Andy_P

Think that one might have been the last game of the season when we had fun taunting them as they were down. Mind could be playing tricks but the goal I remember Phil scoring in the December game was a shot from the edge of the box.

Can't quite remember the full details offhand but it was certainly December and the jist of it was..... That it was a pivotal week in the season for us with us bottom of the table and in danger of becoming detatched. Only a few weeks earlier we'd had "McLean Must Go" demonstrations outside the Main Stand at Fir Park and it was against a financial backdrop of the club shelling out millions to be build the South Stand which by that time was nearing completion. By quirk of fate we faced two of the other relegation battlers in Falkirk and Airdrie on consecutive Saturdays. First one was the Bairns who either went ahead or pegged us back to 1-1 before the game turned in our favour thanks to some controversial officiating (really!). Iain Ferguson and Davie Cooper were involved in a quick throw-in, one which Falkirk felt was theres, a few seconds later the ball's in their net and the Falkirk players go loopy. None more so than Tony Parks who after getting booked for protesting keeps mouthing and eventually gets sent off and the Falkirk players go loopy. Capitalising on the good fortune we run out 3-1 winners. Next week its a tasty derby against the Section B at Broomfield and with a bit of confidence behind us it was a well deserved 2-0 win for the Dossers with Phil O'Donnell a scorer who ran half the length of the park to givf the home support a big "Come On" gesture on his way to the 'Well fans. Fortnight or so later we're off the foot of the table thanks to a hard-earned nil nil at Tynecastle, safe by the end of the season in little more than 12 months later we're involved in a battle for the league title!

I'm another fan of Sutty and hope he gets a new deal sorted too. As above, chips in a decent amount of goals each season and allied to that you can generally be assured of determination and endeavour be it upfront or when he's been shunted to left-mid. I'm not sure if he's mentioned anything about a new deal in the media and programme but gives the impression of being happy enough at Motherwell. Given he has bounced between England and Scotland for almost all his career maybe we can benefit from him being wanting to stay put for a bit. All assuming the club want to re-new his deal ofcourse!! But in general we are getting to the point of the year where it would be nice to hear some contract news. One of the positives from last season was the swift renewal of several of the team's contracts. Hopefully that can continue this year also.

That takes me back! I remember even as a laddie that when we had a postponement that you had to watch Grandstand to see what the pools panel came up with for our games.

It's a difficult one. On reading the first paragraph it made me remember our bus being turned back by the polis trying to get a game against Killie curiously enough around Christmas about 1997 or 1998. We got pumped 4-1 but if I remember rightly one of the reasons the road was blocked, was that 'Well fans had actually been involved in accident, there may even have been a fatality. So its entirely reasonable for the SPL to have fans safety in mind. But there's a balance to be struck against personal choice and the individual taking responsibility for their own actions. I argued last week that the Hearts postponement was reasonable - a week down the line though with the councils, club and supporters having had a decent opportunity to tackle roads and pavements, sort out the stadium where necessary and look into travel options, perhaps it might have been wiser to allow clubs to assess each situation on its own merits. I think Terry Butcher was insistent for example that the Inverness game should have gone ahead. Or at least allow each team to work out a timeframe between them and their opponents rather than the blanket postponement. As it happens I actually got lucky having been down south and was unable to make it on Saturday but I think we need to remember that what's happening in Aberdeen or Inverness isn't necessarily being replicated in Motherwell, Paisley or Kilmarnock.

I'm appreciative of McGhee's efforts with us, more so the first than second when using the word effort perhaps, but I wouldn't approve of a return. The thing that sticks in my mind from his decision to leave was the line of thinking that he didn't have the materials nor the stomach for a rebuilding job at Motherwell. That spoke volumes for me. Such is the nature of our club that there will be few managers at Fir Park who won't have to build a team when they are with us. Further to thats given the seeming lack of awareness of what exactly he had coming through the youth ranks, allied to what has proven to be an inability over the last two and a half years to operate in the transfer market at the levels we now have to as a club, make him a non-starter for me.

Noticed that on either the STV News or Sky Sports News last night. Was interesting that one of them also had coverage of us in the South Stand and on the wee bit I caught of his radio programme last night Stephen Craigan remarking about indoor facilities being available to hire "if clubs will pay the money".

