Latest News

Motherwell Football Club’s Player of the Year awards took place on Saturday, with a host of prizes on offer to the squad.

The main winner on the night was Trevor Carson, who scooped three of the awards on offer. There was also success for Allan Campbell, Richard Tait, Craig Tanner, Steven Hammell and captain Carl McHugh.

Player of the Year (sponsored by Motorpoint)

The top prize went to goalkeeper Trevor Carson. Having recorded his 15th clean sheet of the season away to St Johnstone in the afternoon before the awards, he was recognised by the supporters as being the outstanding player of the 2017/18 campaign.

Young Player of the Year (sponsored by Topps Match Attax)

Last year, Allan Campbell said he watched on at the awards as Chris Cadden picked up the young player prize and said he decided there and then he wanted to be the next winner.

On Saturday, the tenacious midfielder done exactly that. The standout winner in the fans’ poll, Campbell was recognised for his outstanding season in claret and amber.

Players’ Player of the Year (sponsored by AluMac Scotland)

Trevor Carson also gained the approval of his peers as he narrowly edged out Richard Tait in the players’ vote for player of the year.

Special Recognition Award (sponsored by Covanburn)

Having made almost 600 appearances in claret and amber, Steven Hammell bowed out from playing in January this year to take up a new role as academy director with the club.

In recognition of his outstanding service to the club, and the role he will play in bringing through the future stars, the legendary player was given the award.

Well Society Player of the Year

Making it a hat trick of awards, Trevor Carson was also voted the player of the year by the owners of the club – you, the supporters who pledge through the Well Society.

Top Goalscorer Award (sponsored by Newton Waste)

Craig Tanner’s season may have been ended prematurely through injury but the creative forward still tops the scoring charts.

Having netted nine in the 2017/18 campaign, with a large percentage coming against Dundee, the Englishman was recognised for his excellent season.

Goal of the Season (sponsored by Avia Signs)

It was a very closely contested vote in a season full of memorable strikes, but Carl McHugh’s wonder goal against Hearts in the William Hill Scottish Cup to send the team through to the semi finals won the public vote for the best strike of the 2017/18 campaign.

Management Team Player of the Year (sponsored by Balmer Care Homes)

It may have sarcastically been dubbed the “Teachers’s Pet” award on the night by our host Gordon Duncan, but the management team’s pick for their player of the year was undoubtedly worthy of recognition.

Richard Tait has been a tireless performer in a number of positions in his second season for the Steelmen, so much so he’s even been talked about for a place in the Scotland squad.

It’s all square going into the final of our series of challenges between the players and coaches.

The two sides have played Speak Out, Pie Face, Name That Tune and even had a penalty shootout against Steelman. But the final will require a whole other set of skills.

For the last instalment, we’ve got the manager involved for a game of FIFA 18. Helping him out is his son Charlie, coming up against Gaël Bigirimana and Cédric Kipré. Who will win? Watch to find out.

Motherwell’s top six hopes may have ended but there’s still plenty left to play for as the team head to St Johnstone on Saturday.

As well as having places in the semi final starting team to play for, there’s also the target of finishing as high up the Ladbrokes Premiership table as possible.

It’s been a season to remember so far and it’s by no means over yet. Get along to Perth and support the team as we start the final push.

Ticket information is as follows:

	St Johnstone v Motherwell
	Saturday, 7 April 2018
	3pm
	McDiarmid Park
	Pay at the gate

Admission prices are as follows:

A special family deal is also in operation at turnstile five only. An adult can take up to two children, aged 12 and under, for £16.

Tickets for Motherwell’s William Hill Scottish Cup semi final with Aberdeen are now on general sale.

The ticket office is open from 9am to 5pm every day this week. The match at Hampden Park will be played on Saturday, April 14. Kick off is at 12.15pm.

Ticket information for the match is as follows:

William Hill South Stand and North Stand

£30 Adult / £15 Concessions

East Stand

£20 Adult / £10 Concessions

Concessions are regarded as those aged under 16 and those aged 65 and over.

Additional information

Telephone bookings will be taken. A £1 admin charge will be applied per telephone booking.

Delivery is available for any fan who cannot collect from us and who is not local. Tickets will be sent recorded delivery but the decision to have tickets posted is at the supporter’s risk and reprints will not be available. A £2.50 admin/postage charge will be added to each ticket, capped at £10.

Our singing section will be in areas F2 and F3 in the east stand.

Any fan requiring ambulant or wheelchair tickets should contact Brian Davidson on 07428225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Getting to Hampden

The club are operating a bus from the Cooper Bar on the day of the game. The bar will be open before departure for food and drink.

