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Dean and Alan analyse Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Partick, the need for reinforcements in the squad and preview the visit of Elgin.

Morton v Partick Thistle – Match Preview by Russell Gordon Morton will look to bounce back quickly from a chastening afternoon against their least favourite foes, Arbroath last Saturday as Partick Thistle visit Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology fresh off the back of their first league win of the season. Dougie Imrie will hope that he can get a similar reaction from his charges as to what he got last season, following a similarly poor performance against this weekend’s visitors that saw Morton go on a ten-match unbeaten run following that difficult afternoon. Tickets for the match are available at the link below: Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Imrie certainly isn’t enjoying a great deal of luck on the injury front, with his squad looking more and more stretched by the week. Whilst Jack Baird returned to the side last Saturday, he certainly didn’t appear to be quite up to speed after his lay off. One suspects that the Jai Quitongo in on a similar boat, having remained on the bench despite Morton’s desire for an equaliser last Saturday in a game that was crying out for a fully fit Quitongo. Another that the game was crying out for was George Oakley, rumoured to be needing an operation and potentially facing a lengthy period on the sidelines, whilst captain Grant Gillespie could also miss out. With the window for permanent transfers closing on Friday, we could, and hopefully will see recruitments coming in to supplement Imrie’s squad, and whilst the right back position has been one that has proven a weak link since Liam Grimshaw’s departure, Oakley’s absence has all of a sudden shone a light on the need for cover in the forward areas. Current Connections Partick captain Brian Graham started his career at Morton, failing to establish himself as a first pick before moving onto Raith Rovers, and enjoying a nomadic career before his Indian summer in Maryhill in which he has become a fans’ favourite with the Firhill faithful, quite the opposite from how he was appreciated by large sections of the Morton support. His manager, Kris Doolan, had the briefest of spells at Cappielow in 2020 under David Hopkin, registering a full 12 minutes in the famous blue and white hoops before COVID curtailed the high point of his playing career. In the Morton squad, the Robbies - Crawford and Muirhead, and Jai Quitongo all had short spells at Partick, but we don’t hold it against them. Tale of the Tape Our friends from Maryhill had the better of the four fixtures last season, enjoying that resounding 5-1 victory over a depleted Morton at Firhill in October, before the ‘Ton clicked into gear and enjoyed that fantastic ten-game unbeaten run, which included a fine 2-1 Cappielow success over the Jags. Anton Dowds cancelled out an Efe Ambrose header that had handed Morton a half time lead, but Cammy Blues got on the end of a fine move to keep the points in Greenock. Morton’s visit to Glasgow in January was a foul tempered affair, not aided by referee Alan Muir’s horrific performance, as the good guys fell to a late Jack Baird own goal, having battled against the odds to get back into the game after falling behind early in the second half. The less said about that afternoon the better. Partick’s visit to Cappielow was a far less eventful affair, with the sides drawing a blank, and neither looking like winning the game at any point. It ultimately turned out to be a crucial point for Partick, as it allowed them to sneak into the play-offs at Morton’s expense. At least that ended well, though. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Whilst I pointed out in last week’s preview that Partick had suffered a slow start to the season, a 3-1 victory over Queen’s Park in their derby game at Firhill last Saturday now sees Saturday’s visitors sitting a point ahead of Morton in the league table. Partick have endured a difficult summer after their play-off failure in Dingwall at the end of last season. Having gambled all on promotion, when the dust settled on Ross County’s dramatic penalty shoot-out success, the bean counters at Firhill were forced to make some very difficult decisions amidst some eye bleeding losses. Big hitters such as former Morton winger Scott Tiffoney, club captain Ross Docherty and Kevin Holt all moved east to Tayside, whilst midfielder Kyle Turner joined their play-off conquerors, Ross County. Partick have brought in defender Waisiri Williams from Swansea, Hearts loanee Lewis Neilson, Aberdeen’s Kieran Ngwenya, also on loan, Kilmarnock’s Blair Alston and Kerr McInroy, Ben Williamson on loan from their big pals Rangers and ex-Ayr striker Tomi Adeloye. They emerged as unconvincing group winners from their Viaplay Cup group, toiling past Peterhead on penalties, before a fine win at Tannadice and seemingly undoing their good work in losing on penalties to League One minnows Falkirk. An improving Dundee United’s 1-0 win in Grangemouth though, put Partick back in the box seat to win their group, and a narrow victory over Spartans saw them through to a visit to Tynecastle, where they took a 4-0 doing from the Jambos. In the league, their win over Queen’s Park was preceded by an opening day draw with big-spending Raith Rovers, conceding a last-minute equaliser, having led 2-0 with only seven minutes remaining, and a 1-2 defeat by an Airdrie side that are looking very much like this season’s surprise package. I suspect Saturday’s encounter will provide a good barometer for both sides as to where their ambitions will lie for the season ahead. Photo - GBR Photographs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? There’s another full Saturday card, with no TV game on Friday night. Perhaps the match of the day in the Championship is in deepest, darkest Fife, as third placed Raith host top of the table Queen’s Park. Newly promoted Airdrie have arguably their biggest test of the campaign to date as they visit Tannadice to face title favourites, Dundee United. Elsewhere, Dunfermline will be hoping to bounce back from their derby defeat last weekend with a trip to bottom of the table Inverness, with Billy Dodds’ side still looking to register their first points of the season. Dick Campbell’s Arbroath will look to build upon last weekend’s resounding victory at Cappielow against another one of the league’s slow starters, Ayr United, at Gayfield. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 1st September 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Home advantage sees Morton as slight favourites at 29/20, with Partick coming in at 13/8 and the draw at 23/10. With our favourites leaking goals in recent weeks, a Morton win with both teams to score is 7/2, whilst Robbie Crawford to score the final goal of the game against his former employers is 10/1. Match Officials Referee- Graham Grainger AR 1- Alan Mulvanny AR 2- Chris Newman

