North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It als ...

Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,in 1991. Clad in their traditional claret and amber, Motherwell play their home matches at Fir Park Stadium and have done since 1896. The club's main rivals over the years have been

Hamilton Academical Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire who currently compete in the Scottish Championship, having been relegated from the 2020–21 Scotti ...

and Airdrieonians, due in part to their close geographical proximities. These matches are known as the

Lanarkshire derby The Lanarkshire derby is a football rivalry based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, with matches contested between any two from Motherwell, Airdrieonians, Hamilton Academical and Albion Rovers (based in Coatbridge). Motherwell vs Airdrie *First meeting ...

. The club have won four major trophies in domestic football: the Scottish League title in 1931–32, the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1951–52 and

1990–91 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...

, and the

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...

in 1950–51.

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...

has suggested Motherwell F.C.'s fans as the originators of the "

Viking Thunder Clap The Viking Thunder Clap or Viking Clap is a football chant, consisting of a loud shout and a clap in unison, which is then repeated initially several seconds later and gradually speeding up over time. The chant has been performed by fans of a num ...

", a supporting chant eventually popularized by the fans of the

Iceland national football team The Iceland national football team (in ) represents Iceland in men's international football. The team is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland, and have been a FIFA member since 1947 and an UEFA member since 1957. The team's nickn ...

where fans stay silent and let out loud synchronized claps seconds apart, gradually speeding up; the chant received wider international attention during the Euro 2016.

History

Beginnings

Motherwell FC was born on 17 May 1886, when representatives of the two main Motherwell works teams Glencairn FC and Alpha FC met in Ballie's pub in the town's Merry Street, and decided to merge the two teams with the aim of creating a club to represent the town as a whole at a higher footballing level. Motherwell's debut fixture proved to be a successful one as they overcame

Hamilton Academical Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire who currently compete in the Scottish Championship, having been relegated from the 2020–21 Scotti ...

3–2.

The early years proved somewhat chaotic as the club had little regular competition to play in, and matches would often start with players short, as men failed to turn up on time after their shifts in the local ironworks. On 5 August 1893 the decision was made to turn professional, and the club was consequently elected to the league, then being the only Lanarkshire side to compete at national level. Up until 1895 the club had played at a few different venues, including a site at Roman Road, and Dalziel Park. The small pitch and muddy conditions at Dalziel Park were deemed unsuitable and Lord Hamilton granted a lease on a plot of land on his Dalzell estate. This new ground was named

Fir Park Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premiership club Motherwell and was the temporary home of Gretna for the 2007–08 SPL season. M ...

and has remained the club's home for over 120 years. The following years saw the club grow, appointing their first and longest serving manager to date, John 'Sailor' Hunter, who would go on to steer the club into its most successful period. In 1913 the decision was made to change the club's colours from blue to the now signature claret and amber. It is thought this was inspired by the success of Bradford City, who also sport claret and amber, although a more romantic version of events claims them to have been Lord Hamilton of Dalzell's racing colours.

1920s and 1930s successes

Motherwell enjoyed a successful period in the aftermath of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, managed by John Hunter. The club placed third in the 1919–20 season and, although narrowly avoiding relegation in 1924–25, they steadily climbed the table and enjoyed seven successive seasons finishing in the top three. In the summer of 1927, the club made a very successful tour of Spain, winning six out of the eight games they played and losing only one. These results included an emphatic 3–1 victory over Real Madrid and a 2–2 draw with

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. Following their success in Spain, the club went on another summer tour, this time of South America. After losing only three of their previous ten games, the tour culminated in a 5–0 defeat by a Brazilian League Select side. Motherwell's first (and to this day, only) Scottish League championship came in 1931–32 – with 30 wins in 38 fixtures, scoring 119 goals – a record 52 of which were scored by Willie MacFadyen, who remains to this day the record holder for most goals scored in a single season and one of the club's all-time top goalscorers with 251 goals. The championship was sealed on 23 April 1932, when Rangers could only draw at home against

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

, handing Motherwell the title without kicking a ball. This was also the only League title won by a club outside the Old Firm between 1904 and 1947. In the two seasons following the league title win ( 1933–34 and 1934–35), 'Well finished runners-up, as they had also been in 1926–27 and 1929–30. They also contested three Scottish Cup finals in this period – in

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

, 1933 and 1939, but lost them all.

