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Captain. Hero. Legend. Phil O’Donnell is the supporters’ choice to join the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame.

Raised near Fir Park and brought through as a youngster, his early career with the club was prolific.

A Scottish Cup final goal scorer and winner at just 19 years of age, his career would continue to blossom.

He became the club’s youngest ever in European competition. Twice winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award and international honours.

After 145 games in claret and amber, he would move to Celtic in 1994 for what remains Motherwell’s record transfer fee.

Almost 10 years would pass at Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday, some of which were frustrated through injury at both clubs as he played 146 more matches.

The call of home would eventually come.

Returning to Fir Park in January 2004, he became “Uncle Phil”. A mentor to many young stars and with his nephew David Clarkson under his wing.

He would make another 89 appearances in claret and amber, and another cup final appearance, before his untimely passing aged 35 in December 2007.

Brave as a Lion. Phil O’Donnell takes his place in the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame alongside George Stevenson, Willie Pettigrew, Ally Maxwell and James McFadden.

Looking for a venue to hold your Hogmanay party this year?

We’ve got availability for you to see in the bells here at Fir Park, with space for you to have your own bash for up to 120 people.

With welcome fizz or a shot wall and a fully-licensed bar until 2am, you can have your own private party at Fir Park.

Kids are also welcome. For more information or to book, email hospitality@motherwellfc.co.uk or call 01698 333333.

The fourth inductee into the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame class of 2019 is James McFadden.

McFadden was a product of what is now the club’s youth academy and – after impressing for the reserves – made his top-team debut on Boxing Day in 2000 in a 3-0 reverse at home to Dundee.

Few in the swollen 6,000-plus crowd that afternoon would have envisaged what an indelible and important mark the young Glaswegian would not only have on Motherwell, but Scottish football over the next two decades.

By the time the club had crashed into administration in May 2002, Faddy was a mainstay and indeed, scored a memorable goal away to Kilmarnock in a 4-1 win when a packed Chadwick Stand, full of worried ‘Well fans, cheered on their new talisman.

It was around that time McFadden was selected by the then-national team boss Berti Vogts for a tour of the Far East. Aged just 19, McFadden earned his first cap against South Africa and even managed to miss his flight home after a night out. It only added to the intrigue as the nation began to fall in love with this talented “cheeky boy”.

With ‘Well being run by administrator Bryan Jackson and the club clinging for survival, McFadden was a light through those dark days.

He netted 19 times in 35 matches for the Steelmen during the 2002/03 season, collecting 15 cautions and a red card to boot, but couldn’t stop a Terry Butcher-led Motherwell finishing bottom of the SPL table, despite memorable wins over Rangers, Celtic and Hearts.

However, Falkirk’s lack of a stadium at the time saved ‘Well from the oblivion of relegation.

McFadden finished that season in style, netting a cracking hat-trick against Livingston on the final day, including an audacious “Panenka” penalty, firmly establishing himself as the hottest property in Scottish football.

‘Well fans were counting down the days to the end of the summer window of 2003 in the hope their hero would still wear the claret and amber that campaign. But on the last day, 1 September, the inevitable happened and he joined English Premier League side Everton for a deal that would eventually land ‘Well close to £2m.

It’s never been told publicly, but McFadden gave up his share of that fee to ensure Motherwell, or more so the creditors the club had at the time, could be better recompensed. His transfer was the main reason the club could emerge from the stranglehold of the court-appointed accountants less than eight months later.

McFadden went on to become an important player in the David Moyes story at Everton, and more so, established himself as a national hero as the focal point of the national team for numerous campaigns.

His 48 caps brought many fond and special memories, none more so than the incredible goal in Paris as Alex McLeish’s Scotland stunned former world champions France.

Multi-million pound moves to Birmingham, then back to Everton, before a short spell at Sunderland were next, before an emotional return home to Motherwell in February 2013, making his mark on his first appearance as ‘Well saw off Celtic 2-1 at Fir Park.

He then rolled back the years with his first goal of his second coming with a cracker against Hibs in a 4-1 win in front of the ESPN cameras at Fir Park.

Motherwell would finish second behind Celtic that season, with Faddy contributing five goals in 11 starts, and second again the following season, when they pipped Aberdeen on the last day of the campaign at Pittodrie.

A brief year at St Johnstone was next before a third spell at ‘Well, when Mark McGhee signed him initially as a player, before making him his assistant for the 2016/2017 season.

