Torontonian Cale Loughrey played three seasons in the Canadian Premier League, two of them with HFX Wanderers. He recently came to Partick Thistle from Hamilton Academical. Source.

Morton host Partick Thistle in a Friday-nighter. Partick are second in the division with 49 points, Morton eighth with 30. After last weekend’s loss Morton cannot win the division.

Partick do not have a Saturday game in March, but three Fridays, a Sunday and a Tuesday.

[Morton 1 – 2 Partick Thistle. Morton goal by MacPherson.]

The other Championship matches (tomorrow):
Ayr United 1 – 2 Queen’s Park (March 10)
Airdrieonians (10th) [0 – 0] Arbroath (3rd)
This is a Consolation Cup semi-final. [Arbroath advance on the yellow card rule.]
Dunfermline Athletic (4th) [3 – 0] Raith Rovers (7th)
Queen’s Park (6th) [1 – 1] Ayr United (5th)
St Johnstone (1st) [1 – 1] Ross County (9th)

Other matches (mostly tomorrow):
Largs Thistle 1 – 3 Pollok (March 11)
Eintracht Braunschweig [1 – 0] Fortuna Düsseldorf
Rewal [1 – 1] Lipno Stęszew
Strathspey Thistle [2 – 0] Wick Academy
East Stirlingshire [0 – 6] Clydebank
Beith vs Largs Thistle [postponed]
Maybole [4 – 1] Greenock
Port Glasgow [1 – 1] Kello Rovers
Kinnoull [0 – 0] Coldstream
Fort William [5 – 2] Golspie Sutherland
Ayr United [1 – 1] Morton Women (Sunday)

J1 100 Year Vision League East, matchday 6 (tomorrow):
Yokohama F Marinos (10th) [2 – 0] JEF United Chiba (7th)
Kashiwa Reysol (9th) [0 – 1] Machida Zelvia (4th)
Mito HollyHock (8th) [1 – 1] FC Tokyo (3rd) [FC Tokyo win on PK]
Kashima Antlers (1st) [1 – 0] Kawasaki Frontale (6th)
Tokyo Verdy (5th) [1 – 0] Urawa Red Diamonds (2nd)

Prior to this season, when was the last time Mito played the other J1 East teams?
2025/10/19 JEF United Chiba (J2)
2024/7/10 Yokohama F Marinos (Emperor’s Cup)
2023/7/29 Tokyo Verdy (J2)
2023/7/12 Kawasaki Frontale (Emperor’s Cup)
2023/6/24 Machida Zelvia (J2)
2019/10/14 Kashiwa Reysol (J2)
2019/8/14 Urawa Red Diamonds (Emperor’s Cup)
2015/11/11 FC Tokyo (Emperor’s Cup)
2015/10/14 Kashima Antlers (Emperor’s Cup)

2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite, round of 16, leg 2:
Machida Zelvia 1 – 0 Gangwon (March 10)
Vissel Kobe 2 – 1 FC Seoul (March 11)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1 – 0 Johor Darul Ta’zim (March 11) Johor win on aggregate.
Machida Zelvia and Vissel Kobe advance. Sanfrecce Hiroshima are out.

2026-26 AFC Champions League Two, QF, leg 2:
Ratchaburi 1 – 2 Gamba Osaka (March 11)
Gamba advance.

Play in the West Region of the AFC Champions League Elite and Champions League Two has been suspended due to the Iran war. Story.

Iran has dropped out of the World Cup. Story. Or not. Story.

2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, Round of 16, leg 1:
Vancouver Whitecaps 0 – 3 Seattle Sounders (March 12)
Haitian players are being denied entry to the US, gutting Jamaican club Mount Pleasant’s roster prior to their series against LA Galaxy. Story.

Major League Soccer really blows as a Canadian league. There are only three all-Canadian matches this season. Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto don’t even meet. The games are:
2026/7/16 Montreal vs Toronto
2026/10/10 Toronto vs Montreal
2026/11/7 Montreal vs Vancouver Whitecaps

Historical matches:
1931/3/14 Morton 3 – 0 East Fife
1953/3/14 Morton 1 – 2 Dundee United
1981/3/11 Morton 0 – 0 Clydebank (Sc Cup R5)
1981/3/14 Morton 0 – 1 Airdrieonians

1890-91 SFL results:
1891/3/14 Celtic 2 – 0 Cowlairs
1891/3/14 St Mirren 3 – 2 Third Lanark
1891/3/14 Rangers 2 – 0 Abercorn
1891/3/14 Hearts 3 – 0 Armadale (EoSc Shield final)

Dunfermline and Aberdeen in last year’s cup. Source.

