Yet another round of alphabet soup in Scottish football. Not only is the League Cup now to be called the Communities Cup but apparently the Challenge Cup (in which Dumbarton have the worst record of any of the teams which have ever competed for it; so don’t look for progress beyond the first round this time either) is now to be known as the Ramsden’s Cup.

Ramsden’s apparently have a presence in a lot of towns with SFL clubs and peddle financial services such as pawn-broking and payday loans.

Hmm. Not much of an inspiration, is it?

It’s East Stirlingshire, by the way, at home on 23^rd July.

What? No Morton?

Scottish Cup, Round 3. The Rock, 20/11/10

Being beaten by Morton in a cup is no novelty. However, we usually take them to penalties or at least extra time. But then we usually don’t score against them so that’s a welcome departure.

No chance of a clean sheet: Grindlay was playing.

This may be the first time this season we’ve gone ahead in a game and lost it. We’ve certainly never gone behind in a game and gone on to win it.

Alloa at home next up. They had a good win yesterday. It will be hard.

Due to the magnificence of BT I was internet-less yesterday.

I happen to live slap bang in the middle of the area affected by one of their machines in Edinburgh going kaput.

Life went on though and thanks to being able to schedule posts I wasn’t completely incommunicado and you might not have noticed I wasn’t here.

But I couldn’t reflect on the appointment of Derek Ferguson as Assistant Manager nor on our upcoming confrontation with Morton in the Cup.

At least we won’t get punted by a non-league team.

Co-operative Insurance Cup, Palmerston Park, 31/7/10

I was going to say that means Morton must be rubbish, but they hit 7 (seven)* past Stranraer today.

It’s just us, then.

*As the teleprinter always used to do when some team bagged a big score.

Alba Challenge Cup, Round 1. The Rock, 25/7/10. (aet 0-0: 3-4 pens)

Well, this wasn’t long in coming round. I’m not sure I’m ready for the new season yet.

I don’t suppose the result was a surprise. These two teams have a history of serving up low scoring or goalless games in cups.

I don’t have a clue what this presages for the league.

Morton.

Again!

(First round exit.

Again.)

I wonder what the CIS Cup draw will throw up for us tomorrow.

St Mirren or Dunfermline perchance?

Scottish FA Cup 3^rd round replay. The Rock, 5/12/09.

It’s deja vu all over again.

No big, money-spinning game after all, then.

We kept them down to one goal but it’s disappointing that we couldn’t score against them in 270 minutes of football.

Back to the league survival grind on Tuesday night.

Scottish Cup 4^th round draw:-

Morton or Dumbarton v Celtic.

Big incentive to win the replay on Saturday.

That goes for Morton too, of course.

Either way I don’t hold out much hope of a long Cup run this year.

And my trip to Stirling has been rescheduled before Christmas, after all.

Once upon a time postponed matches weren’t required to be played in December or January. I suppose it helps prevent fixture build up.

December will be busy, though.

5 Dec 09 H Morton
8 Dec 09 H Peterhead
12 Dec 09 H East Fife
15 Dec 09 A Stirling Albion
19 Dec 09 H Alloa Athletic
26 Dec 09 A Clyde

The Rock, 26/7/09, Challenge Cup

Losing 1-0 to a team in a higher division isn’t a bad result. But we were at home and have done quite well in such circumstances in the past.

I suppose the only surprise was that it wasn’t Peter Weatherson that got Morton’s goal. He usually scores against us.

Attendance 1,102? Did they not undercount today then? (According to home regulars they frequently do.)

Looks like we need to develop a cutting edge, though.

Galabank 18/7/09: 19/7/09

Dumbarton 1-1 Queen Of The South (6-7 on pens.)
Annan Athletic 3-3 Dumbarton (4-2 on pens.)

You can’t draw inferences for the oncoming season from pre-season games. Last season we didn’t win many pre-season encounters and it turned out well.

I must say, though, that while at the end of last season I couldn’t wait for the new one to start, as it has approached I have become more and more wary.

We have two games against higher opposition to kick off the new term; Morton in the Challenge Cup on Sunday, and Dunfermline in the CIS on Aug 1^st. The only consolation is that they are both at home.

There’s a friendly against Middlesbrough tomorrow night too, a Stirlingshire Cup tie versus the Shire to squeeze in next midweek and the squad is by no means settled. We don’t seem to have a left back. I hope things don’t fall apart.