(Photo- GBR Photos) Raymond’s Revolution, Resignation and Relegation By Russell Gordon Transfer deadline day, be it at the end of August or January, is in the modern era of football a date marked in the diary of fans of every football club, and often a day that we all go through the emotional ringer, as we hope to hold onto star players that bigger clubs are sniffing around, shift on guys who haven’t lived up to expectations, or bring in the final pieces of the jigsaw to allow for the season’s ambitions to be fulfilled. But for Morton, the 31st of August 2018, five years ago today, was a deadline day like no other. Morton had gone through quite a summer of transition- Jim Duffy was relieved of his duties with a year remaining of his contract in spite of a relatively successful four years in the Cappielow hot seat, taking Morton up from League One at the first attempt and enjoying two relatively successful years in the Championship before a somewhat mediocre season which led many on the terraces, and perhaps the inner sanctum of Cappielow to believe that he had gone a bit stale and it was time for a change. Added to that was the sad passing of Morton’s benefactor, and former Chairman, Douglas Rae in June. With his son Crawford having taken over the role shortly before his father’s death, the decision was made to push the boat out for promotion to the Premiership. Season tickets were significantly reduced from around £300 to £200 and the club enjoyed extremely healthy sales, and the man entrusted with guiding Morton to the land of milk and honey was former Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon, a bit of a nemesis of Duffy’s in his Raith Rovers days, taking twelve points from twelve against a very good Morton side in 2015-16, before moving onto a less successful spell at the poisoned chalice that is the home dugout at Tannadice. The Rebuild And Start To The Season With some of the more high-profile stalwarts of the Duffy era, such as Ricki Lamie, Jai Quitongo, Thomas O’Ware, Gary Harkins and the mercurial Ross Forbes heading onto pastures new, McKinnon set about assembling a squad for the challenge ahead. Former ‘Ton heroes Chris Millar and Jim McAlister returned to their old stomping ground, although questions were raised about the decision to allow Andy Murdoch’s contract to expire for him to head onto newly promoted Ayr United. Keeper Ryan Scully came in to dislodge Derek Gaston, along with defenders Reghan Tumilty, Gregor Buchanan, Rory McKeown and Kerr Waddell, as well as Charlie Telfer from Dundee United and Motherwell loanee Ross McLean, and the marquee signing of Denny Johnstone from Birmingham City. The League Cup campaign wasn’t great, but could be put down to McKinnon’s new squad taking time to gel. Having led through a Michael Tidser free kick at Somerset Park, a Lawrence Shankland hat-trick sent the ‘Ton faithful home with a bloody nose. They were effectively out the tournament following a 1-2 defeat at Firhill a few days later before resounding victories over the group’s makeweights, Stenhousemuir and Albion Rovers. The league campaign started with a disappointing 2-2 draw with Queen of the South at Cappielow, with Morton giving up a two-goal lead through Tidser and McLean in the last 20 minutes to settle for a point. However, a Chris Millar double against Alloa gave Morton their first three points on the road. After a shadow side exited the Challenge Cup at Dumbarton, title favourites Ross County were next to visit Cappielow and it was Morton’s turn to come from behind. It took Tidser only a couple of minutes to cancel out Don Cowie’s opener on the hour, and a Bob McHugh goal sent Morton to the top of the league. Brilliant, what could possibly go wrong? A 2-1 win over title favourites, and eventual champions Ross County was the highlight of McKinnon's tenure, a mere six days before jumping ship. (Photo- GBR Photos) Deadline Day Departures The following Friday was a busy day for the club- after a morning training session, the squad descended on Cappielow for their annual photo session, with the supposedly affable gaffer adding in a very nice touch of asking the background staff that often go unnoticed to join in an extended group photo in a show of solidarity that appeared to show that this was a tight-knit group, all pulling in the same direction. Not a bit of it. After what by their deluded expectations was a poor season in 2017-18, Paul Hartley’s haphazard recruitment saw Falkirk suffering a very slow start to the new season, and the former Morton loanee was handed his P45. The Bairns had been rumoured to be after Ayr boss Ian McCall, but those rumours quickly dissipated and at some point on that glorious late summer’s day, the wheels were put in motion for a move to Grangemouth for McKinnon and his assistant, Darren Taylor, after only three months and three league games at Morton. Crawford Rae noted in his Club Statement that having left the Parklea training ground in high spirits after the morning session, and discussed the approach and tactics for the following day’s trip to Firhill, he was called by Falkirk’s representatives with a view to appointing his manager, an approach that was swiftly rebuffed. Soon enough, the story was out, and despite McKinnon and his pal’s smiling faces in front of the cameras, it was straight out of Cappielow and off to meet their prospective new employers. Within six hours of that first phone call, Falkirk announced their new manager, none other than former Morton boss, Raymond McKinnon. The reaction from the Morton support, and from inside Cappielow was one of fury, whilst the Falkirk support took great pleasure in their club’s ability, at what at the time they saw as being at their lowest ebb, to come in and help themselves to the manager of a comparatively high-flying rival. It was ironic to see that on the day, Falkirk also added Rangers striker Zak Rudden to their squad. One wonders if the striker would have been on McKinnon’s radar to bring to Morton had he not decided to jump ship without notice? McKinnon looked to have assembled what had the makings of a squad that could have challenged at the top end of the table before his abrupt departure. (Photo- GBR Photos) What Happened Next? With a makeshift coaching staff led by John Sutton and Derek Anderson on the touchline, Morton would lose 0-1 at Firhill before appointing former Finnish international Jonatan Johansson as McKinnon’s replacement and a descent down the table ensued. In truth, Johansson’s defensive style never endeared him to the Morton support, and with his wife helping to make a club that never lacked comedy value even more of a soap opera with her social media interactions, Cappielow wasn’t a happy place for the majority of the season. One happy day though, was the return of McKinnon with his Falkirk team, seven weeks after his departure. With the Greenock Telegraph stoking the resentment in the Morton support by handing out red cards with McKinnon’s image alongside the message “Judas”, Falkirk planned an alternative route to Cappielow (whatever on Earth that may have been!) for “security reasons” but the only bloody noses they got were on the park, as Bob McHugh’s goal sent them back home pointless. Greg Kiltie's magnificent goal gave Morton the lead over McKinnon's Falkirk on a bad tempered night in Greenock, but the Bairn's battled back to deny Morton full points. (Photo- GBR Photos) Both teams continued to struggle as the season progressed, although Falkirk did have spells that you felt they were beginning to click only to prove false dawns. A couple of draws between the teams, 0-0 in December in Grangemouth and 1-1 in a bad-tempered affair marred by crowd trouble at Cappielow, saw both clubs in a relegation battle alongside Queen of the South, Partick and Alloa. With Alloa being that season’s “Arbroath” for Morton, it looked as though the points the ‘Ton were leaking to the Wasps could prove to be their downfall, but on a critical night that Morton collected a solid point at Somerset Park, Falkirk looked to have claimed a vital three points with a late winner at Palmerston. However, with it taking an age to clear the celebrating Falkirk fans from the pitch, Queens’ went straight up the park and won a penalty, Stephen Dobbie converting to deny Falkirk at the death. But the relegation battle really came to a head when Morton visited Falkirk on the third last game of the season in what looked pre-match to be a winner-takes-all encounter. A defeat would have sent Morton to the bottom of the table, but we needn’t have had any fears, as second half goals from Kilmarnock loanee Greg Kiltie and Charlie Telfer rooted Falkirk to the bottom of the table with only a trip to Tannadice and the visit of champions Ross County remaining. Kiltie and Charlie Telfer were the architects of Falkirk's downfall on a memorable afternoon in Grangemouth as Morton delivered some sweet retribution on their former boss to effectively send their hosts into League One. (Photo-GBR Photos) McKinnon had taken Ross McLean to Falkirk in January, and had been rumoured to be after Morton’s star man Michael Tidser, but the midfielder’s excellent performance contributed more than most to Morton’s fine victory. In the following two weeks, Morton secured their survival and incredibly, a top half finish before Johansson resigned on a bizarre final day which saw the Morton support toasting Falkirk’s relegation alongside the Dundee United fans, who had Dundee’s demotion to the Championship on the same day to enjoy. Not slow to immerse themselves in Falkirk and McKinnon’s misery, the Tele’s Twitter response to their penultimate day reverse at Tannadice was succinct and more effective than anything I could ever say in a couple of thousand words about the whole affair. “Lol” indeed. For McKinnon, it was relegation despite victory over County on the final day, before he helped himself to the out-of-contract Buchanan, Tidser and Telfer from Morton. But Falkirk were found guilty of tapping McKinnon and forced to pay an SPFL fine and compensation to Morton, coming to an estimated total of £100,000. For what? A place in League One. Michael Tidser's magnificent performance helped Morton to a vital victory in that crucial match in Grangemouth, but the decision to move onto Falkirk proved to be a foolish one from a footballing perspective. (Photo- GBR Photos) Where Are They Now? Of all the parties involved, Morton are undoubtedly in the best place. A club mired in controversy for years have settled under fan ownership and have finally got a manager in the club who has it upwardly mobile, despite the odd setback like last weekend. Falkirk on the other hand, are still festering in League One for a fifth successive season, having seen Raith Rovers, Partick Thistle, Cove Rangers, Queen’s Park, Dunfermline Athletic and Airdrie all winning promotion at their expense. They’ve seen boardroom shenanigans at almost every turn, often in the full view of the Scottish football public, and massive losses year on year as they throw money at promotion. Perhaps this year will be their year, but at what cost? Make your own mind up whether that is a statement or a question. Most of his players, and the subsequent ones to leave Morton for Falkirk, haven’t enjoyed any real success, with Michael Tidser’s short lived spell being the most high profile. Buchanan and McLean have dropped down the divisions, and only Telfer is playing Championship football, ironically having won promotion at Falkirk’s expense last season. For McKinnon, the axe fell in November 2019, the first of a number of Falkirk bosses who have failed to return them to the Championship. He did however, move onto Queen’s Park, where their relative riches allowed him a more pleasant passage to League One than his previous journey, but he was removed from his post before the season started. Currently the manager of Forfar Athletic, it’s clear a leopard doesn’t change his spots, as he appeared to resign from his Station Park role over the summer to take up the position of Duncan Ferguson’s number two at Forest Green Rovers, before Big Dunc was given his jotters, forcing McKinnon to go back with his tail between his legs having failed to plant himself in a role in Nailsworth. He was believed to have blamed goings on in the background at Cappielow, with then CEO Warren Hawke not receiving complimentary reviews from the bold Raymond, and some club sponsors also being cited as reasons for his departure. But, despite his promises at the time that one day the truth would come out, he’s never publicly spoken about his time in charge of Morton, and I for one doubt he ever will - he was approached by the Morton Forum for a podcast interview when in charge at Queen’s Park, but immediately declined. Whilst that day was one of many catastrophic ones in the last few years of following Morton, it’s fair to say it all worked out well in the end and we dodged the biggest of bullets with Raymond. There was a point in that season that Falkirk’s in house media described him as “honest as the day is long”. I for one, wouldn’t buy a car from him.

Craig, Gordon and Darren are joined by Arbroath fan Ewan Smith to discuss Morton's 3-0 defeat.

Craig, Gordon and Darren are joined by Arbroath fan Ewan Smith to discuss Morton's 3-0 defeat.

Morton v Arbroath – Match Preview by Russell Gordon Having come away from last weekend’s Viaplay Cup tie Ibrox with a credible performance under their belts and a healthy cheque for their troubles, Morton return to league duty with the visit of Championship bottom dogs Arbroath to Cappielow Park supported by Darlrada Technology, looking to get back to winning ways, with the frustrating defeat in Kirkcaldy fresh on their minds. Dick Campbell’s side of course, have problems of their own, rooted to the bottom of the table with no points, having played one more game than most of the division. Tickets for Saturday’s match can be purchased at the link below. Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Having been forced to sit out of last weekend’s Ibrox reverse through suspension, Steven Boyd should return to the fold for the visit of the Red Lichties. It was encouraging to see the return to the substitutes’ bench of Jack Baird in Govan, but I suspect he is still a few weeks from full fitness and Dougie Imrie will continue with the central defensive pairing of Darragh O’Connor and Kirk Broadfoot. Jai Quitongo sat out of the cup tie and could again miss out, along with Grant Gillespie who picked up a knock in the build up to Rangers’ winning goal. On a positive note, Iain Wilson should make his first appearance on his return to Morton on loan from Queen of the South, having been denied permission to play in last weekend’s match. Current Connections With Bobby Linn having finally departed Arbroath after ten years to join Lochee United, the only player on either side with any connection to their opponents is Arbroath number one Derek Gaston. The affable stopper spent seven seasons on the Tail o’ the Bank, claiming a League One title in 2015, and has entered his fifth season in Angus, showing no signs of his form waning as he approaches the ripe old age of 38, in spite of Arbroath’s poor start to the season. Tale of the Tape As I previewed the season’s opening league fixture against Ayr United, my first point was that Morton “owed” the Honest Men one. Thankfully, that monkey was removed from our back as we came from behind to record a resounding 3-1 victory. If there’s another team that this applies to in the division, it’s most certainly Saturday’s visitors. Morton have failed to win any of the last twelve games against Arbroath- drawing seven and losing five in that horror run. Whilst the two 1-2 defeats at Cappielow last season were frustrating, the most recent meeting of the clubs, in front of the BBC Scotland cameras at Gayfield in March, was a really sore one. Having dominated for long spells, Morton only had a first half George Oakley goal to show for their endeavours, when Morton keeper Brian Schwake failed to deal with a Colin Hamilton header across his goal to allow Sean Adarkwa to level. It looked however, that Morton would finally take full points when Michael McKenna blocked Robbie Muirhead’s free kick and Morton won a late penalty. However, Ali Crawford’s tame penalty was saved by Gaston, who then proceeded to make a ridiculous stop from Crawford’s rebound to cost Morton what proved in the grand scheme of things to be two massive points. Records are there to be broken though, and it’s about time Morton put this one to bed. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Things aren’t looking too clever at Gayfield. A poor Viaplay Cup campaign saw Arbroath knocked out, finishing a distant third behind St. Mirren and local rivals Forfar, and having to rely on a penalty shoot out to beat Lowland League minnows, Cowdenbeath. They would have taken consolation in the resounding derby victory over Montrose, but that didn’t provide them a platform to start the league campaign with any spring in their step. A chastening 0-4 home defeat by title favourites Dundee United saw Arbroath badly exposed as Louis Moult ran amok on an evening that Dick Campbell and his troops won’t want much reminding of. That was followed up by consecutive defeats by Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden and Gayfield, the latter a game brought forward from October due to both clubs’ failure to reach the knockout stages of the Viaplay Cup. Ewan Smith (@ewansmithpr) is our regular expert on all things Arbroath, and is always quick to remind us of the Red Lichties stellar record against their more illustrious hosts: “They say thirteen is unlucky, but will it be unlucky for Arbroath? In their last twelve meetings with Morton, they’ve not lost once, and they’ve deservedly taken maximum points up the road on each of their last two visits to Cappielow. On both occasions their matchwinner was Michael McKenna, and there were fears he may not be in the Arbroath side this time around. McKenna sustained what appeared to be rib damage in Arbroath’s defeat to Queen’s Park last weekend, but scans have come back positive, and McKenna could make a swift return to the team for the trip to Greenock. One player Arbroath will be without though is Colin Hamilton, who has been out since March with a serious hamstring injury. He, along with McKenna, have been the cornerstone of a squad that has extended its stay in the Championship to a fifth season. After last season’s late survival act last time around, Arbroath haven’t started well. Out of the Viaplay Cup in the group stage and with three straight defeats in the league, it’s the kind of form that will have Morton believing that now is the time to smash their Arbroath hoodoo. But one thing you can never do is write Arbroath off- their squad actually looks better this year. Nine new players have arrived with a much-bolstered frontline. The loss of Bobby Linn, who has retired from the senior game, will be a hard void to fill, but there is more attacking threat about Arbroath. They will still need an addition or two defensively, sooner rather than later with ex-Morton keeper Derek Gaston only six clean sheets away from matching the club’s all-time shut-out record. If the likes of Jermaine Hylton- who starred for Motherwell and Ross County- can get firing, and ex-MK Dons star Jay Bird can get in a mong the goals then Morton could have another disappointing afternoon. That said, a point would still be a good return for Arbroath and I’m taking a 2-2 draw and thirteenth time unlucky for Morton.” Photo - GBR Photographs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? There’s a full Saturday card of fixtures, with no games picked up for TV this weekend. Perhaps the pick of the fixtures is the Fife derby at East End Park, as newly promoted Dunfermline take on their cousins from Kirkcaldy. The Pars will be hoping there’s no snipers in the stands in case Raith striker Lewis Vaughan finds himself within a couple of yards of a Dunfermline defender. There’s another derby in Glasgow as early pacesetters Queen’s Park visit a Partick side who look to be suffering a hangover from last season’s endeavours, which is a real shame for them. Airdrie host another of the slow starters in Inverness, who they’ve already beaten in the League Cup group stages, and Dundee United travel to Somerset Park to face Ayr United. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 25th August 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton are clear favourites going into the game, priced at 4/6 to finally end their Arbroath hoodoo, with Arbroath at 13/5 and the draw at 5/2. A Robbie Muirhead double comes in at 5/1, whilst Morton to win both halves is 7/2. Match Officials Referee- Iain Snedden AR 1- Daniel McFarlane AR 2- Robin Taylor

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Craig, Alan and Darren discuss the return of Iain Wilson, the 2-1 defeat at Ibrox and preview the visit of Arbroath on Saturday.