It’s the Scottish Cup quarter-finals:
Falkirk 2 – 1 Dundee United (yesterday)
Dunfermline Athletic [3 – 0] Aberdeen Upset!
Rangers [0 – 0] Celtic [Celtic win on PK] (tomorrow)
St Mirren [2 – 1] Partick Thistle (tomorrow)

Celtic have won the Scottish Cup 42 times, Rangers 34, Aberdeen 8, St Mirren 3, Dundee United 2, Falkirk 2, Dunfermline 2, and Partick Thistle once.

Meanwhile in the Championship it’s Morton vs St Johnstone. St Johnstone are first in the division with 54 points. Morton are seventh with 30. This is Morton’s last chance to get a win off the Saints, unless, improbably, they meet in the playoffs.

Morton are three quarters of the way through this season, on track to finish with 40 points. In 2023-24 Inverness CT were relegated with 42. Following Tuesday’s games St Johnstone are safe from relegation.

St Johnstone have four former Morton players on their roster: Reghan Tumilty (Morton 2018-20), Jack Baird (2019-20 and 2022-25), Josh McPake (2020-21) and Morgan Boyes (2024-25).

Morton’s most recent goal against St Johnstone was scored by Eamonn Brophy August 30th.

As usual in the last quarter of the season, everyone is injured.

[Morton 0 – 2 St Johnstone.]

The other Championship matches:
Arbroath 1 – 1 Ayr United (March 3)
This was a Consolation Cup round one match. Arbroath advance on the yellow card rule.
Dunfermline Athletic 3 – 0 Ross County (March 3)
This was a Consolation Cup semi-final match.
Queen’s Park (8th) [1 – 0] Aidrieonians (9th)
Arbroath (3rd) [0 – 0] Ross County (10th)

J League 100 Year Vision League East, matchday 5:
JEF United (10th) [2 – 1] Kashiwa Reysol (8th)
Machida Zelvia (2nd) vs Kawasaki Frontale (4th) [March 28]
FC Tokyo (6th) [3 – 0] Yokohama F Marinos (9th)
Urawa Red Diamonds (5th) [2 – 0] Mito HollyHock (7th)
Kashima Antlers (1st) [2 – 0] Tokyo Verdy (3rd)

Other matches:
Golspie Sutherland 4 – 2 St Duthus (March 4)
1.FC Nürnberg [0 – 1] Fortuna Düsseldorf
Wick Academy [2 – 3] Keith
Clydebank [5 – 1] Bonnyrigg Rose
Kilsyth Rangers [3 – 2] Greenock
Glasgow University [0 – 2] Port Glasgow
Coldstream [4 – 0] Fauldhouse United
Inverness Thistle [0 – 0] Golspie Sutherland
Morton Women vs Armadale Thistle (tomorrow) [abandoned]

Scottish Junior Cup, QF:
Largs Thistle [1 – 1] Benburb [Largs win on PK]

West of Scotland League Cup, QF:
Thorn Athletic [0 – 5] Hurlford United
Muirkirk [1 – 4] Irvine Meadow XI

2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite, Round of 16, leg 1:
Gangwon 0 – 0 Machida Zelvia (March 3)
FC Seoul 0 – 1 Vissel Kobe (March 4)
Johor Darul Ta’zim 3 – 1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (March 4)

2025-26 AFC Champions League Two, QF, leg 1:
Gamba Osaka 1 – 1 Ratchaburi (March 4)

The Canadian Premier League will test-drive a new offside rule this season. It will only be an offside if the linesman can see daylight between the attacker and the last defender. Inter Toronto (the former York United) will put three development squads into the Ontario Premier League (the former League1 Ontario).

Historical matches:
1891/3/7 Kilmarnock Athletic 4 – 2 Morton
1931/3/7 Falkirk 3 – 1 Morton

SFL results 1890-91:
1891/3/7 Cambuslang 3 – 1 Celtic
1891/3/7 Dumbarton 5 – 1 St Mirren
1891/3/7 Cowlairs 1 – 2 Hearts
1891/3/7 Third Lanark 0 – 4 Rangers
1891/3/7 Abercorn 6 – 0 Vale of Leven

Action from the CanPL final, November 9th, 2025. Source.

