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Our third inductee to the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame in 2020 is Davie Cooper.

The 1991 Scottish Cup winner joins John Hunter and Andy Paton in this year’s intake.

We will honour the class of 2020 with a unique virtual induction event this winter by means of a special live, free-to-air, online event.

We are also once again asking the fans to pick our fifth inductee.

You can join in the vote by nominating any individual from any era in Motherwell’s past – player, manager or official – who you think is worthy of being included in the 2020 class.

Click here to vote for who you want to see in the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame.

Born in Hamilton on 25 February 1956, it is fair to say Davie Cooper would become one of the most popular post-war Scottish football players ever.

He joined Motherwell in 1989 for £50,000, having lost his place at Rangers amid the bankrolled Graeme Souness era, and seemingly near the end of a most successful career. It was not to be and in his twilight years at Fir Park, he revealed himself to be a quite extraordinary player, whose guile and skill more than made up for his advancing years.

The then-Motherwell manager Tommy McLean signed the prodigious and obvious talent for a relatively small fee, which history will tell you now was a stroke of genius. McLean had chased Cooper for some time, knowing fine that he would be the cherry on top of the workmanlike squad he had built to maintain the clubs’ status in the top flight of Scottish football.

Those who thought Cooper was going to North Lanarkshire merely to play out his years were proved spectacularly wrong as he arguably produced some of the best football of his entire career whilst at Fir Park.

All the wizardry and accuracy that characterised his time at Ibrox seemed undiminished by his veteran status. He was still the master of the dribble and, even more so, the weighted pass. Subtle tricky and endearing, he was a player fans of both sides could warm to.

His debut in claret and amber came at Rugby Park in a midweek League Cup tie in August 1989. His performance was as good any he would produce for the club. Motherwell fans were aghast as Cooper set up three of the four goals the Steelmen scored that evening, as Kilmarnock were brushed aside 4-1.

His first game at Fir Park turned out to be equally entertaining. Cooper again was the main man, being the architect of a 3-1 win over St. Mirren with two goals for Nick Cusack, and a clincher from Stevie Kirk.

He continued to inspire those around him. He was the lynchpin of a terrific showing at Fir Park in September when Dundee were swept aside 3-0 with Cooper scoring his first-ever goal for the Steelmen. Attendances began to rise as the Lanarkshire public warmed to the Hamilton man. When Rangers came calling four days after the Dundee match, that warming grew into unconditional love for the winger.

The big-spending Glasgow giants were humbled as the Steelmen went top of the league, as Cooper combined with another former Ger, Bobby Russell, to create and score the winner on a memorable night under the Fir Park lights.

October saw another Cooper masterclass when Dundee United were defeated in a five-goal thriller. The national press began to speculate on whether Davie should be included in the Scotland squad for a vital upcoming World Cup qualifier against Norway. As it happens, he was included and produced a man of the match performance as the Scots won 3-1 to secure a place at Italia 90.

Domestically, he would score seven times in his first season, a couple of which secured a draw at home to Aberdeen in another pulsating affair as Ne’erday approached. Motherwell finished a comfortable mid-table in a 10-team division, which most fans were happy with, hoping it would be a springboard to success in campaign 1990/91.

Davie was integral to everything Motherwell produced that following season, missing only two league games, scoring another five times as the Steelmen replicated the previous year’s performance with a similar position in the final league table. Where the league form could be labelled workmanlike, the Scottish Cup seemed to spark the players into life.

Cooper inspired a cup run that will never be forgotten around Lanarkshire. He was integral to the exciting victories over Aberdeen, Falkirk and Morton before being suspended for the two semi-final ties against Celtic, largely due to his inability to button his lip with match officials.

Of course, he was back in the side come that wonderful day in May 1991.

His presence and experience undoubtedly gave the confidence to his teammates and the belief that they could lift the Scottish Cup for the first time in 39 years.

That belief turned to reality as goals from Ian Ferguson, Phil O’Donnell, Ian Angus and Stevie Kirk brought joy, not only to the 35,000 Motherwell fans on the slopes of Hampden Park but those with claret and amber in their hearts watching from afar.

Despite approaching his mid-30s, Davie only missed five games of the 50 Motherwell played the following season, scoring five times. Two of these came in a great 2-0 win over St. Mirren at Love Street in early November. He, of course, was also part of the first-ever Motherwell side to take part in European competition on 18 September 1991 in Poland against GKS Katowice. The 2-0 defeat that day was witnessed by a sizeable support from Scotland and would’ve been bigger, had two supporter buses not missed all but ten minutes of the tie.