Post-World War II period

Following the break-up of the squad after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the club were not instantly successful. It then captured two major trophies in as many years with victories in the 1950 Scottish League Cup Final and the 1952 Scottish Cup Final. The club was then relegated for the first time ever at the end of the 1952–53 season, but the club were promoted the next year. Following their return to the First Division, Bobby Ancell took management of the club in 1955 and presided over an era in which highly regarded

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

stars including Ian St. John and Charlie Aitken played for the club. However, Motherwell were unable to keep their assets, and no trophies were won in Ancell's era. His resignation came in 1965 amidst a downturn in form which eventually saw the club relegated back to the Second Division at the conclusion of the 1967–68 season.

1970s recovery and the McLean era

Motherwell were immediately promoted back to the First Division in 1969, maintaining a mid-table position. The 18-team First Division was superseded by a new 10-team Premier League for the 1975–76 season, at which time they were managed by Willie McLean and his assistant Craig Brown (who would become manager almost 35 years later). Under their management, Motherwell improved to fourth in the table with players such as Bobby Graham, Willie Pettigrew and Bobby Watson. The most notable cup run of that period was the 1975-76 Scottish Cup where they eliminated Celtic and lost out in the semi-final to Rangers.

1980 and 90s

1991 Scottish Cup Win tribute - geograph

Relegation down to the now-First Division and promotion back to the Premier League occurred twice in the early 1980s, before a decade under manager

Tommy McLean Thomas McLean Jr. (born 2 June 1947 in Larkhall) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. McLean played for Kilmarnock, Rangers and Scotland as a midfielder. He managed Morton, Motherwell, Hearts, Raith Rovers and Dund ...

(brother of Willie) culminated in a Scottish Cup win in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

. However, similarly to the Ancell era, Scotland internationalist Tom Boyd was sold in the close season after the cup win. Results faded for two years before reaching another two season zenith immediately following the signing of

Paul Lambert Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Ipswich Town. Lambert played as a midfielder and won the Scottish Cup in 1987 with St Mirren as a 17-year-ol ...

with third ( 1993–94) and second-placed ( 1994–95) Premier League finishes. The 1995 runners-up finish was the club's highest finish since 1933–34. With Tommy McLean's departure to Hearts in 1994, much of his squad was broken up; a large fee in particular was paid by Celtic for Phil O'Donnell. Much of this money was reinvested in the squad, while the club cycled through managers including

Alex McLeish Alexander McLeish (born 21 January 1959) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender for Aberdeen during their 1980s glory years, making nearly 500 League appearances for the club, and won 77 caps for ...

and Harri Kampman. At this point, in August 1998, John Boyle bought the club, taking over from John Chapman. Billy Davies was appointed as manager, and large transfer fees were paid for prominent players including ex-Scotland internationals John Spencer and Andy Goram. The investment though failed to provide results on the pitch.

2000–2009

By the end of Davies' tenure the club were in financial trouble.

Eric Black John Eric Black (born 1 October 1963) is a Scottish former professional football player and coach. Black played as a striker for Aberdeen and Metz, winning major trophies with both clubs, and earned two international caps for the Scotland nat ...

was briefly in charge with the club floating near the foot of the table before it was placed in

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...

in April 2002 with losses approaching GBP 2 million yearly. Black resigned, and was replaced by

Terry Butcher Terry Ian Butcher (born 28 December 1958) is an English football manager and former player. He works as an academy coach for Ipswich Town. During his playing career as a defender, Butcher captained the England national team, winning 77 caps ...

. The club's outlook remained bleak as they were forced to make redundant or release 19 players and replace them with younger players; Boyle also placed the club up for sale. Relegation in 2002–03 – normally automatic following a last-place finish in the league – was avoided on a technicality, as First Division winners Falkirk lacked a stadium meeting Premier League regulations. Fir Park, Motherwell

Despite the lack of resources, a number of young talented players were found to play for the club; crucially, when many of these moved on, including

Stephen Pearson Stephen Paul Pearson (born 2 October 1982) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He began his career at Motherwell and joined Celtic in 2004, where he won domestic honours including two Scottish Premier League ...

