Latest News

We were saddened to learn of the passing of former forward Jimmy O’Rourke this morning.

Born in Edinburgh on the 18th September 1946, Jimmy is perhaps better know for his association with Hibernian. Plucked straight from schools football in 1962, he made his Hibs debut at the age of 16 setting a new record for the youngest player to represent the Easter Road club, a record which he kept for over four decades.

A bustling forward, he flourished under the guidance of Eddie Turnbull.

Despite suffering the disappointment of losing the 1972 Scottish Cup Final, when the Hibee’s fell to a 6-1 defeat by Celtic, he did enjoy a degree of revenge as he scored in the League Cup Final later in the year as both clubs met again, this time Hibs came out on top.

The former Scotland youth international was somewhat controversially sold to St Johnstone for a fee of just £15,000, essentially he had to make way for Joe Harper who arrived at the club for a significant sum from Everton.

At Muirton Park he helped the Saints win promotion, In July 1979 it was Willie McLean who brought him to Fir Park in a deal which saw Ian Taylor head to Perth.

Jimmy was comfortable playing at either centre and inside forward and had a tremendous eye for goal. He enjoyed a fruitful league debut for the Steelmen as he scored twice against Ayr United in a 4-1 win.

O’Rourke was a player of quality but the then 29 year old would only manage two seasons at Fir Park due to frustrations with injuries. There were some high points across those two seasons – a hat-trick in the exciting 5-4 win over Kilmarnock and the winner against Celtic at Celtic Park in a new year fixture. He would make over 50 appearances in claret and amber, scoring 16 goals.

After his departure from Lanarkshire he would hang up his boots and become a coach at Hibernian where he was reunited with his old mentor Eddie Turnbull.

Jimmy died surrounded by his family at his home in Edinburgh aged 76.

Everyone at Motherwell Football Club would like to express our sympathy and condolences to the O’Rourke family at this sad time.

Career words: MotherwellNet

The fourth inductee into the Motherwell Football Club Hall of Fame, class of 2022, is Bobby Graham.

Although Bobby was born and brought up in Motherwell, and supported the Steelmen as a kid, he would make his footballing name in the red of Bill Shankley’s Liverpool, joining the Anfield club from Motherwell Bridge Works aged 17.

Shankley had already made the trip to Lanarkshire to secure the signing of Ian St John from Motherwell just six months earlier for a then club-record fee.

Whilst St John was signed as a bonafide first-team starter, Graham, who was six years younger than his compatriot, spent several profitable years in the youth system before breaking into the Reds’ first-team in 1964 and made quite the impression.

He scored on his debut against KR Reykjavík then, 12 days later, netted a hat-trick in his first league outing against Aston Villa then followed that with a goal against Sheffield United the following week.

Bobby’s early time at Liverpool was somewhat unfortunate for himself as he found it difficult to dislodge the hugely successful strike partnership of St John and Roger Hunt as Shankly’s side became one of the best ever.

As the 1960s were coming to an end, he had forced his way into a regular starter but his ambitions were cut short courtesy of a cruel leg break at Anfield against Chelsea at the start of the 1970/71 season.

His eleven-year Liverpool career came to an end in March 1972 when he moved to Coventry City for £70,000. He stayed at Highfield Road for 18 months, playing 19 games and also being loaned out to Tranmere, where he linked up with Ian St John who was coaching at Rovers.

So it was therefore little surprise when St John upon his appointment as Motherwell manager looked to Bobby to provide guidance up front and it proved to be a very shrewd decision. Motherwell had to beat off the likes of Portsmouth, Peterborough & Luton Town who were also vying for his signature, but the draw of coming back home and signing for his boyhood club was too much.

He finished his first full season as the club’s top scorer but things would really click into gear when a certain young buck the name of Willie Pettigrew arrived on the first-team scene, almost instantly forming a telepathic partnership with his new strike partner.

The youngster had spent most of the first-half of the season on the bench under Willie McLean, but following an ‘play me or sell me’ ultimatum to the manager, the duo were put together for the first-time against Ayr United.

Pettigrew, aided by Graham, netted four that day at Fir Park before Celtic came to Lanarkshire the following midweek. Pettigrew got one, Graham got two and that was the start of a lethal four years together in claret and amber.

As a goalscorer, Graham often considered second-fiddle to Pettigrew in terms of goals and whilst that is true, the diminutive forward still had a very impressive record. In 172 starts at Fir Park, he netted a total of 48 times and assisted countless others.

