Kilsyth

Kilsyth, 1926. Kilsyth is on the northeast fringe of Glasgow, situated between the Kilsyth Hills to the north, the River Kelvin to the south, and bogs and marshes to the east and west. It was the site of the Battle of Kilsyth between Royalists and Covenanters in 1645. It’s the home of the first curling club, founded in 1716. Building stone has been quarried here for centuries, which has left several large holes in the townscape.

Kilsyth Rangers began in 1913 and play at Duncansfield Park. Kilsyth Athletic was formed in 2002 and uses Kilsyth Sports Field as its home ground. The two are in the West of Scotland League Second Division this year and play each other today.

Morton visit St Johnstone. St Johnstone are top of the division with 38 points. Morton are seventh with 21.

The season is half over. Morton are on track to finish with 42 points, good enough for sixth place in last year’s Championship.

Hearts are after St Johnstone’s top scorer Josh McPake (who played for Morton in 2020-21). McPake leads the Championship with 12 goals. It’s not too long since Rangers were after Hearts’ top scorer.

Hamilton Academical have been docked 9 points for failing to maintain a bronze licence.

Gary Miller has taken on the role of interim head coach at Morton.

[St Johnstone 5 – 0 Morton.]

The other Championship matches:
Aidrieonians (8th) [0 – 3] Queen’s Park (9th)
Dunfermline Athletic (5th) [2 – 3] Ayr United (4th)
Partick Thistle (2nd) [0 – 0] Raith Rovers (6th)
Ross County (10th) [0 – 2] Arbroath (3rd)
Ross County sacked their manager after last weekend’s loss.

Scottish Challenge Cup, R2 (December 16):
Dumbarton (L2) 0 – 9 Inverness CT (L1)
By my count this is Dumbarton’s third-worst result ever, and their worst at home. They were beaten 11 – 1 twice: at Albion Rovers in 1926 in Division Two and at Ayr United in 1952 in the League Cup.
Elgin City (L2) 2 – 3 East Fife (L1)
Montrose (L1) vs The Spartans (L2) (postponed again)
Cove Rangers (L1) 1 – 2 Partick Thistle (Ch)
Hearts B 0 – 1 St Johnstone (Ch)
Queen of the South (L1) 4 – 3 Dunfermline Athletic (Ch) Upset
Queen’s Park (Ch) 2 – 1 Clyde (L2)

Other matches:
Golspie Sutherland 1 – 0 Bonar Bridge (December 17)
Fortuna Düsseldorf [2 – 1] Greuther Fürth
Wick Academy [2 – 1] Huntly
Largs Thistle [3 – 0] Kilwinning Rangers
Kilsyth Athletic [2 – 1] Kilsyth Rangers
Glasgow Perthshire [1 – 6] Port Glasgow
Elfen Saitama [0 – 1] JEF United

South Challenge Cup, R4:
St Roch’s (W1) [2 – 1] Bonnyrigg Rose (LL) Upset

South Challenge Cup, R5:
Cumnock (WP) [3 – 0] Neilston (W1)
Greenock (W2) vs Glenafton Athletic (WP) [postponed]
Kilbirnie Ladeside (W1) [2 – 6] Cumbernauld United (W1)
Leith Athletic (E1) [0 – 3] Haddington Athletic (E3) Upset
Muirkirk (W1) [3 – 2] Rutherglen Glencairn (WP) Upset
Vale of Clyde (W1) [1 – 0] Caledonian Braves (LL) Upset
University of Stirling (LL) [4 – 0] Renfrew (WP)

Scottish Junior Cup, R3:
Fraserburgh United [wo – scr] Dundonald Bluebell

UEFA Conference League, league phase, matchday 6 (December 18):
Sparta Prague 3 – 0 Aberdeen
Shamrock Rovers 3 – 1 Hamrun Spartans
Celje 0 – 0 Shelbourne
Aberdeen, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne are out.

With the World Cup approaching like a distant cloud of locusts the CFL has had to plan ahead and release its 2026 schedule early. There will be no Argonaut home games between May 29th (preseason week 3) and August 6th (regular season week 10) and no BC Lions home games between May 23rd (preseason week 2) and June 27th (Week 4). As the Lions are giving themselves less than 24 hours to convert their stadium from World Cup to CFL football after New Zealand vs Belgium June 26th, you can imagine a postponement happening.

Historical matches:
1890/12/20 Morton 1 – 2 Linthouse
1930/12/20 Morton 1 – 1 Ayr United
1952/12/20 Morton 1 – 0 Cowdenbeath
1980/12/20 Hearts 0 – 0 Morton

Cup results of the 1890-91 SFL clubs:
1890/12/20 Vale of Leven 12 – 0 Kirkintilloch Athletic (Dumbartonshire Cup SF replay)
1890/12/20 Leith Athletic 2 – 3 Abercorn (Sc Cup R6)
1890/12/20 Dumbarton 3 – 0 Celtic (Sc Cup R6)
1890/12/20 East Stirlingshire 1 – 3 Hearts (Sc Cup R6)