Rangers v Morton – Match Preview by Russell Gordon This weekend sees undoubtedly Morton’s stiffest test of the season so far, as they make the short trip down the M8 to face Premiership giants, Rangers. Whilst the tie provides a welcome boost to Dougie Imrie’s budget as the closure of the transfer window fast approaches, he’ll be under no illusions as to the size of the task Morton are facing. It should also be noted that the SPFL has a similar policy to the SFA of applying different rules in some matches as it does to others in the same round of their competition, so VAR will be used in Saturday’s match. After Morton’s experiences last season at Celtic Park, one might expect those of a Morton persuasion to look sceptically on such a development, but last weekend’s David Munro Show could change some views on that! The 12.30 kick-off is being broadcast live by the tournament sponsors, and unfortunately, away end tickets are no longer available, with sales having closed on Thursday evening. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Although I suspect that Ryan Mullen and Grant Gillespie’s places on the bench at Kirkcaldy last weekend were taken without the intention of being used, they are at least a bit further down the line to regaining full fitness. Jack Baird however, will still be missing with his shoulder injury, and Jai Quitongo could face a race against time having been forced off just before the break in last Saturday’s bruising encounter against Raith Rovers. Also missing will be Steven Boyd, who sits out through suspension having collected bookings against Kelty Hearts and Edinburgh City in the group stages of the tournament. What will be most concerning for the travelling fans though, is the rumours of interest from a number of Premiership and EFL clubs in Morton’s talismanic midfielder, Robbie Crawford. Whilst Crawford’s exceptional form makes interest from elsewhere inevitable, there won’t be any Morton fans welcoming any bids for the ‘Ton’s star man. On a positive note, Imrie strengthened his squad this week with the addition of Iain Wilson, a familiar face from his previous spell at Morton, who comes in on a season long loan from Queen of the South. Although Wilson has struggled with injuries this term, he could well slot into the midfield, allowing Cammy Blues to fill the problem right back position. Current Connections There aren’t too many links between the two playing squads, with only Kirk Broadfoot having plied his trade at Ibrox after signing a pre-contract agreement in March 2007 and joining up that summer from St. Mirren. It’s fair to say he enjoyed a number of ups and downs in that time, collecting three SPL titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and a League Cup winner’s medal in 2008. He also started in Rangers’ 2008 UEFA Cup Final defeat by Russian cracks Zenit St. Petersburg in Manchester, but was dropped for the following week’s Scottish Cup Final victory over Queen of the South. As Rangers spiralled into administration and ultimately liquidation in 2012, Broadfoot initially stuck around Ibrox as they began “the journey” but with his international ambitions hindered by Rangers’ lowly status at the time, he moved on to Blackpool. In the Rangers ranks, reserve goalkeeper Robby McCrorie had a short loan spell at Cappielow late in the 2018-19 season under Jonatan Johansson. McCrorie made fifteen appearances for the ‘Ton, notably keeping a clean sheet as they won 2-0 on that fantastic day in Grangemouth, to give Falkirk (remember them?) a bit more than a wee nudge towards League One. Another former Morton loanee, Joash McPake, is back at Ibrox after last season’s loan spell at Queen’s Park, but having played in their B Team’s SPFL Trust Trophy win at Stenhousemuir in midweek, I’d imagine he will be far enough down the pecking order so as not to threaten an appearance on the hosts’ bench. Tale of the Tape Morton’s last League Cup visit to Ibrox came exactly 28 years to the day since Saturday’s forthcoming meeting. Back in 1995, Allan McGraw’s newly crowned Second Division Champions travelled to a face a star-studded Rangers side who were at that stage beginning the quest for the eighth of their nine titles in a row. Whilst a fine Morton side put up a credible show against what was clearly the best team in the land at the time, a look at Rangers’ goal scorers on the day just shows the task Morton faced. Goals from Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley and Paul Gascoigne gave the hosts a comfortable 3-0 win. In recent times, however, Morton have fared better in Govan, but have ultimately fell just short of recording a memorable result. When the clubs shared a division in 2015-16, Morton overturned a 0-1 deficit to lead 2-1 late in the game through a James Tavernier own goal and a delightful Stefan McCluskey finish, only for Martyn Waghorn to rescue a point for the hosts. The 1-3 defeat at Ibrox later that season wasn’t quite so memorable for the Cappielow faithful, whilst Morton fell 0-4 and 0-2 at Cappielow. The most recent meeting between the teams was in a Scottish Cup tie 2017. Facing a Rangers team in turmoil amidst the sacking of manager Mark Warburton, Jim Duffy’s side took an early lead through Michael Tidser, only to be pegged back by Kenny Miller, before Waghorn settled the affair on the hour. Were it not for poor finishing, Morton may have sneaked a replay, but the match could be viewed as very much a missed opportunity. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis I won’t go too much into analysing our opponents, as having looked around without much luck for a Rangers fan to give us their insight, two came along at once who were more than happy to provide their thoughts on Saturday’s match. Whilst there’s clearly been a massive overhaul at Ibrox over the summer, question marks still arise in how prepared they are to achieve their goals for the season. An opening day loss at Kilmarnock didn’t bode well for the Ibrox men’s title challenge, with they and Celtic unlikely to drop too many points outwith their derby meetings, and Rangers already facing a three-point handicap from the off. However, Tuesday’s draw in Geneva against Servette has eased them through to the play-off round of the Champions League, where they face Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in Tuesday coming’s first leg at Ibrox, before travelling to the Netherlands next week.. Ahead of the match I spoke to Rangers fan Kai Watson, owner of The Rangers Journal (@RangersJournal), who provided his thoughts on his side going into the match: “Rangers’ season hasn’t started as many fans had anticipated. With the amount of money invested and new players arriving, losing on the first day of the season was unfathomable to some. Then it happened, a massive reality check at the beginning of the squad rebuild. Since that loss, Rangers impressed for the first half hour of the first leg of the Servette tie, struggling in the final sixty minutes and recording an uncomfortable 2-1 win over ten men, before struggling in the first half of the second leg in Switzerland and putting in an improved second half showing to progress. Against Livingston at the weekend though, Rangers were at it. Naturally they had more of the ball and created more chances than in the outings against Kilmarnock and Servette. Four new players registering their first goals for the club and Jose Cifuentes making his first start made for a satisfactory afternoon. It’s hard to predict what the line up will look like against Morton, though. With the greatest respect, there may be mass squad rotation to get minutes in the legs of some of the fringe players. What can Morton expect of Rangers though? Michael Beale’s ideology is to play on the front foot. His team will look to press high and force defenders into mistakes. Then on the ball, he’ll be looking for short, sharp exchanges of play to draw out defenders and create spaces in behind. I would imagine the likes of Matondo and Sima will get a chance to prove themselves, meaning there’ll be a lot of pace up top. Expect Rangers to dominate the ball and come at you in waves, potentially with relentless crosses if there is no space through the middle. The full backs have been providing the majority of Rangers’ width this season- whilst it hasn’t been overly effective, it has caused some problems in the last couple of games. I expect Rangers to come out of the traps quickly, as happened in their previous two home games. Morton will have to be wary of Rangers coming out all guns blazing if they hope to achieve a positive result.” Donald McLeod, who is currently in the process of penning a biography of former Morton and Rangers hero Kai Johnansen, was also naturally confident of his team’s chances of progression in Saturday’s tie, and looking forward to welcoming back an old hero: “Rangers welcome Dougie Imrie’s visitors along the M8 to Ibrox, with a particularly warm welcome being extended to one of the stars of our UEFA Cup Final in 2008, Kirk Broadfoot, who spent five seasons with the light blues. On top of all the silverware he won, he’ll always be remembered for winning THAT penalty at Celtic Park. It’s great to see him continuing to play at almost 40, and I wish him and his Morton teammates all the best in the Championship this season. After the worst possible start, defeat to a Kilmarnock side managed by Derek McInnes- formerly of Morton and Rangers- we have kick started our season with a comfortable win over Livingston and by squeezing past Servette in the Champions League. With so many new players in the squad, it will undoubtedly take time for the team to settle. The departures of Kent and Sakala have left us playing narrower than Sauchiehall Lane, heavily relying on Barasic and Tavernier pushing forward to offer some width. Our four new forwards- Danilo, Dessers, Lammers and Sima- have all hit the target already this season, and it will be interesting to see which of them turn out this Saturday, given the upcoming PSV game. In the nets, Butland looks to be a cracking signing, and a very safe pair of hands. Centre midfield is often where games are won and lost, and we’ve been packed tighter than Alfredo Morelos’ fridge, with Beale picking at least three from Cantwell, Raskin, Jack, Lundstrum and new signings Jose Cifuentes and Kieron Dowell, who scored a peach against Livi. The Morton game should provide an opportunity for guys who didn’t feature against Servette, so we may see Ianis Hagi, Rabbi Matondo, and Glen Kamara come in for their first starts of the season. It would be nice to see some of the younger lads too, perhaps King, Devine and Lyall, who all made the bench in the Champions League. After a tough battle with Partick in the Scottish Cup last season, Rangers will not underestimate Morton, but I’d expect the home team to run out winners on Saturday.” Photo - GBR Photographs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? The first tie of the round takes place on Friday night as Barry Robson’s Aberdeen face the tournament’s shock troops, League Two Champions Stirling Albion. There are two all Premiership ties, as the Motherwell fans will have to ensure their inoculations are all up to date ahead of the trip to Paisley, whilst on Sunday, in the other TV game that Viaplay unexpectedly selected, Celtic visit Rugby Park to play a Kilmarnock team who will be looking to do an Old Firm double. Ayr United and Airdrie will be hoping to spring surprises at Livingston and at home to Ross County respectively. Also on Sunday, Edinburgh plays host to two ties, as Hibernian will host Raith Rovers, and Hearts will have to content with the visit of Partick Thistle and their fans trying to chum up with them as they bemoan perceived mutual historic injustices. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 18th August 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. It should come as no surprise that the hosts are overwhelming favourites heading into the match, priced at 1/12, with Morton registering at 22/1 and the draw at 7/1. Never one to look on the negative side regardless of how much we’re up against it, Morton to sneak a 1-0 win is 40/1 and Robbie Crawford to extend his sensational run of form by scoring the final goal of the game is 45/1. When Morton win 1-0 with a Crawford goal, mine’s a pint of Tennent’s, please and thank you. Match Officials Referee- David Dickinson AR 1- Calum Spence AR 2- Gordon Crawford Fourth Official- Grant Irvine VAR- Gavin Duncan AVAR- Graeme Stewart