For ‘Well fans of a certain vintage, that mid to late 1970s will be fondly remembered as an exciting, swashbuckling Motherwell side that could live with any team in the country. Sadly, despite the significant talent that was at the club at the time, a winner’s medal would prove illusive although there were several near misses at the Semi Final stages.

Bobby Graham was very much at the core of that. Quick, intelligent with a laser-guided passing ability, he’s the local lad who done good, not only in the bright lights of the English top-flight, but back home at his beloved Fir Park. One of our own, and now rightfully in the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame.

Our highly-anticipated Hall of Fame dinner will welcome its fourth batch of inductees later this month

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 Bobby joining the already-announced Keith Lasley, Willie MacFadyen and Tommy Coyne.

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 legend of the 2022 class of inductees will be revealed shortly, joining:

* Please note that some of the colourful language on the night may not be appropriate for young children or those easily offended.

We are delighted to showcase our new official Motherwell FC tartan range.

The tartan, originally designed by Scott Mcilvaney back in 2017, will now be used across a range of products, including formal kilt purchasing and hire from our partners at Slanj Kilts in Glasgow.

In addition, the ‘Well Shop will carry a number of products at launch with more to follow in the weeks and months ahead.

“We’ve been working on this range and our partnership with Slanj for some time now, so it’s great to finally have it launched,” CEO Alan Burrows said.

“I would like to thank Scott at Touchdown Tartans for his help not only creating the beautiful tartan in the first place, but his efforts to ensure the club could release it across a range of products.

“We already have a number of really nice tartan items, with plans to grow the range over the weeks and months ahead.”

Click here for a number of official Motherwell FC tartan products in the Well Shop.

Click here for the official Motherwell FC tartan kilt purchase at Slanj Kilts. To hire the tartan wear, please click here.

We’re asking both sets of supporters to bring along items for our food bank collection at our match with Celtic on Wednesday 9 November.

We’re collecting items on the day of the game for the Maranatha Motherwell Food Bank.

We are asking fans to bring what they can to support this important cause, so that those in need can receive a food parcel to help.

“Unfortunately, food banks are now having to play a vital role in helping the most vulnerable in our community,” CEO Alan Burrows said.

“Given soaring inflation levels, rising interest rates and the energy crisis, more and more people are tragically having to rely on the thoughtfulness and generosity of others to help feed their family.

“Over the last few years, Motherwell fans have really stepped up to the mark and helped stock up food banks all over Lanarkshire. This year, as we approach the cold winter months, we are asking those who can to once again help.”

Items needed are:

• Soup

• Beans

• Tinned pasta

• Custard/ Rice Pudding

• Tinned Fruit

• Tinned Meat

• Meals in a tin

• Tuna

• Pasta n Sauce

• Noodles

• Long Life Milk

• Breakfast Cereal

• Tinned Vegetables

• Potatoes in a Tin

• Toiletries -soap, shower gel, Shampoo etc

• Tea/coffee

Motherwell fans can drop off at the Cooper Stand car park. Celtic fans’ drop points are on your approach to the Tommy McLean Stand. Collections are available from 6pm.

Thank you for your help. Your contributions will be a massive help to those in need.

Motherwell Football Club is looking for a talented videographer to join our digital content team.

This full-time position will require knowledge and experience of both operating a camera and editing.

Working as part of the digital content department, the successful candidate will work in a small but dedicated team tasked with producing high-quality video content for our official channels, telling the club’s story.

We are seeking a creative and well-organised individual, who is able to contribute new ideas to our output.

Essential Skills and Responsibilities:

• Film and edit creative content for the club’s official media and social channels.
• Enhance and create engaging content such as player branding, behind-the-scenes videos and match day footage.
• To contribute innovative ideas to grow the club’s digital media platforms.
• Attend club events and support with coverage on our official media channels.
• To ensure all equipment (i.e. camera and technical equipment) and software is maintained.
• To assist the club’s content and social media strategy
• Working knowledge of current video, audio and design production workflows.
• Strong camera operations and techniques.

The ideal candidate will have:

• The ability to edit with Final Cut Pro.
• Ability to work within a small team towards deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Values & respects others and builds relationships.
• Can work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

How to Apply

Deadline: 5pm on Monday, November 14 2022

Salary: Dependent on Experience

Location: Fir Park, Motherwell

This role is full time covering our First Team, Reserves and Women squads. Due to the nature of the post, evening and weekend work will be necessary.