Morton visit Excelsior Stadium for a match against Airdrieonians. Morton are seventh with 30 points, Airdrie ninth with 23. Each has beaten the other once so far this season. Airdrie are coming off a midweek loss to Raith Rovers in the Challenge Cup semi-finals.

So far this season Morton have lost in league play to Raith Rovers, Ayr United, St Johnstone (twice), Dunfermline, Airdrieonians, Partick Thistle and Queen’s Park, or everybody except Ross County and Arbroath.

Airdrie have knocked Arbroath out of both the Challenge Cup and the Scottish Cup this season.

Jackson Longridge has Morton’s most recent goal against Airdrie, scored October 4, 2025.

This is an A Ton of Snow Championship Consolation Cup round one match.

[Airdrieonians 3 – 1 Morton. Morton goal by Garrity.]

The other Championship matches:
Dunfermline Athletic 2 – 2 Partick Thistle (February 24)
Queen’s Park 1 – 1 St Johnstone (February 24)
Dunfermline Athletic (6th) [1 – 0] Queen’s Park (8th)*
Ross County (10th) [2 – 0] Raith Rovers (5th)*
Partick Thistle (2nd) [0 – 0] Arbroath (3rd)
St Johnstone (1st) [3 – 1] Ayr United (4th)

*These are also Consolation Cup round one matches. [Airdrie, Dunfermline and Ross County advance.]

Other matches:
Wick Academy vs Forres Mechanics (February 25) (postponed)
Wda Świecie [3 – 0] Lipno Stęszew
Fortuna Düsseldorf [2 – 1] VfL Bochum
Berwick Rangers [1 – 2] Clydebank
Lossiemouth [0 – 3] Wick Academy
Arthurlie [1 – 2] Largs Thistle
Greenock [1 – 3] Ashfield
Inverness Athletic [6 – 2] Golspie Sutherland

J League 100 Year Vision League East, matchday 4:
Machida Zelvia (5th) 2 – 1 JEF United Chiba (8th) (yesterday)
Urawa Red Diamonds (2nd) [2 – 3] Kashima Antlers (3rd)
FC Tokyo (4th) [0 – 2] Kashiwa Reysol (10th)
Yokohama F Marinos (9th) [3 – 2] Tokyo Verdy (1st)
Kawasaki Frontale (6th) [2 – 2] Mito HollyHock (7th) [Kawasaki win on PK] (tomorrow)

The 106th Emperor’s Cup does not begin until August this year and will end on the traditional date of January 1st.

Scottish Challenge Cup, SF:
Ayr United 1 – 2 Inverness CT (February 24)
Airdrieonians 1 – 1 Raith Rovers (Raith win on PK) (February 25)
ICT and Raith have each won this cup two and a half times, new Airdrieonians twice and Ayr never.

South Challenge Cup, SF:
Cumnock (WP) [5 – 1] Vale of Clyde (W1)
University of Stirling (LL) [0 – 0] Muirkirk (W1) [Stirling win on PK] (tomorrow)

Lowland League Cup, QF:
Linlithgow Rose 1 – 1 Clydebank (Linlithgow win on PK) (February 24)

Highland League Cup, SF:
Formartine United [1 – 1] Banks o’ Dee [Formartine win on PK]
Turriff United [1 – 1] Brechin City [Turriff win on PK]

West of Scotland League Cup, R3:
Lanark United [0 – 6] Auchinleck Talbot

West of Scotland League Cup, QF:
Troon vs Drumchapel United [abandoned]

2025-26 UEFA Europa League, knockout playoff, leg 2:
VfB Stuttgart 0 – 1 Celtic (February 26)
Celtic lose on aggregate and are out of European competition for this year.

2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, R1, leg 2:
Nashville 5 – 0 Atlético Ottawa (February 24)
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 0 Cartaginés (February 25)
Vancouver Whitecaps advance. Atlético Ottawa are out.

HFX Wanderers have signed Victor Akinwale from Crystal Palace. Halifax Tides have signed veteran midfielder Cho So-Hyun from Suwon FC.