(Photo- BBC Sport) Five of the Best… League Cup Classics By Russell Gordon With a large Morton support heading to Govan on Saturday to face arguably (very arguably) the competition’s most successful club, Morton’s record in Scotland’s second most important cup competition isn’t a great one. There have however, been some highlights along the way. The incredible win at Celtic Park ten years ago would of course take pride of place at the top of that pile, but having written an individual article about that famous night in the build up to our visit to Celtic Park last season, I’ve decided to look elsewhere for some misty-eyed recollections this time around. Morton 1-0 Hibernian (14/10/63) Semi-Final Replay, Ibrox Stadium Whilst Morton have never (yet) won the League Cup, the closest they came was in the historic 1963-64 campaign, when Hal’s Heroes swept aside everything the old Division Two had to offer, winning promotion in record breaking time, whilst also embarking on a memorable League Cup run. Morton negotiated the group stage in some style, disposing of Clyde, Dumbarton and Ayr United with minimum fuss before Motherwell were dispatched in a two-legged quarter final. Ibrox was to host the first game of the tie, and in front of an excellent 47,000 crowd, it was the underdogs who took an early lead through Bobby Adamson, before Hibs’ Neil Martin levelled in the twentieth minute. A bruising affair saw both the Hibs’ goal scorer and Morton’s Allan McGraw injured in those days before substitutes as the clubs had to settle for a replay a week later at the same venue. In front of a more modest 36,000 the following week, Morton looked to have taken the lead through Allan McGraw, but his goal was bizarrely disallowed, as it had come from a corner that had apparently been taken from outside the arc. I can’t find the identity of the referee, listed, and won’t speculate as to whether or not he was David Munro’s grandad. But Morton, facing a Hibs side that included their new £30,000 signing, Scotland international Pat Quinn, weren’t to be denied, as a late McGraw penalty (ah, it couldn’t have been Munro’s grandad) sent them through, sparking wild celebrations from the Morton support, who could look forward to a final against Rangers the following month. Less said about the final, the better. Morton's jubilant players celebrate on the Ibrox pitch as Allan McGraw's penalty winner took them to their first, and to date only ever League Cup Final. (Photo-gmfc.net) Morton 3-7 Aberdeen (3/9/96) Third Round, Cappielow Park. Perhaps a strange game to pick for those who weren’t in attendance given the final score, but this was a game in which Morton certainly weren’t resoundingly beaten, as a side who had narrowly missed out on promotion a few months previous, and the cup holders served up an absolute thriller in front of a raucous 6324 Cappielow crowd. The game had looked to be heading towards a routine away win, with goals early in each half from our good pal Billy Dodds giving the Dons a commanding lead as they looked to ease their way through to a repeat of the previous season’s final against Dundee. Morton however, burst into the life in the final eleven minutes, having been given a lifeline when hapless Aberdeen defender John Inglis upended Paddy Flannery in the box. Reliable as ever, Derek Lilley stroked his spot kick home with aplomb. With the visitors rattled, Morton immediately levelled the affair through John Anderson and sent the home into raptures. Things were to get even better for Morton, as with six minutes remaining, Lilley added his second to put us into a 3-2 lead. There wasn’t to be a happy ending though, as Aberdeen’s Joe Miller decided to go down dramatically in the box under an innocuous challenge from Peter Cormack in the final minute of the ninety and of course, referee Mike McCurry pointed to the spot, allowing Dodds to complete his hat trick from the spot and send the tie into extra time. The extra thirty minutes was to prove a painful experience for the home support, as Dean Windass took up where Dodds left off against a clearly deflated Morton side, banging in four in extra time to send Morton out the cup and keep their stranglehold on the trophy for a few weeks at least, before Dundee gained revenge for their final defeat by knocking the Dons out in the following round. Peter Cormack was desperately unfortunate to concede a last minute penalty in the 1996 Cappielow Cracker against Aberdeen. (Photo-SPFL) Hibernian 3-4 Morton (26/8/08) Third Round, Easter Road. Never mind the recent World Cup Final when Messi and Mbappe produced a masterclass, never mind Paolo Rossi and Italy stunning the best team never to win the World Cup in 1982, Morton’s visit to Easter Road in 2008 was, without question, the greatest game of football ever played, and the evening the sport peaked. Another extra time thriller, another two-goal lead squandered, another late penalty equaliser, BUT a happy ending. Hibs had won the competition a year before, but weren’t the force they once were with stars such as Riordan, O’Connor, Brown and Whittaker having moved onto pastures new. They were however, expected to take care of a Morton side who had only survived in the First Division the previous season by the skin of their teeth, and had a difficult start to their league campaign. But Davie Irons’ Morton started well, and just before the half hour, took a shock lead, Iain Russell netting from a tight angle past future ‘Ton keeper Andy McNeil, with Hibs defender Ian Murray struggling in vain to get back as the ball trickled into the Hibs net. What a shame. McNeil was to go off injured at half time to be replaced by debutant David Grof, who had an evening to forget. On 66 minutes, Morton doubled their lead- Stevie Masterton, a renowned set piece taker, curled one of the best free kicks you’re ever likely to see into the postage stamp with the Hungarian clutching at fresh air and the Morton support wildly celebrating as they sensed an unlikely upset. It’s never plain sailing being a Morton fan though, and sure enough, as we headed into the final ten minutes, Hibs burst into life. Joe Keenan reduced the arrears before Dean Shiels looked to have completed the great escape in the 85th minute. Extra time it was. Perhaps those of us old enough to remember that dramatic night against Aberdeen at Cappielow would have feared the worst, as it took until only 36 seconds into the first period of extra time for the Edinburgh side to take the lead for the first time in the tie. As “Two nil, and you f*cked it up” rained down on the Morton support from Easter Road’s old east stand, one could have been forgiven for thinking Morton had blown a massive opportunity. However, as the game progressed without Hibs adding to their lead, the hosts got more nervous, and began to retreat further and further back as Morton sought an equaliser. It was to come five minutes from time, as Shiels turned from hero to villain for the hosts, charging down a goal-bound Allan Jenkins effort with his arm, and prompting referee Iain Brines to point to the spot without hesitation. Iain Russell was entrusted with the task of doubling his tally for the evening, and with the collective hearts in the mouths of the Morton fans, made no mistake in burying his penalty past the Grof to level the tie. With penalties looming, Morton in truth, got a massive break. Erik Paartalu appeared to foul Hibs’ Chris Hogg outside the box, but incredibly, Brines awarded the free kick Morton’s way, much to the consternation of Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen. Peter Weatherson fired the resultant free kick towards goal and Grof made an absolute meal of dealing with the ball which fell fortuitously to ex-Hibee Ryan Harding, who bundled the ball into the hosts net, and in doing so, bundled his former employer out of the competition for another year, and sent the large visiting support into delirium. What a fantastic night. Morton's winning goal at Easter Road resulted in wild scenes behind David Grof's goal as they snatched a sensational victory from the jaws of defeat in 2008. (Video- allystephen2000) Morton 3-2 Motherwell (22/9/15) Third Round, Cappielow Park. Let’s be honest, Morton fans don’t enjoy cup ties against Motherwell. Regular foes in cup competitions, whilst Motherwell’s margin of victory in recent years has been much narrower than in previous ones when we’ve been hit for three, four and six, and even then these scorelines have flattered us, it’s nice to at least have one exception to the rule. Both clubs had enjoyed dramatic ends to the previous season- Morton taking the League One title, whilst Motherwell survived in the Premiership by obliterating Rangers 6-1 in the play-off final. But whilst Morton were making a decent fist of adapting to their new environment, the Steelmen hadn’t really kicked on from that emphatic play-off success, and they travelled to Greenock with trepidation, and manager Ian Baraclough’s job on the line. Their fears were to be proven worthwhile, as Welsh striker Alex Samuel latched onto at Peter MacDonald through ball to fire high into the net to give the hosts a deserved lead. Peaso was denied in the second half as his rasping drive hit the outside of Connor Ripley’s near post. There’s no show without punch though, and it took until three minutes into stoppage time for the Premiership side to break Morton’s hearts- this time it was Australian international Scott MacDonald who spared Motherwell’s blushes, for a short time at least. Morton took the game to their opponents in extra time, and in the hundredth minute, Samuel got onto the end of a fine Denny Johnstone cross to notch his second of the game from six yards. This provoked an angry reaction from the visiting support, who, clearly incensed with their team’s performance took to the field to remonstrate with their players and management team. Fortunately, a police presence travelling back from an earlier kick off at Ibrox was on hand to provide support to the stretched police and security staff on duty at the game and play was eventually allowed to resume. The stop in play did nothing to help the visitors though, as the quite imperious Ross Forbes fed Bobby Barr, whose cross from the left was met by Michael Tidser, who gave Morton a 3-1 lead. A late Louis Moult goal made for a nervy finish, but this time around Morton held on for a magnificent, if incredibly rare, victory, sending Motherwell out the cup and Baraclough to the Job Centre. Morton goal scorers Michael Tidser and Alex Samuel celebrate dumping Premiership Motherwell in 2015. (Photo- BBC Sport) Morton 2-1 Dundee United (20/9/16) Quarter Final, Cappielow Park. This tie was probably the exception of the five I’ve discussed, as Morton shared a division with their opponents on the night. But whilst Dundee United had been freshly relegated from the Premiership, they boasted a formidable record in the cups- this was their fifteen consecutive domestic quarter final, and they were expected to challenge Hibernian for promotion to Scotland’s top flight. Jim Duffy’s Morton though, were finding their feet in the Championship after a slow start to the season, and having brought in ex-United outcast Gavin Gunning, there was a bit of needle between the Irish centre back and the fans of his former club. There was also the carrot of a trip to Hampden for Morton should they get past Raymond McKinnon’s Terrors. It took until the 24th minute for Morton to open the scoring, and route one was very much the fashion in which it was engineered. A commanding Gunning clearance was headed on by Ross Forbes into the path of Jai Quitongo, who buried a pile driving effort into the roof of Cammy Bell’s net. And it was only five minutes later that the ‘Ton doubled their lead, through a very familiar route. Ross Forbes’ wand of a left foot was no secret in Scottish football at this stage, but the United defence could do nothing as his exquisite near-post corner was headed in home by Thomas O’Ware. Whilst the Morton players and fans celebrated, Gunning enjoyed his own wee party with the visiting support, much to the chagrin of the United fans. Ten minutes into the second half, United’s Nick van der Velden reduced the deficit after a lapse in concentration in Morton’s normally watertight defence. Alas though, there was to be no last-minute equaliser this time around, as Morton held on for a semi final meeting with Aberdeen at the National Stadium, but the final minute pain was to befall Forbes, whose late booking ruled him out of the Hampden showdown, and cost Morton their finest attacking outlet for the tie. Of course, that semi final was to end in a disappointing, but far from humiliating 0-2 defeat by the Dons, but didn’t take away from a fine cup run. A youthful-loooking Jai Quitongo celebrates his opening goal with Mikey Doyle as Morton book a Semi Final appearance at the expense of Dundee United in 2016. (Photo- BBC Sport) One wonders when the next tie we can look back so fondly on will be. There would be few complaints from us all if it was Saturday coming. Bibliography Scottish League Cup Memories 1963/64 - Greenock Morton FC (gmfc.net) MotS: Morton vs Aberdeen 1996/97 - Aberdeen Mad (aberdeen-mad.co.uk) Greenock Morton: Hibernian 3 - 4 Morton (greenockmortonfc.blogspot.com) Scottish League Cup Semi Final Match Programme 22/10/16, Aberdeen V Morton Morton History, Players, Managers, Results & Information (fitbastats.com)

Dean and Stephen analyse the controversial 3-2 loss to Raith, discuss Robbie Crawford's future and preview our trip to Ibrox.