and James McFadden, they brought revenue in the form of transfer fees, and with John Boyle waiving the club's personal debt to him, its financial future was assured by the conclusion of the 2004–05 season with the club's yearly losses falling to one of the lowest figures in the Premier League and the club coming out of administration in time to avoid a ten-point Premier League penalty which was being phased in for teams in administration. On the field, the club also managed to reach the League Cup final, although they were comprehensively defeated by Rangers. Butcher moved on to Sydney at the end of the 2005–06 season, and was succeeded by his assistant Maurice Malpas. Malpas' stint at the club lasted just one season before his resignation in May 2007. After a short period with Scott Leitch as caretaker manager, Mark McGhee was appointed to the position. In his first season as manager McGhee would take the club to 3rd in the league and thus qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time in 13 years where they would be beaten by French side

AS Nancy Association Sportive Nancy Lorraine (), commonly known as AS Nancy Lorraine, or simply Nancy, is a French association football club founded in 1967 in Nancy, Grand Est and located in Tomblaine, in the inner suburbs of Nancy. The club currently ...

3–0 on aggregate. Mark McGhee left Motherwell for the vacant managerial position at

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

in June 2009 to be replaced by

Jim Gannon James Paul Gannon (born 7 September 1968) is a professional football manager and former player who most recently was manager of Hyde United. He started and finished his career as a player in Ireland, but made most of his professional appear ...

. Former

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

manager Craig Brown took over when Gannon left.

2010–present

Brown helped the club finish 5th in the SPL and qualify for Europe. The 2010–11 season saw the club in the Europa League and they defeated

Breidablik } and ang, fācenstafas respectively). In Beowulf, the lack of refers to the absence of crimes being committed, and therefore both halls have been proposed to be sanctuaries. In popular culture * Breidablik is a sacred weapon in ''Fire Emblem H ...

and Aalesunds before losing in the Play-off round to

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...

preventing them from reaching the group stages of the competition. Brown left Motherwell for Aberdeen on 10 December 2010. Stuart McCall was named as his successor. This season saw the club reach the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Champions League for the first time. They finished third, one place outside the normal two spots allocated to the SPL for the Champions League. However the club was awarded a place because the club that had finished above them, Rangers, went into liquidation and were prevented by UEFA from playing in European competitions. In the draw for the 3rd qualification round of the Champions League Motherwell were drawn against Greek heavyweights Panathanaikos. This ended in disappointment as Motherwell were knocked out after losing 2–0 at home and then 3–0 away. The 2012–13 season brought even greater success in the SPL as the club finished 2nd in the table and once again qualified for the Europa League. It also saw striker Michael Higdon win the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year award. Goalkeeper Darren Randolph ( second year running), defender Shaun Hutchinson and midfielder Nicky Law were selected for the PFA Scotland Team of the Year. Motherwell were granted associate membership of the

European Club Association The European Club Association (ECA) is a body representing the interests of professional association football clubs in UEFA. It is the sole such body recognised by the confederation, and has member clubs in each UEFA member association. It was fo ...

in June 2013, becoming the fifth Scottish club to join the Association. The club were invited to join after consistent qualification for European competition between 2008 and 2013. In season 2013–14 Motherwell were knocked out of the Europa League by Russian side Kuban Krasnodar 3–0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round. On 22 January 2014 Motherwell won their 40th Lanarkshire cup beating Hamilton Academical 1–0 thanks to a 54th-minute goal by 19-year-old youngster Jack Leitch. On the final day of the 2013–14 Scottish Premiership, Motherwell won 1–0 at

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

with a dramatic 93rd-minute winner, leapfrogging Aberdeen in the process to seal a second successive runners-up spot in the league. Despite conceding the most goals (60) out of the top six teams, European football was delivered for the sixth time in seven seasons, with a record points total (70). It was a season that also saw a first ever competitive defeat to