World Cup watch: Could Toronto and Vancouver absorb matches relocated from Guadalajara where there’s currently a drug war going on? The matches are:
June 11, South Korea vs UEFA Path D. Toronto’s BMO Field is in use June 12 for Canada vs UEFA Path A. Vancouver’s BC Place is in use June 13 for Australia vs UEFA Path C.
June 18, Mexico vs South Korea. BC Place is in use that day for Canada vs Qatar and on June 21 for New Zealand versus Egypt. BMO Field is in use on June 17 for Ghana vs Panama and on June 20 for Germany vs Ivory Coast. (Plus it’s hard to picture Mexico allowing its national team’s match to be relocated to another country.)
June 23, Colombia vs IC Path 1. BMO Field is in use that day for Panama vs Croatia. BC Place is in use June 24 for Switzerland vs Canada.
June 26, Uruguay vs Spain. BMO Field is in use that day for New Zealand vs Egypt, while BC Place is in use the same day for Senegal vs IC Path 2. And there’s a CFL game scheduled for BC Place June 27.
Conclusion: It would take a shoehorn.

Historical matches:
1891/2/28 Port Glasgow Athletic 1 – 3 Morton
1931/2/28 Morton 0 – 1 Clyde
1953/2/28 Dunfermline Athletic 0 – 1 Morton
1981/2/28 Morton 0 – 3 Celtic

1890-91 SFL results:
1891/2/28 Celtic 1 – 0 Hearts
1891/2/28 Dumbarton 4 – 0 Vale of Leven
1891/2/28 St Mirren 3 – 7 Rangers
1891/2/28 Cambuslang 2 – 2 Third Lanark
1891/2/28 Cowlairs 7 – 5 Abercorn

Ricki Lamie is back at Queen’s Park. He first played for them in 2013-14. And he played for Morton from 2014 to 2018. Source.

Morton visit Lesser Hampton for a match against Queen’s Park. Morton are fifth sixth with 30 points, Queen’s Park eighth with 24. Morton are 1 point off last year’s pace.

This is Queen’s Park’s fourth year in the Championship. They finished 2022-23 third with 58 points, 2023-24 eighth with 43, and 2024-25 eighth with 35. They are roughly on track to equal last year’s performance.

[Queen’s Park 3 – 2 Morton. Morton goal by Wilson and an own goal.]

The other Championship matches:
Raith Rovers (7th) (6th) 0 – 0 St Johnstone (1st) (yesterday)
Arbroath (3rd) [4 – 2] Dunfermline Athletic (6th)
Ayr United (4th) [0 – 0] Ross County (10th)
Partick Thistle (2nd) [1 – 0] Airdrieonians (9th)

Other matches:
SV Darmstadt 98 [2 – 1] Fortuna Düsseldorf
Wick Academy [1 – 2] Turriff United
Celtic B [3 – 1] Clydebank
Greenock [1 – 1] Maryhill
Yoker Athletic [0 – 2] Port Glasgow
Coldstream [2 – 0] Burntisland Shipyard
Rossvale [4 – 0] Morton Women (tomorrow)
Elfen Saitama [0 – 1] Omiya Ardija (tomorrow)

J1 100 Year Vision League East, matchday 3:
Yokohama F Marinos (9th) [0 – 2] Urawa Red Diamonds (4th)
Tokyo Verdy (1st) [2 – 2] Machida Zelvia (3rd) [Verdy win on PK]
Kawasaki Frontale (2nd) [1 – 2] FC Tokyo (6th)
Kashima Antlers (5th) [2 – 0] Kashiwa Reysol (10th)
Mito HollyHock (7th) [1 – 1] JEF United (8th) [Mito win on PK] (tomorrow)

Scottish Junior Cup, R5:
Dundee Violet [0 – 1] Johnstone Burgh
Fraserburgh United [0 – 3] Largs Thistle

West of Scotland League Cup, R4:
Irvine Meadow XI [3 – 1] Benburb

North Caledonian Cup, R1:
Golspie Sutherland [3 – 8] Invergordon

2025-26 UEFA Europa League, knockout playoff, leg 1 (February 19):
Celtic 1 – 4 VfB Stuttgart

2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite, league phase, matchday 8:
Machida Zelvia 3 – 2 Chengdu Rongcheng (February 17)
FC Seoul 2 – 2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (February 17)
Johor Darul Ta’zim 1 – 0 Vissel Kobe (February 17)
Machida Zelvia, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vissel Kobe all advance.