An unforgettable player, a coach, an assistant manager, a Scotland hero and a man who provided inspiration and hope to a group of supporters in their darkest of days. James McFadden will always be known as one of Motherwell’s most important figures.

He will be inducted at a dinner at the Bothwell Bridge Hotel on Saturday, 23 November, along with George Stevenson, Willie Pettigrew, Ally Maxwell. Hosted by Tam Cowan, our event is now sold out.

You can still choose who you want to see in the Hall of Fame through our fan vote that will be announced on the night. Click here to cast your vote.

Motherwell Football Club is delighted to announce a partnership with Scottish craft gin producer The Dundee Gin Company.

The Dundee Gin Company is a three-year-old, Dundee-based gin and gin liqueur specialist that carry a variety of flavours, as well as full-strength gins.

“Having expanded recently with a much higher profile on the west coast, we were seeking a partnership in Scotland with a company that shares our community-based ethos,” Lewis Murphy of The Dundee Gin Company said.

“None could embrace this more than Motherwell FC, as the only fan-owned club in the Scottish Premiership.

“All the staff and supporters we have met so far have been a testament to the club, welcoming us with open arms.

“After our initial meeting with the club, it was obvious that this was a great partner for us and that a long-term relationship would be a benefit to both Motherwell FC and ourselves.

“We have already been converted into fans of the Steelmen and we are very excited to see what the future can bring as the official gin sponsor of Motherwell Football Club.”

Suzanne Reid, head of commercial and marketing at Motherwell FC, added: “We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership portfolio by working with The Dundee Gin Company.

“As part of the sponsorship, a new Motherwell FC gin liqueur will be launched in time for Christmas. We thank the company for their support and look forward to working with them.”

If you gamble, it is vital you do so responsibly.

Gambling is a form of entertainment that you pay for. The difference between gambling and any other form of entertainment is that you are playing games of chance for money.

But if you start with that as a goal, you will likely be disappointed time and again. If you were assured of a prize every time, you wouldn’t be gambling, you’d simply be purchasing a product or service. Chance is what makes gambling fun, but it is also what makes it a risk.

This week is Responsible Gambling Week. When we talk about responsible gambling, we’re talking about being able to gamble without putting yourself or others at risk of harm.

Part of gambling more safely and responsibly is understanding the odds of the game you are playing, what the rules are, and accepting that losing is just as much a part of gambling as winning.

There is information and help available to help you stay in control, or quit completely, if that is what you would prefer.

If you would like information or need to talk through what’s on offer, you can contact GamCare for free and confidential information, advice and support by visiting  gamcare.org.uk, by calling the freeNational Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.

It’s National Stress Awareness Day.

We’ve turned to our official health and wellbeing partner, Paycare, for insight on what stress is, how you can identify when stress becomes too much, and what to do if it’s playing a bigger role in life than it should.

Kevin Rogers, CEO of Paycare, explains.

Stress is essentially our body’s response to pressures from a certain situation or life event and is needed to trigger the flight or fight response.

Many of us experience completely healthy levels of stress everyday. For example, quickly moving out of the way from a ball heading towards your face at full speed is down to the stress hormones kicking in and protecting us from harm.

But experiencing too much stress can lead to people feeling overwhelmed, which in turn can lead to mental health problems or make existing problems even worse. Unlike physical injuries or illnesses, stress is faceless, and can impact everyday life and how we act, from confidence and self-esteem, to concentration and motivation.

Prolonged periods of stress can have its mark on us physically too, causing or worsening cardiovascular disease including heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, as well as increasing our risk of diseases such as cancer and weakening our immune systems. Too much is not good.

Despite the wide-ranging health risks, it’s still a huge problem nationally, with 74% of Scottish adults having felt so stressed at some point over the last year that they felt overwhelmed and unable to cope.

National Stress Awareness Day continues to raise awareness of the impact of stress on our minds and bodies, and break down barriers so that people experiencing pressure can talk openly and without stigma.

As the health and wellbeing partner of the fantastic Steelmen, we’re passionate about ensuring fans take care of their health and wellbeing, and in terms of stress, providing resources to help you deal and manage it effectively.

The Signs of Stress

You may notice physical, emotional, and mental signs that you’re experiencing high levels of stress — understanding your own response will help you to recognise it and put measures in place to manage it. These signs might include fast heartbeats, trouble sleeping, eating too much or too little, finding decisions difficult, being irritable, having headaches, and sweating.

