LadywellToi

I'd like to see something like this from the club. "As we discussed last week loyalty is in short supply in Scottish football, however MFC recognise the loyalty of our entire support over the years whither it be a core season ticket holder or occasional/big game fan. We have decided to start an initiative to address the issues that certain former employees cited as reasons for going elsewhere. Therefore, any season ticket holder who introduces 2 new half season ticket holders receives a £50 rebate on next years renewal. The introduced fans receive a half season ticket for the concession/student rate for the remainder of this season. We call it the Craigie Drive. We are glad to announce the following drive to increase our support, revenues and re-dress some of the balance in the perception of some in our game."

It's a vicious circle, you need more money to improve the quality and need improved quality to attract the fans. All I know is I know at least 3 Well fans who are either disenfranchised, apathetic or have work commitments regularly on a Saturday that I may be able to convince to come back. I'd rather spend 20 minutes on each of them than spending the time planning Craig Brown's demise. Weesacs, I think the problem is too many of us find it easy to suggest something can't happen than being optimistic. I take heart from the story of Robert the Bruce and the spider. We now have a focus being "get it up you Cragie" to try to increase the attendances. Maybe the club should look at that as a marketing strategy. As for Aberdeen not being relegated, please don't crush my only Christmas wish.

Just listened to Craig Brown's interview on the BBC, found myself turning into a clone of Tourette's sufferer Pete from Big Brother as it progressed. I'm personally annoyed with the inconsistency of his stories over the past week and manifested when he said that he left Motherwell as we had a small squad compared to the rest of the SPL and Aberdeen had more resources, however in the press conference said Aberdeen has a small squad compared to the rest of the SPL.....? The final bit got me thinking .... What do Aberdeen have over us? An impressive purple patch 30 years ago and some serious European silverwear, a one club city (opposed to a town among many others), 150 miles from Glasgow and the OF and 50ish from their nearest SPL rivals. An average gate that is closer to 13,000 than 6,000 and finally 3 times as many season ticket holders and consequently the increased revenues that go hand in hand. Brown used these as reasons to go for the "bigger" job. So I put it to all Motherwell fans reading this, let's actively do something constructive rather than petulant protests to highlight the mistake he has made. So the task is rather than writing signs, turning our backs or paedo chants, go out and switch the effort to actively recruit two people each for a half season ticket, its not the same financial burden as a full one in the summer. It would be ironic that Brown leaving citing he wanted more money for transfers resulted in the Motherwell fans rising up allowing the new management team a swollen budget, in excess of before they jumped ship. For me this is a better legacy of the past weeks sorry affairs than what has been suggested so far. We had 9,000 at FP for the Odense game only four months ago, every single one of us knows at least 2 people who used to go regularly to FP and one who could be swayed. Maybe if a club official reads this they may consider offering an incentive for the season ticket holder and their two buddies. (i.e. a percentage off the price and a cash rebate for the season ticket holder?) Let's be constructive in our protest rather than destructive and childish. Lets go a bit of the way to increase our standing compared to them and next season when we have an increasing gate, Aberdeen's will falter, playing in the 1st Division after all does have that effect.

Buying new players on the "Never Never" tic account was suited to the ITV digital era. We've been burned and burned others so the senior management have now moved forward and employ prudent and responsible funding of our club. Aberdeen and Hearts are in a bad position with universal falling attendances, lack of TV interest and servicing their debt. If Brown is given extra money then it will be through Milne ignoring the mounting debt they have, effectively a mortgage break type scenario.

nice! With McCart at 5's and no mention of Youngie, why does managing a bigger clubs youth team qualify you over a loyal employee and give you such short odds? I wonder if there will be a queue itching to say "ten spot on Mo Johnson" tomorrow at Willie Hills?

For a first post that deserves a 3 day ban ..... Moderators!!!!!!

We have a track record under Boyle of appointing faces fresh to or unexpected in Scottish football, I think and hope he'll keep that going.

Not quite, look like an agent of even worse, an agents admin bitch. As confirmed by Gaag. Long and short, vermin like this are a supporter of whoever has a chequebook, which consequently makes him a 2 bob man-prossie.

6th in the league to be exact, a poor November and December took us from being 2 points behind Rangers in 4th. This guy is purely an oxygen thief.

Aye good one there Ham-shank, see I can do it too. You could always lubricate proceedings with your clients leftover hair grease.

Hey "firstpost eejitboy" as you will be known from now on, Lets look at your point - "Motherwell were in the gutter when Craig and Archie took over", mmm perhaps not there Applepip, we were top 6 with 20 points on Hogmanay, if you ignore Mutley's first season, the best start for quite a while. It was only tempered by a run of 5-6 bad results through November and December (where we were 2 points behind Rangers in 4th at the end of October). Now a club with the stature and history of Aberdeen being 2 points off the bottom and sacking their manager after a 9-0 loss (biggest in SPL ever), that's in the gutter. Gaag is the "fannybaws" alert not going off on your PC?

With Devlin hosting I'd prefer to have Youngie or Craggs rather than another journo.

If the club go down that route, they may as well borrow an industrial sized shredder for all the returned season tickets. An easier and more cost effective method would be to post a match in the post. If he did wangle it then I'd look to start a picket, Robbie the Pict style until he was boosted.

The talk of McGhee returning is absolute crazy talk, I didn't think I've ever see Motherwell fans not only suggest it but try to justify it. I'd have to seriously consider returning my season ticket. We've got 23 points, another 10 or so will see us stay up, even if we switch to Billy Reid tactics then we'd achieve that. Things aren't dire by any means, no reason to go after any other SPL manager.

