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Motherwell Football Club today remembers and marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of the late, great Davie Cooper.

Lanarkshire-born, Davie started his career with Clydebank in 1974 and spent three successful years with the Bankies, including winning a Second Division title, before securing a £100,000 move to his boyhood heros, Rangers.

Davie’s first season, under the guidance of former ‘Well boss Jock Wallace, was a successful one, as the Ibrox club secured a domestic treble.

He would go on to win three league titles, three Scottish Cups and seven League Cups in a trophy-laded 12-year term with the light blues.

At the same time, he also made his senior Scotland debut against Peru at Hampden in 1979 and went on to win a further 17 caps whilst with Rangers.

In August of 1989, Motherwell signed Cooper with former teammate Tommy McLean paying just £50,000 for his services.

In his four and a half seasons at Fir Park, Coop played over 150 times for the Steelmen and helped the club win its first major trophy in 39 years: the 1991 Scottish Cup Final against Dundee United.

His contribution to the club was a whole lot more than just that, though. He drove McLean’s vision forward, and helped bring on the careers of talented young players such as Phil O’Donnell.

He also won four more Scotland caps whilst in Claret and Amber, but sadly missed out on Italia 90 through injury.

In late 1993, Davie returned to Clydebank as a player/coach.

It was whilst with the Kilbowie club that he also worked on a STV television programme called ‘Shoot’ alongside current Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas and former St Mirren boss Tommy Craig.

Tragically, whilst coaching kids, Davie, who was 39 years old, suffered a brain haemorrhage and died in hospital the next day. His death had Scottish football in mourning, particularly those at his three previous clubs.

In tribute, Motherwell FC renamed their recently rebuilt North Stand as the Davie Cooper Stand, which still stands proudly to this day.

Twenty years on, the Scotland Hall of Famer is still fondly remembered by everyone at Motherwell Football Club and on this sad anniversary, we think of his close family and friends.

As former Scotland boss Walter Smith so rightly put it: “God gave Davie Cooper a talent, he would not be disappointed with how it was used.”

Rest in Peace, Davie.

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Graeme McArthur and his squad had their first test of season 2014/15 last Sunday, which saw the ‘Steelwomen’ romp to an emphatic victory over Third Lanark.

An early kick off in Castlemilk saw both teams take to the pitch at the start of their league campaign.

Both sides needed to adjust quickly to difficult pitch conditions, but despite working hard throughout pre-season, Third Lanark were unable to make a dent in the MLFC armour.

It didn’t take the Fir Park side long to get off the mark with an early goal…and so it began.

This game was absolutely one for the fans with a barrage of goals coming thick and fast. 90 minutes later and Well ladies found themselves counting on fingers and toes as the full time whistle blew.

Manager McArthur said “I am extremely pleased we left our mark here today. Credit to Third Lanark who kept fighting right to the final whistle. Although I am pleased and we completed the job, the players and I are under no illusion that we were far from our best today but difficult conditions meant the players needed to adapt and that they did. (This is the) First game of the season and we have a long way to go. The hard work continues at training on Tues as we prepare for our 2nd round cup game away to a well-organised Dundee City side.”

Third Lanark 0
Motherwell LFC 13

Goal Scorers: Pamela Liddell x4, Nicole Goodwin x1, Karen McInally x2, Mandy Burns x2, Toni Mason x1, Demi McCulloch x1, Tracy Burns x1

This week I had the opportunity to speak to Manager Graeme McArthur and get a little inside info on what’s going on behind the scenes at MLFC.

You have had a busy preseason Graeme, can you tell me a little more about what’s been going on at MLFC?

Busy, but certainly productive. We managed to retain the players we wanted to keep and take the club forward, which I was obviously delighted with, as well as being able to bring in seven quality additions.

We have also implemented some changes within training and our pre-season planning, which I think will be of great benefit as the season moves forward.

All in all, pre-season was an exciting time for the club which allows us to now kick on into the start of our competitive campaign.