The second leg witnessed a sublime display from Cooper as he dazzled under the Fir Park floodlights. Over 10,000 fans roared the home side on from the kickoff as the Steelmen looked to overturn the first-leg deficit.

After incessant pressure, the visitors fell behind when a sumptuous pass from Cooper set Kirk up, who finished with aplomb. Early into the second half though, the Steelmen were caught with a breakaway and Katowice equalised on the night briefly silencing the home support.

Back ‘Well roared back with Cooper at the helm, as he crossed first for Nick Cusack to score, and then minutes later for Stevie Kirk to notch his second of the evening. Despite the atmosphere reaching fever pitch, Motherwell failed to score for a fourth time, and we were eliminated on the dreaded away goals rule.

Davie’s final full season at the club was the 1992/93 campaign. However, it proved to be something of a disappointment for the fans, again allowed Coop to display his talents time after time. Incredibly for his age, and position he played, Cooper was the only ever-present Motherwell player that season, turning out in all 46 competitive matches. Indeed, his final goal in our colours came in the April of that season at Fir Park against Celtic, in a memorable 2-0 win over the Glasgow side.

After the summer of 1993, it became apparent that Cooper’s appearances for the club would be mostly from the bench. Indeed, his final sighting in a Motherwell kit was as a substitute in mid-December, contributing to a terrific 3-2 win at Tynecastle Park over an excellent Hearts team, with goals from Tommy Coyne, twice, and Rab McKinnon.

With his chances of regular football at Fir Park diminishing somewhat, Davie decided to continue playing, and more significantly perhaps contributing, to football matches, and returned to serve his first club, Clydebank.

Many had assumed that Cooper’s move to Fir Park would see him treating the move as a form of early retirement. But Davie proved he was bigger and better than that by not only winning a Scottish Cup winner’s medal with Motherwell but also resurrecting his International career. In fact, had he not gone over on his ankle as he ran through Strathclyde Park shortly before the squad was announced, Cooper would’ve been the first-ever Motherwell player to play on the World Cup Finals stage in Italia ’90.

In the 15 months since Davie had left Fir Park, life had been good with Motherwell narrowly losing out in a title fight with Rangers in 1994 and going toe to toe again with the Light Blues the following season eventually finishing runners-up.

However, everything was put into perspective when news broke of Cooper collapsing at Broadwood Stadium in March 1995 whilst filming a television show and coaching youngsters.

The following day as the Motherwell squad and fans were travelling through to Easter Road to take on Hibs in a vital league match, it was confirmed that Davie had passed away of a brain haemorrhage aged just 39.

Given the impact he had had during his time in North Lanarkshire, quite understandably, neither the players nor the fans seemed capable getting themselves up for the game, and the home side ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. It is no exaggeration to say that the whole Scottish nation was both stunned and deeply saddened by his untimely death, as floral tributes were left at Ibrox, Fir Park and Kilbowie in abundance.

The Motherwell FC board decided to name the newly constructed North Stand after him.

Davie Cooper inspired a team of footballers and supporters of this club, giving everything he had for the cause. 165 appearances and 17 goals for Motherwell may be the facts and figures of his time at Fir Park, but they barely scratch the surface of his life and times at the club.

His range of ball skills and sheer entertainment value made him instantly recognisable. Cooper was clearly a match-winner, a skilled craftsman and an almost unique talent. He had a cultured left foot, amazing dribbling skills, precision crosses and truly stunning dead-ball accuracy. He was a player that literally had you off your seat when on the ball, dictating play to his preferences, and his teams’ advantage.

Motherwell has been fortunate to have a list of quite outstanding left wingers throughout history. From Bobby Ferrier, Johnny Aitkenhead and Pat Quinn are just some of the big names to have played in that position through the years.

Cooper rightly deserves his position near the top of such a list for the way he almost single-handedly raised the spirits of the area and the perception of Motherwell Football Club within the game that his contribution is hard to measure subjectively.

Off the pitch, he was a terrific ambassador for the football club and the wider community, contrary to the perceived “Moody Blue” persona which was portrayed during his time at Rangers.

History will dictate that Davie Cooper’s legend is more famed for his stint at Ibrox and although his time with us may have been relatively short, no one could ever question the effect, nor the passion he had for this our club. A modern-day footballing genius and a man who inspired a group to achieve immortality.

