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Our home match against Hearts will be shown live on our pay-per-view streaming service. 

The match will be available for £11.99.

You will be able to purchase online.

Kick off is 3pm on Sunday 25 August.

The manager discussed the fitness of the squad ahead of Sunday’s match against Hearts. 

“We’re much the same as where we were last week,” Stuart Kettlewell said.

“There’s been a couple of football sessions for Filip Stuparevic. On top of that, it’s been another good week for us. Filip is the only real change. He still has some work to do to get back up to speed.

“Everyone is where they should be, there’s been no dramatic setbacks. We know where everybody is, they’re pretty much on schedule. Everyone is on point with the medical staff about where they need to be.”

When asked about when we would expect to see any of the current injured players featuring, the manager provided further insight.

“I’m not so certain that will be this week or next with any of the rest of them,” he added.

“That’ll be beyond the international break and thereafter.”

Steve Seddon couldn’t have imagined he would have came to Scotland a couple years ago but having made the switch in the summer, the full-back is thoroughly enjoying his stay north of the border and has enjoyed the variety of games he’s featured in.

The Englishman says he may be one of the louder voices in the dressing room, but the team are ego free and everyone is working together to improve on the pitch.

Tom Sparrow’s footballing journey started at the age of nine when he was with Wrexham. His local club provided strong and efficient coaching to help assist the midfielder in his early days.

Playing there for three years helped Sparrow grow and flourish from a young age alongside some other local players.

At the age of 12, he had a number of trials as he began to take the next step on the ladder. That next step would be with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“I spent three years at Wolves,” Sparrow said.

“It was great but it was a big step up. Wrexham was only 15 minutes from my house, so I was now commuting three or four times a week. I was sometimes in the accommodation at the age of 12 and 13, that was good for me.

“I remember my mum sitting me down and asking if I was serious about all this football stuff because I was missing school two or three times a week. If I wasn’t going to be a football player, I’d have been in trouble!

“But it was a big commitment for her too; she was driving me about all the time.”

Further progression was made within the ranks at Wolves and Sparrow then eyed up his next move after three years there.

“We were going to play Stoke and my agent had said beforehand that they were watching me,” Sparrow explained.

“They offered me a scholarship. I was 15 at the time, so that would last until I was 18. I was buzzing; it was closer to home, and they were in the Premier League at the time. Ironically, when I moved, Stoke and Wolves switched. Wolves went to the Premier League and Stoke dropped down. It didn’t matter to me; Stoke were brilliant.

“I went in at 15 and did a couple years of a standard programme where I would train after school. I started to play for the Under 23s in the Premier League 2 in my second year.

“The coaches had a ranking system where it was As, Bs and Cs and I was never an A, which is where players are pushing to get into the first team.

“I just worked hard and the full-time training changed me; it developed me physically.”

After years of working hard under the radar at Academy level, the time eventually came for Sparrow to get a taste of first-team football.

“Telford was my first loan move,” he stated.

“I was training under Michael O’Neill, who liked me. The loan manager knew the Telford manager at the time and was asking to see if anyone would like the move. I said I’d go and O’Neill liked that. I only played six or seven games but it was seen as a good thing.

“When I went back to Stoke, O’Neill said I had a good chance of playing. I made my first-team debut against Coventry. It was the best feeling ever. I had worked since the age of nine for that moment.

“The left-wing back for Coventry was Ian Maatsen. Callum O’Hare was playing too. I was right-back, so it was a nice, easy afternoon as you can imagine! Thankfully I had Phil Jagielka alongside me, he was smiling and laughing before the game, so that calmed me down.”

That was Sparrow’s first of four appearances for the Potters and with the debut in the bag, he went away with his national setup for some summer work, which he thought put him in a prime position for the following season.

“That summer I just wanted to stay fit,” Sparrow said.

“I knew I’d have a chance of playing and when I came back for pre-season, I’d only had a week off, so I was ready to play.

I played more games but then the manager moved on.

“We then signed Dujon Sterling, and that was kind of the end for me there. It was frustrating because the other manager believed in me and I was going to play. If I knew I wasn’t going to play, I’d have gotten a loan move. It meant I was stuck until Christmas. which is risky. I could fall out of the team or something.

“Alex Neil was ex-Hamilton, so he said a move there would be good for me in January. They were struggling and I went up on my own. We were fighting relegation, so it wasn’t always a nice dressing room. We were 11 points adrift initially but clawed it back and lost in the playoff.

“It was a good experience and a first test in a different dressing room. When I made my debut at Stoke, I was buzzing and thought this was easy. Then, the nine months after that showed me how difficult it can be.”

Learning the trade and the range of emotions that come with it, Sparrow was maturing at a fast rate despite his young age and the next hurdle that he had to overcome would come shortly after.