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

neighbours Albion Rovers, sitting third bottom of Scottish League Two at the time, 1–0 in the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2014–15 Scottish Premiership, which ultimately led to the resignation of manager Stuart McCall on 2 November 2014. Despite the appointment of Ian Baraclough in December 2014, Motherwell were eventually consigned to a Scottish Premiership relegation play-off spot after a defeat at St Mirren in the penultimate league match of the 2014–15 season. In the 2014–15 relegation play-off finals, Motherwell faced Rangers. The first leg, at Rangers' home ground, Ibrox Stadium, saw Motherwell run out as winners with a score of 1–3. In the second leg, Motherwell celebrated staying in the top division by winning, 3–0. On 23 September 2015, Motherwell parted ways with manager Ian Baraclough. Mark McGhee returned in October 2015 before being sacked in March 2017 after a poor run of results. On 28 October 2016, Motherwell became a fan-owned club when supporters club Well Society's £1 deal with Les Hutchison was concluded. On 13 October 2017, Manager

Stephen Robinson Stephen Kern Robinson (born October 26, 1955) is an American former NASA astronaut. Education He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved its second-highest rank, Life Scout. Robinson graduated from Campolindo High Schoo ...

extended his contract until May 2020. On 31 December 2020, Robinson resigned as manager, with Keith Lasley taking interim charge. In Popular Culture and Literature In the crime novel ''The Greenock Murders'' by Kieran James (2021), a 10-year-old autistic boy, Wee Robbie, moves from Motherwell to Greenock with his family. He refuses to give up his support of Motherwell FC despite repeated abuse and bullying. In the closing stages of the novel, Motherwell beats Rangers 2–1 in a fictional 2022 Scottish Cup Final, involving real players' names on both sides.

Records and statistics

The club has won four major trophies in its history: the First Division in 1931–32, the Scottish Cup in 1952 and 1991, and the Scottish League Cup in 1950. In addition, it has won the second-tier Scottish league on four occasions; as the Second Division in 1953–54 and 1968–69, and as the First Division (beneath the Premier League) in 1981–82 and 1984–85. They also won the Milk Cup in 1983, and the Scottish Summer Cup in 1944 and 1965. Bob Ferrier holds the record for the number of Motherwell appearances, with 626 in the inter-war period. The goalscoring record is held by

Hughie Ferguson Hugh Ferguson (2 March 1895 – 8 January 1930) was a Scottish professional footballer. Born in Motherwell, he played for Parkhead at junior level as a semi-professional and was one of the most sought after young players in Scotland before sig ...

, who scored 284 league goals in 10 seasons in the 1910s and 1920s. Willie MacFadyen's 52 goals in the title-winning 1931–32 season remains a club (and country) record for goals in one season. The club's record European appearance holder is Steven Hammell, with 19 appearances for the club in Europe. The current record European goalscorer is Jamie Murphy, with seven goals. Also, the 8–1 win over Flamurtari on 23 July 2009 currently stands as their record victory in European competition. Fir Park's current safety certificate limits the capacity to 13,742, all-seated in accordance with the

Taylor Report The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report is the report of an inquiry which was overseen by Lord Justice Taylor, into the causes of the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989, as a result of which, ...

although the ground is listed as . Its average home gate for the 2018–19 season was 5,448. The club's record attendance for a home match is 35,632, against Rangers in a Scottish Cup quarter-final replay on 12 March 1952, but as season ticket holders were not counted at the time, the true attendance would be over 37,000. Motherwell's biggest win was a 12–1 victory over

Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...

in 1954, with the club's heaviest defeat being the 8–0 loss to

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

in 1979. On 5 May 2010, Motherwell were involved in the highest scoring match in the SPL, drawing 6–6 with Hibernian at Fir Park, with Lukas Jutkiewicz scoring the equaliser in the 91st minute. This eclipsed another high-scoring game involving Motherwell, a 6–5 defeat by

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

on 20 October 1999. The record transfer fee paid by the club was to Everton for John Spencer in 1999 (£500,000) and the highest received was David Turnbull for his move to Celtic in 2020 (£3.25m), eclipsing the 1.75m paid for previous record holder Phil O'Donnell in 1994. O'Donnell rejoined Motherwell in 2004, but his second spell at Fir Park ended when he died after collapsing on the pitch in a game against

Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...

on 29 December 2007. Stephen Craigan holds the record for the most-capped player at the club, with 54 caps in total, 51 as a Motherwell player –

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

.2 of the caps were earned whilst playing for Partick Thistle

Europe

Player of the Year

The Supporters Association first handed out the award in April 1956. The first winner of the award was Andy Paton, who received a silver cup from Sailor Hunter at a dinner dance in Overton Miners Welfare. Paton was further honoured in 2007 when he was declared the "Greatest Ever" Motherwell player.