If you can add value to our team please email your CV along with your showreel or links to any work which displays your suitability for the role to alan.burrows@motherwellfc.co.uk by 5pm on Monday, November 14, 2022.

Equality & Inclusion:

Motherwell Football Club is an equal opportunities employer, which positively encourages applications from qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.

Motherwell FC are proudly continuing their support Show Racism the Red Card’s Match Actions Campaign during our match against Dundee United on Saturday 28 October.

Show Racism the Red Card is the UK’s leading anti-racism Education Charity, and our club has supported their messages of tolerance and inclusion for many years. Now more than ever, the importance of active anti-racism cannot be overstated.

Across Scottish football, clubs will show their commitment to anti-racism over one weekend – Friday 28^th, Saturday 29^th and Sunday 30^th October. In doing so we can raise the profile of year round commitment to anti-racism within football. Show Racism the Red Card works within schools, workplaces, sport, and community organisations to educate children, young people, and adults on challenging prejudice and stereotypes, using the power of football as a powerful tool to initiate conversations about anti-racism. They ran educational programmes with over 10,000 participants here in Scotland over the past year.  

Here at Motherwell FC we recognize the importance of being alert to the inequalities that persist due to racism. A recent SRtRC survey revealed 46% of staff are aware of racist bullying or discrimination in Scottish schools, while 66.4% are aware of pupils expressing misconceptions, stereotypes, or negative attitudes that are racist. 

Chris Priestley, from Show Racism the Red Card had this to say; “We are delighted with the support for anti-racism that exists within Scottish football and are very proud of our upcoming match actions.

“However the work must continue. We call on our supporters to continue to challenge racism. It is a shared responsibility across the game, from dressing rooms to boardrooms, and from stadiums to social media, to ensure that an anti-racism ethos is maintained throughout the year.”

“The club is once again delighted to support this years Show Racism the Red Card campaign,” manager Steven Hammell said.

“We have to continue the message that discrimination is not welcome in our beloved sport, nor in society, and I feel supporting such an important cause is vital to push that message.

“This is a community driven club and we will always welcome everyone to be part of it.”

Motherwell stands with everyone who has had to endure racial prejudice in all areas of their lives. We condemn all forms of racism and any racist behaviour will not be tolerated at our club.

Football is a sport that is loved across the world and football matches should be an enjoyable experience for everyone, of all backgrounds. Education is the key and Motherwell FC will support Show Racism the Red Card to ensure Scotland is equipped with the tools to challenge and eradicate racism from football and society.

For useful resources and information from Show Racism the Red Card, please:

Visit their Website: www.theredcard.org

Explore their anti-racism video platform: https://voices.theredcard.org/ 

And follow them on:

Instagram @SRtRCScotland 

Twitter @SRtRCScotland

Facebook.com/theRedCardScotland

A new community defibrillator has been unveiled at Fir Park Stadium.

The club wanted to install the defibrillator after a near miss a few weeks ago and thanks to the support of the Well Society, it is now a reality.

A local nearby resident ran into medical trouble and although club staff provided support with our own portable defibrillator, it highlighted the requirement to have one available for everyone to use in an emergency at any point of the day or night.

After the Well Society made funds available, the Kieran McDade Foundation, a local charity, assisted the club in purchasing the equipment.

Martin Holmes, one of the founders of the Foundation, joined representatives from Motherwell FC, the Well Society and the Scottish Ambulance Service to see the equipment now ready for public use.

Tom Feely, co-chair of the Well Society, said: “It’s important for the Society to represent the interests of the community in the running of the club. If putting the defibrillator outside the ticket office at Fir Park can save one life, it’s worth it. Anyone can use a defibrillator, and we need to make sure everyone knows it’s there.”

The defibrillator is sited outside Motherwell FC’s ticket office, on the wall of the Chapman Building on Firpark Street.

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:

* Please note that some of the colourful language on the night may not be appropriate for young children or those easily offended.

Meet four-year-old Zac Gunn, who needs a new set of lungs to live his life.

Zac was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension, a disease which damages the heart and surrounding organs.

As a result, Zac requires a lung transplant from a child under the age of nine to survive.

He was mascot for Motherwell’s cinch Premiership match against Hearts at Fir Park, where he was introduced to players, the manager and staff in what was a weekend he’ll never forget.

“We tried to take the game to them whenever we could but the overall feeling is still frustration and disappointment.”