“I was 21, and I knew I wasn’t going to play games,” the midfielder explained.

“So, I agreed with Stoke that I would go. They were brilliant with me and I made some great friends. I said to them that I wanted to play under 21s so people could see me play.

“I backed myself. My thinking was, if I was going to play, people would like what they saw. It would be a better environment for me to play rather than going on loan.

“We played Arsenal in an Under-21s match and Stuart Kettlewell was watching. We had a Zoom call after and I knew I wanted the move straight away. It’s a good level but I wanted a manager that believed in me.”

From then on, terms were agreed and by the start of the summer, Sparrow had started to move into the local area.

“It was good to get here early,” Sparrow added.

“I met everyone on the first day, and it meant that because other boys came in after me, I wasn’t the new player for very long. Pre-season was good and I feel fit now.

“The dressing room is brilliant; some of the best lads I’ve been with. Nobody hammers anyone for mistakes, it’s just about trying to gel and play the best we can.

“We showed against Rangers that we can compete with anyone despite the injuries. It was brilliant to play at Hampden, it was a massive crowd and a big pitch. Hopefully we do well in the cup and can find ourselves back there again.

“At Under 18s, we got to the Premier League Cup Final. We played Manchester City, who had Palmer, Delap and McAtee. We got pumped!

“But we beat Chelsea on the route to that final. It was a tiny taste of how good a cup run can be. I’m really keen to experience that again, but on a bigger level. The fans would love a cup run with some special moments, so we’ll be working to try and deliver that.”

Our quarter-final tie against Dundee United will take place on Friday 20 September at Fir Park. 

Kick off is 7.45pm.

The match will be streamed live on the Premier Sports website.

Premier Sports will broadcast exclusive live coverage of all 4 Premier Sports Cup Quarter Final games.

Motherwell fans can use promocode FITBA99 to access Premier Sports for £99 annual fee – a saving of almost 50% – offer expires 8 September.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online.

Watch the game in style with exceptional and great value hospitality at Fir Park.

Centenary Suite

• 2-course meal served to your table
• Pay bar available from 17.30, half-time and one-hour after the final whistle
• Half-time pie served with tea and coffee
• Match ticket
• Match programme and teamsheet
• Man of the match interview

Price: £45

Kids Price: £22 (13 and under)

Cooper Box

• 2x complimentary drinks served to your box pre-match
• Access to Cooper Suite pre-match, half-time and at full-time for refreshments
• Half-time buffet served in the Cooper Suite
• Indoor seat in an executive Cooper Box
• Match programme and teamsheet

Price: £42pp

Dress code for all areas is smart. No jeans, trainers or colours permitted.

To book, please phone our hospitality team on 01698 338003 or email: hospitality@motherwellfc.co.uk

Motherwell welcome Hearts to Fir Park on Sunday 25 August in the William Hill Premiership. 

Kick off is 3pm.

How to follow the game

• Young Adults tickets would ages 14-17.
• Juveniles would be 13 and under
• Ticket Office open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

Supporters are able to buy tickets online here or visit the ticket office at Fir Park.

Ticket Office open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.

Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.

What else is happening?

SSPCA will be on hand collecting money for a bucket collection.

SSPCA are Scotland’s only all animal rescue service and they aim to provide the best place for animals to live. They rescue hundreds of animals every day. They lead the way for better animal welfare, improvement of animal related laws, maintaining the animal-human bond within society and improving protection of animals.

Bars

The Cooper Bar will be open from 12 noon serving food and drink. The bar will re-open for one-hour following the match.

Our popular Beer Garden will open from 12.30 for drinks and hot rolls, weather permitting (home fans only).

Hospitality

You can watch the match by purchasing one of our popular hospitality packages.

Season ticket holders can upgrade to hospitality for as little as £49pp.  There is limited availability in the Centenary Suite so don’t delay and contact the hospitality department at hospitality@motherwellfc.co.uk or call 01698 338011 to book of for details on all our packages.

Ticket Office

The ticket office will open from 11am until kick-off.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our home kit for this match.

Injury Update

Callum Slattery, Harry Paton, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Ross Callachan, Sam Nicholson, Shane Blaney and Johnny Koutroumbis remain out for this game.

Filip Stuparevic is a doubt.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

The Steelmen booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup with a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock last Sunday at Fir Park. Moses Ebiye scored his fourth Motherwell goal in the first-half of extra-time, converting from debutant Tawanda Maswanhise’s impressive cross.

Stuart Kettlewell’s side have registered a draw and defeat in their Premiership campaign thus far. A 0-0 draw on the opening day against Ross County was followed by a 2-1 defeat to title chasers Rangers at Hampden.