If it doesn't say anything else other than the year in brackets then its the summer. i.e. Tom Hateley is signed until May 2013

Blackman's loan is till the end of the year. Fitzpatrick was signed on a 6 month deal until the end of the year. Gow was brought in on a short term contract until the end of the year. All the info is on page 1 of this thread, post #1.

Actually this one would wind up the unwashed in the East End ..... Larsson? Swedish season finished, Wikileaks stuff kicking off, higher level than he's used to, good intro before he replaces Lennon. Maybe we'd get a few fringe Barca players reaching their 32nd birthdays

I suppose its fair to say then that every candidate has their pro's and con's, for me Youngie's pro's outweigh his con's and you feel the opposite. In my ideal world, if they were appointed, another back-room member of staff would be drafted in to help mentor them in a consultative role, maybe someone who has the experience of the game and has the gravitas and knowledge of other markets to attract additional players. However they probably wouldn't appreciate or want the hours and focus that comes with being a top-flight football manager due to their advancing years or lifestyle. Someone like a Walter Smith or Souness character.

Who's to say that Youngie won't get the reputation in the game Davies now has in a much quicker period of time, for all we know he could end up emulating what Owen Coyle has managed. Davies was offered the jump and I'm sure he'd happily share his experiences of what he would do different with hindsight. What is important he was given a chance and wasn't left to deal with the youth team indefinitely. I don't think he is any more of a punt than many names been banded about on here, the only difference is he at least isn't passing through and he is linked intrinsically to the club.

I agree he has been wanting on a few occasions, but that has sometimes been down to his pace and age. Things are different when you plan things in advance to on your feet in the heat of a game. One thing he does manage well though is the press and PR, which is a big part of game nowadays. I'm not saying I'm am betting my last £5 on them, just out the list of alternatives given, they wouldn't do any worse than the half and are more realistic than most. Can anyone seriously see Gannon coming back after everything that went on and the day it was announced to the team he was leaving they all cheered on the bus at Dalziel Park? John Collins lives in Monaco and insisted on spending power and ambition from his board, we can't hope to offer that or a fraction of what Hibs could offer him when he was there and left. Butcher is under contract and I'm still annoyed he left us to go to a bloody A-League team, if it was for a lifestyle change then fair enough. Calderwood, Hughes, etc. have all had their day and need to prove themselves again but starting afresh with 1st/2nd division clubs and working their way up again. Motherwell is not the place for them.

I met Gordon Young for the first time recently and was impressed with his attitude and I understood very quickly that he has Claret blood coursing through his veins. Craigan is reaching the end of his playing career, I felt he handled the Gannon thing impeccably against constant undermining. He exhibited the demeanour of a true professional and gentleman. He is erudite and has a good TV pedigree and presence. What is important for me is both have desire and fight, in abundance Youngie is like a pit pull and look at the way Craigan turns to the East and pumps his fist when we win, they both really care about this club. I definitely wouldn't look to hire any of the regulars on the SPL managerial merry-go-round. Also, anyone currently under contract is out too as we can't afford the compensation unless they are Dr Martin's/Irish League managers or have a big team get-out clause. The benefit of hiring an unknown is they have contacts, influence and knowledge of different pool of players that would normally be off our radar. The reason Gannon still gets a split reaction from our support is the legacy of the players he brought in and left us. Based on that, I would look to get Youngie to run training in the same vein as Knox and let Craigan handle the press conferences and media. I'm unsure if they are both already too close to the team as you do need a degree of distance. As for the tactics I would hope they could grow into that role and iron it out as they go between them or rely in another addition to the backroom staff. I would also be open to anyone from any league or country as JB's acumen has mostly been not too bad, just like Humphrey on occasion, the final ball could do with some work. Also, which looney's have voted for McGhee? - The Aberdeen supporters who joined up tonight I'm guessing. Finally, out the current list I'd only have Collins for overall charge. Leitch, I don't know the whole story concerning his departure so will reserve judgement, reservation he has been tainted by McGhee's ego.

Updated post #1 accordingly, open to suggestions for an alternative to "Lacking Integrity"

From In's and Out's Steven Hammell - 30/03 - 2 years (2012) Keith Lasley -15/04 - 2 years (2012) Stephen Craigan - 16/04 - 1 year (2011) Steven Saunders - 21/04 - 1 year extension (2013) Steve Jennings - 14/05 - 1 year (2011) Jamie Murphy - 19/05 - 2 year extension (2013) Jonathan Page - 21/05 - 1 year extension (2012) Marc Fitzpatrick - 27/05 - 1/2 year extension (Xmas 2010) Robert McHugh - 02/06 - 2 year extension (2013) Tom Hateley - 09/06 - 3 years (2013) If he takes any of them apart from Fitzy, Jennings and Craigan he'll be paying us good wedge. I'd also echo claretbandonambershirt comments fully. I hope we go innovative again and give them a Bullseye "look what you could have won" moment with an inspired manager to push us on for the next few years. Water-tight contract please. Finally with respect to the SPL rules, yeah go after them but don't waste too much time (remember 18 home games last season opposed to 19). I imagine they weren't paid daily so it would either be monthly or weekly, if that's the case that is a contract of sorts and if approached before receiving their last payment then we do have a leg to stand on. Shallow lack of ambition from Aberdeen and their chairman, see who else is doing well in our 12 team top league and poach them even if they only have another 2.5 years max in them.

Reminds me of the speech in Love Actually by Hugh um er hum Grant directed towards the Yanks. I look forward to cringing at how he tries to justify his behaviour tomorrow. In all honesty do we really want someone who is prepared to act in such a way in our club?

Mini Poll Trounce Aberdeen 5-0 next week in the league or 1-0 against Rangers in the Cup semi-final .......?