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From the players, to the fans, we’re showing what the power of this club can achieve.

During the summer, we ran a number of auctions for players’ shirts from the 2023/24 season. Including household names, a grand total of £3000 was raised.

Also, as over 3000 ‘Well fans went to buy their season tickets for the new season, they had the option to donate £2 or £5 to the Motherwell FC Community Trust. As a result, over £4000 has been raised for the Trust which Dawn Middleton, CEO of the MFCCT, explains has went towards helping children participating in this year’s summer football camps getting food and drink.

Not only are children being fed, but they’re getting to meet their heroes. As Middleton explains, a healthy relationship with the football department has seen a rota being produced that sees all the of the first-team squad visit the children taking part and spending time answering their questions and signing their autograph books that have been provided by the Well Society.

It’s time to add to our collection. 

You can now pre-order our new 2024/25 away kit. The kit will be available in store at the end of July.

We have a new look for our journeys on the road this season, with an overall dark steel grey look to the kit.

Our kit has our own, unique, tartan colours placed throughout the top and shorts. There’s truly a Motherwell feel to our changed colours this year.

Similar to our home kit, this was born from the ideas and opinions discussed at focus groups that were held at Fir Park last year.

Erik Barmack (Wild Sheep Sports) has had further discussions with the club Board over the past few days. As a result, Erik has decided to withdraw his offer of investment into Motherwell FC.

Consequently, the club shareholder ballot will cease with immediate effect and with no counting of the votes cast to date.

Erik’s intention from the outset has been to play a part in moving the club forward. That can only be achieved with a unified fanbase.

However, it has become increasingly clear that the discussions around his proposal are creating significant divisions within the fanbase.  Such divisions cannot be in the best interests of the club.

The club Board have informed the Well Society Board of Erik’s decision, and both parties are fully committed to working together for a positive future for Motherwell FC.

A message from Chairman Jim McMahon ahead of the voting period opening today.

A lot of the debate about the Barmack offer and the Well Society (WS) plan has been constructive and forward looking.

Some has been more negative and I cover a couple of those aspects below in the hope they can now be put to the side in the decision on how to vote.

Point one, I can somehow benefit personally if the deal goes ahead.

I don’t have shares in the club. I have never held shares. I have contributed to the WS since it was formed. I have one vote as a member.

Point two, why do this now?

We don’t need to. And here my words “We have enough money to see us through this season and a bit of next” have been quoted and it’s been suggested they should be “Shouted from the rooftops.”

They are completely accurate and I agree they should be shouted out. Everyone involved in getting us into that position should be proud of what has been achieved over the seven years of fan ownership. But my next sentence should be included for balance.

“You get the best deal when you don’t need the money – if you do need money the terms will be much less attractive.”

This is an attempt to move away from season-to-season budgeting to a more sustainable basis.

As has been pointed out, this is a vote on the Barmack proposal not the WS outline plan. But there is one key area where some read across is vital – new investment.

New investment will determine how the club’s finances look in the future. Both plans trail that. The Barmack deal outlines the investment amount, £1.95m, which has stringent safeguards built in and accepts that all the increased value from that investment stays inside the club.

The WS plan also looks to bring in new investors and highlights that the Society is talking to interested parties. It is unfair to expect that aspect to have been finalised and to ask for chapter and verse on how this would work at this point.

But it is fair to ask in general terms: 

1. How many interested parties are there at present?
2. If they all become investors how much investment would that mean in total?
3. Will all of this be new money?
4. Will this be put in as ordinary share capital and therefore become part of the permanent capital in the club?
5. Will this be at a value for the club which is greater than the Barmack offer? 
6. Will this come with the agreement of the investor that all the extra value created by their investment will stay in the club?

This basic information will allow members and shareholders to weigh the current offer against other alternatives.

Jim McMahon

Chairman

We can confirm that the voting papers are being distributed today to Club shareholders who should receive their packs in the coming few days.

Should any shareholder not receive theirs by the end of next week we would urge you to contact the Club by email to shares@motherwellfc.co.uk or by telephone 01698 333333. The Well Society will be in touch separately with their members.

Ahead of the voting commencing on Monday (8th July) the Executive Board felt it appropriate to summarise the investment proposal from Erik and Courtney Barmack, following further queries posed to the Club and also in light of recent releases from all parties.

Within the Barmacks’ and the Well Society’s (WS) business plans, there are lots of interesting ideas. We welcome both. Having studied both at length, it is our view that combining these ideas, locally and internationally, gives us the best chance of broadening our reach and appeal, and therefore generating additional revenues.