Injuries may have hamstrung manager Kettlewell’s options but performances have been largely impressive going into match day three.

Opposition Report

Hearts crashed out of the Premier Sports Cup at the hands of Championship side Falkirk on Saturday. A 2-0 defeat was not ideal preparation for their trip to Czech Republic on Thursday night as they face FC Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League playoff.

That was back-to-back defeats for the Jambos as they lost out 3-1 to Dundee at Dens Park a week prior.

Despite a slower start in the league, the Hearts squad is stacked with quality. Former Motherwell man Blair Spittal joined in the summer, with ex Ross County man Yan Dhanda also making the switch.

Liam Boyce is back fit following his injury layoff last season as he looks to form a bond on the pitch with top goalscorer Lawrence Shankland.

Signing from Glasgow Women in the summer of 2022, Lucy Ronald quickly established her place at the core of the Motherwell midfield, earning the women’s player of the year award in her maiden season, but a serious injury sustained in the latter stages of the league campaign would suddenly rule the midfielder out of action.

483 days later, the 22-year-old returned to action on the very pitch that left her side-lined over a year and a half ago.

“It’s a really good feeling,” the midfielder explained.

“It’s been such a long time coming for myself personally and dreaming of the moment I could get back on the pitch kept me going through the recovery time.

“Getting back onto the same pitch that I last played on felt very emotional and I am really looking forward to the season ahead.”

A physically and mentally demanding challenge for the midfielder came to a hopeful and uplifting conclusion last weekend, as the women of steel kicked off the 2024/25 SWPL campaign with a comfortable 5-1 victory over Spartans in the Scottish capital.

Ronald took to the pitch in the latter stages of the second-half to the applause of both sides.

“It almost feels like it was meant to be,” Ronald noted.

“Around sixteen months ago, I landed very unfortunately on my right leg and instantly knew it was bad. Initially, I was told that my knee was dislocated, but in the following days it was confirmed it was an ACL injury which I knew was about a 9-12 month recovery process.

“Anyone who’s experienced an ACL injury will understand that the mental challenge is the most difficult aspect of recovery to face. Returning to the same pitch can be a massive contributor to that anxiety, so for me, I’m really pleased and relieved to get that one out of the way.

“I’ve never been injured in my career up until this point and missing out on the Scottish Cup Semi-Final at Hampden Park and experiencing playing at Fir park was hard for me to watch from the sidelines, but my biggest motivation was to experience the feeling of returning after working so hard. There is nothing sweeter than that.”

Even at 22, the youngster has had a wealth of experience in the women’s game, captaining Glasgow Women at only 18-years-old and has since become an integral component of the Motherwell squad, playing through the majority of her maiden season in claret and amber.

Ronald’s return to the matchday squad will strengthen Paul Brownlie’s revitalised squad after six fresh additions within the summer transfer window.

“The squads in a really good place,” Ronald emphasised.

“We’ve had a good pre-season and the players we’ve added to the squad as we saw on Sunday are already contributing to the team, which is always a positive sign, so hopefully we can continue to grow through the season.

“The atmosphere is great; it’s such a good group of girls. It’s nice to see how much we care about each other on and off the pitch and that has real impact in how we perform.

“I’m probably being a bit more realistic with myself this season. I’ve missed so much football and know it will take me awhile to get back to where I was and build on my confidence.

I want to perform well and have a really good season, I’ll always have those high expectations for myself but it’s also being realistic in the fact that it will take time.

Looking to go one step further than 12 months ago, Motherwell had to overcome Kilmarnock at Fir Park if they wanted to be in the hat for the quarter-final draw of the Premier Sports Cup. 

The visitors arrived at Fir Park having just won in Norway three days prior and made nine changes to their lineup. The Steelmen were still dealing with eight first-team injuries but started the game brightly.

Robinson and Miller both had opportunities but the game would change entirely when Stuart Findlay seen red for a second yellow card just before the hour mark.

New signings Tawanda Maswanhise and Tony Watt were introduced alongside Moses Ebiye, to push Motherwell over the line. Dominating the ball and creating plenty chances, the Killie backline survived and extra-time was required.

It didn’t take long for the deadlock to be broken in extra-time, as Ebiye headed home to give his side the advantage. Seeing out the game and ensuring that progression came next for Kettlewell’s side, Motherwell can now look forward to a home tie against Dundee United for a spot in the semi-final and a trip to Hampden.

Motherwell’s progressed into the cup quarter-finals and a with a thoroughly deserved win over a tired but fighting Kilmarnock.

It might have taken an extra time goal from Moses Ebiye to separate the sides but having pressed the Rugby Park men deep into their own half for most of the game, the tie should have been won long before extra-time

It was a great team performance from ‘Well and after a fairly even opening half hour, the Steelmen dictated play but couldn’t find the killer touch and goal they deserved in the regulation 90 minutes. Despite immense pressure the leg weary Rugby Park men bravely defended their goal, despite being reduced to 10 men for over an hour when central defender Stuart Findlay was sent off.