Joe Wark Joe Wark (9 October 1947 – 1 October 2015) was a Scottish professional footballer who spent his entire professional career with Motherwell, making 464 appearances in the Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a leag ...

and Keith Lasley are the only men to win the award three separate times. Charlie Aitken was the first of five players to win the award back-to-back, with

Louis Moult Louis Elliot Moult (born 14 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Motherwell, on loan from Burton Albion. Moult, a prolific goal scorer in Stoke City's academy and reserve side, appeared in a Premier League ...

being the last player to do this. *1955–56 – Andy Paton *1956–57 – Charlie Aitken *1957–58 – Charlie Aitken *1958–59 –

Ian St John John "Ian" St John (; 7 June 1938 – 1 March 2021) was a Scottish professional football player, coach and broadcaster. St John played as a forward for Liverpool throughout most of the 1960s. Signed by Bill Shankly in 1961, St John was a key me ...

*1959–60 – Joe Mackin *1960–61 – Pat Quinn *1961–62 – Bobby Roberts *1962–63 – Bobby McCallum *1963–64 – Joe McBride *1964–65 – Pat Delaney *1965–66 – John Martis *1966–67 – John Martis *1967–68 –

Peter McCloy Peter McCloy (born 26 November 1946) is a Scottish retired Association football, football Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper who played for Motherwell F.C., Motherwell and Rangers F.C., Rangers. He was a member of the team which won t ...

*1968–69 –

Joe Wark Joe Wark (9 October 1947 – 1 October 2015) was a Scottish professional footballer who spent his entire professional career with Motherwell, making 464 appearances in the Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a leag ...

*1969–70 – Keith MacRae *1970–71 –

Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...

*1971–72 – Willie McCallum *1972–73 –

Joe Wark Joe Wark (9 October 1947 – 1 October 2015) was a Scottish professional footballer who spent his entire professional career with Motherwell, making 464 appearances in the Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a leag ...

*1973–74 – Bobby Graham *1974–75 –

Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...

*1975–76 –

Joe Wark Joe Wark (9 October 1947 – 1 October 2015) was a Scottish professional footballer who spent his entire professional career with Motherwell, making 464 appearances in the Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a leag ...

*1976–77 – Stuart Rennie *1977–78 – Gregor Stevens *1978–79 – Stuart Rennie *1979–80 –

Hugh Sproat Hugh Sproat (born 16 November 1952) is a Scottish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. Sproat joined Ayr United from Auchinleck Talbot in 1974. He became a fans favourite and was voted the club's all-time cult hero by Football Focus viewers ...

*1980–81 – Joe Carson *1981–82 – Steve McLelland *1982–83 – Ally Mauchlen *1983–84 – Andy Dornan *1984–85 – Graham Forbes *1985–86 – Tom Boyd *1986–87 – Fraser Wishart *1987–88 – Craig Paterson *1988–89 – Stevie Kirk *1989–90 – Tom Boyd *1990–91 – Ally Maxwell *1991–92 – Phil O'Donnell *1992–93 –

Sieb Dijkstra Sybrandus Johannes Andreas Dijkstra (born 20 October 1966) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer, who is goalkeeping coach at Fortuna Sittard. As a player, he was a goalkeeper who notably played in the Premier League for Qu ...

*1993–94 – Brian Martin *1994–95 – Brian Martin *1995–96 –

Paul Lambert Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Ipswich Town. Lambert played as a midfielder and won the Scottish Cup in 1987 with St Mirren as a 17-year-ol ...

*1996–97 – Mitchell van der Gaag *1997–98 – Tommy Coyne *1998–99 –

Ged Brannan Gerard Daniel Brannan (born 15 January 1972) is an English football coach and former footballer who is under-23s manager at EFL League One side Accrington Stanley. As a player he was a midfielder who notably played in the Football League for Tr ...

*1999–00 –

Don Goodman Donald Ralph Goodman (born 9 May 1966) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career spanned for nearly 20 years, during which he played nearly 600 Football League games and scored 162 goals. Car ...

