star sail

Well really need to start utilising some religious conflicts in the world to boost our fan base. Israel/Pallestine or something like that. Does not matter which side we take so long as it generates a generation of fans fuelled by religious hatred. Swell those numbers We could have tapped into the Protestant/ Catholic market but I think that has been cornered already. Alternatively we can be really thankful for our small support and be grateful that we go to the football for footballs sake and put a big smile on our faces because it is not fuelled by hatred and intolerance. I'll take a 2-1 defeat any day to fall on the Well side of the supporting spectrum.

Got that very same feeling in the 91 semi final with Colin O Neils now infamous goal. Everybody seemed to freeze for what seemed like 2 or 3 seconds before going completely balistic!! Those kind of goals are always the best.

Again that is not painting the full picture. I don't have the stats but from memory many of those 12 games were draws, Motherwell were aiming to play football from the back, some of the young players were playing their best spells in Well jerseys to date and one of those draws was against Rangers when but for a late penatly miss, the team would have won. The Gannon argument has been flogged to death but when commenting on any of our previous managers it would be nice if people did not cherry pick statistics. Actually, now I think about it, what were the three, I remember Llannelli, Flamurtari, Kilmarnock, Dundee Utd and ICT. Is that 3 games stat even right?

That is odd because towards the end of the first half (I think, maybe beginning of the second) it read 51%-49% in favour of Motherwell. If anything after that Motherwell came into the game more.

Thought the ref was as fair and even as I have seen for a long time against Rangers. The penalty decision would have been a soft one and he could have made much more of the Hutchison lunge particularly at a time when Well were putting Rangers under a lot of pressure. Good performance by the ref but then again, with the exception of McCulloch the players made it fairly straight forward for him today.

Between Jennings and Lasley for me but because of the goal gave it to Lasley, just. That Jennings got MOTM on the losing team shows the nature of the game.

Really pleased this evening. For once I think that the performance today was almost more important than the result in terms of moral for the rest of the season. Commitment, effort and also more than a fleeting display of ability. Lasley and Jennings were superb today. F**k the result. That mob should beat us off the park every time they play us. Only negative for me it's to say that for a former Well player and Motherwell man Lee McCulloch is one dislikeable character. Replaces a long line of Rangers cluggers that you can really hate.

Not going to quote your post from the last page Stu because it is kinda lengthy but even though it was me you were arguing against, well said! I think the point about leaving the Semi Final thread positive is a good one. I am one of the negative vibe merchants at the moment but like others it does not stop me from having butterflies in my stomach this morning. I can't get to the point of thinking we could sneak it (not yet anyway) but I just want the team to give a good account of themselves and at least let this mob know they are in a game. The thing is as well, you just never know. C'mon the Well!!

Cluching at straws with this. The omission of Gannon's statistics from the list above suggests you are spinning the figures a bit ( I know that is not what you were trying to do). I think it is good to see someone trying to rally the troops in this way but even if the figures were good (which they are not) the standard of performance at these times would have to be concidered. Under McGhee, Gannon and Brown you could see their influence on the park. But for the Dundee game, the standard under McCall has been terrible and there is no real sign of this changing. We can only hope that a performance tomorrow might spark the team back into life.

That suggests to me that you think only the positive and enthusiastic should post on a Motherwell fans forum, however there is a bigger picture here that needs comment. I can't speak for Melvin Bragg but I would guess like me he is a guy who has invested alot of time, money and emotion over the years in supporting Motherwell and is actually hurting a little just now at the way in which the club appears to be spiralling down the pan. Should we not be asking why supporters who have Motherwell at heart are being turned away just now or is that not worthy of comment on a Motherwell Fans Forum? For me personally the appointment of the manager was the final straw but I could write a long list of other reasons why I just could not gather the enthusiasm to go to Hampden tomorrow. I hope things change and I get the groove back. I would love to see us win tomorrow and yes I would be one of the so called 'glory hunters' who may well decide to go to the Final if we did but I am not going to let some prozac popping pup tell me that I am not a real fan for my choices or that I have no right to comment on these boards.

Just watched the highlights. Stone wall penalty. Had that been Hutchison or Saunders we would be bemoaning a lack of experience (Saunders has admittedly been guilty of that this season). Craigan has been a good defender for the club but we really must be getting towards time for a change. When Craigan won his contract extension under Brown he deserved it for a run of games when he showed what he could do. Either side of that little window of form he has been poor. A Hutchison- Saunders pairing does have risk attached to it but in a season that looks like slipping gently away we have to take a chance on the future. Apart from anything else these boys are capable of scoring goals.

Not for in here particularly but another depressing result for Scottish Football at Parkhead. Just as there is a small chance of a team getting close to the OF they are put back in their place with a result like that. 4-0 is a thumping!!

You are not allowed to say that on here. He plays for Northern Ireland you know.

I would want to ask what leverage Motherwell and the other 9 SPL clubs have to really put pressure on the OF. What our league needs more than anything else is even just the illusion that it is a level playing field and that there is a chance no matter how small that a non OF club can win the SPL. The money being swallowed up by the OF must be distributed more evenly. It is Scottish Footballs only chance. Going one step further I would also like to ask if it could be possible to break away completly and start a new top league minus the OF. If nothing else it would make the OF realise that they need the rest of the Scottish clubs to survive. Call there bluff at the very least.