Stuart Kettlewell resisted the temptation of throwing Tony Watt into the starting line-up, preferring to stand by the eleven that pushed Rangers all the way to the final whistle at Hampden last week.

After their wonderful win over Tromso on Thursday, the Rugby Park players rightly took the acclaim from the huge Ayrshire following prior to the kick-off.

Motherwell fans, meanwhile, were hoping that Killie’s midweek exertions in Norway would leave Derek McInnes’ side exhausted.

However, there were no signs of fatigue in the Killie ranks in the opening stages as play moved from end to end.

After six minutes, Steve Seddon, impressive on the left side, whipped in a cross which found ‘Well wing backs Ewan Wilson and Stephen O’Donnell just beyond the six-yard box but neither of them could get any purchase on the ball as it trundled through to Kieran O’Hara.

The first potential threat on Aston Oxborough’s goal came in the 10th minute, but the Kilmarnock corner was easily defended.

Two minutes later a quick break upfield presented Marley Watkins with a sight of goal but from the corner of the box his low shot flew past Oxborough’s right hand post.

In an open competitive contest the ball was rarely in the middle of the park as both teams pressed towards the opponents penalty area.

A tempting ball from O’Donnell zipped through a packed Killie six yard box before at the other end Fraser Murray’s cross was nodded wide by Watkins.

Gradually, the Steelmen began to dominate possession and as the half moved into the last 15 minutes the visitor’s box was the busier of the two as ‘Well looked the more likely to find the opening goal.

With O’Donnell allowed time and space on the right he delivered a succession of crosses which begged a finish.

His high cross to the back post was clutched by O’Hara at full stretch with Halliday and Robinson rising behind him seeking a touch.

Then another deep cross from the former Scotland international, found Lennon Miller produced a superb touch before his cut back was pushed beyond Wilson by the Killie ‘keeper at full stretch.

Seven minutes from the break Miller’s low corner deflected off a defender forcing O’Hara to smother the ball on his goal line.

In the final minute, Robinson who was having more success in holding the ball up, worked a quick exchange with Wilson and Miller only for the latter to volley the ball wide from 18 yards.

Despite the home side not finding that elusive goal the Fir Park fans showed their appreciation as the team headed up the tunnel at the interval.

The Fir Park men began the second where they left off and at the edge of the visitor’s box Wilson checked back onto his right foot before his drive was clumsily palmed round the post by O’Hara.

Robinson was next to test the Killie ‘keeper but his left foot shot from the edge of the box, with Miller better placed, lacked any power.

Five minutes into the half Kilmarnock were reduced to ten men when Findlay was shown a second yellow card.

With 57 minutes on the clock and his men overworked McInnes made three changes.

Two minutes later and hoping to press home their extra man, Kettlewell made a double substitution with Zimbabwean winger Tawanda Maswanhise making his debut and Watt returning to a largely warm reception from the ‘Well fans.

With the home side camped around the Killie box crosses were still flying across O’Hara’s goal with no takers.

More fresh legs were injected to the home side when Tom Sparrow, Marvin Kaleta and Moses Ebiye were given 15 minutes to find a winning goal.

It almost arrived in the 78th minute when the lively Maswanhise cut into the box and his curling shot was on target until it deflected off Joe Wright’s thigh and sailed over the bar.

With the game edging towards extra time, yet another cross from O’Donnell found Watt at the back of the six-yard box but with a hero’s return beckoning he powered his header over the bar.

An additional six minutes gave enough time for a winner before extra-time but although Motherwell continued to build steadily from the wings the Killie defence held firm.

Six minutes into extra time ‘Well finally made the breakthrough when two of the subs combined for the opening goal.

Former Leicester City youth Maswanhise once again teased the Killie defence before whipping a ball towards the six yard box. And Ebiye, eight yards from goal with a deft header directed the ball inside O’Hara’s right post to the relief of the ‘Well fans.

Until that point the Rigby Park men, understandably, looked content to hang on until penalties.

In a rare advance upfield, Oxborough produced his first save of the game after 102 minutes diving to smother Robbie Deas’ back header.

As Killie upped the tempo in the second period of extra-time, the ‘Well ‘keeper was called into action firstly punching away Matty Kennedys free kick and then getting down to hold Kyle Vassell’s angled drive.

In a grandstand finish from Kilmarnock, Oxborough’s goal survived a couple of scares as Motherwell deservedly booked their place in the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup.

Stuart Kettlewell’s thoughts on the 1-0 win over Kilmarnock.