The third inductee in the 2022 Hall of Fame is prolific striker from the nineties, Tommy Coyne.
Tommy started out at Hillwood Boys Club before Jack Steedman signed him for the then First Division side Clydebank in 1981/82. This was of course the year that Davie Hay’s all conquering Motherwell team blew the competition away as the Steelmen roared back to the top-flight.
Tommy enjoyed a prolific time at Kilbowie, netting 38 times in 80 league appearances for the Bankies. That prompted Jim McLean to pay £60,000 to take him to Dundee United in 1983. Tommy was unable to reproduce his form at Tannadice, and midway through the 1986/87 season he was transferred to city rivals Dundee for £75,000.
He was back to his scoring best, forming an effective partnership with Keith Wright, earning himself the nickname “The Cobra”, due to his lightning-quick reactions and reflexes.
In the 1987/88 season, Coyne was top scorer in the Premier Division as he scored 33 goals in 43 matches, a total which earned him third place in the European Golden Boot contest. That form, a total of 50 goals in 89 league games, earned him a £500,000 move to Celtic.
Tommy had mixed fortunes during his spell at Parkhead and after little over 100 appearances for the Hoops, he was off to English side Tranmere Rovers. His brief time on Merseyside coincided with Tommy’s darkest hour when his wife passed away in tragic and truly heart-breaking circumstances.
With Tommy and his three young sons needing family around them, Coyne looked for a move home. After taking some advice from his big brother Jim, Tommy McLean offered terms and Tommy arrived at Fir Park in November 1993 for a cool £125,000.
Coyne hit the ground running in claret and amber, striking an impressive and fruitful partnership with Dougie Arnott, which helped the team finish third in the Premier Division table, the club’s best league performance in over 35-years.
It was not only Motherwell who had benefited from Coyne’s contribution to the season. Republic of Ireland Manager Jack Charlton had also taken a shine to the blonde-haired hitman. Tommy had played himself into the starting line-up of Ireland’s 1994 World Cup campaign in the United States. His appearance in the Republic’s 1-0 win over Italy in New York made him the first ever Motherwell player to feature in a World Cup finals tournament.
He arrived back at Fir Park after the World Cup to work with a new manager, Alex McLeish, who had taken over from the legendary McLean. McLeish didn’t alter things initially, pretty much leaving the squad the McLean had left alone. The change in management didn’t seem to hamper Coyne as he continued his rich vein of form, including netting for the Steelmen in European competition against HB of the Faroe Islands and a superb showing against Borussia Dortmund in the Westfalenstadion. His goals, in an impressive team, earned him the Premier Division’s top scorer award for a third time and helped Motherwell finish league runners-up to Rangers, albeit some distance behind the Ibrox club in terms of points.
The next few years would be a struggle for the Steelmen, with many of the players who formed the spine of that successful team under McLean and McLeish leaving for pastures new.
However, Coyne remained a goal threat throughout and provided many happy memories through generally unforgettable seasons. Whether it was Owen Coyle, Dougie Arnott, Willie Falconer or Micky Weir as his strike partner, Coyne could always be relied upon to find the net on a regular basis.
When ‘Well appointed Harri Kampman in early 1998, it soon brought about the end of Tommy’s time at Fir Park, as he moved back to Dundee after five years, 156 games and 61 goals. He also had brief spells on loan at Falkirk, back to Clydebank before finishing with Albion Rovers.
Tommy had a great ability to hold the ball up and play clever passes to retain possession. He was a number nine who perhaps lacked a yard of pace but was excellent in the air and could protect the ball with ease.
Coyne was never just a goal scorer, he was much more than that, being blessed with a football intelligence rarely seen below the top echelons of the game. Five years isn’t a huge amount of time to etch your name at any club, but for fans of a certain vintage, the Cobra is a hero and a legend at Motherwell Football Club.
Our highly-anticipated Hall of Fame dinner will welcome its fourth batch of inductees this November.
The event, launched in 2019, has already paid special tribute to the legendary names of the club’s long and distinguished history.
For the first time, the dinner will take place at Dalziel Park Hotel on Friday 18 November, with host Tam Cowan inducted five new names, with Tommy joining the already-announced Keith Lasley and Willie MacFadyen.
The event is priced at £64 for adults and £30 for children aged under 12.
You can buy tickets for the dinner online here now or contact the commercial department on 01698 338 011.
The final three legends of the 2022 class of inductees will be revealed shortly, joining:
2019 intake | 2020 intake | 2021 intake |
George Stevenson | John ‘Sailor’ Hunter | Bobby Ferrier |
Willie Pettigrew | Andy Paton | John Martis |
Ally Maxwell | Joe Wark | Tommy McLean |
Phil O’Donnell | Davie Cooper | Stevie Kirk |
James McFadden | Steven Hammell | Stephen Craigan |
* Please note that some of the colourful language on the night may not be appropriate for young children or those easily offended.