football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...

North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north-east of the Glasgow City council area and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns, and villages. It also borders East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk (co ...

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 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 2007–2008 SPL season. ...

and have done so 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 . They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilto ...

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

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports 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 ...

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 a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' 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 nu ...

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

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

, where fans stay silent and let out loud synchronised claps seconds apart, gradually speeding up; the chant received wider international attention during 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 F.C. met in Baillie'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 . They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilto ...

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 2007–2008 SPL season. ...

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 Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football, and is managed by Graham Alexander. The club was founded in 1903 and ...

, 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, 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 Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...

and a 2–2 draw with

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...

. 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, handing Motherwell the title without kicking a ball. Between 1904 and 1947, this was also the only League title won by a club outside the Old Firm. 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 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

and

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

, 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

stars including

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 m ...

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 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

, 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) 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 Dundee United. E ...

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

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

. 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 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 Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

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 f ...

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 Andrew Lewis Goram (13 April 1964 – 2 July 2022) was a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Bury, Lancashire, England, he started his career with Oldham Athletic and Hibernian, but he is best remembered for playing for ...

. 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: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. ** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...

in April 2002 with losses approaching

GBP Sterling (symbol: £; currency code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound is the main unit of sterling, and the word '' pound'' is also used to refer to the British currency general ...

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. During his playing career as a defender, Butcher captained the England national team, winning 77 caps in a ten-year international career that feature ...

. 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 Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...

lacked a stadium meeting Premier League regulations. 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 and

James McFadden James Henry McFadden (born 14 April 1983) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player who played as a forward who now works as a football pundit. McFadden started his playing career with Motherwell, where he came to prominence ...

, 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 FC Sydney Football Club, commonly known as Sydney FC, is a professional association football, soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They compete in the top-tier men's league in Australia, the A-League Men. Established in 2004, ...

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 In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caret ...

,

Mark McGhee Mark Edward McGhee (born 25 May 1957) is a Scottish former professional football player and coach. A former forward, McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and had spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, ...

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 (), known as AS Nancy Lorraine, and more commonly as Nancy, is a French football club founded in 1967 and based in Nancy, Grand Est. The club plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot located in Tomb ...

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

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

in June 2009 to be replaced by Jim Gannon. Former

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

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 Breiðablik and Aalesunds before losing in the Play-off round to

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

preventing them from reaching the group stages of the competition. Brown left Motherwell for Aberdeen on 10 December 2010.

Stuart McCall Andrew Stuart Murray McCall (born 10 June 1964) is a professional football coach and former player. He is currently assistant manager of Preston North End. McCall played in a total of 763 league games and in 40 full international matche ...

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 administration 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 The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

. It also saw striker Michael Higdon win the

PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year The PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year (often called the Players' Player of the Year, or simply the Scottish Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish footba ...

award. Goalkeeper Darren Randolph ( second year running), defender Shaun Hutchinson and midfielder Nicky Law were selected for the

PFA Scotland Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Scotland Team of the Year (often called the PFA Scotland Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the four national tiers of the Scottish foo ...

. Motherwell were granted associate membership of the

European Club Association The European Club Association (ECA) is an organization that is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA as the sole, independent body for football clubs within Europe. History Formed on the merge of the G-14 group with the European Club 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 ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

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 neighbours Albion Rovers F.C., Albion Rovers, sitting third bottom of 2013–14 Scottish League Two, Scottish League Two at the time, 1–0 in the 2013–14 Scottish Cup, Scottish Cup. Despite three successful consecutive league campaigns, Motherwell made a poor start to the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership, which ultimately led to the resignation of manager

Stuart McCall Andrew Stuart Murray McCall (born 10 June 1964) is a professional football coach and former player. He is currently assistant manager of Preston North End. McCall played in a total of 763 league games and in 40 full international matche ...