I know I shouldn't bite but... Who signed him? Who waited, and waited, and waited, and waited and waited some more to re-sign him?

I have some sympathy with the councils on this. Canada and Scandanavia can cope with it because they know its coming and the likely volumes year in, year out like night follows day. In Scotland it could be for an hour, a day, a week or a month anytime between November and April. There was talk last week we would get snow here on Wednesday - it didn't arrive until Friday night. You simply can't legislate 100% for where, when and what in volumes snow is going to fall, and when it does everybody and their dug expects their streets done. 4000 folk going to the fitba, 96 year old Mrs Miggins going for her bread and milk, Tam coming home from a night shift. Everybody all wants their own situation sorted and sometimes with the best will in the world it just isn't possible.

Two threads both about the postponement so have merged into the one. We can do a fresh 'fishel game thread when we know what's what.

Just as an aside, had a look at one of the auctions - 75% to "the Motherwell FC Community Trust, the club's own charity". The club's own charity? Did that one slip me by? First I can recollect any mention of that.

I can't really agree that a lack of ambition being a reason why someone would join the Old Firm. The money element's a given. Whether they succeed or fail they'll have seriously boosted their bank balance and they will doubtless be aware that a career ending injury is always a possibily, that that opportunity to give yourself some security might not come around again. But if a player from one of the diddy teams has caught the eye of the Old Firm in the first place then you would imagine they must have something about them. They will then be faced with the potential buyer massaging their ego about how good they are and how they are going to benefit the team to entice them to sign. At the same time their profile will be raised by the media considerably because they've been linked with one of the Old Firm. They may very well also have an agent using all of the above as indicator as to how good their client must be. The might even very well support one of the two of them. I doubt then that there will have been very few Riordan's, Pearson's, Walker's, Novo's and even Alex Cleland's of the world who have gone to Ibrox or Parkhead not utterly convinced they are the vital missing piece of jigsaw and destined for great things. The opportunity to play in Europe year in, year out and boost your chances of an international career or hope that the odd European campaign or good season in the league or cup run comes your way. Remove the emotion from it and surely the lack of ambition is if you don't take that chance to play at the highest level your ability allows? Don't get me wrong much the same as the Old Firm will use all of the above as an argument to get their man I'll shout from the rooftops with all our usual counter arguements about being stuck on the bench and becoming a forgotten man etc that we use whenever one of our own is linked with them. But its not much of a surprise that the vast majority will choose to make the move. As much of a kick in the teeth it is to see them forsake us for some bastard outfit from Glasgow its understandable and I can just about tolerate it, if the move is handled with some consideration and tact. Looking back its the Jason Dair to Livingston, Steven Craig to Aberdeen, Brian Kerr to Hibs and further back Owen Coyle to Dunfermline moves that have aggrieved me more. I can accept that the Old Firm will have a lure for the majority but Jason Dair knocking back MFC to go to Livi to further his career? Oh come on.....

Awkward one but a winnable one. There's a wrong to be righted from a couple of seasons ago when they beat us at Fir Park in the Scottish Cup and we just didn't show up. We should be capable of taking enough up to fill that stand behind the goals at least. Really hope its the Saturday. Third round day (Or 4th as it is now) is one of those few special days of the season for me. Where its all about the excitement and anticipation of knowing you are only a few games away from Hampden. The knowledge that you'll travel in good numbers and it'll be that little bit different from the norm. It loses something if its not the Saturday - and not just several hours extra bevvying time!! There's a whole different feel about a Sunday game and less folk will go too. It's bit like when you have a game on opening day that gets shunted to an early kick-off or the following day, its still good. Just not as good as it could be.

Thoughts and votes please.....

Don't know if there was a requirement to write to the Premier League but we certainly did play in the same white kit that we'd beaten Rangers in a few days earlier. I remember at the time McLeish mentioning that the players wanted to wear it against Dunfermline.

Not that it in anyway defends the Old Firm for their home crowds against us but possibly worth remembering that Rangers at Fir Park was our opening league game of the season, with Celtic the next home game a week or two later. We also had them both early in the New Year at Fir Park when again attendances were traditionally that wee bit higher than the norm.