Motherwell will face St Johnstone in the second round of the 2020/21 Betfred Cup.

The last 16 of the competition will see the Steelmen host the Perth side.

‘Well were seeded for the draw, with our opponents topping their group.

Ties are due to be played on the weekend of 28 and 29 November.

Motherwell picked up their first win of the SWPL1 season with a convincing 3-0 victory at Hearts on Sunday.

Goals from Lori Gardner, Katie Rice and Chelsie Watson secured the three points on the road for Eddie Wolecki Black’ side in Edinburgh.

An unchanged squad took to the pitch at the Oriam, where both teams were looking to get their first points on the board.

Motherwell were the team who started the brighter, with Claire Adams and Georgie Crooks finding themselves with most of the ball.

The better start turned into a lead when Kacey Watson won the ball on the left. A pass to captain Katie Rice saw her thread a perfectly timed and weighted ball through to the onrushing Gardner, who calmly slotted past the goalkeeper.

Motherwell then continued to have the better of the play but with no real end product, with final passes and crosses only finding the Hearts ‘keeper.

Hearts started to find themselves getting back into the game with some aggressive and direct balls. However, Ailey Tebbett was a match for everything they came up with.

Then, 10 minutes before half-time, Rice intercepted a cross pass from the Hearts goalkeeper and slotted into an empty goal.

The second half saw a change of shape from Hearts and a more of an even game, with both teams cancelling each other out with few chances for either.

A momentary lack of concentration saw Tebbett having to deal with a one-on-one situation, spreading herself big to save the effort and pounce on the rebound to keep the score as it was.

After that, Motherwell began to get a hold of the game. And with the game entering the final quarter, a free-kick was awarded after a handball on the edge of the box.

Centre half Watson stepped up and expertly lifted the ball over the wall and into the top corner give the Hearts keeper no chance to stop it.

The visitors held on to keep a clean sheet and most importantly all three points, their first of the season.

Spartans lie in wait next Sunday at the Penny Cars Stadium in Airdrie.

Motherwell: Tebbett, Connor (Reside), C Watson, Crooks (Roberts), Adams, Rice, Baillie, Sinclair (Swanson), Gardner, Callaghan (Skelton), K Watson.

Subs not used: Pollard, Ramsay.

Stress and emotional eating are set to be explored in the next free e-clinic from Paycare Wellbeing.

It’s part of a varied series of hour-long webinars, focused on a different aspect of mental health each time.

Virtual attendees will be able to join the session, running from 10am to 11am on Thursday 26 November, to find out about current research, and tips around stress management.

Topics to be covered include the effects of cortisol and weight loss on the body, emotional and binge eating, stabilising the blood sugar rollercoaster, and referral pathways for stress and eating disorders.

Paycare’s wellbeing manager, Kerry B Mitchell, will be joined by friend of Paycare, guest speaker Laura Butler, a lifestyle intervention consultant and health coach.

Kerry, a mental health first aid qualified trainer, said: “Our free sessions have been offering attendees lots of information, examples of best practice and plenty of time to ask questions about the topic.

“Stress awareness is so important, especially mid-pandemic, and many companies and individuals will find themselves either directly or indirectly impacted by the pressures of 2020.

“Our team also deliver a range of mental health training courses designed for companies who wish to delve further into wellbeing strategies and invest in their employees’ wellbeing.”

Laura added: “Many of us recognise the link between stress and emotional or over-eating, feeling the need to comfort ourselves with food.

“But what is often not talked about is the effect on our health when we eat in a stressed state and how certain foods can also make us feel stressed.

“I am thrilled to have been asked by Paycare to discuss these topics at their upcoming e-clinic as when people have a better understanding of these, they can use this knowledge to transform their eating habits and overall wellbeing.”

To book a place on the stress and emotional eating e-clinic, simply email wellbeing@paycare.org.

For more information on upcoming e-clinics and themes, head to paycare.org/mhfa

In addition to the webinars, Paycare Wellbeing is also extending its online offering  o complement its pre-pandemic face-to-face mental health training programme, which now includes a two-day virtual accredited MHFA course. Visit paycare.org/mhfa to find out more.

Motherwell travel to Hearts next in SWPL1.

After giving champions Glasgow City a contest last weekend, Eddie Wolecki Black’s side head to the capital in search of their first points of the season.

Kick-off on Sunday 15 November at the Oriam Performance Centre in Edinburgh is at 3.15pm.

The game is closed to supporters.

