Kyoto Sanga (above)

2010    JEF United Chiba (above)

2009    Tokyo Verdy (above)

2009    Fagiano Okayama (below)

2008    Yokohama FC (above)

2008    Roasso Kumamoto (below)

2008    FC Gifu (below)

2006    Ehime FC (below)

2000    Mito HollyHock (below)

Mito HollyHock are a second-tier football club par excellence.

Morton watch: Lee Kilday has signed on for another year, as has Lewis Strapp. On Wednesday goalkeeper Ryan Scully signed with Morton. He has played for Partick Thistle, junior side Petershill, Albion Rovers and Dunfermline. And Morton got midfielder Ross MacLean on loan from Motherwell. Pre-season training began Thursday. Mark Russell won't be back with Morton. Jai Quitongo is training with Livingston, a pretty good sign that he won't be back with Morton.

[Douglas Rae has died. He was chairman of Greenock Morton from 2001 until this April. He's credited with rescuing the club from liquidation.]

World Cup group stage:

Group D: Nigeria 2 - 0 Iceland (at Volgograd Arena, June 22nd)

Group H: Japan [2 - 2] Senegal (at Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg, June 24th)

SWFL Division 1 South: Morton [5 - 3] Falkirk

[That's Morton's first win in SWFL Division 1.]

2018 Canadian Championship, 2QR, first leg:

AS Blainville 0 - 1 Ottawa Fury (June 20). Match report.

This is the eleventh year of the Canadian Championship. The first three years there were only three entrants; the next three years there were four; the next four there were five; and this year there are six. It sounds small-scale, but look at the early years of the Emperor's Cup.  The first four years of the Emperor's Cup there were only four entrants, and at no time before World War Two were there more than eight, and one year there were three. This year there are eighty-eight, out of the hundreds and hundreds that could qualify. From acorns oaks.

USL: New York Red Bulls II [0 - 3] Ottawa Fury (June 24)

JFL: Vanraure Hachinohe [1 - 2] Sony Sendai

Honda 2 - 0 Honda Lock

Kantō Soccer League: Tokyo 23 FC [2 - 0] Saitama SC

Controls

The Raccoon Catcher