| 3 | Rangers | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 22 |
| 4 | Dundee United | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 19 |
| 6 | St Mirren | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -5 | 15 |
| 7 | Dundee | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -6 | 12 |
Jon Obika says it’s great to be back playing again after his recent injury layoff.
The number nine believes his team are ready for the challenge that Celtic will pose and thinks that the Fir Park crowd could prove to be vital in their quest for three points.
Leisure Connect and Greenversity Renewables are the new partners of the Davie Cooper Stand. Both brands now feature on the top of our stand behind the goals.
Kevin McAlear, managing director at Greenversity Renewables quoted: “We are delighted to partner with Motherwell FC for the next three years.
Our aim is to have Greenversity as the premier solar and renewable energy installer in Scotland and teaming up with Lanarkshire’s premier football club will help us achieve that. We are all very excited and wish all at Motherwell FC the very best.
John McShane, director of Leisure Connect, added: “We have worked extremely well with the club over the last few years and have always admired the great work that Motherwell FC does in the community, and we very much want to be a part of it.
We are delighted to continue to work with the club over the next three years as we look to grow our brand awareness and implement our strategy of building fibre broadband networks across Scotland in conjunction with the Scottish government as part of the Scottish broadband infrastructure framework.
We will be providing local communities with affordable super-fast Wi-Fi whilst at the same time providing support and investment to fantastic initiatives within the Lanarkshire area. We look forward to working closely with the club.
“I am delighted to welcome both companies to the Motherwell family,” Suzanne Reid commercial director said.
“Their investment and commitment over the next three years is much appreciated by everyone at the club.”
Look out for both companies on social media to win hospitality places and tickets.
Stuart Kettlewell clarified his contract situation after it was confirmed he would be staying at the club until May 2025. The manager, who has been in the post for a year now, says he is looking forward to the future and hope to be in the position for the long run.
Kettlewell also gave us an update on team news going into the match, as well as discussing the club’s most recent AGM.
Following a discussion at last night’s AGM, the Club wishes to clarify Stuart Kettlewell’s contract position.
The Motherwell manager was appointed back in February 2023, having won his two games in interim charge against St Mirren and Hearts.
Kettlewell then signed a contract to become the permanent manager. The deal ran initially until May 2024 but it was agreed, should Motherwell remain in the top flight, that deal would be extended 12 months until May 2025.
We would like to apologise to both our fans and Stuart for not properly communicating the terms of the extension in May last year and for the uncertainty this has clearly caused.
“Although during the 12 months of his time here there has been some highs and lows, we firmly believe that Stuart can take this group of players and the club forward,” Chairman Jim McMahon said.
“He came in at a difficult point last season and rejuvenated everyone at the club. This season, we are in a position to move up the table towards the end of the campaign. He has worked tremendously hard to this point and we will continue to back him.
“I ask that everyone gets behind the team as we push into the last segment of this season. The support this season, at home and on the road, has been impressive and we’re all hugely appreciative of it. We will need that as we head into a crucial point of the season.”
Motherwell will end the 2023/24 season with a trip to the City of Discovery to face Dundee United.
The post-split fixtures will see the women of steel travel across the river Clyde to face local rivals Hamilton in the third Lanarkshire derby of the campaign before a double-header in East Kilbride, with Aberdeen and Dundee United the visitors.
A trip to the capital to face Spartans will precede another home double-header with Montrose and the return tie with the Edinburgh side. Paul Brownlie’s side will then face a lengthy run on the road, with encounters against Montrose and Aberdeen.
The run-in to the final two fixtures will open with a home encounter against Hamilton in the final Lanarkshire derby of the 2023/24 campaign before a visit to the City of Discovery to face Dundee United in the finale to the SWPL season.
Dates and kick-off times remain subject to change, dependent on TV selection.
Defender Jili Buyabu has returned to his parent club Sheffield United for personal reasons.
Buyabu made one appearance in his time at Motherwell, when he was a second-half substitute against Greenock Morton in the Scottish Cup.
Zander McAllister has been included in the latest Scotland Under 16 squad.
The 20-man squad travel to Cyprus later this month to play in a A UEFA Development Tournament. They will take on the hosts, alongside Romania and Norway.
McAllister will join up with Brian McLaughlin and the rest of the squad as they use this tournament as part of their preparations for the forthcoming Victory Shield.
Celtic are the visitors to Fir Park on Sunday 25 February.
Kick off is 12pm.
| Hunter Stand | O’Donnell, Cooper, McLean Stand | |
| Adults | £26 | £33 |
| Concessions | £22 | £24 |
| Young Adults | £12 | £12 |
| Juniors | £6 | £6 |
– Concessions Tickets would be ages 65 and over and FT Students with a valid matric card.
– Young Adults tickets would ages 12 to 17.
– Juveniles would be 11 and under
Supporters are able to buy tickets from the ticket office at Fir Park.