Tale of the tape

The two sides have faced each other five times on competitive business, with all fixtures coming in SWPL2.

Motherwell have won three of the encounters, drawing one and losing the other.

Form guide

Both sides have started the new SWPL1 season with three defeats, albeit it’s Hearts who sit bottom of the table on goal difference.

A 5-1 opening day defeat at Rangers was followed by a 10-0 home loss to Celtic, and then a 3-0 loss at Forfar Farmington on Sunday.

‘Well also lost at Forfar on the first day, suffering a 4-2 defeat. That was then followed by home reversals at the hands of Hibernian and Glasgow City.

Manager seeing progress

“We showed last weekend against Glasgow City that we are very capable,” manager Eddie Wolecki Black said.

“The average age of our team in that game was around 19 years old, so it’s even more of a credit that such a young group are acquitting themselves so well.

“This is an opportunity now against Hearts to try get our first points on the board. We’ll be ready for it.”

Motherwell pair Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell made history with the Scotland national team on Thursday night.

A penalty shootout victory in their play-off final away to Serbia clinched qualification for UEFA Euro 2020, ending the country’s 23-year wait to participate at a major tournament.

Both players started the match in Belgrade, in which Scotland took a second-half lead through Ryan Christie.

Luka Jovic’s 90th minute equaliser looked to have put the nation on a predictable path to glorious failure but Steve Clarke’s men held firm, and then prevailed 5-4 in the shootout.

Both Motherwell men were at the heart of the action in a dogged, outstanding performance, with Gallagher in particular coping brilliantly up against £22m Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrović.

Skipper Gallagher now has six Scotland caps whilst playing in claret and amber, drawing him level with Andy Weir as the joint fourth in Motherwell history, with only Hall of Famer George Stevenson (12), Willie Redpath (9) and Ian St John (7) ahead of him. Stephen O’Donnell has earned four (from a 15 cap haul) whilst at Fir Park, drawing him level with Tom Boyd, Pat Quinn and James McFadden.

Scotland will face Croatia, Czech Republic and England in UEFA Euro 2020 in June 2021.

This is the last month in ML1.

There have been many challenges for Motherwell to overcome in recent weeks.

October started with a second late cancellation of a Premiership match, with our game with St Mirren being called off with just hours to go. That meant for a dramatic last-minute change of plans – and a month-long wait for a match.

Another man without playing time recently is Liam Donnelly. The influential midfielder was sidelined with a meniscus injury early in the season, leaving him on the sidelines for months. It also meant he missed the club’s UEFA Europa League fixtures, as well as Northern Ireland’s crucial UEFA Euro 2020 play-off ties.

The return to action would eventually come on 24 October, as Ross County visited Fir Park. With Motherwell eager to get points on board after a slow start to the season, it would be a test of character against a team who won when the two faced on the opening day of the campaign.

That home fixture would also see the loss of a second goalkeeper from the original squad which started 2020/21. Another meniscus injury, this time to Trevor Carson, would see him join Scott Fox on the sidelines.

Aaron Chapman and Jordan Archer have been added, with young goalkeepers PJ Morrison and Matty Connelly also developing under the coaching of Craig Hinchliffe.

A trip to Livingston ended the month and it also marked the 50th appearance of club captain Declan Gallagher.

The central defender suffered a blip when he was sent off in the UEFA Europa League match away to Hapoel Beer-Sheva. But he has responded well to be part of the Scotland team which stands on the brink of qualification to UEFA Euro 2020.

Scotland are just one victory away from qualifying for their first major tournament since 1998.

Ahead of Thursday’s crunch clash with Serbia in Belgrade, we look at the top 10 players who have earned the most caps for Scotland while playing for the Steelmen.

George Stevenson – 12 caps

A one-club man, midfielder George Stevenson made 572 appearances for Motherwell between 1923 and 1939, contributing 170 goals.

Stevenson was part of the Steelmen side that became champions of Scotland in 1932 and 86 years on from his last appearance for the Scottish national side. He still holds the record number of appearances for the Scots while playing for ‘Well.

George scored four times in the dark blue, with his most notable goal coming in a 2-0 victory over England at Hampden in 1931 – a game played out in front of a crowd just short of 132,000.

After the Second World War, Stevenson returned to Fir Park as manager and guided them to the club’s only ever League Cup triumph in 1950 and their first Scottish Cup success in 1952.

In November 2019, his achievements with the club were recognised when he became one of the first inductees into the Motherwell Football Club Hall of Fame.