2025-26 AFC Champions League Two, Group of 16, leg 2:
Gamba Osaka 2 – 1 Pohang Steelers (February 19)
Gamba advance.

Former HFX Wanderers and Scrosoppi FC forward Tomasz Skublak has signed with Inter Toronto.

Historical matches:
1891/2/21 Partick Thistle 2 – 3 Morton
1931/2/18 Motherwell 3 – 0 Morton
1931/2/21 Hibs 1 – 1 Morton
1953/2/21 Morton 1 – 4 Rangers (Sc Cup R3)
1981/2/21 Dundee United 1 – 0 Morton

1890-91 SFL results:
1891/2/21 Dumbarton 2 – 2 Celtic
1891/2/21 Hearts 1 – 0 St Mirren
1891/2/21 Third Lanark 4 – 1 Vale of Leven
1891/2/21 Rangers 2 – 1 Cambuslang

Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic return to Cappielow for a Tuesday nighter to make up for the match postponed January 10th. Dunfermline are fifth in the Championship with 29 points, Morton seventh with 27. The Pars have two games in hand.

Morton’s season is two-thirds over. They’re on track to finish with 40 or 41 points, not completely safe from relegation. At the moment they’re 5 points out of fourth place and 4 points out of ninth.

By my count this is Lennon’s ninth game against Morton. He has won twice:
2013/9/24 Celtic 0 – 1 Morton
2016/8/27 Hibs 4 – 0 Morton
2016/12/17 Morton 1 – 1 Hibs
2017/3/29 Hibs 0 – 0 Morton
2017/4/8 Morton 1 – 1 Hibs
2025/5/2 Morton 2 – 0 Dunfermline
2025/8/2 Morton 0 – 0 Dunfermline
2025/11/22 Dunfermline 1 – 0 Morton

[Morton win 2 – 0 on goals by Brophy and MacPherson.]

Scottish Cup, R5:
Dundee United [2 – 1] Spartans
Aberdeen [2 – 0] Motherwell (tomorrow)

Scottish Challenge Cup, QF:
St Johnstone [3 – 3] Ayr United [Ayr win on PK]

Lowland League Cup, QF:
Broxburn Athletic [0 – 1] Cumbernauld Colts
Civil Service Strollers vs Tranent [postponed]
Linlithgow Rose vs Clydebank [postponed]
Gala Fairydean Rovers [2 – 0] Bonnyrigg Rose (tomorrow)

Concacaf Champions Cup, R1, leg 1:
Atlético Ottawa [0 – 2] Nashville SC
Cartaginés (Costa Rica) [0 – 0] Vancouver Whitecaps (tomorrow)

Imrie. Source.

It’s the return of Dougie Imrie as his new team Raith Rovers visit Cappielow. Raith are sixth in the Championship with 28 points, Morton seventh with 26. 26 is the total number of points Morton earned in the relegation year of 2013-14.

Not so long ago Imrie was in charge at Morton and Morton’s new manager Ian Murray was in charge at Raith Rovers. What’s their record against one another?
2022/8/13 Murray 2 – 1 Imrie
2022/10/15 Imrie 1 – 0 Murray
2022/12/10 Murray 1 – 1 Imrie (Murray won on PK)
2022/12/23 Murray 2 – 2 Imrie
2023/4/22 Imrie 1 – 0 Murray
2023/8/12 Murray 3 – 2 Imrie
2023/10/31 Imrie 1 – 2 Murray
2024/2/27 Murray 0 – 0 Imrie
2024/4/27 Imrie 0 – 0 Murray

Where have Morton’s 26 points come from?
7 Ross County
5 Arbroath
4 Queen’s Park
3 Airdrieonians
2 Ayr United
2 Partick Thistle
1 Dunfermline Athletic
1 Raith Rovers
1 St Johnstone

An international business interest named Estrella Football Group wants to invest in Morton. Story.

Morton have signed goalkeeper Murray Johnson on loan from Hibs.

Hamilton Academical have been docked six more points. That’s twenty-one on the season.