Deep Breathing

Luckily, we breathe on autopilot, but when we’re stressed we can forget to breathe meaningfully and deeply, which can actually lower our heart rate and help us to feel calmer.

One tactic that we learned from our lifestyle intervention consultant, Laura Butler, was to breathe in for seven seconds, hold for five seconds, and breathe out for seven seconds. It’s simple, but hugely effective.

Meditation

Studies have found that mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve your mood, so it’s worth giving this a try if you’ve never done it before. There are loads of free meditation apps to choose from out there.

Time Management

Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list and taking on more than you can handle can cause you to feel stressed. Take some time to prioritise your workload or schedule, and split out your time to work through things one by one. Try to keep distractions to a minimum too. Remember, if you can’t do it all, you can always ask for help.

Nutrition

Some stress can be attributed to our diets, so it’s important to review what we’re consuming and make sure that we’re getting all the basics we need, including plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fruit and veg.

Talk About It

Talking to others about how you’re feeling can also be useful and help to ease the weight on your shoulders. If you don’t have anyone you feel comfortable talking to, there are many organisations that can help.

If you’re a Paycare Policyholder, please remember that our confidential counselling service is designed specifically to provide support.

It can be used for a wide range of things —whether it be financial worry, physical pain or discomfort, or grief, depression and anxiety — just visit your Paycare log in area to find out more.

For more help and advice

Mental Health Foundation

Improving the lives of those with mental health problems or learning difficulties.
020 7803 1101

Anxiety UK

Works to relieve and support those living with anxiety disorders by providing information, support and understanding via an extensive range of services, including one-to-one therapy.
08444 775 774

Together

Supports people through mental health services.
020 7780 7300

The Centre for Mental Health

Working to improve the quality of life for people with mental health problems.
020 7827 8300

PANDAS Foundation

PANDAS Foundation vision is to support every individual with pre (antenatal), postnatal depression or postnatal psychosis in England, Wales and Scotland. They campaign to raise awareness and remove the stigma. We provide our PANDAS Help Line, Support Groups offer online advice to all and much more.
0843 28 98 401 (every day from 9am-8pm)

If you liked this post and think someone you know would appreciate it, please do share. Don’t forget to follow the Paycare team on Twitter @MyPaycare, on Facebook, or visit paycare.org for further information.

Legendary player and manager George Stevenson is the third inductee into the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame.

Stevenson was signed by John Hunter from local Junior side Kilbirnie Ladeside in May 1923 with the then Steelmen boss having seen something in “the young man’s ability to pick and pass and link play.”

Although he was signed with an eye to the future, Stevenson quickly broke into the first-team squad and made his debut against Third Lanark at Cathkin Park in December of the same year.

The 4,000 punters in attendance on that misty, dank afternoon could not have envisaged the part this young man would play in shaping Motherwell Football Club over the coming thirty years.

His introduction to the team would coincide with a period of unparalleled league success for the claret and amber men, who would not finish outside the top five for the next 13 years, which of course included the famous 1932 league winning exploits.

Such was Stevenson’s influence, that only six years into his Motherwell career and at the age of just 24, he was awarded the first ever official benefit game by the club against Huddersfield Town in September 1929.

To the Motherwell fans that idolised him, George became known as “The Prince of Inside Forwards.” The press admired his abilities too, with one famous hack gushing “George Stevenson is a magnificent close dribbler, a perceptive finisher and, above all, a man totally integrated with his wing partner Bob Ferrier”.

‘Stevie’ played his final game for the club 16 years after arriving in Lanarkshire, on 26 August 1939 in a 3-2 defeat away to Alloa, a week before the outbreak of World War II.

In total, he played 511 league games for Motherwell, scoring 170 goals from midfield. In his cabinet, he won three Scottish Cup runners-up medals and a Scottish league winners badge. He’d also earned 10 Scottish League caps and made 12 Scottish international appearances, which still stand as a record for Scots at the club to this day.

The reintroduction of league football after the war kicked off in season 1946/47. Like most clubs at the time, Motherwell began with a completely new playing squad and bossed by a new manager – George Stevenson.

Stevie’s nine-year stint in charge at Fir Park, although fairly mixed in league terms, would be defined by terrific performances in domestic cups. Season 1950/51 saw Motherwell face Hibernian at Hampden in the final of the League Cup and goals from Kelly, Forrest and Watters secured Motherwell the trophy for the first and only time.