Willie Redpath – nine caps

Willie Redpath was part of George Stevenson’s successful ‘Well side that sampled League Cup and Scottish Cup glory – netting in the 4-0 Scottish Cup final thrashing of Dundee in 1952 and grabbing the decisive goal in the 3-1 semi-final replay victory over Hearts.

Redpath made his first appearance for Scotland in a 3-1 victory over Wales in 1948 and went on to feature in the famous 3-2 success over England at Wembley three years later.

Regarded as one of the most decorated players in the club’s history, Willie forged a reputation for his cultured and creative style, as well as his ‘keepy-uppy’ abilities – he used to bet with his fellow teammates that he could do two rounds of the Fir Park pitch without the ball hitting the deck, something that often helped boost his wages.

Ian St John – seven caps

Ian St John made the initial steps in his incredible career at Fir Park, hitting the headlines for his scoring feats as part of the famous Ancell Babes.

Growing up following the Steelmen, St John was part of the 136,274 crowd that watched the ‘Well defeat Dundee 4-0 in the 1952 Scottish Cup final, and five years later he would go on to make his debut for the club.

St John scored 80 times in 113 league appearances in claret and amber and was part of some incredible displays during that time including a 5-2 victory over Rangers at Ibrox, scoring a sensational two-and-a-half-minute hat-trick against Hibernian and banging in six goals against Brazilian side Flamengo at Fir Park.

St John won his first Scotland cap in a 3-2 win over West Germany at Hampden, and he scored his first international goal a year later as Poland edged out the Scots by the same scoreline.

After four magnificent years with ‘Well, legendary manager Bill Shankly splashed out a club-record fee to take St John to Liverpool where he won the English league title on two occasions.

In 2008, St John was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

Andy Weir – six caps

In 1959 Andy Weir pulled on a Scotland jersey for the first time alongside two of his Motherwell team-mates (Ian St John and Bert McCann) and wasted little time in making a big impression – finding the net just seven minutes into his debut against West Germany.

Blessed with lightning-quick pace, a great ability to beat his man and the ability to deliver a devastating cross ball, Weir was renowned for being a handful to contain, regularly putting in performances that left opposition defences dazzled.

Described by his fellow Ancell Babes as the ‘pick of the bunch’, it was incredibly unfortunate that injuries prevented Andy from achieving even more within the game and after a series of bad injuries and illness and he was forced to retire in 1968 – eight years after making his sixth and final appearance for Scotland in a 4-2 defeat in Turkey.

Despite an untimely end to his football career, his feats in the game can’t be understated, and during his career he would turn out almost 300 times for Motherwell, scoring 61 times.

Declan Gallagher – five caps

‘Well captain Declan Gallagher will be hoping to continue his successful run at the heart of the Scots defence when they take on Serbia on Thursday with a place at the European Championships up for grabs.

Following his move from Livingston in the summer of 2019, Gallagher has been an integral part of the Motherwell defence, and last Saturday’s 2-0 win over his former side marked his 50th game in claret and amber.

Since making his Scotland debut in a 2-1 victory over Cyprus in Nicosia, Gallagher has yet to sample defeat with the national side, and he was an ever-present across last month’s triple-header in which the Scots kept three successive clean sheets.

For many years Motherwell fans have perhaps felt a slight sense of injustice that many of their top performers have been overlooked for a national call-up. Therefore it has been doubly satisfying to see Gallagher’s excellent club performances be rewarded and then replicated playing for Scotland.

Having taken up the role of captain at Fir Park ahead of the 2020/21 season, Declan has undoubtedly carried his leadership skills on to the international stage and alongside his ‘Well team-mate Stephen O’Donnell he will be hoping to help play a big part in helping the national side earn a place at a major finals for the first time in over 20 years.

Bert McCann – five caps

Another member of the Ancell Babes that gained international recognition, Bert McCann was described as the ‘lynchpin’ of everything that happened offensively for Bobby Ancell’s famous ‘Well side of the fifties and sixties.

His international debut came in May 1958 in front of over 100,000 fans as West Germany were defeated 3-2 in a friendly match at Hampden Park, alongside fellow debutants and ‘Well players Ian St. John and Andy Weir, who scored Scotland’s second goal.

Further appearances in dark blue came against Northern Ireland, Wales and England before his final cap which ended in a 9-3 defeat against the “Auld Enemy” at Wembley in May 1961.