The bus, which will take supporters to and from Hampden Park, will cost £8. Supporters can buy by calling 01698 333333 or visiting the ticket office at Fir Park.

Our bars at Fir Park will be open from 9.30am on the day of the game and are fully licensed to sell alcohol from this time.

Semi final hospitality

Come and enjoy the day in style with our pre and post-match hospitality here at Fir Park.

For just £80, you can get:

• Your match ticket
• Hot breakfast roll
• Match programme
• Official bus to and from Hampden Park
• Pay bar facility at Fir Park
• Hot buffet served at Fir Park on your return

You can buy online or call to book on 01698 333333.

Motherwell host Aberdeen on Tuesday still in with a fighting chance of reaching the top six in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

The Dons head to Fir Park for the rearranged top flight clash, which was originally scheduled for February 28.

Kick off is at 7.45pm. Tickets purchased for the original match remain valid for this fixture.

The Steelmen are still in the race for a top six spot in the Ladbrokes Premiership with two games left to go before the league splits. A lot has to go in our favour for it to happen but, first and foremost, a win is needed against Derek McInnes’ side.

Tickets can be purchased in advance from the office at Fir Park or you can pay at the gate on the night. Get yourself along and let’s try and recapture the atmosphere of our 3-o Betfred Cup win against Aberdeen last year.

Admission prices are as follows:

The cheaper price is for the John Hunter stand. Concessions are applicable to 60 and over and full time students with a valid matriculation card. Juveniles are applicable to aged 15 and under.

Away fans will be housed in the McEwan Fraser Legal South Stand. Cash gates are in operation.

Tom Forsyth was a hero to fans of weekend opponents Rangers during the 1970s but it was Fir Park where he made his name and would later return to taste more glory.

The young Forsyth emulated the Motherwell heroes he watched from the terraces during his childhood and is still a regular visitor to Fir Park as a member of the former players’ club.

Forsyth was spotted playing for his local club, Stonehouse Violet, and brought to Fir Park by manager Bobby Howitt in 1967. And his affection for the club which launched his career remains strong more than five decades later.

“I played in a trial game,” said Forsyth. “I was playing with Stonehouse Violet, I was 16 and had a year with them and went on trial. It was Willie McSeveney, he is in the ex-players’ club as well, who had a word with Bobby Howitt.

“I played in a reserve game up at Broomfield, I can’t remember if it was against Airdrie or maybe Cumbernauld Juniors. Willie McSeveney took the team and Bobby Howitt then came to watch me play for Stonehouse Violet and signed me. So it all took off from there.”

Forsyth made his name as a tough-tackling defender but his versatility was evident in his early days.

“I got in the first team when I was 17. I played as an inside-forward or a wing-half, would you believe. They got relegated but we came back up the next year.”

That rare season outside the top flight for Motherwell in 1968/69 allowed the teenage Forsyth to develop as the Steelmen won the Second Division at a canter, scoring 112 goals and winning 30 matches out of 36.

“Jackie McInally finished at Kilmarnock and came to Motherwell for the last two years of his career and he was a great goalscorer,” Forsyth said. “We were in the Second Division and believe it or not I scored 17 goals. Dixie (Deans) maybe got 40 and Jackie scored 20-odd goals.

“I came as a centre-half but they played me in midfield and I scored a few goals. I think that helped me. When you go back it was a bit easier because there is not so much running to do as when you’re in the middle of the park.

“I had a great time at Motherwell. My main disappointment was not getting through to the final of the Texaco Cup when we played Hearts in the semi-final. It was very, very disappointing. When I see my pal Davie Whiteford, we still talk about that game. It brings back the memories, we still say: ‘How did we not get to that final?!’

“It was two-and-a-half minutes into injury-time when they scored and Donald Ford scored in extra-time to put them through. It was a great tournament. We had beaten Tottenham and Stoke and it was a great feeling beating these teams when you are underdogs.

“We always loved to beat the bigger teams. We beat a lot of teams quite well. I used to go over to watch the Ancell Babes when I was a fan and then the likes of Joe McBride and then Dixie Deans, who I played with too.

“The Ancell Babes were a great team – there’s a song: ‘When the boys in blue got beat 5-2 by the boys in claret and amber’.

“We relished these games, they were great games to play in, especially when they came to Fir Park. It was a tight park and the fans were on top of them. We didn’t win all the time but we always gave them a good run for their money.”

A Scotland career which ultimately saw the defender win 22 caps, play his part in consecutive victories over England and appear at the 1978 World Cup finals, also captaining his country once, began at Fir Park.