You have clearly done your research close season, you must be pleased with the players you have secured and the squad you have formed for the coming season?

I am absolutely delighted with the players we have brought in, all of whom who have played at a much higher level if not the highest within the SWPL and international honours on top of that.

Some of the players we were able to bring in were players that caused us problems last season to play against and we quickly identified these players as people that have the right attitude and great ability on and off the pitch which will help drive this club forward with the players that we already have here.

Not only will these players add to the playing side but also are great to have around the squad for the younger and perhaps less experienced players to learn from.

You have a lot of players now who bring a wealth of experience to the squad, how do you see that playing a pivotal role this season?

I think it’s massive and something which I really felt we lacked at times last year in terms of the depth of our squad.

Last year was a good starting point for us in finishing 3rd and having the 2nd best defensive record in the league however, we didn’t have a full squad I felt that were ready to really mount a challenge for the league and the cup and this was proven in our inability to really do that.

Whilst it’s never nice having to move players on to find another club that have worked hard and put the effort in to improve, it’s something that we had to do in order to get the most out of everybody. This year we are only happy with winning and achieving things that the club deserves and nothing else will be good enough.

I certainly now have a squad that will make sure they will do absolutely everything to ensure this which I obviously feel is great.

How has your pre-season been? Has your squad had a chance to gel in recent weeks?

Pre-season has been good yet frustrating in that we didn’t get enough games in for my liking after getting a bye in the league cup.

The games however were very beneficial that we did play and I was delighted with the nature of our performances with a new squad. During our pre-season, we played last year’s overall national 2nd division winners and were very comfortable both in terms of the result and our performance, a well-established SWPL side who we held to a draw and also another 2nd division development side who had dropped a few SWPL players down as they didn’t have a fixture that weekend and we won comfortably in the poorest of conditions.

Training has really allowed us to gel though as we have certainly been able to up our tempo in comparison to last season due to the overall quality the squad now has.

Not only have you secured new players, but also secured previously signed players for the new season, but I also hear you have welcomed another coach and sports scientist to the ranks?

I am absolutely delighted to have Malky Taylor and Sunnan Shah working with the squad this season. Malky brings a wealth of experience and is a great guy to have around the place. Sunnan has been brought into work with the players on their fitness.

Sunnan has studied in this field and is a welcome addition to the coaching staff. Both have made a great impression already this season and I look forward to working with both throughout the season.

Are you looking to add further to the squad or staffing team for the upcoming season?

We never stop looking for ways to continually improve so if the right person comes up for the right role then there would be no hesitation in adding to our staffing structure or squad list.

What are your aspirations for the season ahead and without giving too much away, how do you hope to achieve these?

Success really, winning leagues and trophies with this squad of players and there’s no real formula for it apart from working hard individually and collectively and sticking together.

What is your philosophy for the season and what do you expect from your current squad?

My philosophy is fairly simply in that I want this group of players to be the best that they can possibly be and have the ambition and drive to better themselves and the club in everything that they do. My expectations are high because I know they are good enough to deliver.

Thanks Graeme for taking time out to answer some questions for the fans…

You are very welcome, I am always keen to encourage our fans to embrace what we have going on here at the ladies set up. I am also keen to encourage everyone to attend games this season and can I take this opportunity to offer a season’s invitation to everyone out there. I would love to see you along to cheer on the squad.

Thanks again Graeme, I will catch up with you later in the season but for now, all the best to you and your squad with cup and league campaigns to come.

The ladies faced Dundee City in the Division 2 Cup this afternoon and ran out 9-1 winners. We’ll give you the rundown in Blog 12 this coming week.

For all the latest news and happenings at MLFC, follow me on twitter: @dibsy_

 Extended highlights from Fir Park as Lionel Ainsworth and John Sutton score doubles to sink Accies 4-0.

Action pictures from tonight’s emphatic 4-0 win local rivals Hamilton Accies.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix.

[svgallery name=”hamilton200315″]

‘Well boss Ian Baraclough was delighted after his side beat Lanarkshire rivals Hamilton 4-0 at Fir Park.