For the Steelmen, McCann notched up 331 appearances across nine years at Fir Park, he captained the side on several occasions and forged a reputation as one of the best left-sided midfielders to have ever played for the club.

Willie Pettigrew – five caps

Also earning five caps for the national side during his time at Fir Park was legendary striker Willie Pettigrew.

Pettigrew was the first inductee in the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame, giving much-deserved recognition to his incredible goalscoring prowess throughout his time with the Fir Parkers.

He netted 20 goals for the ‘Well in 1974/75 campaign and the following season went one better.

His partnership with Bobby Graham brought goals but also international recognition, where he went on to score on his debut for Scotland against Switzerland in April 1976.

Pettigrew found the net again in his second appearance for the Scots, on that occasion Willie Ormond’s side swept aside Wales 3-1.

He would go on to make three further appearances for the national side, and on each occasion, Scotland emerged the victors.

Tom Boyd – four caps

1991 Scottish Cup-winning captain Tom Boyd showed his leadership qualities from early on in his Motherwell career.

Two years on from breaking into the first-team at the age of 19, he was handed the captains armband at 21, making him one of the youngest ever captains not only to lead the club but to lead a side in the Premier Division.

His finest moment in claret and amber came at the home of the Scottish national side in May 1991 as he held the Scottish Cup aloft after the Steelmen finally overcame Dundee United 4-3 in a nerve-shattering final.

Boyd’s first cap for Scotland came in a 2-1 victory over Romania at Hampden in 1990, and he would finish his career on 72 appearances for the national side – playing at Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup before captaining his country on six occasions.

Pat Quinn – four caps

During his 251 appearances over his seven years at Fir Park, Pat Quinn enjoyed a remarkable run of goalscoring form.

The striker found the net 119 times for ‘Well and his superb feats in claret and amber caught the attention of international boss Ian McColl while also drawing interest from a host of potential suitors south of the border.

Quinn’s Scotland debut came in the infamous 9-3 defeat to England at Wembley. However, he would go on play a role in a much more favourable result in his second cap when doubles from Ralph Brand and David Herd eased the Scots to a 4-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland.

Quinn would be sold to Blackpool in 1962 for £34,000, a significant sum for the times, though his only international recognition came during his time with the Steelmen.

James McFadden – four caps

James McFadden enjoyed a Hall of Fame-worthy career for the national side, undoubtedly bringing Scotland fans some of their greatest moments in recent times.

The highlight of McFadden’s time in a Scotland jersey came against France in Paris when he unleashed a stunning 30-yard effort beyond Mickaël Landreau to earn a 1-0 triumph against all the odds.

13 years on and the Tartan Army still love to reminisce about what is one of the most iconic Scotland goals of all time.

Speaking on the 10th anniversary of that famous night Faddy explained: “I played 48 times for my country and I scored 15 goals. That was a special night, but I would have taken one appearance for Scotland to score a goal that is talked about now, 10 years after the event – it’s brilliant for me.”

There were plenty more moments of brilliance from McFadden for both club and country and by the time the curtain came down on a fantastic career he had made almost 150 appearances in claret and amber – earning him his place in the club’s Hall of Fame.

By Andy Ross.

We’re continuing our work with North Lanarkshire’s Child Protection Committee to raise awareness about what we can all do to help keep local children and young people safe.

We can all play our part by helping to make our communities safe, nurturing places for all children to grow up in.  Listening to what children say to us and taking any worries they have seriously helps children feel valued and respected and encourages them to speak up if they don’t feel safe.

Our long-established partnership will see the Child Protection Committee logo displayed on the shirts of our youth academy teams from Under 11s to 16s throughout the season.

We will also display prominent child protection messages around Fir Park, as well as information on how to report concerns. Important child protection messages will continue to be promoted through our social media and digital channels.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership between the club, our academy and the Child Protection Committee,” Suzanne Reid, head of commercial and marketing at Motherwell FC, said.

“Our particular focus this year will be on keeping children safe online, especially in the area of social media.

“Our academy players and coaches will work to spread the message of internet safety across our local area.”

Marian Martin, chair of the North Lanarkshire Child Protection Committee added: “Protecting our children from abuse, neglect and exploitation, whether online or in our communities, is everyone’s responsibility.

“This year when so many of us have been living our lives indoors and online to a far greater degree than usual, it’s particularly important everyone understands what to look out for and is confident that they can talk to someone who can help.

“Working with the academy at Motherwell Football Club, we can extend the reach of our message amongst those who might not otherwise hear it.”

