Andy_P

I think its actually part of a players contractual obligations to do a certain amount of community work each month but its certainly time well invested be it in selling the club to schoolchildren, providing publicity for a worthy beneficiary or simply making someone's day.

Klimpl's Motherwell career really starts now. He's had a few games to get some match sharpness and build his fitness and now has the security of another five months to really show us what he can do. Remains to be seen whether he can do it on a consistent basis. I liked what I saw in midfield more than in central defence but because he's had one decent game there does not mean he's the answer to our midfield problems. Time will tell but all in all I'm pleased he's going to be around.

I think its a good appointment for you Garibaldi. The guy seems to have the knowledge and ability to comfortably deal with turning around ailing Championship sides. The Premier League? That remains to be seen in the longer term doesn't it? As for his time at Fir Park, here's his profile >>>>> Billy Davies Profile up to around the time he left Preston for Derby....

We are where we are just now but I don't think it should prevent us from continually trying to hold or better where we are. Just using one example. For the first time in about 15 years we have another Lanarkshire side in the SPL. As Pie has pointed out and as can be seen even from the boards we draw support from Hamilton, Blantyre and Larkhall to name but three places in South Lanarkshire. Places Accies would like to think as their catchment area. What impact will their successes over us this season have or if they happen to establish themselves in the top flight for a period have? The season ticket promotions are only part of the package. We must continually strive to attract the next generation and to be fair I think they do a half decent job. Our niece's school for example have been given tickets for games, taken over to Fir Park for lunch, tours of the ground etc. I also liked the suggestion someone made a while back of putting together a welcome pack for any newbuilds in Lanarkshire. Perhaps a ticket for a game and a newsletter telling them about the club, forthcoming fixtures, prices, any promotions going on. Do a couple of follow ups. For 50p a house you might find that repaid by a few new season ticket holders or pay at the gate customers.

Happy New Year!! Motherwell for the Cup!

Aye, I can well imagine that Shull. My Airdrie supporting mate still longs for Broomfield and feels they've never been quite the same as a club since leaving it behind. When he talks of their last game there he remembers it with a mixture of fondness - of old stalwarts gracing the turf one last time of winning their last game and going out in a high. Of mayhem with fans trying to grab what they could for souvenirs - he and his mates were spotted four hours after full-time walking down the street with a Diamonds Private Members Club advert board. But mostly of sadness, when the players had gone, the songs dried up, the stadium began to empty and grown men in tears not wanting to leave knowing that when they did it would be for the last time. Makes me shudder thinking ahead if we ever have to move from Fir Park that's for sure! Personal interest makes me want you have a stinker of a final day at Love Street when the dust settles I'll spare a thought for the Buds fans.

I agree Kmcalpin. The very first AGM I attended actually had such a split of opinion of the board on the evening (over an appointment of someone to the board) that each shareholders shareholding came into play in a vote - and because the vote went a certain way - two of the board resigned (Ian Livingstone & Malcolm McNeill if I remember correctly). I accept that's rare at AGM's where the business is usually to rubber stamp the already agreed business but it does illustrate one area where where the level of shareholding has an influence. In the longer term, if the Trust are increasing their shareholding then again I believe that to be a positive thing, in fact its the key to ultimately what I think the Trust should be looking to achieve. I think its all part of climbing the ladder. Boyle and his command won't ofcourse be there forever and the stronger the Trust find themselves at a period of handover then the more influence they could have on a new group/individual in control of the club. As a result with more influence the Trust would able to demonstrate their worth to the Motherwell support, grow as a Trust, have more weight and so it goes on.

Softy & Faddy

I would have thought this was already part of the remit of the MST anyway? Unfortunately for whatever reasons there is no sufficient desire for any great number of Motherwell fans to have the Trust represent them. Assuming such a position were to be created, whoever carried out the role, be it an individual or a body I think would be on a hiding to nothing. There are simply too many differing viewpoints amongst the Motherwell support on every issue for the person/body concerned to be able to able do to business with the club without being accused of self-interest/in cahoots with the board/not being representative of "my" views. That sounds pretty negative perhaps and is not to say that positives wouldn't come from it, but I think it would be a pretty soul destroying job for whoever was carrying it out.

I think these two posts quite neatly sum our tactics up and also highlight the risks that come with adopting that philosophy. It is really is imperative that we find the net as regularly as possible. Stating the obvious that one ofcourse but take out the attacking edge to our play and we really are stuffed. Recent results have illustrated all too readily that opposition teams need only bide their time and we'll do their work for them with calamitous defending. It really can't be over-stated just how important it is for us to score and get a foothold in a game as early as possible.

I must confess I'm not overly endeared to O'Brien but I thought he did pretty for a first start yesterday. Quite reminiscent of his pre-season outings where he seemed to have a fair bit of desire about him and worked hard to get involved. Don't get me wrong as a few have pointed out there's got to be more end product from him, he has to work on his match sharpness and fitness to enable him to last the full ninety if and when required, but I'd say his inclusion was worthwhile yesterday. His challenge now is to build on yesterday to try to retain his place and show us what he can do on a regular basis if he does retain that place.