The win was Motherwell’s first over Accies this season after three successive defeats to their near neighbours in league and cup matches.

Baraclough savoured the result, while praising goalscorers Lionel Ainsworth and John Sutton as well as the contribution of Marvin Johnson.

“I’m really pleased for the amount of work that the fellas have gone and put in,” the former Sligo boss said.

“To be honest I felt as though it was coming, it wasn’t just bravado last week saying that we’d be okay, we would be fine and the results would start to come. Tonight was everything that you wanted it to be.

“The first 15 minutes was a bit slack, I thought they got a foothold in the game, but after 20 minutes I thought we got a hold of the ball, we asked questions of their back four, we played in the right areas and we got the reward for the way we started the second half as well.

[pullquote]I think it will give everybody a massive boost, because we felt that’s all that was needed, the end product, the final touch.[/pullquote]

“People like Lionel Ainsworth and John Sutton I’m particularly pleased for, because they’ve had to endure sitting on the bench and coming off the bench and feeling as though they’re a little bit out of it.

“But I’ve said it all along that it’s a squad game. When your time is right, go and make an impact, and those two have gone and made an impact tonight.

“It was a game that we felt he could go and make a massive impact in wide areas. Marvin on one side, Lionel on the other, go and get at their full-backs and exploit the space in behind as well, but also when Marvin is crossing the ball, Lionel get into the back post.

“We say to our wide men that there’s 10 or 15 goals a season just to get a tap-in at the back stick, and he’s put himself in a position and gone and put it away as well.

“I think that’s a sweet one for the supporters, they’ve had to put up with a fair bit this season so far, three defeats against your near neighbours is hard to swallow, but tonight they can enjoy themselves and over the weekend they can have a look at the newspapers, and look towards the final eight games with a bit of renewed positivity in the hope that we can replicate that.”

[tab:Match report]

Phil McGhee Fir Park

Motherwell recorded their biggest win over Hamilton in 35 years to continue the recent run of improved form.

If Friday morning in Lanarkshire was spent in hopeful pursuit of a solar eclipse, the evening was more productive for Motherwell fans as they watched the Fir Parkers record their most emphatic result and performance of the season against their county rivals.

In a fabulous second half, two goals inside a minute at the start from Lionel Ainsworth set Motherwell up for three points,with John Sutton coming off the bench to grab himself a brace in the final 10 minutes.

Ian Brraclough’s decision to recall Lionel Ainsworth for his first start in eight games was fully justified in the end with the winger’s two goals and overall contribution fully meriting him the man of the match.

But the confidence and desire throughout the Fir Park side augurs well for the remaining eight games and the fight to move clear of the bottom.

In a promising and positive opening spell from the home side, the Accies goal was put under immediate pressure. And inside three minutes a free kick 20 yards from goal provided the first chance. Josh Law managed to get his effort over the wall but the ball bounced tamely into Michael McGovern’s arms.

A swift break from Hamilton ended with Grant Gillespie curling a shot over George Long’s was a reminder why ‘Well had conceded nine league goals to Accies this season.

After a couple of long range efforts from the visitors, though, Motherwell took control and came close to a goal after 18 minutes. Marvin Johnson fed the ball to Scott McDonald but his inviting cross across goal found no takers before the ball drifted narrowly beyond the post.

After that the Accies goal came under a series of attacks that should have brought the opening goal.

Firstly, a blistering run from Ainsworth propelled the winger into the box but his finishing shot was straight at the ‘keeper. Two minutes later Lee Erwin latched onto a loose ball in the box and after his first shot was blocked the striker was grounded by Michael Devlin at the corner of the six yard box, amid appeals for a penalty, not given by Calum Murray.

A few minutes later it was Johnson’s turn to demonstrate his pace on the other wing, haring into the box before sweeping the ball into the six yard box but as Erwin waited to tap the ball home, Jesus Garcia Tena slid in to get a crucial touch to divert the ball beyond the ‘Well striker and the post.