*2000–01 – Steven Hammell *2001–02 – Éric Deloumeaux *2002–03 – Martyn Corrigan *2003–04 – Stephen Craigan *2004–05 – Scott McDonald *2005–06 –

Graeme Smith Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981) is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for South Africa in all formats. In 2003, he was appointed captain of the national team, taking over from Shaun Pollock. He held t ...

*2006–07 – Mark Reynolds *2007–08 – David Clarkson *2008–09 – Stephen Craigan *2009–10 – John Ruddy *2010–11 – Keith Lasley *2011–12 – Keith Lasley *2012–13 – Michael Higdon *2013–14 – Keith Lasley *2014–15 – Lee Erwin *2015–16 –

Louis Moult Louis Elliot Moult (born 14 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Motherwell, on loan from Burton Albion. Moult, a prolific goal scorer in Stoke City's academy and reserve side, appeared in a Premier League ...

*2016–17 –

Louis Moult Louis Elliot Moult (born 14 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Motherwell, on loan from Burton Albion. Moult, a prolific goal scorer in Stoke City's academy and reserve side, appeared in a Premier League ...

*2017–18 –

Trevor Carson Trevor Carson (born 5 March 1988) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Dundee. Born in Killyleagh, Northern Ireland, Carson started his youth career with Killyleagh Boys before movin ...

*2018–19 – David Turnbull *2019–20 – Declan Gallagher *2020–21 – Tony Watt *2021–22 – Liam Kelly

Hall of Fame

The club launched its official Hall of Fame in 2019, with five inaugural members announced at a dinner on 23 November. Four of the names were confirmed prior to the event with a fifth, a special fans vote, announced on the night as Phil O’Donnell. The 2020 event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only three names, Hunter, Paton and Cooper having been confirmed. On 9 September 2021, the club announced the event was returning with the two remaining 2020 inductees to be named alongside the previous three, together with a whole new class of five names for 2021. 2019: * George Stevenson * Willie Pettigrew * Ally Maxwell * Phil O’Donnell * James McFadden 2020: * John 'Sailor' Hunter * Andy Paton *

Joe Wark Joe Wark (9 October 1947 – 1 October 2015) was a Scottish professional footballer who spent his entire professional career with Motherwell, making 464 appearances in the Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a leag ...

*

Davie Cooper Davie is a surname and a form of the masculine given name David. It can refer to: Surname * Alan Davie (1920-2014), Scottish painter and musician * Alexander Edmund Batson Davie (1847-1889), Canadian politician and eighth Premier of British Col ...

* Steven Hammell 2021: * Bobby Ferrier * John Martis *

Tommy McLean Thomas McLean Jr. (born 2 June 1947 in Larkhall) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. McLean played for Kilmarnock, Rangers and Scotland as a midfielder. He managed Morton, Motherwell, Hearts, Raith Rovers and Dund ...

* Steve Kirk * Stephen Craigan 2022: * Willie MacFadyen * Willie Hunter * Bobby Graham * Tommy Coyne * Keith Lasley

Managers

Honours

Motherwell have won a number of league titles and cups in their history, which includes six major domestic trophy successes. Their sole Scottish league championship came in season 1931–32 (66 points total, winning margin by 5 points). Amongst their biggest cup success was winning the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1951–52 (4–0 v Dundee) and

1990–91 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...

(4–3 v

Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...

), and the

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...

once in 1950–51 (3–0 v Hibernian), also winning the now defunct Summer Cup in 1943–44 and 1964–65. They have also won the second tier of Scottish league football on four occasions. Other notable cup success includes winning the

Scottish Qualifying Cup The Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup. The Qualifying Cup ...

once and winning the Lanarkshire Cup forty times. Their most recent Final appearance in the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2017–18 (2–0 defeat to Celtic) and the

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...

came in 2017–18 (2–0 defeat to Celtic). Their best league performance recently in the Scottish top flight was registering back-to-back second-place finishes in

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

and 2013–14. They have qualified for European competition ten times. The club won the Lanarkshire Cup during 2013–14 in the last season that the cup was competed. This was the club's fortieth success. Below is a list of honours won and other achievements by Motherwell. ¹The Scottish Football Federation was a short-lived non-league that Motherwell competed in from 1891 to 1893 before being elected into the

Scottish Second Division The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SFL ...

in 1893–94.
²The Summer Cup in the 1940s was a regional competition for Southern League teams, while in the 1960s it was a national cup competition for Scottish League Division One clubs.
³The Lord Provost of Glasgow's Charity Cup was a Scottish Super Cup match between the 1951–52 Division One champions and

1951–52 Scottish Cup The 1951–52 Scottish Cup was the 67th staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won by Motherwell who defeated Dundee in the final. First round Replays Second Replays Second round Replays Third ...

winners.
⁴The Lanarkshire Cup Final was between Motherwell and Airdieoanians in 1925–26, but the cup was withheld after a dispute over choice of venue.
⁵ The Franco-Scottish Friendship Cup was an Inter-League competition.