on 2 November 2014. Despite the appointment of Ian Baraclough in December 2014, Motherwell were eventually consigned to a 2014–15 Scottish Premiership#Premiership play-offs, Scottish Premiership relegation play-off spot after a defeat at St Mirren F.C., St Mirren in the penultimate league match of the 2014–15 in Scottish football, 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 List of fan-owned sports teams, fan-owned club when supporters club Well Society's £1 deal with Les Hutchison was concluded. On 13 October 2017, Manager Stephen Robinson (footballer), Stephen Robinson 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 defeat 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 in Scottish football, 1953–54 and 1968–69 in Scottish football, 1968–69, and as the First Division (beneath the Premier League) in 1981–82 in Scottish football, 1981–82 and 1984–85 in Scottish football, 1984–85. They also won the SuperCupNI, Milk Cup in 1983, and the Scottish Summer Cup in 1944 and 1965. Bob Ferrier (English footballer), 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, 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 (footballer, born 1989), Jamie Murphy, with seven goals. Also, the 8–1 win over Flamurtari FC, 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-seater stadium, all-seated in accordance with the Taylor Report although the ground is listed as . Its average home gate for the 2018–19 Motherwell F.C. season, 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 F.C., Dundee United in 1954, with the club's heaviest defeat being the 8–0 loss to

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

in 1979. On 5 May 2010, Motherwell were involved in the highest scoring match in the SPL, drawing 6–6 with Hibernian F.C., 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 ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

on 20 October 1999. The record transfer fee paid by the club was to Everton F.C., Everton for John Spencer in 1999 (£500,000) and the highest received was David Turnbull for his move to

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

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 F.C., Dundee United 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 national football team, Northern Ireland.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 and Keith Lasley are the only men to win the award three separate times. Charlie Aitken (footballer, born 1932), Charlie Aitken was the first of five players to win the award back-to-back, with Louis Moult being the last player to do this. *1955–56 – Andy Paton *1956–57 – Charlie Aitken (footballer, born 1932), Charlie Aitken *1957–58 – Charlie Aitken (footballer, born 1932), 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 m ...

*1959–60 – Joe Mackin *1960–61 – Pat Quinn (footballer), Pat Quinn *1961–62 – Bobby Roberts (footballer), Bobby Roberts *1962–63 – Bobby McCallum *1963–64 – Joe McBride (footballer, born 1938), Joe McBride *1964–65 – Pat Delaney (footballer), Pat Delaney *1965–66 – John Martis *1966–67 – John Martis *1967–68 – Peter McCloy *1968–69 – Joe Wark *1969–70 – Keith MacRae *1970–71 – Bobby Watson (footballer), Bobby Watson *1971–72 – Willie McCallum (footballer), Willie McCallum *1972–73 – Joe Wark *1973–74 – Bobby Graham (footballer), Bobby Graham *1974–75 – Bobby Watson (footballer), Bobby Watson *1975–76 – Joe Wark *1976–77 – Stuart Rennie *1977–78 – Gregor Stevens *1978–79 – Stuart Rennie *1979–80 – Hugh Sproat *1980–81 – Joe Carson (footballer), Joe Carson *1981–82 – Steve McLelland *1982–83 – Ally Mauchlen *1983–84 – Andy Dornan *1984–85 – Graeme Forbes (footballer), Graeme Forbes *1985–86 – Tom Boyd *1986–87 – Fraser Wishart *1987–88 – Craig Paterson *1988–89 – Steve Kirk *1989–90 – Tom Boyd *1990–91 – Ally Maxwell *1991–92 – Phil O'Donnell *1992–93 – Sieb Dijkstra *1993–94 – Brian Martin (footballer, born 1963), Brian Martin *1994–95 – Brian Martin (footballer, born 1963), Brian Martin *1995–96 – Paul Lambert *1996–97 – Mitchell van der Gaag *1997–98 – Tommy Coyne *1998–99 – Ged Brannan *1999–00 – Don Goodman *2000–01 – Steven Hammell *2001–02 – Éric Deloumeaux *2002–03 – Martyn Corrigan *2003–04 – Stephen Craigan *2004–05 – Scott McDonald *2005–06 – Graeme Smith (footballer, born 1983), Graeme Smith *2006–07 – Mark Reynolds (footballer, born 1987), Mark Reynolds *2007–08 – David Clarkson (Scottish footballer), 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 (footballer), Lee Erwin *2015–16 – Louis Moult *2016–17 – Louis Moult *2017–18 – Trevor Carson *2018–19 – David Turnbull (footballer), David Turnbull *2019–20 – Declan Gallagher *2020–21 – Tony Watt *2021–22 – Liam Kelly (footballer, born 1996), Liam Kelly *2022–23 – Kevin van Veen *2023–24 – Theo Bair *2024–25 – Lennon Miller