[Morton 0 – 0 Raith Rovers]

The other Championship matches:
Airdrieonians (8th) 0 – 1 St Johnstone (1st) (yesterday)
This was a Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup semi-final. It sets up a March 21st final between Partick Thistle and St Johnstone.
Arbroath (3rd) vs Ayr United (4th) [postponed]
This is an A Ton of Snow Championship Consolation Cup Round One match.*
Dunfermine Athletic (5th) vs Partick Thistle (2nd) [postponed]
Ross County (9th) [0 – 1] Queen’s Park (10th)

*Once the Championship League Cup finalists are known, the other eight clubs embark on the Consolation Cup. I’ve run this cup for four years so far and never once had a winner, because there are never enough fixtures left in the season to get to the final. This year I’m making a format change to try to speed things up. Instead of pairing up the teams according to their places in last season’s standings, I’ll choose the set of four fixtures that can be completed the soonest, barring postponements. One of those is today [but it’s postponed] and the other three are on February 28th.

Scottish Challenge Cup, QF (February 10):
St Johnstone vs Ayr United (postponed)

J1 100 Year Vision League East, week 2:
Machida Zelvia (4th) [2 – 2] Mito HollyHock (9th) [Zelvia win on PK]
Kashima Antlers (7th) [1 – 0] Yokohama F Marinos (6th)
FC Tokyo (5th) [1 – 1] Urawa Red Diamonds (3rd) [FC Tokyo win on PK]
JEF United Chiba (10th) [0 – 0] Kawasaki Frontale (1st) (tomorrow) [Kawasaki in on PK]
Kashiwa Reysol (8th) [1 – 2] Tokyo Verdy (2nd) (tomorrow)
[Draws go to penalty kicks. The winner gets 2 points, the loser 1.]

Other matches:
Elfen Saitama [4 – 0] Nagano Parceiro
Fortuna Düsseldorf [0 – 0] Preußen Münster [yesterday]
Clydebank [1 – 2] Tranent
Hurlford United vs Largs Thistle [postponed]
Bellshill Athletic vs Greenock [postponed]
Port Glasgow [3 – 1] Glenvale
Coldstream vs Fauldhouse United [postponed]

Lowland League Cup, R1 (February 10):
Berwick Rangers 1 – 2 Bonnyrigg Rose

West of Scotland League Cup, R3:
Lanark United vs Auchinleck Talbot [postponed]

West of Scotland League Cup, R4:
Drumchapel United [4 – 0] East Kilbride Thistle
Irvine Meadow XI vs Benburb [postponed]

Concacaf Champions Cup, R1, leg 2:
UANL 4 – 1 Forge (February 10)
Cruz Azul 5 – 0 Vancouver FC (February 12)
Both Forge and Vancouver FC are out.

2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite, league phase, matchday 7:
Vissel Kobe 2 – 0 FC Seoul (February 10)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2 – 1 Johoe Darul Ta’zim (February 10)
Shanghai Shenhua 0 – 2 Machida Zelvia (February 10)

2025-26 AFC Champions League Two, Round of 16, leg 1:
Pohang Steelers 1 – 1 Gamba Osaka (February 12)

Historical matches:
1931/2/14 Morton 1 – 4 Celtic (Sc Cup R3)
1953/2/14 Stenhousemuir 2 – 5 Morton
1981/2/14 Morton 1 – 0 Aberdeen (Sc Cup R4)

SFL results 1890-91:
1891/2/14 Hearts 2 – 2 Cambuslang
1891/2/14 Celtic 4 – 0 Third Lanark (Glasgow Cup final)
1891/2/14 St Mirren 4 – 0 Port Glasgow Athletic (Renfrewshire Cup final)
1891/2/14 Dumbarton 4 – 1 Vale of Leven (Dumbartonshire Cup final)

The J League is in the midst of switching from summer to winter football. The 2025 season ended in December. The next season, 2026-27, will begin in August. That leaves a seven-month gap, which will be filled by a one-off tournament called the 100 Year Vision League. The name comes from the JFA’s 100 Year Plan, promulgated in 1992, to build toward 100 professional clubs and a World Cup championship by 2092.

For the purposes of this tournament the J1 League is divided into two ten-team sections, East and West. Each section will play a double round robin and the two first-place finishers will meet in a playoff for the overall championship and a place in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite.