Away Day Guide – Rangers (19th August) Photo - Flickr Tickets Tickets are available to purchase at Smiths of Greenock (36 West Blackhall St, Greenock PA15 1UU). Prices are Adult - £21; Concession (OAPs and U18s) - £15; U16s - £9. Please note that tickets will only be sold until close of play on Thursday afternoon. Disabled Fans Information The 7 spaces in the North West Corner are utilised by away fans. The Club has wheelchairs available, to give assistance to individuals who may by reason of frailty or mobility impairment require the use of one for the duration of their visit to the Club or to transfer from one location to another. These wheelchairs are located at the Ambulance Room, Main Stand Reception and AH Reception. Lifts are available at accessible points throughout the Club, and though access to venues is possible in all but a few hospitality areas, equal provision of service can be replicated. Customers are advised to inform us of any arrangements that we may require to have in place for them so that we can ensure suitability of venues. Where access to hospitality dining areas is hampered by height differentials between viewing and dining areas portable ramps have been provided. For all enquiries of this nature please contact disabilitymatters@rangers.co.uk. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 11am. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Shaun on 07983 600945 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave The Caledonian Bar at 11am. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07903065204 to book a space. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. From there, transfer onto the Outer Circle of the Glasgow Subway. Alight at Ibrox. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use the postcode G51 2XD for the stadium. The journey from Cappielow to Ibrox (without matchday traffic) takes around 25 minutes (20.1 miles). Parking around the stadium is a potential issue, although the Govan Asda hosts a large carpark. Pre-Match Your best bet is staying within the city centre before heading for the Subway. The best place for a reasonably priced pint in the surrounds of Glasgow Central is around Hope Street, which has several pubs on the doorstep of the station. Photo – Alamy

Raith Rovers vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon The Ton are on the road for the first time this season, travelling to Fife to take on free spending Raith Rovers. Dougie Imrie’s men performed with aplomb in the season opening 3-1 win against Ayr United, and with two home games following on from Saturday’s trip to the east coast, a positive result could have a massive impact on Morton’s first quarter. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Cammy Blues will make a welcome return to the fold, and once again may be utilised as a makeshift right back, despite Lewis McGrattan’s stellar effort at full back against Ayr. The energetic midfielder missed last week’s impressive win after picking up two bookings on the final day of last season at Cove. Defender Jack Baird and goalkeeper Ryan Mullen look set to miss Saturday’s tie. Question marks remain over the fitness of attackers George Oakley and Jai Quitongo, who were both withdrawn from the action on Saturday carrying knocks. Oakley appeared to be struggling with his calf in the second half, and Quitongo appeared to hurt his shoulder after the questionable clash with Andy Murdoch at the end of the first half. Current Connections Nobody in the current Raith Rovers squad has plied their trade in Inverclyde. In what may be the most commonly used sentence in our match previews – assistant manager Andy Millen represented our opponents - making eighteen appearances for the Fifers in 1997. Jamie MacDonald is a well kent face around Kirkcaldy, having spent the previous two seasons as Raith’s custodian. The Hearts youth graduate joined John McGlynn at the Fifers, making fifty-one league appearances during his time at the club. Club captain and experienced midfielder Grant Gillespie spent the 2018/19 season with Raith, having been recruited by former Morton defender Barry Smith. Tale of the Tape The Ton had the slight upper hand in the league meetings between the sides last term, claiming two wins and a draw. Raith secured the first win of the season on Matchday 3, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Liam Dick and Aidan Connolly. The Ton won 1-0 on Matchday 11 in dramatic fashion, with skipper Grant Gillespie netting a 93rd minute penalty. Raith then progressed into the Semi Finals of the SPFL Trust Trophy, after the 1-1 encounter was decided on penalties. The Ton fought back from two goals down to claim a point on Matchday 18. Raith raced ahead via an own goal from loanee goalkeeper from Brian Schwake and Aidan Connolly, before Jack Baird and Robbie Muirhead restored parity. Alex King proved the hero on Matchday 34, with his second minute header keeping all three points in Greenock. The Ton’s last victory in Kirkcaldy came in April 2022, with Robbie Muirhead’s stunning solo goal the difference between the sides, knocking the ball around a hapless Kyle Benedictus before blasting into the corner of Jamie MacDonald’s net. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Ian Murray’s men will look towards Aidan Connolly to provide goals again this season, with the hitman finding the net on ten occasions in the Championship last term. The Fifers will be buoyed by their late comeback on the opening day of the league season, with goals in the last ten minutes from Dylan Easton and Kieran Mitchell claiming a point at Firhill. The League Cup proved fruitful for Saturday’s hosts, despite an opening day penalty shoot-out loss to rivals Dunfermline. This was rectified via wins against Albion Rovers and Annan, as well as besting Premiership side Kilmarnock on penalties to secure passage to the Second Round, where Raith will travel to the capital to take on Hibs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? Queens Park host Arbroath in what I’m sure will be the first of many sell outs at Queens' new ‘stadium’. Two Championship newcomers square off as Dundee United welcome Dunfermline to Tannadice. Ayr will look to claim their first points of the season as they clash with Inverness at Somerset Park, with Partick traveling to face Airdrieonians at The Excelsior Stadium. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All match odds are supplied by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 12noon on 10th August 2023. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. There isn’t much between the sides, with the hosts pegged at 13/8 to retain all three points. The draw is priced at 9/4, with Dougie Imrie’s men 29/20 to come out on top. Goalscoring midfielder Robbie Crawford is 4/1 to find the net at any time during the contest – a very generous offering given his goalscoring start to the season. If you fancy a more outlandish bet, striker Robbie Muirhead is chalked at 20/1 to score in both halves. Match Officials Referee - David Munro AR1 - Colin Drummond AR2 - Cameron Telfer

Away Day Guide – Raith Rovers (12th August) Photo - Reddit Tickets Click here to purchase tickets via FanBase. Tickets are priced as follows: Adult - £22; OAPs - £14; U21 - £13; U16 - £8 and U12 – Free. Disabled Supporters Information Wheelchairs User supporters and their personal assistants can be allocated in the Main Stand. Where this stand is not open for general use, wheelchair users will have the option of using the Penman Family Stand. In these circumstances, where wheelchair guests would prefer not to sit in what would be a ‘home’ stand they will be accommodated in the McDermid Stand. Toilet facilities will be available however food outlets will not. There are 14 car park spaces in the North Car Park reserved for blue badge holders. These are allocated on a first come basis to home and away supporters. The main point of contact is Raith’s Disability Access Officer, Margie Robertson. You can reach her by emailing SLO@raithrovers.net. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 12noon. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07847847357 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave The Caledonian Bar at 12.30pm. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07903065204 to book a space. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. From Glasgow Central there are services to Edinburgh, with the option to transfer to Glasgow Queen Street for faster services to the East Coast. At Edinburgh, alight at either Edinburgh Haymarket or Waverly, onto services bound for either Perth or Arbroath. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use postcode KY1 1SA for the stadium. From Cappielow, the journey should take around 1hr30mins via the M8 and A921. Limited on-street parking is available around the stadium. Pre-Match Upon arrival in Kirkcaldy, The Novar Bar (17 Nicol St, Kirkcaldy KY1 1NY) is a regular pre-match haunt for both home and away supporters. The Novar is around a 12 minute walk (0.6 miles) from the stadium. Photo - Kingdom Taverns

Dean, Alan and Chris discuss the season opening win against Ayr, results elsewhere in the league and preview Saturday's trip to Kirkcaldy.

Morton v Ayr United – Match Preview by Russell Gordon Exactly three months to the day since that heartbreaking night that we trudged through the Aberdeenshire sludge in despair having missed out on a play-off place by the narrowest of margins, Morton’s cinch Championship campaign for 2023-24 kicks off against the team whose late winner in the Highlands was to stick and twist the dagger into the hearts of the Morton support on that fateful evening. With both sides harbouring ambitions of challenging at the top end of the table again this time around, this is a hotly anticipated curtain raiser to the new season at Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology. Tickets for the match are available at the below link: Fanbase | Select Ticket (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Last weekend’s progression in the Viaplay Cup has provided welcome relief to Dougie Imrie, given the potential rewards coming from a visit to one of Glasgow’s big two and the cheque from the competition sponsors for live TV coverage that will also go a long way to bolstering what looks to be a threadbare squad. With Jack Baird nursing a shoulder injury, Cammy Blues has slotted in admirably at right back, but will miss out through suspension having been ordered off for two bookings in the win at Cove on the final day of last season, so Imrie will be hoping to bring in defensive reinforcements ahead of the match. Given Morton’s policy of announcing new signings immediately before matches in recent times, expect to be kept on tenterhooks right up to the last minute if you’re waiting for any new arrivals. One man who has come through the door is experienced former Hearts and Kilmarnock goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald, who was a regular source of frustration for ‘Ton fans over his last two seasons between the sticks at Raith Rovers. Whilst the signing of the experienced stopper should hopefully bring some welcome competition and support to the more youthful Ryan Mullen, it’s emerged that Mullen has in fact suffered an injury, so MacDonald will likely be thrown in the firing line immediately for the visit of The Honest Men. Current Connections Connections between the clubs are a bit thinner on the ground than in previous years, which would suggest that the disastrous squad building at both clubs by David Hopkin is gradually being repaired by two far more competent managers in the respective dugouts. In the Morton camp, the injured Baird of course sandwiched a couple of seasons at Somerset Park between his two spells in Greenock, whilst Robbie Crawford spent the formative years of his career in Ayrshire. Ayr can of course boast Andy Murdoch, well thought of in his time at Cappielow under Jim Duffy, and Sean McGinty, not so fondly remembered amongst the Cowshed faithful, and sure to attract some howls of derision from the home support. Here’s hoping he doesn’t enjoy this visit as much as he did his last to Greenock! Tale of the Tape Let’s not beat about the bush here- Morton “owe” Ayr United one. Although we won the SPFL Trust Trophy tie between the two on penalties last season, a return of two home defeats and two draws at Somerset Park in the league fixtures proved pivotal in cementing Ayr’s progression to the play-offs and Morton being left to click their heels in frustration throughout the month of May before we all got to enjoy Partick’s not-at-all funny collapse in the second leg of the final in Dingwall. Morton’s last home league win at Cappielow against Ayr was in the dark days of the COVID season, but was a thriller, with goals from Cammy Blues, Gary Oliver and Lewis Strapp in the last ten minutes turning round a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 on one of the very few enjoyable afternoons of that turgid campaign. Before that, we hadn’t beaten them at Cappielow in the league since 2016, leaving Morton with a record of one win in the last ten Cappielow head-to-heads in the league. Opposition Analysis Whilst Ayr have had to manage disappointment over the summer, with the traumatic nature of that loss to Partick in the play-off semi final and the loss of the talismanic Dipo Akinyemi, who moved onto York City for a nominal fee, they have been bolstered by the signings of two Scottish-born international wingers, in the shape of twice capped ex-Sheffield United ace Jamie Murphy and the Glaswegian wide man, Aiden McGeady. Whilst Jamaican front man Akeem Rose, signed from Weymouth, is charged with replacing the goals of Akinyemi, those have not been in short supply in a League Cup group campaign that saw Ayr winning their group by only dropping a point and finding the back of the net on ten occasions. Whilst Frankie Musonda has been missing from the Ayr line up thus far, the signing of defender Elicha Ahui from Lincoln City will allay some concerns about the visitors’ defensive set up. Our go-to Ayr United supporter Marc Dunlop (@Marco_Ayr) provided me with a fan’s perspective of how things are looking down Somerset Park way: “The Honest Men begin the 2023-24 campaign in Greenock and like their hosts, will be looking to continue their good form from the League Cup group stages. Lee Bullen has brought in eight new signings: the most eye catching of whom being Aiden McGeady in a player/coach role and the experienced Jamie Murphy. It will be interesting to see how the team lines up, but I think most Ayr fans will agree that homegrown talent Fraser Bryden has impressed in recent weeks and deserves a start. His brace in the 6-0 rout of Alloa surely brings him into contention. On a negative note however, new signing George Stanger will miss the Cappielow trip through suspension, having seen red in Alloa’s play-off semi final defeat at Hamilton. That game also gave the supporters a quick look at Akeem Rose, who joins from Weymouth in the National League south, and we’ll be hopeful he can replicate the success of previous recruits from such a level. As always, I expect an action-packed encounter, with both sets of players giving 100%. I’ll stop short of giving any score predictions, but I think I speak for everyone down Somerset way when I say we’re quietly confident after our League Cup exploits. A cracking game awaits both sets of punters. C’mon Ayr!!!” What’s Happening Elsewhere? The league season kicks off at Gayfield with a derby between Arbroath and Jim Goodwin’s relegated Dundee United, as the Arabs look to bounce back at the first time of asking, after having spent four consecutive seasons in this division in fairly recent memory. Saturday sees the two promoted sides, Dunfermline and Airdrie facing off in Fife as the Pars raise the League One flag, whilst Queen’s Park will be hoping all their players are eligible for the visit to Inverness. Partick Thistle host big-spending Raith Rovers at Firhill as they bid to get over their own crushing disappointment of missing out so narrowly last term. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 4th August 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton head into the match as narrow favourites at 5/4, whilst Ayr register at 19/10 and the draw comes in at 23/10 Morton to score in both halves is 12/5 and a Morton win with both teams to score is 10/3. Match Officials Referee- Matthew McDermid AR 1- Sean Carr AR 2- Steven Wilson