It was an open game, though, and on the half hour mark Dougie Imrie came within a few inches of an opener with a terrific swerving volley which clipped the outside of the post.

It took ‘Well only three minutes into the second half to finally make the breakthrough. Stephen Pearson was fouled 40 yards from goal and the quick thinking Keith Lasley rolled the ball in front of Ainsworth who took one touch before unleashing a ferocious strike high into the net.

Before the home fans could fully celebrate ‘Well doubled their lead. Johnson’s pace and cross from the left exposed the Accies defence and although Erwin failled to make contact in front of goal, Ainsworth arrived at the back of the six yard box to lash the ball high past McGovern to make it 2-0.

Accies efforts to get back into the game and end their miserable run of eleven games without a win were hindered when Darren Lyon was shown a straight red card for a lunging challenge on Johnson.

As ten man Hamilton chased a goal, ‘Well and Ainsworth should have added to their tally.
A terrific pass from McDonald sent Ainsworth racing clear but his angled drive slipped past the advancing ‘keeper and the post.

That was McDonald’s last piece of action making way for John Sutton who took only two minutes before nodding Ainworth’s delightful cross into net from two yards.

Sutton then grabbed his second from the penalty spot when Ziggy Gordon tripped Erwin inside the box as Motherwell fully avenged their two heavy defeats from Accies this season and left the fans looking forward to a weekend.

[tab:As it happened]

 Ally Reilly at Fir Park

FULL TIME’ | 4-0 | #MFCvHAFC

90′ | 4-0 | #MFCvHAFC

Very nearly 5 but McGovern gets enough on Erwin’s close-range shot to get it away for a corner.

85′ | 4-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Motherwell sub, Dom Thomas is on for Johnson

Incidentally, in between making graphics for quick-fire goals, Ainsworth was subbed off for Moore.

83′ | 4-0 | #MFCvHAFC
It’s 4!!!! Sutton slots home from the spot to pile on the misery for Accies!!!

GGGOOOAALLLL!!!

PENALTY!!

80′ | 3-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Ainsworth clips the ball across goal who nods home from close range. 3-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GGOOOAALLL!!!

77′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Motherwell sub, Sutton on for McDonald.

75′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Almost the Ainsworth hat-trick as he broke away but dragged his shot agonisingly past the post.

74′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Hamilton Accies sub, Longridge on for Redmond.

71′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Another good chance for Hasselbaink as he gets on the end of MacDonald’s cross. Gets it all wrong and shoots wide.

66′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Hasselbaink almost makes an instant impact as his tame looking shot almost deceived Long. Thankfully it went just past

65′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Hamilton Accies sub, Scotland off for Hasselbaink.

64′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
RED CARD!! Lyon is sent off for a terrible challenge on Johnson!!

63′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Garcia Tena booked for a lazy challenge on Erwin.

60′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Great tracking back from Pearson to snuff out the danger from Imrie allowing Long to easily gather the tame cross

53′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Almost a hat-trick for Ainsworth!! McGovern just does enough to claw his top corner-bound shot then clear from Erwin

49′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
…from the restart, Johnson gets a great cross in and he fires home from a tight angle!!! 2-0!!!

49′ | 2-0 | #MFCvHAFC
A blistering minute from Ainsworth! Rattles on intot the top corner from 25 yards then…

ANOTHER GOALLLL!!!

GGOOOAAAALLLL!!!

Second Half | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Lasley and Johnson get the second half underway.

Half Time’ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Stalemate at Fir Park as the first half ends Motherwell 0 – 0 Hamilton Accies

44′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Hearts in mouths as Law tried to clear from Scotland but almost curled it into his own net :O

35′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Yet another ‘Well corner..cleared and Accies counter. ‘Well recover and Straker makes the clearance.

34′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
McDonald’s free-kick is fired straight into the wall.

34′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Free-kick for ‘Well, in a similar position to where McDonald scored from against Killie.