Mito HollyHock are in the East section. By happy chance all ten East teams are located in the Kanto region, making this a kind of super Kanto League. (The next Kanto league down is in tier five.) The East section is loaded with powerhouses: Kashima Antlers, Kashiwa Reysol, Machida Zelvia, Urawa Red Diamonds, Kawasaki Frontale, FC Tokyo, Yokohama F Marinos, Tokyo Verdy, Mito HollyHock and JEF United Chiba. If Mito finish better than ninth or tenth it’ll be a notable accomplishment. But it doesn’t matter — there will be no relegation at the end of the tournament.

J1 East, matchday 1:
Yokohama F Marinos 2 – 3 Machida Zelvia (yesterday)
JEF United [0 – 2] Urawa Red Diamonds
FC Tokyo [2 – 1] Kashima Antlers
Kawasaki Frontale [5 – 3] Kashiwa Reysol (tomorrow)
Tokyo Verdy [3 – 1] Mito HollyHock (tomorrow)

J2 and J3 also have a tournament going on. Their clubs have been lumped together and divided into four ten-team sections. And the JFL will have a thing called the JFL Cup, but it doesn’t start till March.

Meanwhile, it’s the Scottish Cup, Round Five:
Airdrieonians 1 – 2 St Mirren (yesterday)
Dundee United vs The Spartans [postponed]
Dunfermline Athletic [2 – 0] Kelty Hearts
Elgin City [2 – 3] Partick Thistle
Celtic [2 – 1] Dundee
These two met in the Scottish Cup, round three, on January 19th, 1895, and Dundee won 1 – 0.
Aberdeen vs Motherwell [postponed]
Rangers [8 – 0] Stranraer Queen’s Park (tomorrow)
These two met in the Scottish Cup, round six, March 22nd, 1879, and Rangers won 1 – 0.
Stenhousemuir [0 – 2] Falkirk (tomorrow)
These two met in the Scottish Cup, round two, on September 29th, 1883, and Falkirk won 9 – 1.

There was one Championship match midweek:
Queen’s Park 0 – 1 Ross County (February 3)

Morton have signed 20-year-old centre-back Reuben Lopata-White on loan from Leeds United. Dylan Corr has left the club for Kelty Hearts. Morton have also signed 33-year-old striker Curtis Main, formerly of Darlington, Middlesbrough, Shrewsbury Town, Doncaster Rovers, Oldham Athletic, Portsmouth, Motherwell, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Bengaluru, Dundee and Ayr United. And Kerr Robertson has been loaned out to East Kilbride.

Scottish Challenge Cup, QF:
Arbroath 2 – 2 Airdrieonians (Airdrie win on PK) (February 3)
St Johnstone vs Ayr United [postponed]

Other matches: Lipno Stęszew [0 – 3] Sroda (sparring match)
Karlsruher SC [1 – 1] Fortuna Düsseldorf (tomorrow)
Wick Academy vs Forres Mechanics (February 4) (postponed)
Nairn County [1 – 1] Wick Academy
Berwick Rangers vs Clydebank (postponed)
Johnstone Burgh [3 – 1] Largs Thistle
Blantyre Victoria [2 – 0] Greenock
Port Glasgow [1 – 0] Craigmark Burtonians
Harthill Royal [2 – 4] Coldstream
Golspie Sutherland [2 – 2] Alness United
Renfrew [6 – 0] Morton Women (tomorrow)

Lowland League Cup, R1:
Bo’ness United 2 – 3 Tranent (February 3)

West of Scotland League Cup, R4:
Shotts Bon Accord [2 – 4] Muirkirk

Scottish Junior Cup, R5:
Fraserburgh United vs Largs Thistle (postponed)
Dundee Violet vs Johnstone Burgh (postponed)

Scottish Junior Cup, QF:
Auchinleck Talbot [2 – 0] Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
Pollok [1 – 1] Buchanhaven Hearts [Buchanhaven win on PK]

Concacaf Champions Cup, R1, leg 1:
Forge 0 – 0 UANL (February 3)
Vancouver FC 0 – 3 Cruz Azul (February 4)

Historical matches:
1891/2/7 Morton 1 – 1 Thistle
1931/2/7 Morton 0 – 1 Celtic
1953/2/7 Cowdenbeath 0 – 1 Morton (Sc Cup R2)
1981/2/7 Aberdeen 0 – 1 Morton

SFL results 1890-91:
1891/2/7 Celtic 3 2 St Mirren
1891/2/7 Vale of Leven 2 – 1 Cowlairs
1891/2/7 Abercorn 1 – 1 Rangers
1891/2/7 Dumbarton 0 – 1 Hearts (Sc Cup final)

Port Glasgow Juniors play at Parklea in the West of Scotland League Third Division. Source.