If you are worried about something that is happening to your child or a child you know, please speak out.

You can contact a child’s health visitor or teacher, or contact the locality social work office or Police Scotland. All information shared is treated seriously and the first priority will always be to make sure the child is safe.

For more information go to northlan.gov.uk/childprotection.

Further Contacts

Childline – 0800 1111 (free 24 hour service), childline.org.uk

Parentline  – 08000 28 22 33 (free to call 9am-9pm Mon – Fri and 9am-12pm Sat – Sun), children1st.org.uk/help-for-families/parentline-scotland

CELCIS Protecting Children – celcis.org/our-work/protecting-children

Our second inductee to the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame in 2020 is Andy Paton.

The man who was previously voted as the club’s greatest-ever player joins John Hunter in this year’s intake.

We will honour the class of 2020 with a unique virtual induction event this winter by means of a special live, free-to-air, online event.

We are also once again asking the fans to pick our fifth inductee.

You can join in the vote by nominating any individual from any era in Motherwell’s past – player, manager or official – who you think is worthy of being included in the 2020 class.

Click here to vote for who you want to see in the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame.

“A footballing Prince amongst men” was how one enraptured newspaperman described Andy Paton in the immediate post-war years, as the multi-talented Ayrshire man emerged as one of the most cultured, yet commanding centre halves the Scottish game had ever known.

It’s perhaps stating the obvious to say that World War Two was a defining period for Motherwell FC. But football-wise it most certainly was.

Prior to the hostilities, ‘Well, with pretty much the same squad of players for the best part of a decade, had consistently challenge for honours in the Scottish game, playing a brand of football loved by fans up and down the land.

By the time the war had ended, John Hunter had been left with a threadbare playing staff, which he had used to some effect in the unofficial competitions during the 1939 to 1945 years.

Some big names in our history joined up with the club at this time, including goalkeeper Johnny Johnstone from Armadale, Willie Kilmarnock from Irvine Meadow, Willie Redpath from Polkemmet and Archie “Baldy” Shaw from Wishaw.

The biggest of them all though was Andy Paton from Kello Rovers.

Andy signed on the 6 November 1942 after a successful trial, impressing Hunter with his first touch and ability to read the game with consummate ease.

The Dreghorn-born defender had spent five years learning his trade in the junior ranks having made his debut for Irvine Meadow in 1937, aged just 14.

Because his family were specialist builders, young Andy was exempt for national service and that allowed him to develop and, in time, superbly marshal his local junior side, much to the admiration of the legendary Hunter.

Initially at Fir Park, he was somewhat impetuous and inclined to a display of bad temper, but he would mature into a beautifully balanced and reliable performer.

It was almost four years later that Paton made his official Steelmen debut against Rangers on 10 August 1946, after over 100 appearances in unofficial competitions. It wouldn’t be a happy occasion with the visitors notching up a 4-2 win.

By the time of that defeat in 1946, John Hunter had decided to leave his managerial duties and take up the important secretarial role at Fir Park.

It was decided by the board that George Stevenson would be entrusted with the manager’s job. This decision was greeted with joy by the Motherwell fans, given the previous service he’d given the club as a player.

His debut season had its share of ups and downs, but there was a feeling amongst the Fir Park faithful that there were signs during the campaign that the new signings would continue to improve over the coming years.

The end of the war had meant the league was no longer regionalised and suddenly for the first time, Paton had a national audience to entertain – and entertain he did.

Fans all over the country enjoyed not only Andy’s ability but his attitude to the game and his determination to give them their money’s worth. The new 1947/48 campaign kicked off with a home League Cup tie against Queen of the South, in which Paton became the first ‘Well player ever to wear the number five on his back, as the club introduced team numbers for the first time. It seemed to galvanise the Steelmen, who ran out comfortable 4-0 winners.

The league form was terrific from the outset with seven wins in the first eight games to go clear at the top of the league. With Paton superbly marshalling the defence, and the strike force of Wilson Humphries and Willie Watters on fire, a championship tilt was on the cards.

However, injuries to key players for the remainder of the season saw Motherwell slip, eventually finishing eighth, 19 points behind champions Hibernian.

An indifferent few seasons followed, including a number of near misses at the bottom of the table. The board were well aware of how close the club had come to relegation and made it clear things had to improve when they issued a statement that said that “to lose half of the total of the league games was not in the Motherwell tradition”.