30′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Ooft. Would have been a stunner from Imrie but his volley from 20 yards hits the outside of the post.

28′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Irmie is booked for a wild looking challenge on Keith Lasley.

27′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Glorious chance for Erwin as Johnson crosses to him but Tena gets a vital touch to it and clears for a corner

25′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Erwin has a great first touch in the box and looked to have been fouled by the defender. Ref has a good look, says no

24′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Another ‘Well corner. This time McManus gets a head to Ainsworth’s delivery but Gordon takes the sting out it.

23′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Ainsworth bursts though the Accies defence but can’t get enough direction on his shot to trouble McGovern.

19′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
McDonald gets a sniff of goal after being played in by Johnson. From the angle, his cross/shot is just wide.

17′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
McManus’ clearance falls at the feet of Crawford who again shoots over the bar, this time with a curled effort.

15′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Action has slowed down a little. Crawford is forced to shoot from range and watches it sail well over the bar.

10′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Crawford gets the break of the ball in midfield and plays in Gillespie who fires over the bar from 18 yards.

7′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Space opens up for Gordon on the right wing and as he cuts in, Lasley has to make the tackle and clear the danger

5′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Corner to Motherwell, Devlin gets to the delivery ahead of McManus and McGovern gathers.

3′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Free-kick to ‘Well about 25 yards out….Law strikes it but it is straight at McGovern, bouncing just in front of him.

2′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Early chance for Accies as Crawford picks the ball up deep and drives forward.Gets a shot away but it’s simple for Long

1′ | 0-0 | #MFCvHAFC
Gillespie and Scotland get the game underway #COYW!!!!

[tab:Reaction]

Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough:

“It feels nice. It feels like we’ve got something for the amount of work we put in.

“The players have gone and given it absolutely everything every day and we don’t leave anything to chance, the lads have been switched on and it’s reward for them.

“If you look at the two goal scorers they’ve been disappointed, they’ve not been involved all the time. They’ve both gone and played their part tonight in a very big way and that shows you that everyone is pulling in the right direction.

“We’ve put in a performance that has probably made people stand up and take note and we go into the weekend with a smile on our faces. We can let the other teams see if they can now reply.”

Hamilton manager Martin Canning:

“In the first half there wasn’t much between us, but in the second half we’ve switched off, made individual mistakes, and it’s cost us.

“In the second half everything that could go wrong went wrong. We tried to make the changes to get ourselves back in the game and I thought we still had a couple of opportunities at the other end, but it wasn’t to be on the day.

“All I can do is continue to work hard, and the players and staff will do the same. We’re confident we can turn it around.

“We have lost key personnel but that excuse has got to stop now. The boys in the dressing room have got to take responsibility and stand up.”

[tab:Man-of-the-match]

[poll id=”225″]

‘Well boss Ian Baraclough says the fans are his inspiration ahead of tonight’s local derby with Hamilton at Fir Park.

The Fir Parkers have lost both league matches against their nearest geographical opponents, and both made for painful viewing for the Steelmen faithful.

Now, as well as wanting to win three points to put pressure on the teams in and around ‘Well in the table, the former Sligo boss also wants to repay the supporters faith.

Asked about his desire to win the match, Baraclough said: “We have got to for the sake of our supporters and the sake of ourselves, we want three points. It’s a home game and we want to make sure the supporters enjoy their weekend.

[pullquote]We have got to for the sake of our supporters and the sake of ourselves, we want three points. It’s a home game and we want to make sure the supporters enjoy their weekend.[/pullquote]

“It’s three crucial points against our local rivals and a team that we have not done fantastically well against this season.

“There’s the carrot for us that we reverse those defeats and take ourselves into next week on the up.

“I think over the past few weeks we have given them [the fans] something to back us with. I always talk about the beating of the drum. We get them to beat that drum and be supportive. But it’s up to us to get them going and give them something to be vocal about.

“I think our energy and intensity in games, and the way we have passed the ball at times and created chances, is all coming together and improving. If we carry on in the same vein then the points will follow.”

