| 5 | Dundee United | 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 41 |
| 6 | Hearts | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 39 |
| 7 | Motherwell | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | -14 | 38 |
| 8 | St Mirren | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | -12 | 35 |
| 9 | Ross County | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | -20 | 35 |
Steven Lawless has left Motherwell, after the club and the player mutually agreed to end his current contract.
The 30-year-old returned to the club in January of this year from English League One side Burton Albion, with a deal to the end of the current campaign.
We would like to thank Steven for his two spells at Fir Park and wish him every success in his future career.
Motherwell battled hard to earn a well-deserved point against Spartans at Ainslie Park on Sunday.
Both sides would be provided with several opportunities throughout. However, neither side could apply the finishing touch.
Gill Inglis would be denied the opener early on, before Rosie McQuillan passed up a gilt-edged opportunity for the hosts early into the first half.
The women of steel move up into eighth in the SWPL1 table and will be full of confidence as they host Hearts at Alliance Park next week.
Motherwell applied the early pressure and were unfortunate not to open the scoring in the early stages.
Amy Anderson’s perfectly-timed through ball was superbly controlled by Inglis, who cut inside and fired towards goal. But the forward’s curling effort was brilliantly parried away by the goalkeeper.
Spartans would have the best chance of the game minutes later. Simone McMahon’s long ball sliced through the Motherwell defence, leaving McQuillan through on goal.
The forward skilfully rounded Khym Ramsay but couldn’t apply the finishing touch as she fired wide of the empty net.
Motherwell would come agonisingly close to the opener on the half hour mark.
Leanne Crichton’s floated cross was superbly flicked on by Lori Gardner from close range, but Spartans goalkeeper Rachel Harrison reacted quickly to make a smart save.
Motherwell would be reduced to 10 as Paige McAllister was given her marching orders midway through the second half.
McAllister appeared to have timed her tackle perfectly, but the referee made no hesitations and quickly brandished the red card.
Motherwell came close to the winner late on. Crichton’s whipped in free kick was brilliantly met by Claire Crosbie at the back post, but the defender’s powerful headed effort fell wide of the Spartans goal.
This result will be a real confidence boost for Motherwell as they continue to build on last week’s derby day result over Hamilton.
Paul Brownlie’s side may feel slightly aggrieved to have not found the winner as they controlled large parts of the game.
Tony Watt has been chosen as the Paycare player of the month for September.
The striker narrowly edged out Juhani Ojala, Callum Slattery and Liam Kelly in the public vote across Facebook and Twitter.
Motherwell look to continue their winning ways when they come up against Spartans this Sunday at Ainslie Park.
Kick off is 1pm.
Supporters will be able to come along to Ainslie Park. Ticket information will be communicated shortly.
This fixture tends to have goals, with 15 being scored between the two sides in the last five games.
In the most recent encounter, Motherwell were two ahead before falling to a 3-2 defeat.
Motherwell have lost three and drawn two of the last five games against Spartans.
Spartans lost their last league game 9-0 to champions Glasgow City.
They last picked up points against Aberdeen, where they drew 0-0 at the end of September.
Motherwell won their first game of the league season last weekend against Hamilton 3-0.
Crichton, Gardner and Hughes all got their names on the scoresheet.
Three Motherwell players are in senior international action in the coming days.
Stephen O’Donnell and Liam Kelly are on Scotland duty, with Juhani Ojala away with Finland, as the two nations try to reach the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Scotland v Israel, Saturday 9 October, 5pm.
Faroe Islands v Scotland, Tuesday 12 October, 7.45pm.
Finland v Ukraine, Saturday 9 October, 5pm.
Kazakhstan v Finland, Tuesday 12 October, 3pm.
In the coming weeks, three young Motherwell starlets will be in action for Scotland in the Victory Shield.
Lennon Miller, Bailey Rice and Max Ross are all in the selection for the triple header of games with Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Wales.
You can buy a live stream to watch Motherwell v Celtic on 16 October.
Fans of both clubs can buy now for £12 from ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.
Supporters based in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland can purchase our pay-per-view pass.
Motherwell supporters based abroad can watch through our subscription service at live.motherwellfc.co.uk. Packages start at as little as £12.50 per month to watch all 38 cinch Premiership fixtures.