“Bobby Brown was the manager, I saw him at Ibrox recently when I was working in the hospitality. He looked remarkable for 94. He gave Bobby Watson, Keith MacRae and me a call-up when we went over to Russia.

“The problem was we had stopped playing for a while, maybe a month, because the season had ended. I think their season in Russia went on longer.

“I went into train at Fir Park but I wasn’t really match fit. The sharpness wasn’t there and it was just disappointing. I was away a year but then I got back in the squad again.”

Forsyth joined Rangers in October 1972 and became a hero at the end of his first season with the winning goal in an Old Firm Scottish Cup final.

“I don’t think some Motherwell fans ever forgave me for going to Rangers but I just couldn’t turn it down,” he said. “My first game for Rangers was – you’ll never guess – against Motherwell at Fir Park. I kept giving the ball to Motherwell players.

“I think I signed on the Thursday and the game was on the Saturday. I got a bit of stick but I had to go to take my career on.

“But I’ll never forget what Motherwell did for me. They helped me get to the top in football and I am ever thankful. I have a great affection for the club.”

That feeling was reinforced by 10 years working as Tommy McLean’s assistant during a period of major progress for the club. The former Rangers team-mates led Motherwell to the 1985 First Division title in their first season and left immediately after embarking on a serious title challenge to Rangers.

But the highlight was the 1991 Scottish Cup final triumph.

“It was great when we beat Celtic in the semi-final,” Forsyth said. “Tom’s brother Jim was the manager for Dundee United so it was a family things and their dad died a few days before the final, which was very sad.

“But getting to the final and winning it was great. We went up to Aberdeen and Morton and beat Celtic in a replay, they were great games.

“I think a lot of Motherwell fans came out the cupboards for the final, then they were on the park at Fir Park afterwards. It was incredible. For a wee club like Motherwell it was a great feeling.

“I have always had a soft spot for them, they started my career and I can’t thank them enough.”

Written by Gavin McCafferty.

Motherwell come up against Rangers on Saturday as they keep pushing to make the Ladbrokes Premiership top six.

The Light Blues are themselves fighting to stay in title contention and travel to Fir Park looking to arrest a run of two defeats.

For Stephen Robinson’s men, the equation is simple. A win will keep them in contention to be in the top half come the split next Saturday.

It’s already been a season to remember so far. But it isn’t over yet. Come and support the team and push them over the line.

To buy, drop by the ticket office at Fir Park or call 01698 333333.

	Motherwell v Rangers
	Saturday, March 31, 2018
	12.30pm
	Fir Park
	Tickets on sale from the Fir Park ticket office

Admission prices are as follows:

• Concessions are applicable to 60 and over and full time students with a valid matriculation card.
• Juveniles are applicable to aged 15 and under.
• Away fans will be housed in the McEwan Fraser Legal South Stand.
• Motherwell fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Brian Davidson on 07428 225254 or tickets@mfcdsa.com. Fans must contact Brian by Wednesday night before the match.

Nadir Çiftçi is the latest player in the hot seat in our Getting to Know series.

The on-loan forward talks about his favourite food, who has the worst dress sense in the squad and also tries an impression of a team mate.

Tickets for Motherwell’s William Hill Scottish Cup semi final with Aberdeen are now on sale.

Season ticket holders and Well Society members are entitled to purchase first on an exclusive basis. Each individual can buy up to five tickets each.

The ticket office and Chapman office at Fir Park will be open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm for ticket sales. It will also be open from 10am until kick off, and for one hour after, at the match with Rangers on Saturday, March 31.

A public sale will start on Monday, April 2. The ticket office will be open on this day from 9am to 1pm. It will be open from 9am to 5pm the rest of the week and will also be open until kick off ahead of the match with Aberdeen on Tuesday, April 3.

The match at Hampden Park will be played on Saturday, April 14. Kick off is at 12.15pm.

Ticket information for the match is as follows:

William Hill South Stand and North Stand

£30 Adult / £15 Concessions

East Stand

£20 Adult / £10 Concessions

Concessions are regarded as those aged under 16 and those aged 65 and over.

Additional information

Telephone bookings will be taken. A £1 admin charge will be applied per telephone booking.

Delivery is available for any fan who cannot collect from us and who is not local. Tickets will be sent recorded delivery but the decision to have tickets posted is at the supporter’s risk and reprints will not be available. A £2.50 admin/postage charge will be added to each ticket, capped at £10.

Our singing section will be in areas F2 and F3 in the east stand.