Current squad

First team squad

On loan

Reserve team

Retired numbers

Since O'Donnell's death in 2007, only one player has worn the number 10 shirt. David Clarkson, who is the nephew of O'Donnell, wore the shirt up until he left the club in July 2009. While not officially retired, it has not been issued to any subsequent player.

Club staff

Board of Directors

Coaching staff

Sponsorship

Motherwell were sponsored in the 2019–20 season by online gambling company

Paddy Power Paddy Power is an Irish gambling company founded in 1988. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The business is split into two divisions, UK Ireland (UKI) and International. UKI operations ...

as part of their 'Save our Shirt' campaign'. This followed Bet Park sponsoring the side in a deal running since the start of the 2018–19 season. Commsworld was the principal sponsor from the 2010–11 season. Due to the sponsorship deal not being agreed in time for the start of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League the team briefly featured ''www.chooselife.net'' as their main shirt sponsor. The team shirts continue to carry this sponsorship on the back of the shirt. Recently, they have also been sponsored by the local IT firm Log in to Learn, which have also appeared on the back of the shirts. For the 2009–10 season the team were sponsored by JAXX, a German gambling company. They in turn had replaced

Anglian home improvements Anglian Windows Limited, trading as Anglian Home Improvements, is a British home improvements firm specialising in double and triple glazing windows, front and back doors and conservatories. However, over the last fifty years, the Anglian product ...

, who were the club's shirt sponsor from 2006 to 2008. Previous to this the club had been sponsored by Zoom Airlines, who were part-owned by club director John Boyle, and who retained advertising space on both the Davie Cooper Stand and the South Stand until they ceased trading in August 2008. The sponsor from 2002 to 2004 was a local company called The Untouchables. Previously the club had enjoyed a long-term association with

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent public companies, Motorol ...

, but this ended after 11 years in 2002 as the sponsor started to reduce its manufacturing operations in Scotland. This had in turn followed another long-term association with local car dealer Ian Skelly, who had sponsored the club since 1984. The club have had a number of different kit manufacturers since the 1970s. At present the official kit supplier is Macron who were newly announced for the 2014–15 season to replace Puma after their 3-year deal with the club expired. Previously the club kits were supplied by New-Zealand based sporting goods manufacturer

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

who were announced as the official kit supplier to Motherwell for the four years beginning with the 2009–10 season, taking over from

Bukta Bukta is an English sports clothing brand which was founded in 1879 in Stockport, Cheshire, England. It was also, for much of the 20th Century, a leading brand of tents and camping equipment. History E.R. Buck & Sons was founded in 1879, mainly ...

. However, Canterbury went into administration after less than one year of the contract had been completed. Major manufacturers Adidas, Admiral, Hummel, Patrick,

Pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

,

Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 10 ...

and Xara have all been kit providers for Motherwell.

Kit and main sponsors

References

External links

Official Motherwell Football Club Site
;News and statistics
motherWELLnet

Motherwell FC
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UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...

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Soccerbase ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60 ...

'' {{Authority control Association football clubs established in 1886 Sport in Motherwell Football clubs in Scotland Scottish Premier League teams 1886 establishments in Scotland Scottish Football League teams Scottish Cup winners Scottish Professional Football League teams Scottish League Cup winners Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom

History

Beginnings

1920s and 1930s successes

Post-World War II period

1970s recovery and the McLean era

1980 and 90s

2000–2009

2010–present

Records and statistics

Europe

Player of the Year

Hall of Fame

Managers

Honours

Current squad

First team squad

On loan

Reserve team

Retired numbers

Club staff

Board of Directors

Coaching staff

Sponsorship

Kit and main sponsors

References

Further reading

External links