Despite the determination of all concerned to improve the club’s fortunes, season 1949/50 would finish with Motherwell on the same 25 points total they had the previous campaign. 1950/51 saw no discernible improvement to our league placing, but happily, Paton became the first, and only, Motherwell captain to lift the League Cup to finally land our first-ever top-level silverware.

Our group section included Airdrie, Hearts and Partick Thistle. The Steelmen won five of the six games to progress to the quarter-final. Celtic were despatched with ease over the two legs, before coming out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Ayr United at Ibrox in the last four.

The final would be against champions’ elect Hibernian. The game apparently disappointed the neutrals in the ground as the build-up to the tie had indicated that the two best attacking teams of that era would be going at it toe to toe from the first whistle.

In reality, it appears that both teams seemed to cancel each other out somewhat until Archie Kelly struck to give the Fir Parkers the lead in front of the 64,000 fans. Two minutes later Jim Forrest swept home a cross and Willie Watters clinched the cup when he added a third near the end.

The League Cup victory whetted the appetite of all at Fir Park, and season 1951/52 would end in more success and immortality for 11 heroes in claret and amber.

In the league, Motherwell finished seventh, their best effort since the war, but the marginal improvement in that competition was overshadowed with the string of results the club managed in the 1952 Scottish Cup.

With Forfar Athletic and St Mirren beaten in the first two rounds, Dunfermline proved to be a tougher proposition, with a replay required to knock out the Fifers.

Rangers in the quarter-final also took the Steelmen to a replay, with Wilson Humphries driving home the winner at Fir Park.

The semi-final against Hearts would prove to be an epic, with no less than three games needed to at last despatch the Jambos. Cumulatively, almost half a million fans turned up to watch the tie finally put to be by Kelly, Humphries and Redpath in a 3-1 victory.

The final was a master class by manager Stevenson as his team produced a display of counter-attacking play rarely seen in that era. Despite Dundee having the lion share of possession, it was the Steelmen who had the pace and scoring prowess in front of a crowd just short of 140,000.

Goals from Watson, Redpath, Kelly and Humphries brought the famous old trophy back to Motherwell for the first time ever.

Andy Paton was a cornerstone of this Scottish Cup win, alongside the other seven “ever-presents” in the cup-ties. They were ‘keeper Johnstone, skipper Kilmarnock, half back Redpath, right winger Sloan, inside forwards Humphries and Kelly and left winger Aitkenhead.

After the cup successes of the previous two campaigns, everyone was upbeat about the progress the club were making on the pitch. Andy was by this time at the peak of his powers, and the success for Paton in claret and amber brought recognition from national selectors, gaining a rather meagre nine caps in total.

In truth, it was a poor return for a player who displayed such anticipation which bordered on being clairvoyant, along with sublime ball control and dribbling ability that belied his centre half status.

The start to 1952/53 campaign brought a red-letter day for Andy. Occasionally his adventurous habit of dribbling the ball away from dangerous situations caused palpitations among Motherwell fans, but they loved him for the thrills he bestowed and talked for decades about such exploits.

One such mazy resulted in his one and only goal for the Steelmen, at home to Rangers in a 3-3 League Cup draw on 27 August 1952.

Sadly, the season would end in calamitous fashion with Motherwell being relegated to Division B. Thankfully, the team bounced back at the first attempt in spectacular style, scoring 109 goals in the 30 games bringing Andy, and the club, back to the level where they belonged.

By the time the summer of 1958 arrived with a new Motherwell boss, Bobby Ancell installed, and the new incumbent going down the road of developing the Ancell “Babes”,

Andy was allowed to leave Fir Park for Hamilton Academical. He played for a full season before taking over as manager at Douglas Park, where he remained for a further nine years, including masterminding a famous championship win for the Accies.

He was, without doubt, a player before his time. These days, his footballing ability would be far better appreciated than it was during his career. Indeed, in 2007 Andy Paton was voted by fans as Motherwell FC’s best-ever player, and that’s an accolade that will never be taken away from the original Motherwell maverick.

Andy may not have been the biggest of defenders, measuring 5ft 10in tall. But without doubt he was one of the best, and fiercest tacklers ever to wear our famous colours. He had an uncompromising streak that the fans in the Hunter Stand today would have absolutely loved.

The Motherwell legend passed away at his home in Markinch in February 2014 at the grand old age of 91, having the distinction of being Scotland’s oldest football internationalist at the time. He may not be amongst us anymore, but no Motherwell fan reading this should ever forget his contribution to our fantastic club.

Andy Paton. The greatest ever Steelman.