Ross County visit Cappielow. Morton hold seventh place with 23 points, and Ross County are ninth with 19. Morton have a win and a draw against the Staggies so far this season.

Stewart Kettlewell has been Ross County manager for a month. This is his second spell at the job, the first time having been from 2018 to 2020.

Ross County managed to climb out of automatic relegation last weekend. They have not been in tier III since 2007-08.

The last Morton player to score against Ross County was Michael Garrity, November 15th.

Half of Morton’s league matches have ended in draws, which puts them on track for 18 in 2025-26. The club record for draws in a season is 17, but that was in a 44-game schedule (1993-94).

[Morton win 2 – 1 on goals by Brophy and O’Halloran.]

The other Championship matches:
St Johnstone (1st) 2 – 2 Partick Thistle (2nd) (yesterday)
Ayr United (5th) [2 – 1] Raith Rovers (6th)
Dunfermline Athletic (4th) [0 – 2] Airdrieonians (8th)
Queen’s Park (10th) [2 – 1] Arbroath (3rd)

Other matches:
[Unia Swarzędz 1 – 1 KS Lipno Stęszew (sparring match)]
Fortuna Düsseldorf [2 – 1] SC Paderborn [tomorrow]
Rothes [1 – 1] Wick Academy
Largs Thistle [2 – 1] Shotts Bon Accord
Port Glasgow [8 – 1] St Anthony’s
Inverness CT [7 – 3] Morton Women (tomorrow)

A US consortium has bought Kelty Hearts. Story.

UEFA Europa League, league phase, matchday 8 (January 29):
Celtic 4 – 2 Utrecht
Porto 3 – 1 Rangers
Celtic advance. Rangers are out.

Scottish Challenge Cup, QF (January 27):
Arbroath vs Airdrieonians (postponed)
Inverness CT 1 – 0 Stenhousemuir
Queen’s Park 1 – 1 Raith Rovers (Raith win on PK)
St Johnstone vs Ayr United (postponed)

Scottish Junior Cup, R5:
Dundee Violet vs Johnstone Burgh (postponed)

South Challenge Cup, QF:
Muirkirk (W1) [3 – 0] Haddington Athletic (EP) Upset
Tranent (LL) [0 – 1] Cumnock (WP) Upset
Vale of Clyde (W1) [5 – 4] Greenock (W2)
University of Stirling (LL) [2 – 2] Cumbernauld United (W1) [U of Stirling win on PK] (tomorrow)

Lowland League Cup, R1:
East Stirlingshire 1 – 3 Clydebank (yesterday)
Berwick Rangers vs Bonnyrigg Rose [postponed]
Caledonian Braves [1 – 1] Civil Service Strollers [CSS win on PK]
Cumbernauld Colts [1 – 0] Albion Rovers
Gala Fairydean Rovers [2 – 1] Gretna 2008
Linlithgow Rose [4 – 0] Cowdenbeath

Football Times Cup, QF:
Clachnacuddin “A” [5 – 4] Golspie Sutherland

Video: Port Glasgow versus Greenock.

HFX Wanderers have signed 18-year-old fullback Francesco Troisi, and also 28-year-old defender Marcus Godinho formerly of Toronto FC II, Heart of Midlothian, FSV Zwickau, Vancouver Whitecaps, Korona Kielce in Poland and Degerfors IF in Sweden.

Historical matches:
1891/1/31 Ayr FC 2 – 2 Morton
1931/1/26 Morton 2 – 0 Raith Rovers (Sc Cup R1 2nd replay)
1931/1/31 Queen’s Park 0 – 1 Morton (Sc Cup R2)
1953/1/31 Morton 1 – 4 Kilmarnock
1981/1/28 Hearts 1 – 3 Morton (Sc Cup R3 replay)
1981/1/31 Morton 1 – 0 Kilmarnock

Cup games of the 1890-91 SFL clubs:
Third Lanark 1 – 4 Hearts (Sc Cup SF)