Any fan requiring ambulant or wheelchair tickets should contact Brian Davidson on 07428225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Getting to Hampden

The club are operating a bus from the Cooper Bar on the day of the game. The bar will be open before departure for food and drink.

The bus, which will take supporters to and from Hampden Park, will cost £8. Supporters can buy by calling 01698 333333 or visiting the ticket office at Fir Park.

Semi final hospitality

Come and enjoy the day in style with our pre and post-match hospitality here at Fir Park.

For just £80, you can get:

• Your match ticket
• Hot breakfast roll
• Match programme
• Official bus to and from Hampden Park
• Pay bar facility at Fir Park
• Hot buffet served at Fir Park on your return

You can buy online or call to book on 01698 333333.

With Trevor Carson having made his international debut this weekend, he’s joined a long list of players making their first appearances for their nation while signed with Motherwell.

We’ve taken a look at a selection of those who first came to the attention of their countries while plying their trade in ML1.

Paul Lambert (Scotland, 1995)

Having been prolific at youth level for Scotland, midfielder Lambert was afforded his first appearance for the full squad, whilst a Motherwell player, in a trip to face Japan in the Kirin Cup.

The young midfielder started and played 73 minutes in the 0-0 draw in Hiroshima, before coming on as a substitute in the win over Ecuador three days later.

Having then moved on a Bosman to Borussia Dortmund… and the rest is history. A Champions League winner just one year after leaving Fir Park, he then went on to play all three games at the 1998 World Cup and also captained his country 15 times.

David Partridge (Wales, 2005)

Recruited by Terry Butcher to become a regular fixture in the Steelmen’s backline between 2002 and 2005, his time at Fir Park was then capped off by a first start for his country.

Having represented the nation of his father’s birth all through the youth levels, he then received full honours at the age of 26 in a friendly win over Hungary.

Fearing he had been forgotten about as a prospect for Wales, a scouting trip by John Toshack to watch John Hartson at Celtic alerted the manager to Partridge, who then went on to win a total of seven caps.

David Clarkson and Ross McCormack (Scotland, 2008)

It would be a rare occasion to see two Motherwell players debut for Scotland in the same match but that’s exactly what happened in Prague in 2008, as George Burley took the nation away to play a friendly against Czech Republic.

Clarkson, the club’s current academy coach, had the debut to remember. The then-22-year-old was thrust into the action in Prague with his side 2-0 down. Gathering a cross in the box, he skillfully engineered some space before netting to give his side hope.

McCormack would then join him on the pitch as the Scots surged to equalise against the Euro 2008-bound Czechs, but they would be denied by a further goal from Libor Sionko, who settled the tie 3-1.

Chris Humphrey (Jamaica, 2012)

Jamaican international Chris Humphrey could have represented Scotland because his mother was born in Kilmarnock.

However, the winger was called up to play for his father’s country in 2011, at the age of 24, following two impressive seasons in claret and amber.

Passport issues prevented the pacey wide-man from making his debut until a year later though, then in his third season with Motherwell. Humphrey came on at half time with Jamaica already a goal down, but the visitors held on to their slender lead.

His first start came in a showdown with France, who won 8-0 thanks to goals from Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema, Blaise Matuidi, Yohan Cabaye and Olivier Giroud.

Darren Randolph (Republic of Ireland, 2012)

Giovanni Trapattoni couldn’t possibly ignore the form of Darren Randolph in his time at Fir Park.

The 6ft 3in stopper made his international debut in 2012, in the same year he was selected in the PFA team of the year for the first time.

The Irishman came on as a substitute to earn his first cap in a 4-1 win over Oman on 11 September 2012.

He again came on as a substitute for his country in a 2-0 defeat against Spain during the summer he was set to depart Fir Park. The keeper produced a stunning fingertip save to deny Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, but conceded from a neat Juan Mata finish.

Zaine Francis-Angol (Antigua and Barbuda, 2012)

At just 19 years of age, Francis-Angol got the nod to gain his first international cap for his country in 2012, just one year in to his spell in Lanarkshire.

The London-born left back started for Antigua and Barbuda, his mother’s country of birth, as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat against Guatemala.

The young defender made four appearances at international level during his four-year stint in claret and amber, which resulted in four defeats. Francis-Angol and his teammates came within seconds of drawing with the United States, but conceded in stoppage-time to lose 2-1.

And not forgetting: Phil O’Donnell,  James McFadden, Stephen Pearson, Steven Hammell, Brian Martin, Rob McKinnon, Steven Saunders (all Scotland), Brian McLean (Northern Ireland).