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 (footballer), George Stevenson * Willie Pettigrew * Ally Maxwell * Phil O'Donnell (footballer), Phil O’Donnell *

James McFadden James Henry McFadden (born 14 April 1983) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player who played as a forward who now works as a football pundit. McFadden started his playing career with Motherwell, where he came to prominence ...

2020: * John Hunter (footballer, born 1878), John 'Sailor' Hunter * Andy Paton * Joe Wark * Davie Cooper * Steven Hammell 2021: * Bob Ferrier (English footballer), Bobby Ferrier * John Martis *

Tommy McLean Thomas McLean Jr. (born 2 June 1947) 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 Dundee United. E ...

* Steve Kirk * Stephen Craigan 2022: * Willie MacFadyen * Willie Hunter (footballer, born 1940), Willie Hunter * Bobby Graham (footballer), Bobby Graham * Tommy Coyne * Keith Lasley 2023: * Hughie Ferguson * Martyn Corrigan * Bobby Ancell * Charlie Aitken (footballer, born 1932), Charlie Aitken * John Philliben

Managers

Honours

Motherwell have won a number of league titles and cups in their history, which includes six major domestic trophy successes. Their sole List of Scottish football champions, 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,Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports 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 ...

once in 1950–51 in Scottish football, 1950–51 (3–0 v Hibernian F.C., Hibernian), also winning the now defunct Summer Cup (Scotland), Summer Cup in 1943–44 and 1964–65. They have also won the List of winners of the Scottish Championship and predecessors, second tier of Scottish league football on four occasions. Other notable cup success includes winning the Scottish Qualifying Cup once and winning the Lanarkshire Cup forty times, most recently in its last edition played in 2014. Their most recent Final appearance in the

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) and the

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports 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 ...

came in 2017–18 Scottish League Cup, 2017–18 (2–0 defeat to

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

). Their best league performance recently in the Scottish top flight was registering back-to-back second-place finishes in 2012–13 Scottish Premier League, 2012–13 and 2013–14 Scottish Premiership, 2013–14. They have qualified for UEFA competitions, European competition ten times. In the summer of 1927, Motherwell won an invitational 'Copa del Rey' trophy in Madrid as part of their tour of Spain, beating fellow tourists Swansea City A.F.C., Swansea Town 4–3 in the semi-final and hosts

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...

3–1 in the final. Below is a list of honours won and other achievements by Motherwell.

Current squad

First-team squad

Development team

Retired numbers

Since O'Donnell's death in 2007, only one player has worn the number 10 shirt. David Clarkson (Scottish footballer), 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 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 continue to carry suicide prevention sponsorship on the arms of the shirt. They have also been sponsored by the local Information technology, IT firm Log in to Learn, which 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, who were the club's shirt sponsor from 2006 to 2008. Previous to this the club had been sponsored by Zoom Airlines Limited, 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, 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 (sportswear), Macron who were newly announced for the 2014–15 season to replace Puma (brand), Puma after their 3-year deal with the club expired. Previously the club kits were supplied by New-Zealand based sporting goods manufacturer Canterbury of New Zealand, Canterbury who were announced as the official kit supplier to Motherwell for the four years beginning with the 2009–10 season, taking over from Bukta. However, Canterbury went into administration after less than one year of the contract had been completed. Major manufacturers Adidas, Admiral Sportswear, Admiral, Hummel International, Hummel, Patrick (sportswear company), Patrick, Pony (brand), Pony, Umbro and Xara have all been kit providers for Motherwell.

Kit and main sponsors

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

Development team

Retired numbers

Club staff

Board of directors

Coaching staff

Sponsorship

Kit and main sponsors

Notes

References

Further reading

External links