Dean, Alan, Craig and Louise cast their eyes over Morton's successful League Cup group campaign and look ahead to the 2023/24 Championship campaign.

Benny Rooney- An Obituary By Russell Gordon After leaving Cappielow on Saturday in fine spirits after Morton secured progression to the last sixteen of the League Cup, I was saddened to see a message pop up on one of my group chats to pass on the news that Morton’s greatest ever manager, certainly in the modern era had left us at the age of eighty. I can’t pretend to be any sort of expert on Benny Rooney’s time in charge at Morton between 1976 and 1983, given that I was born in 1979, and have always relied on second hand anecdotes from those who were fortunate enough to witness his fantastic Morton side, the last to enjoy a sustained period in the top flight of Scottish football, winning promotion as First Division Champions in 1978, and eventually going down in 1983. Whilst he started his career with Celtic in 1959, he was never to make a senior appearance for the Parkhead side, embarking on loan spells in the junior ranks with Cambuslang Rangers and Petershill, before making his senior debut on loan at Dumbarton. He would eventually move onto Dundee United on a free transfer at the age of 20. In spite of his fine goalscoring record in the Tannadice club’s reserve team, Benny would struggle to break into Jerry Kerr’s first team before making a £3500 move to St. Johnstone in 1966. In a nine year spell in Perth, he would establish himself as a defender of some repute in what was, until recently perhaps the best team in St. Johnstone’s history- achieving a third placed finish in the old Division One in 1971, and gaining a place in the UEFA Cup where they would overturn a 1-2 first leg deficit in Germany against the mighty SV Hamburg, winning 3-0 at Muirton Park, before taking care of Hungarians Budapesti Vasas 2-1 on aggregate and eventually falling to Yugoslavians Zeljeznicar Sarajevo 2-5 on aggregate, having lead 1-0 from the first leg in Perth. Benny himself did give the Saints a brief moment of joy though, scoring their goal to give them an away goals lead in Bosnia before the roof fell in. He was also to captain St. Johnstone in the 1969 League Cup Final defeat to Celtic- with Jock Stein famously banishing Benny’s father Bob, one of his coaches at the time, from the Celtic dug out on the day, such was the conflict of interest in wishing such success for his son, against his professional responsibilities! A celebrated footnote in his St. Johnstone career would be an appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, as St. Johnstone were invited to face Real Madrid in a warm up match ahead of the Spanish club’s European Cup Winners’ Cup Final against Chelsea. St. Johnstone would take the lead before Los Blancos eventually ground out the 3-1 victory. He would move to Firhill in 1973, making 89 appearances for Partick and winning the First Division title before taking up the reins at Cappielow as player manager of Morton in July 1976 at the tender age of 33. He was to quickly realise that combining the two roles was never going to work, and after the League Cup sectional ties were completed, retired from playing to concentrate solely on his role as manager. With Allan McGraw’s reserve side producing a raft of young players that would provide the backbone for a team that would go on to enthral a generation of Morton fans- Mark McGhee, Neil Orr and John McNeil were among those who caught they eye, and were promoted into the first team to supplement a squad that already included young prodigies such as Davie Hayes and George Anderson. It was in October 1976 though that Benny made perhaps his most inspired move- with Celtic chasing goalkeeper Roy Baines, he engineered a swap deal with Baines heading to Glasgow and Celtic’s enigmatic winger Andy Ritchie heading west, with a few quid also coming to Cappielow as part of the deal. With Jim Holmes reverting back to left back, Morton would put in a credible performance in the league, finishing fourth. Unfortunately though, the eventual champions were none other than Alex Ferguson’s St. Mirren, who enjoyed one of those seasons many Buddies could only have dreamed of, with one of their highlights undoubtedly being a 6-3 win in the New Year derby at Cappielow. Morton did, however, get some consolation, dispatching the Paisley side 3-0 at the same venue later in the season, providing hope that they could be following their county rivals into the land of milk and honey in the not too distant future. And that they did. In a division with the more fancied Hearts and Dundee in 1977-78, Morton came out the traps in style, dropping only one point in their first eleven fixtures, with a notable 5-3 victory over Hearts at Cappielow, only three days after falling 0-3 to the same opponents in a League Cup game in Edinburgh, being the obvious highlight. In spite of another victory against Hearts, by 2-0 in the second leg of that League Cup tie, our interest in that particular competition ended there, and the Scottish Cup campaign was to be halted in a replay defeat in Aberdeen. But a 3-1 victory midweek over Airdrie in the penultimate game of the season had the champagne corks popping! Morton were champions and going to the Premier Division for the first time ever! A final day defeat to Dundee only saw tears amongst the Tayside clubs’ fans as they fell just short of Hearts, who joined Morton in the top tier. All this in spite of losing star striker McGhee to Newcastle United for a club record of £150,000- the signings on Jimmy Millar and Bobby Russell, for a fraction of that fee were enough to help Morton over the line. As Benny planned his assault on the Premier Division, he brought in Queen of the South Manager Mike Jackson as his assistant, an inspired move, along with the on-field signings of Ally Scott, Bobby Thomson and Jim Rooney. With Jim Tolmie and Joe McLaughlin breaking through, and the return of Roy Baines from Celtic, Morton endured a sticky start to the season, but would comfortably survive before embarking on a blistering start to the 1979-80 season. They were to reach the League Cup semi-final, only losing 2-1 to Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen, but it was in the league that they really caught the eye, incredibly topping the table in November after a disappointing 0-0 draw with St. Mirren. Celtic’s defeat to Kilmarnock had seen Morton reach the summit, and a 2-1 victory at Pittodrie only went on to strengthen Morton’s credentials. Alas, disaster was around the corner, and how else could it possibly come round other than being the victim of a controversial refereeing decision in a pivotal game against Rangers? Bobby Thomson was ordered off for allegedly headbutting Rangers defender, and all round baddie, Sandy Jardine, an incident that to this day leaves a sour taste in the mouth of a number of Morton fans of a certain vintage. In writing what is supposed to be a poignant piece, I really shouldn’t dwell on such an incident, but by all accounts of Thomson as a man-mountain, and Jardine as a person, it would have been nice to see what would have happened if Thomson had butted the Rangers defender. Rangers of course won 1-0 after that and Morton’s season faded off, falling to sixth, a credible finish as Aberdeen went onto claim their first title since 1955. But the following season, that great Aberdeen side were to know all about Morton. The league campaign started with a 1-2 defeat by Celtic, but in a campaign in which Morton didn’t enjoy such joy in the league, their Scottish Cup run was to provide the highlights. Having already dispatched Hearts 3-1 at Tynecastle after a replay in the Third Round and enjoyed their best result of the season in beating Aberdeen 1-0 at Pittodrie the previous week thanks to a solitary Drew Busby goal, Cappielow was bouncing for the visit of the Dons on Valentine’s Day 1981. It was the Morton fans who were embracing on the day as Andy Ritchie planted Ian Considine on his backside before holding off Alex McLeish and Willie Miller to dispatch past Jim Leighton on what was arguably Cappielow’s greatest ever day. Morton would dispose of Clydebank 6-0 in a quarter-final replay at Kilbowie before bowing out to Rangers in a foul tempered semi-final at Celtic Park, with Benny controversially dropping Ritchie to the bench, anticipating a match that would be overly physical. Whilst he wasn’t wrong, it was Ritchie’s penalty that brought Morton back into the game, only to fall just short. 1980-81 would see Morton finish in eighth place, comfortably clear of the relegation spots, and it was similar scenario the following campaign, finishing seventh with a comfortable enough cushion. But in 1982-83, the ‘Ton would finally return to the First Division, garnering only 20 points (in those days of two points for a win) and finishing ninth above only Kilmarnock. A fantastic era was to come to an inauspicious end, and whilst Chairman Hugh Currie was adamant that Benny and his assistant Mike Jackson weren’t sacked, their contracts weren’t renewed and they were free to move on. He would briefly take charge of Albion Rovers before a fairly unsuccessful spell in the Firhill hot seat, and joining Billy McNeil’s staff at Celtic, winning the double in 1988 and the Scottish Cup in 1989 as well as the Reserve League West as reserve coach in 1990. After football, he embarked on a career as a publican, running the Queen’s Park Café on Glasgow’s south side, and proving a popular host for the Morton fans on our Hampden visits in the 2002-03 Third Division season, before retiring to enjoy his son Kevin’s career as an actor. Football also ran in the family, with great nephew Shaun currently plying his trade at Fleetwood Town and even eclipsing his great uncle’s St. Johnstone achievements in scoring the winning goals in both their cup final victories in 2021. Only this year, Benny was inducted into the Morton Hall of Fame, and quite rightly so. Everyone at The Morton Forum wish to express our sorrow, and pass on our condolences to the friends and family of Benny Rooney. Bibliography More Morton Greats, Graeme Ross, 2005. Fitbastats.com/Morton Thecelticwiki.com worldfootball.net Thanks to Chris McNulty @Chrismcnulty75 for supplying pictures for this article.