Now that would have been some battle - and it would have been a battle in every sense of the word - had we had to play Airdrie in that play-off. You can only speculate how it would have gone though. Airdrie were so confident they were going up after the run they had been at the time, no matter which one of us it was going to be in the play-off. But to be fair we had tonnes of experience in the team at that time and I doubt they would have been too phased by it and Airdrie didn't have Broomfield in their favour any longer which I also think would have been to our advantage.

Probably just down to the fact that folk simply don't know. In all my time supporting Motherwell I don't ever them releasing an exact figure of season books sold. I've seen the odd percentage increase quoted - like one eaststandfan reports from the half-season sales article on the official but I think you'll struggle to find the club giving out a concrete figure of number of season tickets punted.

Get it set up quick and set up an auction for a wean and parent/guardian to join the squad on each of the remaining away games after Christmas. Travel on the team with the team bus, hovver nervously around the dressing room and dugouts pre-match for a bit, before taking your seats thanks to comps provided by the club and back home on the victorious team bus. Pretty good Christmas present that for your nipper if you managed to swing that one!!

It's been all ticket at St Mirren games as far back as when they were playing at Love Street but fortunately they've always sold tickets up to kick-off. At the left hand side of the away stand, behind the astroturf pitches there's a wee ticket office where you can get your tickets if you can't get them from Fir Park beforehand. As for the game itself you have to hope we get a similar reaction from the team to the one which followed the Accies defeat and they go out to right a few wrongs.

Three topics now all covering similar stuff on the Club Chat - at the same time mirroring a lot of stuff already being discussed over in the Tartan Army Section. Will keep on the Club Chat forum seeing as the majority is directly related to MFC players but have merged into the one thread.

Hmm, perhaps the defence of Inverness and Dundee Utd against whom he scored and St Mirren for whom his introduction cost them at least a point, might disagree with that call. I quite like Gow actually. He's not going to be every punter's cup of tea and I don't doubt he is really going to try the patience of the best of us at times. But I do think he's got something about him. There's some craft and trickery in there and an ability to sneak a goal here and there that makes him worth keeping about. Not quite sure his best position is as a central striker mind you but an ability to play there and wide in our squad can't be overlooked either. And besides every goal he scores for us is like a dagger through the heart of my Airdrie mates who absolutely idolised him when he played for them.

Similar thoughts to those already posted by a few. Pre-match comments from Brown about not being scared to change a winning line up suggested changes were afoot. Could have seen Gow coming in for Sutty but moving Hateley back into midfield was a slight eye raiser. Thought it was a soft penalty but well dispatched by Blackman. After so many misses over the last year nice to see that one going in. We never really got a chance to settle on the lead unfortunately. Bit of luck involved with the deflection which just took it out of Randy's reach but by the same token we seemed to have a few opportunities to clear or at least break up the play prior to Riordan getting his shot in. The second. That was just head-shaking material. Good response from us after going behind. Unsure whether Gow was aiming for goal with that header or whether the failing was in nobody following in to knock it in, but either way was a good opportunity passed up. Nice lob from Murphy that wasn't far away and had McDonald not given Brown the benefit when he made an arse of a high ball right on half-time then Humph would have been left with a chance about four yards out. Felt confident enough at that point that the situation could be sorted out and to be fair we dominated the second half. Perhaps the problem was that Hibs no longer needed to chase the game or be on the front foot as they simply sat back and took advantage of our old failings at being less effective when the onus is on to break down a defence. Couldn't see the thinking behind the offside decision from the 'Well end, I think the majority saw the flag early and whilst the ball ended up in the net, there wasn't much made of it at the time. The lack of changes was frustrating. There seemed to be a tweak to the formation but a freshness was being cried out for long before they eventually came. Refereeing throughout varied from questionable to downright shocking. All in all an opportunity lost I feel. Didn't see anything much today to suggest that Hibs are any better than us. Unfortunately today we just didn't quite cut it.

Thoughts and votes please folks...

Says tickets available on the gate on the official so would assume so yeah. Hope so, or I'm up shit creek!!