Celtic fans based abroad can also use their normal Celtic TV subscriptions to watch.
The first of our 2021 inductees to the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame is Bobby Ferrier.
Regarded as the club’s true world-class player of his time, he will be formally inducted at our event in November.
His two grandsons, Robert and James, will attend the event to witness his inclusion.
The legend of Robert Ferrier began in Sheffield when he was born to a father who himself was a football icon of the local “Wednesday” football club.
His dad had previously turned out for his local side Dumbarton at a time when the Sons were operating at the very top of Scottish football, winning the title twice in successive seasons, before being transferred to Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 1894.
Three weeks after his birth, young Robert was brought back to Dumbarton, and lived there for the rest of his life.
Ferrier’s career at Motherwell, his only club, was incredible not only in its length and quality, but in its achievement.
For eight seasons in the period between 1926 and 1934, Motherwell were never out of the top three in Scotland. When the Steelmen won the championship in 1932, they were the only team outside the Old Firm to do so in 44 years.
Even then, Scottish football was dominated by the two large Glasgow clubs. Ferrier was captain of the title-winning side and always maintained that they were the greatest team he ever played with, although he rated the Motherwell side of the early 20s, including stars like Willie Rankin, Davie Thackeray and Hughie Ferguson, almost as highly.
The Motherwell championship-winning team was a side of moulded talents allied with supreme elegance and style. That season 66 points were won from a possible 76, with 119 goals being scored in 38 matches, with legendary striker Willie McFadyen netting 52 times.
Bobby Ferrier had a long, lazy and deceptive stride which allowed him to float past defenders with ease. He could flick, clip and back heel in the air, balls any other player could not reach.
His was a game of spaces and angles played with infinite grace, and his control of a ball through the air was often quite exquisite. He could float, chip, hook or slice crosses to his liking with a left foot which many commentators claimed was akin to a magic wand.
That left peg also possessed enough strength to allow him on occasion to drill a ball into an opponent’s net with accuracy and power.
In 1929/30 Ferrier scored 32 goals from 37 games playing in his favoured left-wing position, often scoring from the touchline, beating goalkeepers at both the near post, and drifting a cross by them, and nestling the ball inside the far post.
Ferrier was a cultured footballer in an era where many hard men were playing the game. Players like Meiklejohn and McPhail of Rangers, with McGrory and McGonagle at Celtic, would rejoice in repeatedly going in heavy on Ferrier, but the Motherwell man would routinely get up dust himself down and continue his task of mesmerising full-backs.
By the summer of 1927, Motherwell were keen to exploit the world’s developing love of Scottish football by arranging lucrative tours during the close season. That summer, Spain and France were the destinations, where eight games were arranged for a Motherwell squad now captained by Ferrier.
The captain had a very productive time of it on tour with goals against both Swansea City and Real Madrid, a double against Celta Vigo and a hat-trick in Paris against Red Star Olympique. Six games were won, with only one loss, and scoring 23 goals in the process.
This successful tour, combined with the excellent season that had gone before, had set Motherwell up for an unprecedented run of success over the next decade, as they put up a sustained challenge to the two Glasgow clubs who had dominated league football in Scotland since the game had turned professional in the late 18th century.
By April 1932 the Fir Parkers were on the verge of achieving something special, with captain Ferrier only having missed one game in all competitions, and scoring 16 times in that campaign.
With three league games to go Motherwell, travelled to Firhill looking to confirm themselves as champions with a win, and as a result a huge army of fans headed through from the Steel Town to the north side of Glasgow in anticipation of a wonderful occasion.
The 32,000 crowd were largely disappointed with the dull 0-0 draw which left Motherwell still looking for a point from the last two games.
A 3-0 win at home to Cowdenbeath, in which Ferrier opened the scoring, left a chasing Rangers outfit with no margin for error. That margin was lost the following midweek when the Ibrox club could only draw leaving Motherwell as champions of Scotland by the time they took the field for the final game of the season at Fir Park against Clyde.
The title triumph was dedicated by the players to manager Sailor Hunter, who had spent years developing a squad and a way of coaching which was years ahead of its time.
April 1937 saw the great man’s final goals for Motherwell, a brace in a 6-0 demolition at Fir Park against Dunfermline, whilst his final season registered as a player was 1937/38.