Under normal circumstances yes, but I don't blame the club for this one simply because I think that the Old Boy was feeding them one big pack of lies the whole way through. 'We are just happy to be here' 'We are delighted Motherwell gave us this chance' 'With this bunch of players why would we want to be anywhere else' ' we don't need to sign a contract, we are going nowhere, infact I am offended that you ask' etc etc. The club were suckered by the pensioner and lets be honest so were we. Not that I am questioning the old gentleman's integrity you understand.

The standard of questioning from the Journo's blows my mind at times. I love how often rather than ask questions they just make a statement and then expect players to ellaborate upon it. i.e 'That was end to end stuff today and in terrible conditions' Journo stops talking to signal that he has apparantly asked a question. Reassuring to hear him say that one of the attractions in the move was the Manager. Can forgive him the better move in Scotland gaff. He was kind of set up for it.

Looks like McCall has worked with Jones before so he is going to have a good understanding of his capabilities. I actually find this a reassuring signing (unless it end up like the Andy Roddy- Alex McLeish bombscare, Mcleish made some real howlers did'nt he). I agree 100% with OntheFringes comments having said this. There does seen to be a lack of a long term stratagy. 6 month loan deals are very much a quick fix. I am disappointed as well that the likes of Hutchison and Page still seem to be seen as squad players rather than first choice options. If they can't get a run in the team now when will they ever? Does this mean that the left midfield player that played in the bounce game has gone home?

I am surprised by that Kmcalpin. Shows that it is all about opinions. I thought Stephen Hughes was one of the best players we have had in awhile at FP. Would love him to come back and would think it a real blow if he went to Hibs or Aberdeen. Thought he was the main reason for our purple patch im McGhees first season.

A couple of comments about the bits in bold. The club appointed the right man two summers ago in Jim Gannon but did not have the balls to stand by him and see it through. The club realised there mistake and tried to sign JG 2 but found it more difficult to nail their man this time. The kind of players he signed at that time are exactly the type of players we would want the club to be signing now. On the second point I think there is a difference between whinging and moaning and having a genuine concern about the direction our club is moving in at the moment. I applaud your optimism and support for the club but there is another legitimate view here that is as valid. I hope in the end up however that all ends well which I think despite opposing views is what every Well fan wants.

When are we going to get some news from the club that is going to give us just a tinge of excitement. Players are shipping out and our managerial appointments have both left a sense of disappointment amongst a reasonable portion of the support. I commend the people who are being positive but when the best argument for being positive is 'you have to accept that we have no money' it is a worrying day. If this is the best we can get for the money the club has then fine, but having no money suggests that Kenny Black may not be the next big thing in football management so for people to voice their disappointment over the appointment, I don't see anything wrong with. The point about history I don't really go for either. I think it is important, the history a player has. If the bone of contention is that he is a Protestant (or Catholic in other cases) then comparisions with the OF are justifiable but if the contention is that we have just appointed a hatchet man who historically is known for playing anti-football then again people have the right to be non to jazzed about the guys history. As a fan I want to have a sense of pride and affinity with the guys I turn up and support. In reality he will probably be no better or worse than the last however many No 2's (Scott Leitch, Maurice Malpas, Heggarty etc) but the difference this time is that a strong No 2 appointment seems to be more critical given the lack of previous success and experience of our main man.

He sounds like Ian Holloway there. Good on him. Don't agree with his comments about the Status Quo but an excellent insight into the pressure that is being put on clubs to accept this agreement.

It seems like a good time to start this thread. Two teams struggling for form. Motherwell have not scored in 270+ mins of SPL football and have only scored twice in the last 480 mins (Cup excluded). A thread bare squad and a promising season on the verge of collapse makes this a must win game for the Well (or does it?). Hibs have crashed out the cup to Ayr and are in real danger of falling into a relegation battle but they have taken six points off us this season and we all know that Motherwell are suckers for a sob story. Will they be managerless by the weekend? A tough one to call. Thoughts?

I thought we had make a mistake after 0 games and I have seen nothing to change my mind. We have not had that new manager lift that can sometimes see you through the first few games, there is no plan to bring in new players and the guy does not have himself fixed with an assistant yet. I wish him well and would love to be wrong but I think despite the brave faces many are putting on there is an underlying sense of worry about him being the man for the job. I am about £40 better off having bailed out on the Hamilton and ICT games and it will be £60 when I don't go to watch the defeat to Hibs on Saturday. Not a real fan I know but my breaking point was his appointment. My choice on how I am going to spend my time and money.

I think the difference is that most fans now realise that this is last chance saloon. Lets not forget also that since the split attendances have dropped. Fans have been ignored for a long time now and they are voting with their feet. To completely ignore them again would be the last straw for a lot of fans and rightly so.

Reading the comments on this thread and others like it, the depth of feeling against this 10 team league is as strong as any issue I can remember. The vast majority of fans from all SPL clubs are disillusioned by this and are openly voicing views that they will not be back or will at best pick and choose their games. We know for a fact that the powers that be at Motherwell will have read the comments on these boards. It would be foolish not to and yet they plan to press on regardless. This seems like suicide unless the SPL directors have decided that there is no future to having fans inside football grounds. I can see no other reason why the SPL would press on regardless of the fans opinion. The Motherwell Directors must have factored in that attendences of less than 3000 is worth the hit for the money that will come in from TV revenue. I think that there must be factors to this that as yet we know nothing about.