Ticket Office open from 9am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.
The match is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.
Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.
We will be wearing our home kit for this match,
Callum Slattery and Oli Shaw will be missing for this match.
Andy Halliday, Calum Butcher and Blair Spittal missed Saturday’s trip to Tynecastle and will be assessed going into Sunday. Barry Maguire remains a doubt also.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Hearts proved to be Motherwell’s first defeat since Christmas Eve against Rangers.
It had been four draws and two wins in the league since that match, with Theo Bair scoring in six consecutive league games prior to Saturday.
The Hearts defeat leaves Motherwell in ninth place in the table, six points off Dundee in sixth.
Title chasers Celtic dropped to second in the table behind Rangers on Sunday afternoon, after the Celts drew 1-1 with Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Saturday.
The result means it’s been two draws in three games for Brendan Rodgers’ side. Their last defeat came against Hearts in December, when they were beaten 2-0 by the Jambos.
He may not have hit the heights of last season but Japanese striker Kyogo is still finding the back of the net this campaign. He is on 13 goals for the current season and got on the scoresheet as recently as Saturday.
Matt O’Riley is also a danger man for Celtic. The Dane has scored ten this season but has also got 12 assists.
Celtic slightly have the upperhand in this fixtures this season. The first meeting between the sides back in October seen Luis Palma net in the 87th minute, seemingly winning the match. Blair Spittal equalised in the 96th minute before Matt O’Riley found the back of the net with the last kick of the ball.
At Celtic Park, Jon Obika nodded home from a corner off the bench to earn his side a point, with Liam Kelly saving a penalty also.
Having lost a three goal lead against Aberdeen three days prior, Motherwell were back on the road again this time to Edinburgh and looking to go one better than the midweek draw.
The trip to Tynecastle could have been daunting one given the Jambos recent run of form, but it was Motherwell who were carving out the better of the chances in the opening exchanges. Jack Vale, Dan Casey and Lennon Miller all had opportunities but couldn’t convert.
Despite dominating possession, Hearts’ first real chance of the game came from a set piece in the second-half where Lawrence Shankland nodded home inside the area. The goal knocked the stuffing out the Steelmen and in stoppage time, the Jambos doubled their lead and made sure of the points.
A lack of concentration at set piece proving to be an issue again as Motherwell will look to bounce back against Celtic next weekend.
The women of steel impressed under the floodlights of K-Park, closely challenging defending champions Glasgow City, but their assured performance was again left unrewarded, as the visitors stuck against the run of play to secure victory on an evening of mixed-emotions in East Kilbride.
Scotland International Lauren Davidson netted twice across both halves, with her third goal adjudged to have ricocheted off of Bailly Collins and beyond Cameron in the Motherwell goal.
“I’m proud of the team,” Head Coach Paul Brownlie said.
“The performance was excellent. We created numerous opportunities and some of the football was magnificent. I’m gutted for them in terms of the result.
“I was delighted with the level of application, I was just desperate for them to score and it is just that defining moment that needs to come for them.”
Brownlie made three changes from last weekend’s frustrating Lanarkshire derby defeat to local rivals Hamilton, with Rebecca Cameron returning in goal, Eve Donald partnering Chelsie Watson in the centre of the Motherwell backline and weekend goalscorer Laura Berry leading the line alongside Morgan Cross.
The hosts had the closest opportunity within the opening phases of play, as January acquisition Laura Berry battled her way from midway through the Motherwell half to the edge of the Glasgow City penalty area, with the forward teeing up Gill Inglis from roughly 12-yards out, but the skipper couldn’t apply the finishing touches, as her low strike fell wide of the target.
The hosts continued to threaten, with Inglis’ floated delivery sailing dangerously across the City six-yard-box, but the looping cross fell agonisingly beyond Berry, who was lurking at the back post.
Motherwell’s early attacking determination was soon undermined, as City netted the opener against the run of play, with Davidson powering home a headed effort from close-range.
Cameron was soon called into action moments later, with the Motherwell shot stopper reacting quickly to parry Davidson’s deflected effort, that flashed towards the bottom-right corner.
As the second half resumed, Motherwell continued to build themselves into the ascendency, with Morgan Cross narrowly denied after connecting on the half-volley, but the strikers effort fell inches wide of the far post.
Less than a minute later, the women of steel were again denied the equaliser. Chelsie Watson’s close-range free-kick curled accurately towards the top-right corner, but City stopper Lee Gibson somehow manged to claw the ball clear from what looked a certain goal.
Moments after being denied the equaliser, the visitors caught the women of steel on the counter-attack, reinforcing their advantage with a decisive second, as Davidson’s low delivery deflected off of Collins before nestling into the bottom-left corner.
Motherwell rallied late on, but City capitalised on the hosts attacking formation, with Davidson picking out the bottom-left corner to secure all three points for the defending champions.