Referee for tonight’s SPFL Premiership Lanarkshire Derby with Hamilton at Fir Park is Calum Murray.

Murray is an experienced whistler with well over fifteen years in the top flight and this is his fourth ‘Well match of the campaign.

The first being the opening day success of St Mirren, the win coming courtesy of Lee Erwin’s first senior goal in a 1-0 success.

The second, in early December, was also at Fir Park but was a 0-1 reverse to Champions Celtic. Anthony Stokes scored the game’s only goal, but 10-man ‘Well had a great chance to nick a point late on through Erwin but he sent his header wide of the post.

Most recently, he handled the disappointing 3-2 defeat at the Global Energy Stadium. ‘Well, buoyed by several new faces, went down to three stunning goals despite strikes from Conor Grant and Fraser Kerr.

Somewhat surprisingly though, that Saints game earlier in the campaign was his first in North Lanarkshire for eighteen months.

He only took charge of one ‘Well match last term, that was the 2-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park – Stevie May and Nigel Hasselbaink on the score sheet.
Previous to that, it was February 2013 and a 3-0 for Stuart McCall’s side over Inverness (Michael Higdon double and a Nicky Law strike) at Fir Park.

Murray took charge of another two Motherwell matches that same campaign, the instantly forgettable 2-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Communities League Cup and the 3-2 victory over Ross County at Fir Park.

Back in 2011, he also handled the Scottish Cup Final between Motherwell and Celtic at Hampden.

His overall record in charge of the Steelmen is fairly mixed. Of the 24 games he has taken charge of, Motherwell have won ten, drawn four and lost ten. The Fir Parkers have scored 31 whilst 33 have hit the back of the ‘Well net.

70 players have seen yellow on those sixteen matches, 36 of which were shown to a player wearing Claret and Amber.

Three players has been sent for an early bath, Bob Malcolm in the famous 1-0 win over Celtic back in early 2008, Jim Goodwin, for a second bookable offence, in that match this term and Simon Ramsden in the defeat to Celtic before Christmas last year.

Calum will be ably assisted by Alan Mulvanny and Graham McNeillie with Kevin Graham on fourth official duties. Bryan Robertson is the Referee Observer and Richard Gray is the SPFL Delegate.

Josh Law is far more concerned with getting three much-needed points for Motherwell than dishing out vengeance on Hamilton.

Motherwell have lost nine goals without reply in two Scottish Premiership games against their neighbours this season while also suffering a League Cup defeat on penalties at New Douglas Park.

The defeats have been the low points of a season that has not been short on disappointment but Motherwell have shown real signs of improvement in recent weeks and can move four points ahead of bottom club St Mirren when they host Accies on Friday night.

[pullquote]We will approach it like any other game, we are not out for revenge or anything but we desperately need the win so we will be looking to get our first win against them.[/pullquote]

Law, who has been playing at right-back in recent weeks, said: “We have had a couple of beatings off them to be honest and obviously the League Cup loss earlier in the year.

“We will approach it like any other game, we are not out for revenge or anything but we desperately need the win so we will be looking to get our first win against them.

“The two games haven’t gone how we wanted them to but we have a few fresh players who didn’t experience that and we are all just keen to get on with it.

“It’s a must-win game, all the games are at this stage of the season in the position we are.”

In 1932, Motherwell F.C. won the Scottish League Championship under the guidance of legendary manager Sailor Hunter.

This is arguably the Club’s finest hour and the shirt worn on that day is now synonymous with the famous Claret and Amber.

In a new partnership with COPA, one of Europe’s biggest manufacturers of Retro Football shirts, we have designed a new jersey based on the one worn by the League Winning side. The shirt itself is a close replica of the original with the added bonus of the famous MFC script crest which would be worn on our shirts in future years.

The shirt which is made from 100% cotton, encapsulates the essence of Motherwell F.C. and comes in a stylish COPA gift box is available to purchase online and in store at The Well Shop now.

Click here  to visit MotherwellDirect