Morton v Edinburgh City – Match Preview by Russell Gordon The Viaplay Scottish League Cup group stages come to a conclusion this weekend, with Morton looking towards the visit of League One Edinburgh City to Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology, realistically requiring nothing less than three points in their quest to snatch one of the three best second placed finishes which would take them through to the competition’s last sixteen. Tickets for the match can be purchased at the below link: Fanbase | Select Ticket (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News There’s no hiding from it, Morton’s defensive woes have been well publicised. The departure of Liam Grimshaw to Dundee United has left a hole in the right back position that has yet to be filled, and the loss of Jack Baird to a dislocated shoulder in the win over Stranraer, an injury that Imrie estimated would keep the inspirational defender out for around two months, has been a hammer blow to the club’s short term ambitions, and has forced Imrie to re-assess his squad building going forward. Cameron Blues performed admirably at right back in Dingwall last weekend, but I’m sure that he himself will admit that he’s not a long term solution on the right hand side of a back four. Although with goal difference being a major factor in Imrie’s mind, and the Citizens not enjoying a fruitful campaign, we may expect to see an attacking lineup as Morton look to get the edge over those also chasing a place in the knock out stages. Current Connections In the Morton squad, only Blues has represented Edinburgh- way back in the 2017-18 campaign, making 16 starts in their second season in the SPFL. There are however, a couple of familiar faces in the visitors’ camp. Former Morton captain Kyle Jacobs moved to the capital on loan at the start of last season, having failed to hold down a place in the Morton side after Dougie Imrie’s arrival, and made the move a permanent one in the January window after negotiating his release from his parent club. Alongside Jacobs is former ‘Ton custodian Sam Ramsbottom, who is a regular between the sticks at Meadowbank Stadium. Ramsbottom endured an unhappy spell at Cappielow under David Hopkin, appearing out of his depth at Championship level before losing his place to Aberdeen loanee Danny Rodgers. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape Only formed in 1966 under the moniker of Postal United, and taking the name of Edinburgh City in 1986 before becoming the first club to be promoted into the SPFL in 2016, it’s no surprise that this is only the second meeting of Morton and Edinburgh City in their current guise. Six years ago to the day of Saturday’s match, Morton also finished off the group stages against Edinburgh, recording a comprehensive 5-0 victory, with doubles from Bob McHugh and Robert Thomson and a single strike from Jai Quitongo. Whilst I’m sure most would happily accept such a result on Saturday, don’t take this as any sort of good omen, as the ‘Ton were to bow out of the competition after that win. We did have a strong record against the previous incarnation of Edinburgh City, mostly in Division Two in the 1930s, whilst our last game against them was a 4-0 home win in the Scottish Cup First Round in 1947. Opposition Analysis It’s been an eventful summer for Edinburgh City- there’s been a takeover of the club and yet another name change- they appear to have made up with the social club who holds the right to their name and as such, they’ve reverted back to Edinburgh City from the bizarre “FC Edinburgh” that caused anger in their support and hilarity elsewhere in the Scottish game. Added to that, their talismanic striker Ouzy See was given leave of absence by the club to travel to Spain to appear on a reality TV programme as pre-season was in full swing, only returning to play an hour of Wednesday’s defeat by Ross County. Having started their League Cup campaign by throwing away an early three goal lead to succumb 3-5 at home to Kelty, subsequent 1-2 and 1-3 defeats at Stranraer and at home to Ross County respectively, have seen the Citizens prop up the Group D with a miserable record heading into their visit to Greenock. Whilst it’s difficult to ascertain whether a poor League Cup campaign will translate to similar in the league as the season goes on, it does look as though boss Alan Maybury doesn’t have his problems to seek. Hopefully Morton can take full advantage. Photo - GBR Photographs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? There’s no point in looking at how other results affect Morton in the event of a draw or a defeat, so we’ll just have to assume that a Morton win will be the only scenario that can possibly take us through. Group A- With leaders Ayr hosting Alloa, a win will take them through as group winners, whilst surprise package Stirling Albion, sitting on a point more than Morton, visit St. Johntone. With Morton’s superior goal difference, only a win in 90 minutes will be enough for the Binos to catch Morton, should we achieve our own desired result. Group B- Dundee United, who have played all their games, share top spot with Partick Thistle and Spartans, all on six points, with League One minnows Falkirk lurking in the background on five points. With Partick hosting Spartans, the second placed team in this group making nine points is impossible. Group C- Group leaders Hamilton host Cove and second placed Livingston host Clyde. Don’t hold your breath for any favours in this group though. Livingston will almost certainly get the win that would take them onto ten points, and only a Cove win in 90 minutes or on penalties, would see us finish above Accies. Given that Livingston rattled five past Cove in midweek, two home wins are likely, here. Group D- Whisper it, but it’s possible that Morton could still win the group. It’s unlikely, but a three-goal win for ourselves and a single goal victory for Kelty in Dingwall would see us overtake Ross County to go through without punching as many buttons into the calculator. Group E- Airdrie should win the group, with a straightforward looking visit to Bonnyrigg between them and maximum points. Should they lose and finish second, any win for Morton will do, given our goal difference. Assuming Airdrie get at least a point though, we could have a goal difference chase with Dundee, who host already eliminated Inverness. Whilst Morton are two goals better off, the Dens Park side have the advantage of their game kicking off on Sunday, so their fate, and ours, could be in their hands. Group F- With group leaders Kilmarnock visiting Albion Rovers and Raith visiting Annan, we’re best focussing on Raith. We’re two goals better off than Raith with a similar fixture, so will hopefully be able to keep them at arm’s length. But Annan v Raith is very much the fixture to keep an eye on. Group G- Nothing to worry about here if we win. Leaders Motherwell face up to second placed East Fife. Only an East Fife win on penalties would see both finish on nine points, but any Morton win would see us finish with a better record than the Fifers, who would finish second in such a scenario. Group H- No worries here, either. Group leaders Forfar go to St. Mirren, and only a St. Mirren win in 90 minutes could see them achieve nine points. In doing that, Forfar would fall to second place in the group with a worse goal difference than ourselves. In conclusion- Livingston are the handiest placed of the second placed teams. Stirling Albion, East Fife and Forfar have all had excellent campaigns, but have potentially very difficult ties to negotiate against a wounded St. Johnstone, a Motherwell side who’ll be looking to cement their place amongst the seeds and avoid a tougher draw, and a St. Mirren team who have just about pulled it together after their horror start in Montrose. I’d expect any two of Morton, Raith and Dundee to join Livingston in the last sixteen. Whilst the three minnows are definitely for the watching, the main concern should be out scoring Raith Rovers before we have to endure the scenario of relying on Inverness not to throw goals in, something we couldn’t rely on them with only a few months ago. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 28th July 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton are the clear favourites at 40/85, with the visitors coming in at 19/4 and the draw at 16/5. Robbie Muirhead is 49/10 to score first, whilst George Oakley is a tempting 11/2 to bag at least two goals Match Officials Referee- Calum Scott AR 1- Sean Carr AR 2- Craig Macrae

Eubo v Dean and Alan v Chris in the semi finals of the quiz.

Eubo v Dean and Alan v Chris in the semi-finals of the quiz.

Ross County vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton travel up the A9 tomorrow to face their sternest test of the season so far, a trip to Premiership side Ross County in the Viaplay Cup group stage. Both sides enter the tie having taken maximum points so far in a match that will be vital in determining who tops Group D and progresses through to the Second Round draw. Things were all going to plan for The Ton midweek against Stranraer, until former player Thomas Orr clashed with centre back Jack Baird, who suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder, throwing Imrie’s plans into chaos ahead of the trip to the Highlands. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Unless there are any incoming transfers before matchday, Dougie Imrie will be likely forced into naming a makeshift defence after Baird appeared to dislocate his shoulder. The defender was on the receiving end of a crunching challenge and was reportedly taken to hospital shortly after full time. Darragh O’Connor can be moved into his natural position at centre back, however there is no natural right back in the squad. Current Connections Nobody in the current Morton squad has ever represented the Staggies, however there will be one familiar face in the home squad - Welsh striker Alex Samuel. Samuel joined Jim Duffy’s side in September 2015 on loan from Swansea City. The physically imposing striker made his debut in a 4-2 win against Livingston, however he would struggle to establish himself as a first-choice attacker, making only six league starts during his time in Greenock. Samuel would score three significant goals during his loan spell – a double which helped The Ton dump Premiership side Motherwell out of the League Cup 3-2, as well as a last gasp (and very offside) equaliser at St Mirren Park to salvage a 1-1 draw. The Welshman joined Ross County on a two-year deal in August 2021 following his release from Wycombe. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape The Ton’s recent record in Dingwall makes for grim reading. The sides traded two home wins apiece the last time Ross County played in the Championship in 2018/19, with the Highland side finishing top of the pile and sealing a return to the Premiership. Despite Morton making three trips to Dingwall in the 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, the last time the Greenock men tasted victory in the Global Energy Stadium was the famous Scottish Cup victory of 2002/03. A double from ‘Super’ Alex Williams sealed a monumental victory for Third Division Morton against the then First Division side. Opposition Analysis The Staggies will hope they can resurrect their fortunes this season after surviving in the top tier by the thinnest of margins, coming back from 3-0 down in the tie to best Partick in a penalty shootout that would leave Brian Graham in tears on the turf. Never mind, eh? Malky MacKay has rung the changes during the off season, with nine players leaving The Global Energy Stadium and six recruited so far, along with Eamonn Brophy’s loan from St Mirren being made permanent. So far, the club have had mixed results in pre-season - besting Nairn County 3-1; losing 2-1 to Queens Park and beating Clachnacuddin 5-1. The Staggies recorded a comfortable 5-1 win down at Stranraer in their first competitive fixture of the season thanks to an own goal from Craig Ross, a hattrick from Simon Murray and a late goal from Jack Baldwin. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 7pm on 19th July 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The hosts enter this one as the bookies’ favourite, priced at 4/5 to keep all three points in Dingwall. The draw is priced at 13/5, with Dougie Imrie’s men 14/5 to claim a victory that would surely confirm passage to Round Two. Match Officials Referee - Don Robertson AR1 - Steven Traynor AR2 - Stuart Stevenson