Stevenson’s Motherwell would also reach the Scottish Cup final that same season, when 132,000 fans saw the Steelmen unluckily edged out by Celtic 1-0 in the final.

However, Motherwell’s time in the Hampden sun would only be 12 months away. Forfar, St Mirren, Dunfermline, Rangers and Hearts were all dispatched before Dundee were thrashed 4-0 in the final, taking the Scottish Cup back to Fir Park for the first time.

Despite reaching the League Cup final once again, the run-of-the-mill league games, although entertaining, didn’t bring the rewards they should have, and he resigned as manager in 1955.

George reign as Motherwell manager saw the club reach three cup semi-finals and four finals, winning twice, and a Division Two title in his nine years in charge. Coupling his managerial efforts with his achievements as a player, Stevenson, who sadly passed away in 1990 aged 80, is without doubt one of the most decorated Steelmen of all time.

He will be posthumously inducted by his members of his family at a dinner at the Bothwell Bridge Hotel on Saturday, 23 November, along with Willie Pettigrew, Ally Maxwell and two others.

Hosted by Tam Cowan, our event is now sold out. You can still choose who you want to see in the Hall of Fame through our public vote. Click here to cast your vote.

Leanne Thomas has stepped down from her role on the board of directors of Motherwell Football Club.

Leanne became a director in January 2015, at the same time as her father Les Hutchison purchased the club from John Boyle.

Following the repayment of the outstanding debt owed to Les last week, Leanne has now stepped back from her role.

Everyone at Motherwell FC would like to sincerely thank Leanne for her unstinting contribution at Fir Park over the last four-and-a-half years. We wish her well for the future.

Motherwell Football Club is delighted to announce that it has repaid its debts to former owners John Boyle and Les Hutchison.

Following the transition to the current fan-ownership model in October 2016, the club has been able to repay both parties through effective player trading.

The final outstanding balances have been settled with both. In total, over £1,500,000 has been paid back over the period.

The repayment to both individuals marks a significant milestone in the club’s move towards long-term viability.

The only external debt now owed by the club is to five Motherwell-supporting individuals. It totals around £80,000, with extremely favourable repayment terms that the club anticipates will be cleared soon.

“From the moment the Well Society took over the majority interest in Motherwell Football Club, our collective energy has been firmly focused on ensuring the club is sustainable on a medium to long-term basis,” Motherwell FC chairman Jim McMahon said.

“A key part of that has been eliminating the debt we inherited and we have now almost achieved that. For the club to have paid back such a significant amount in just over two years is a remarkable feat.

“I want to thank those who have worked so hard to help us achieve that, including chief executive Alan Burrows, the management, coaching and recruitment staff, the current board of directors at the club, as well as the Well Society board, members and Motherwell supporters.

“I also thank John Boyle and Les Hutchison for their support over the years.

“It has been a collective effort, helped enormously by everyone working together, on and off the park, towards the same common goal. I would also like to thank the individuals who continue to support the club with the small amount left to repay in soft loans.”

Douglas Dickie, joint-chair of the Well Society added: “It has been an excellent achievement by all involved to get to this stage where both John Boyle and Les Hutchison are no longer owed any money by our club. The Well Society and its members have played a big part in that.

“This is an opportunity for the Society now, as the owners of Motherwell FC, to re-evaluate our goals and plan the way forward.

“It is as important as ever now for our members and all Motherwell supporters to get behind what the Well Society are doing, to ensure we can continue to support and improve the club.”

Ally Maxwell is the second inductee to the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame.

Having come through the ranks at the club, the goalkeeper made 153 appearances over eight years and was a member of the 1991 Scottish Cup winning squad.

His performance in that final was vital in the team claiming silverware, soldiering on after a heavy collision with John Clark which was later discovered to have caused a ruptured spleen.

Joining the club in 1981 from Fir Park Boys Club, he was given his first taste of top team action by Bobby Watson in April 1984.

He played every minute in the run to the final in 1991, before leaving the club in 1992 for Rangers, via a short loan spell at Bolton Wanderers.

He will be formally inducted at a dinner at the Bothwell Bridge Hotel on Saturday, 23 November, along with Willie Pettigrew and three others.

Hosted by Tam Cowan, limited tickets for the event are now on sale online. Adult tickets are £45, with kids tickets £22.

You can still choose who you want to see in the Hall of Fame through our public vote. Click here to cast your vote.