After the summer of 1938, Bobby, with his boots hung up, was appointed Motherwell’s first-ever assistant manager. This meant the break-up of one of the greatest wing partnerships the game had ever seen, lasting almost 15 years.
Bobby Ferrier was without question Motherwell FC’s greatest ever outside left. He had all the qualities that a winger requires: great skill, peerless dribbling and pinpoint crossing. With a knack of shooting with power and accuracy, he was also a prolific scorer in his own right, notching close to 350 career goals, an astonishing return for a wide man.
Robert “Bobby” Ferrier died in April 1971, aged 71, and is buried in Dumbarton. Revered in his time by Motherwell fans, he should still be revered by fans today, because if ever we had a truly world-class footballer at our club that we should celebrate, then Bobby Ferrier is that man.
Our Hall of Fame will welcome its new inductees in a special event in November.
Taking place at the Bothwell Bridge Hotel on Saturday 13 November, the event will induct the classes of both 2020 and 2021.
The event is priced at £60 for adults and £30 for children aged under 12.
We will induct both the 2020 and 2021 intake at the event.
Buy your tickets online here now.
Current Hall of Famers include George Stevenson, Willie Pettigrew, Phil O’Donnell, Ally Maxwell and James McFadden.
The delayed 2020 class, who will also be inducted on the night, includes John Hunter, Andy Paton, Joe Wark, Davie Cooper and Steven Hammell.
The Motherwell youth academy is expanding and we are recruiting coaching staff to join.
Training sessions will take place in the Motherwell area, two nights per week and with weekly matches taking place within the Scottish Women’s Football youth leagues.
Working closely with the highly experienced Motherwell coaching staff through regular in-service training, there will be opportunities to progress within the club.
We are looking for someone who can inspire and motivate players, has good communication skills, good knowledge of the game and has high standards.
The candidates must be reliable, ambitious, creative and be positive role models for the players.
If you are interested or would like further information, contact paul.brownlie@motherwellfc.co.uk.
Motherwell cruised to their first league win of the season after defeating rivals Hamilton 3-0 at Alliance Park in the first Lanarkshire derby.
Leanne Crichton would open the scoring from the penalty spot before Lori Gardner added a spectacular second on the stroke of half-time.
Academy graduate Jemma Hughes would fire home the third in the second half to secure the women of steel’s first three points of the season.
Motherwell applied the early pressure and were unfortunate not to open the scoring in the early stages.
Kodie Hay’s cross from the right was superbly flicked on by Claire Crosbie, but Hamilton would clear their lines after a goal-line scramble.
Minutes later, Crichton’s in-swinging cross was met by Hughes at the back post, but the striker’s powerful header sailed narrowly above the crossbar.
Motherwell would be awarded a penalty midway through the first half after Crichton’s powerful effort struck the hand of a Hamilton defender.
Crichton stepped up and confidently placed her strike past Sarah Rhind to open the scoring for the hosts.
Motherwell came close to doubling their advantage minutes later. Amy Anderson’s pass was brilliantly controlled by Hay, who turned and rifled a long-range volley towards goal, but her dipping effort was superbly parried away by the keeper.
The women of steel would add a second in the latter stages of the first half.
Gardner found space on the right, and skilfully passed her opponent with a clever nutmeg before firing her strike into the top corner to give her side a comfortable advantage heading into half-time.
The Well would add a third on the hour mark. Gardner’s perfectly weighted through-ball found Hughes unmarked at the edge of the box, and the forward skilfully beat her opponent before calmly firing her strike into the top left corner.
The result will be a confidence boost for Motherwell who move off the foot of the table, before they travel to face Spartans next week.
Motherwell face newly promoted rivals Hamilton Academical in the first Lanarkshire derby of the 2021/22 SWPL1 season.
Kick off on Sunday 3 October will be at 4pm at Alliance Park.
This will be the first meeting of Motherwell and Hamilton.
Motherwell are still looking for their first points in SPWL1 this season, off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Celtic on Wednesday night.
Accies have won one game in the league this season against Hearts and come into the game having lost to champions Glasgow City 3-1.
Prior to that, they were beaten by Aberdeen 1-0 in the clash of the promoted sides.