You're right Scooby but it was restricted to todays game against Caley, and future home games against Falkirk and Accies. If I remember rightly they said you had to go to the Ticket Office in advance with a particular voucher from your season book and I'm pretty sure they also said that had to be done in advance and wouldn't be done on the day of one of the games.

Well Fizzy was certainly appreciated in Guidi's in Airdrie last night where he was spotted dining with his good lady. He was being complemented by a couple of folk for happily signing autographs for the local urchins - not me I hasten to add......I was way too embarrased to approach!

Likewise! Three points on Saturday? That'd be smashing Santa. Cheers fella!

Given recent form it does look pretty daft doesn't it? I'm guessing that they'll be under some obligation to advertise the voting process so I suppose they've got to tout one of our own, no matter how silly a suggestion it seems.

I think we need a change of style from McGhee on two fronts. Off the park we need an honest appraisal of where we sit now and what we are going to do to make steps to rectify the situation. I don't want to read things like we'll only play football the right way when when in the last year we've gone from some of the classiest football from a Motherwell team in a generation to a one dimensional long ball outfit. I want to read about positive moves you intend making with the resources you do have, not negativity about what you don't have and can't do. And I most certainly don't want to hear you talking about other teams and players like Aiden McGeady during the week when you have an important task at hand which should have your 100% focus. On the park its all so predictable just now. I want to see the end of this long ball nonsense which has got us nowhere for weeks. Not only is it ineffectual its absolute crap to watch. If it takes the likes of McHugh, Saunders and Murphy etc. to show a bit of determination, passion and hunger then so be it, its surely got to be worth a try now to try to kick-start things. I would normally be against throwing loads of laddies in but what do we have to lose? How many times have we seen McGarry appear purpled faced on the wrong win, checking back because he doesn't have the pace. How many crosses will Stevie Hammell crack off the defenders arse? How many defensive balls up will we give opposition teams goals from nothing? I'm not calling for your head. You've given me some fantastic times in your tenure but the apparent unwillingness to change things on the park and some soundbytes that would appear not to fully appreciate the seriousness of the situation. So Mark not a change of job for yet, but definitely time for a change of style.

Only the club will know the true efficiency of the Undersoil Heating System, the covers/balloon etc. and what really happened with the postponement and I'm sure they'll present their case accordingly. Overall though I don't think its unreasonable that we have to face the authorities to explain. What I would say though is that in terms of avoiding or lessening any fine I would definitely plead poverty as much as they can in terms of how much money they lost that weekend as a result of the postponement, how it'll cost them with a reduced crowd for the replay, the costs for programmes, hospitality, stewarding costs etc. Basically tell the SPL that a fine is only going to pour salt into our wounds........and hope for the best, really.

I got mine, nothing received for the urchin - whose address is c/o mine, unless its purposely not being sent to Juvi season ticket holders? There was one guy who was taking up the offer when I was in getting Accies ticket on Monday. He was two in front of me, was told to wait to the side until the individual dealing with that promotion became available. He was still standing waiting to have his request processed by the time the woman in front of me and I had been dealt with. As an aside though it did make me smile when I asked for 2 tickets for Saturday's game to be asked who was it we were playing on Saturday.......

I'll still be there and if I can afford it I'll still get my season ticket. I might be weak, gullible, a sucker, a fool and take whatever shite they throw at me off the park they'll always be my team and no matter how bad things get I'll still be at Fir Park to support them.

Yeah just got lot to live with it unfortunately. Hopefuly the club will have done a wee bit of negotiating so if there's any they don't sell they'll pass them to us nearer the game. Fingers crossed I get one mind you!!

Have quite a good feeling about tonight. It may well take us a good while to make the breakthrough but I think we'll get there in end. A 90th minute deflected shot that hits the post then rebounds aff Combe's fat arse and back over the line would be an especially fun win to win it.

I don't really know what I want to be honest. I want to sign players and I want to read that we'll be signing players. But at the same I sometimes feel he should shut up, sign the player - then do talking, especially when much of the talk seems to be the same stuff we've read about having no money, only being able to make loan signings and utilising contacts that we've read in every transfer window since McGhee arrived. See, I don't really know what I want.

Actually now you mention them, one of the drawback's of Jaxx's sponsorship is the disappearance of the bookies in the East Stand. Rarely ever got my correct score and first scorer up but added a wee bit the game, and was always good as a last chance option if you hadn't put your coupon online or made it to the bookies before getting to the ground.

I wonder how many we'll take to Tannadice for that one. St Mirren away on the 3rd, Scottish Cup away day the following weekend and then Tannadice on a Sunday on the back of that in the long run up to payday at the end of January.......

I think its good that Clarky at least has aspirations of a 3rd place finish but I would say another top half finish is more of a realistic target for us now. Perhaps significant that around this time last year we were putting together the kind of run that Dundee Utd and Hearts are currently doing now. We had a half-decent spell that took us up to 3rd without playing particularly well and for me if challenging for 3rd was going to be our level this season we really needed to push on after those back-to-back Old Firm games. At that point we were heading into the run of games that could have put us on our way and dented the like top six challengers. Instead we've lost three on the bounce and gone completely the other way and now have some must win games coming up in the very near future to make sure we're safe rather than concerning ourselves with 3rd place finishes.