The Barmacks’ proposal would mean:

• Certainty of new funding of £1.95m in addition to our existing funding sources.
• Certainty of continuance of fan ownership – the WS will own 50.1% of the shares and the Barmacks have undertaken to work in partnership with them on every aspect of the club’s business.
• There is a buy back option for the WS which is built in as a safety measure. This has been questioned by some as being potentially detrimental to the WS because it could deplete its resources to the extent that it could endanger its future. However, if the buyout clause were to be triggered, there is likely to be money in the player transfer fee account which the WS can access, alongside further funds which the WS will raise meantime, to acquire the Barmacks’ shares, thereby allowing the WS to retain its strategic reserves.
• There would be no external debt to burden the Club’s future finances.
• All the club assets including Fir Park Stadium are ring fenced and therefore completely protected within the club.
• 100% of any extra revenues and growth generated, remains to be reinvested within the club. Any return on the Barmacks’ investment can only be from selling on their shares after a minimum of six years and does not involve the Barmacks gaining from the realisation of any club assets.
• The WS plan also envisages outside investment, partly by linking with strategic partners who will invest in return for a share of the extra income generated or cost savings. All of that value will therefore not stay in the club – unlike the Barmacks’ proposal.
• Experience suggests that finding investor(s) who are willing to commit to a total investment of £1.95m with the conditions agreed in the Barmacks’ proposal would be extremely difficult, especially when the investor cannot become the majority shareholder.

When we started seeking investment for Motherwell FC, it was to change from the current model of season-to-season budgeting, heavily reliant on player transfer income to break even and instead move onto a more certain funding basis which facilitates more strategic longer-term planning.

That is a very difficult task, and two key outcomes are required to achieve it.

• Regular and certain funding
• Significant new sources of income

We believe that the Barmarks’ offer, working in partnership with the WS, gives us the best chance of achieving those outcomes. In our opinion, it also fairly values the Club when factoring in all of the safeguards incorporated within the proposal.

Therefore, the MFC board is recommending that shareholders accept the proposal.

The Barmacks’ business can be found here. 

The Well Society’s business plan be found here. 

The Executive Board of Motherwell FC have now had the opportunity to digest and discuss the very detailed Well Society’s “Our Club, Our Future” plan that is available here.

We all want a positive future for Motherwell FC and welcome the comprehensive work that has been undertaken.

The Executive Board support a number of the visions identified by the Well Society which include some initiatives that we are already progressing as we continually strive to improve all aspects of Motherwell FC.

Go behind-the-scenes from our 2024/25 Home Kit shoot as the Motherwell FC players get their hands on the “Like Never Before” kit for the first time.

• Initial reactions
• One size fits all
• A new celebration for Lennon

Our 2024/25 “Like Never Before” Home Kit goes on sale online and in store from Friday 28 June.

This year’s home top displays our traditional claret and amber colours, but in a way we haven’t seen before.

Similar but not the same as our home kit from 1913-1924, we go into uncharted territory.

During the process of creating this kit, focus groups were set up to allow supporters to gather and voice their opinions and ideas on what they would like to see on our home and away kits for the 2024/25 season.

A number of ideas and opinions have been taken on board. We thank everyone who got involved.

A white collar and cuffs, the top is claret from the shoulders down to the middle of the chest, with a small white split going across horizontally.

Amber makes up the rest of the front below the split, with the back made up of amber also.

The word ‘Steelmen’ remains imprinted on the back of the neck, a nod to our nickname.

If you take a closer look at the top, a Hexagon shape is embossed throughout.

This year’s shorts are all claret, with a white hoop around the bottom of the shorts.

We return to hooped socks for 2024/25.

Following discussions with the Well Society Board, the consultation period on the proposed investment from Erik & Courtney Barmack (Wild Sheep Sports) has been extended by seven days following the revised offer last week. 

As a result, the ballot now opens for Well Society members and Motherwell Football Club shareholders on Monday 8th July. This will be the start of a two-week voting period.

You can email questions to Club via shares@motherwellfc.co.uk. Well Society members can also contact the Well Society directly with any queries via members@thewellsociety.uk.

Details and more information on how to vote will be shared with MFC shareholders and Well Society members in due course.

The Board of Directors of Motherwell FC have had further discussions with Erik & Courtney Barmack (Wild Sheep Sports) in relation to their proposed investment into MFC.

Both parties have considered all feedback received to date during the on-going consultation period.

Consequently, it has been agreed to amend the investment proposal as follows:

1. The new proposal is that at the end of the 6-year investment period, the Well Society remain the majority shareholder in MFC with 50.1% shareholding.

As a result, Wild Sheep Sports shareholding reduces to 47% from the original proposal. The balance of shares would still remain with the existing other shareholders.

Therefore, Fan Ownership is guaranteed with the Well Society remaining the majority shareholder by itself.

2. The 50.1% majority shareholding of the Well Society would be achieved by converting half of the debt that was going to be removed in year 6 into shares for the Well Society.

Therefore, the increase in the Well Society shareholding would not require the Well Society to invest any additional sums to the original proposal.

3. The new proposal also reduces the buyback amount from £660k to £630k, making it easier for the Well Society to exercise the call option should they feel that Wild Sheep Sports is not adding strategic value to the Club.

Should any shareholder or Well Society member require any further information please contact shares@motherwellfc.co.uk or members@thewellsociety.uk.

Voting will commence on the 8th July, with MFC shareholders and Well Society members receiving further information on how to do so in due course.