Away Day Guide - Ross County Photo - Hugh Grant Tickets Tickets can be purchased outside the stadium on matchday. Ticket prices are as follows – Adults £14; Concessions £10; U12s Free (accompanied by a paying adult). Disabled Fans Information Ross County FC have 12 disabled bays available which can be booked in advance of matches. Supporters should be aware that bays are allocated on a first come, first served basis. The club has a dedicated Disability Access Officer who is in place to assist with enquiries and booking for our disabled bays on matchdays. The DAO can also answer any questions or queries in regard to getting around the stadium and local area. David O'Connor – email david.oconnor@rosscountyfootballclub.co.uk. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 9.30am. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07847847357 to book a space. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock at :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. Travel to Glasgow Central and transfer to Glasgow Queen Street. From Queen Street, alight a service bound for Inverness (or change to an Edinburgh to Inverness service at Perth). From Inverness, transfer onto a train to Dingwall. Please note that in order to return to Inverclyde at night, either a bus or taxi is required back to Inverness. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use the postcode IV15 9QZ for the stadium. The return journey from Cappielow via the M8 and A9 should take approximately 3 hours 45 minutes (204 miles). Matchday parking is available at the stadium for the cost of £3, however plenty of street parking is available around Dingwall town center. Pre-Match There are a few hostelries to choose from in Dingwall town center, which is a short walk from the stadium. The Mallard (Station Square, Dingwall IV15 9JD) and The Caledonian Bars (Caledonian House, High St, Dingwall IV15 9RY) provide all the usual amenities to thirsty travelers. Photo – Trip Advisor

Morton v Stranraer – Match Preview by Russell Gordon Competitive action returns to Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology with the visit of League Two Stranraer, as Morton look to build upon Saturday’s comfortable 3-1 victory over Kelty Hearts at New Central Park in Group D of the Viaplay Cup. With Stranraer’s weekend conquerors Ross County likely to be battling it out for top spot with Morton in the group and the only guaranteed place in the competition’s last sixteen, three points would be a welcome return with the Staggies idle ahead of Morton’s weekend trip to Dingwall. Photo - GBR Photographs Squad News Assistant boss Andy Millen reported a clean bill of health ahead of the match, although with Morton at home against what is in theory the weakest team in the group, I’d expect a few changes, with new signing Jack Bearne from Liverpool a possible starter. Jai Quitongo and Lewis McGrattan will also look for starting berths after their second half cameos turned around what was at half time a difficult situation into a very comfortable victory. However, with McGrattan, Steven Boyd, Grant Gillespie, George Oakley and Jack Baird all picking up yellow cards in Fife, Imrie may look to keep some of them out of the firing line ahead of what he’ll expect to be a far more testing afternoon at Victoria Park at the weekend. Current Connections The only current connections between the clubs are in the visitors’ camp. Strikers Ben Armour and Thomas Orr had similar experiences on the periphery of the Morton first team squad in the infancy of their careers before moving down the divisions having made around a handful of appearances each in Morton colours. Stranraer Assistant Manager Peter Weatherson however, had a far more celebrated career in the famous blue and white hoops, netting 122 goals in 387 appearances over a decade, having moved from Queen of the South for £30,000 in 2003, bagging a Second Division Champions medal in 2007, and bookending his time on the tail o’ the bank with a testimonial against St. Johnstone in July 2013, before opening his account for new club Annan with a late free kick winner against his former employers to oust them from the Challenge Cup as a season of woe got off to a horrific start before getting worse. Photo - GBR Photographs Tale of the Tape Meetings between the clubs haven’t been commonplace in recent years, although they were drawn together in the group stages of the Premier Sports Cup in 2021. However, with the world only just dragging its way out of the grips of the COVID pandemic, Morton’s squad were hit by an outbreak which rendered them unable to field a team and forced to concede a 0-3 defeat in what would have been their first game of the tournament, effectively eliminating them from the competition before a ball was kicked. The last meeting of the two teams was a far more memorable experience, however. On the penultimate day of the 2014-15 season Morton weren’t the only visitors to Stair Park, as the League One Trophy also came to town, in the expectation of being presented to the hosts in the event of a home win. Jim Duffy’s side however, had other ideas, and after a Derek Gaston wonder save with the match scoreless, Declan McManus netted a first half penalty before doubling the ‘Ton’s advantage before the break to leave Stranraer’s title hopes in tatters, much to the delight of the large traveling support. A late Ricki Lamie red card dampened Morton’s spirits, but the three points put them in the box seat going into the final match of the season, as Morton went on to beat Peterhead 3-1 and claim promotion to the Championship where they have remained since. Stranraer were to miss out on promotion in the play-offs, losing to Forfar in the semi finals before eventually falling to League Two in controversial circumstances in 2020 as the season was curtailed by the COVID pandemic. Admittedly, they were certs to go before the season was halted, and perhaps their lowly status didn’t attract quite so much attention, but they did at least conduct themselves better than Hearts or Partick, who suffered similar fates in the divisions above. Opposition Analysis Stranraer didn’t enjoy the most successful of campaigns last time around, finishing seventh in the division, five points from the play-off places at the top end of the table and six from relegated Albion Rovers. Manager Scott Agnew has been busy over the summer- as well as the signing of ex-Morton striker Armour from Forfar, he has added goalkeeper Martin McDonald from Hurlford, full back Cammy Williamson from Annan, East Kilbride midfielder Ben Hughes, Cumnock winger James Dolan and Kyle Fleming from Albion Rovers. Pre-season has been a mixed bag, with a 1-1 home draw with Welsh Premier League side Connah’s Quay Nomads, followed up by a similar result at Hurlford United, a 0-2 reverse against Ayr United at Dam Park, as Somerset’s pitch is relayed and a comprehensive 4-1 victory over West of Scotland First Division side Kilwinning Rangers. Saturday’s 1-5 home battering from Ross County perhaps wasn’t unexpected, but it sets the standard that Morton will be hoping to attain in a match that, for progression, and the rewards that entails are to be achieved. Photo - GBR Photographs Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 18th July 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton are the clear favourites at 1/4, with the visitors coming in at 9/1 and the draw at 9/2. Steven Boyd is a tempting 6/1 to continue his goalscoring form with the first of the evening, and a Robbie Muirhead double is 10/3. Match Officials Referee- Steven McLean AR 1- Elliot Husband Powton AR 2- Liam Duncan

Kelty Hearts vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton’s new season kicks off tomorrow with a new opponent and a new stadium for the Ton faithful to visit. Despite the last-gasp heartache of Dougie Imrie’s men missed out on the promotion playoffs - although I’m sure the Morton support managed to find some catharsis during said playoffs - last season was a clear success for the club. With the summer retention list being sizably longer than Morton fans have come to expect, a successful group stage in the League Cup would be a fair expectation. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News There are no two ways about it – The Ton enter this fixture short on bodies. The club currently have fifteen signed players, with Ryan Mullen being the only goalkeeper and only four defenders on the books. Mullen is due to make his competitive debut for the club, as are veteran defender Kirk Broadfoot and versatile front man Steven Boyd. Current Connections While no Morton players or staff have plied their trade with the Fife side, the home dressing room will sport many a familiar face for visiting supporters. Former Morton goalkeeper Davie McGurn is currently a member of the backroom staff at Kelty. The shot stopper joined John McCormack’s Morton from Hillwood Boys Club in 2003, where he spent his first season deputising for Craig Coyle without making a single appearance. The capable and popular goalkeeper would stay at Morton for another four seasons, however he would struggle to establish himself as the first-choice keeper at any point during his tenure. Ahead of the 2008/09 season, McGurn would opt to leave the club to sign for Raith Rovers. He would serve Raith with distinction over an eight-year period before moving to Cowdenbeath. Manager Michael Tidser joined The Ton as a fresh faced nineteen-year-old in 2010, having been released from Celtic’s youth system and spending a brief time at Ostersunds in Sweden. The midfielder quickly impressed as his technical abilities were evident for all to see. He would go on to become a key part of Allan Moore’s side in 2012/13, a season which saw him shortlisted for the First Division Player of the Year award. In June 2013, an offer of £50,000 was accepted by the club and the midfielder headed south to join Rotherham. Both sides would meet in a pre-arranged friendly a week later with Tidser receiving a warm reception from the home support. The second chapter of Tidser’s Morton career began with an act of sheer incompetence. With Jim Duffy’s men struggling to separate themselves from Stranraer and Forfar in the title race, The Ton looked to revered former stars Michael Tidser and Peter MacDonald to help clinch a return to the second tier. It was then unearthed that, as Tidser had already appeared for two clubs in that season, he would be unable to play any part in the League One campaign. In the seasons that followed, Tidser was a rather unspectacular part of Jim Duffy’s side, with it being suggested that the player’s style did not match the style of the manager. Then came the news that no Morton fan wanted to hear. Tidser remained a popular face among the Cowshed faithful and, in the midst of the turbulent 2018/19 season, it was announced that he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Falkirk. It’s safe to say that the relationship between the Morton support and Tidser has never been the same since. On the subject of soured relations, former Morton defender Thomas O’Ware is another well kent face for the Morton faithful. Signing for Morton in the summer of 2011, the former Rangers and Kilmarnock youth player made his debut against Deveronvale in November 2011. Although a natural centre back, he would be used in a variety of positions during his seven-season stay at the Tail o’ the Bank, including in midfield and up front. O’Ware announced that he would be leaving the club in May 2018, breaking the news ahead of the final league game of the season, which he was subsequently dropped for. He would also state he would have ‘absolutely no issue’ crossing the Renfrewshire divide to join St Mirren. Despite holding out for a Premiership club, O’Ware would wash up at Partick, where he suffered a serious knee injury after only three appearances in the 2018/19 season. He joined Kelty in 2021 following Partick’s promotion back to the Championship. Journeyman midfielder Stefan McCluskey is another former Morton player now representing Kelty. McCluskey followed manager Jim Duffy from Broadwood to Cappielow in the summer of 2014 as Duffy was tasked with returning The Ton to the second tier of Scottish football at the first time of asking. McCluskey scored a few notable goals during his two-year stay in Greenock - an injury time winner as The Ton completed a stunning last gasp comeback to beat Stenhousemuir 3-2; a fine strike in an imperious 4-0 win at East End Park and an equaliser at Ibrox which secured a 2-2 draw and sparked euphoria in the away end. McCluskey would leave the club in the summer of 2016, believing an offer would arrive from higher up the food chain. The winger would go on to sign for Peterhead, Alloa, Pollok, Dumbarton and Forfar before joining Kelty ahead of this season. Reece Lyon is the most recent link between both clubs. The former St Mirren youth player joined his hometown club in 2013. Making his competitive debut five years later against Dumbarton in the Challenge Cup, Lyon would struggle to establish himself at the club despite several managerial changes. Current manager Dougie Imrie sent Lyon on loan to League Two side Annan Athletic last season, where he would make twenty-three appearances in a successful loan move. His Morton contract, which had another year to run, was mutually terminated this summer as the midfielder agreed to sign for his former teammate Michael Tidser. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape This is the first meeting of the clubs. Opposition Analysis Kelty had an unspectacular season last term, finishing 8th in the third tier ahead of Peterhead and Clyde, who both suffered relegation to League Two. Despite John Potter’s side finishing sixteen points clear of the relegation playoff, the manager was relieved of his duties at the end of the season. Joe Cardle provided a creative spark for the Fifers last term, registering eight assists over the course of the season before being released in the summer. Betting Guide All odds are provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 8am on 13th July 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Understandably, the hosts enter this match as outsiders, chalked at 23/10 to claim the victory. The draw is priced at 5/2, with Dougie Imrie’s men Evs to start their competitive season with a victory. Photo - GBR Photographs. Match Officials Referee - Peter Stuart AR1 - Alan Mulvanny AR2 - Chris Gentles