El Grew

I had worked out that if the current top 6 remain unchanged then after the split our fixtures in no particular order, would be: Kilmarnock (H)Celtic (A)Ross County (H)St. Johnstone (H)ICT (A) I don't know if this is correct though.

Unless I'm mistaken I have now read in two separate newspapers that Michael Higdon wants to stay with us. He's sending the club a message and I hope the club are picking it up. He's on track to equal if not pass the club's post-war goal scoring record of 23 goals by the one and only (and my favourite 'Well player) Willie Pettigrew, set in 1975. Yes 38 years, that's how long it's taken for us to get someone as prolific as the great 'Grew. Higdon is now by his own admission playing the best football of his career and he says that (like many others at FP now and before him) that he enjoys going to his work and that his family are really settled. As many of us know enjoying your work and being happy at your place of work and having your family settled are things that you can't put a price on. Yes, he could perhaps move from FP (like many before him) for more gold but would he still retain the three aspects above? It's odds on that he would not. Look at some of the guys who have gone before - John Sutton too was playing the best football of his career at FP but elected to move for bigger wages and look at him now, not guaranteed a starting place in as poor a Hearts team as you'll see. David Clarkson, Paul Quinn, Brian Kerr, dare I say James McFadden, Stephen Pearson etc. etc. So come on 'Well let's get the big guy re-signed pdq.

Aye I remember that game too particularly Bobby Watson's screamer past big McCloy. Our second was what Bobby Graham and the 'Grew were all about. Graham was a class act and the number of times these two performed the same move as they did here was uncanny but terrific to watch. Yes and never a penalty and spot the b*stard in the black - one J.P.R. Gordon from Newport on Tay the same b*astard that refereed our Scottish Cup sem-final against them the following year and "gave" them another penalty that never was! He had some track record. With great respect to the cup winning side I still believe this was the best Motherwell team I've seen at FP.

Just another act in the long running farce that is Scottish football. As if it should come as any surprise but the fans of the non-OF clubs are getting right royally f*cked over. Fan ownership?

The most natural goal scorer I ever saw at FP. Instinctively knew where he was in relation to the goal and when he saw the white of the goals he always had a go and invariably hit the target. The winning goal he scored against Celtic (then cup holders) at FP in the cup at FP will stay with me forever. Typical 'Grew.Oh Wullie Wullie, Wullie Wullie Wullie, Wullie Pettigrew.

"We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization." Gaius Petronius (AD 27 - 66AD)

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere recently that this 'new system' had been tried in Switzerland for a few seasons but was then abandoned in favour of their previous league st-up. In other words it failed! So why are we so hells fire intent on bringing in a system that has already been discredited?

Yes a very disappointing result to St Mirren but we can't and won't win every single game. Our away record is excellent but its our home form that's piling pressure on us. We are leaking goals at an alarming rate and IMO the entire back 4 are very poor just now and are certainly putting a lot of pressure on our forwards to score. McCall needs to get the defensive side of the side sorted because we just do not look like a side that can keep a clean sheet against anybody. Its bad enough losing the first goal but when you then lose a second its an uphill struggle. Maybe need to consider moving Hateley to midfield with Lasley and play them just in front of the back 4 as additional cover.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with serious constructive criticism but ranting and raving at players is a waste of time. What you need to realise is that these guys are out there doing there absolute level best but the fact is that's as good as they are. If they were better then they'd not be plying their trade at FP. That said I can understand people's frustrations. Having paid out their good hard earned for a season ticket and only seeing a couple of home wins before Christmas is always likely to get folk's mad.

Never been a fan of McCall but it wasn't him that failed miserably against Aberdeen the other night - too many of the players just didn't seem to fancy it. I am all for having good footballers in the side but at present (Lasley apart) there's not much steel in the Steelmen who are prepared to roll the sleeves up and battle.

Spot on Lobey. I think that this is a major problem for the club at present and one that has not been picked-up on. Whilst fan ownership is very laudable I'm afraid management by committee never works because there is nobody in the leadership role. Another aspect that is hitting us hard too is a lack of cash for being able to get in a couple of better players than we presently have. This would stop the complacency that I think has crept in as a result of our having quite a small first team squad.

Bloody hell!!! Yes it was disappointing to lose such a late goal and only get a draw. But some folk need to get a grip. Seven games, unbeaten home and away and top of the SPL. Aye its a piss poor start to the season right enough. All 'Well fans should be savouring every single minute of this season and the past few seasons in the sun because its heady days for us and it won't last forever. Like quite a few who post on here I've seen some real piss poor starts to seasons and some right piss poor seasons so for me this is almost surreal. So lets not lose the plot and keep wioth the team - regardless of whether or not we lose to both halves of the OF next week becaue it won't make us a bad team.

Yes texanwellfan we did lose a Texaco Cup match at FP to Hearts 1-2 aet in the circumstances described by Special AKA. I think it was Donald Ford who got the debated equaliser - I'll never forget how sick I felt after losing that one as it was probably my first real disappointment (many more since) as a 'Well fan. But we did get our revenge in the later game I described when we won 4-2. One goal from tha game that has stuck in my memory was a belter from about 20 yards from Jim "Netzer" McCabe.

I wonder if any 'Well fans out there remember the 1969 League Cup Quarter Final epic against Morton? First leg at Cappielow - we lost 3-0 and got Dixie Deans sent-off. Looked as though the second leg the following week would be a formality. Second leg at FP - we won 3-0 in normal time but couldn't quite win it in extra-time. I remember FP being packed and standing out in the pissing rain with my brother and my dad behind the goals at the Knowetop end (now Davie Cooper Stand) for the entire game. Soaked through to our drawers but throughly enjoying every minute. Third game at Ibrox - we won 1-0 with a late goal from big Jumbo Muir in a game that was anything but a classic. Couldn't have cared less we were in the semi. Or the second-leg of Texaco Cup game against Hearts at FP after a 1-1 draw at Tyncastle in the fist leg. We were 0-2 down at half-time and on our way out. Second half totally took charge, ramped in 4 goals, blew them away and ended up winning easily. Another huge crowd at FP that night too.

Jeez Texanwellfan thanks for these. What absolutely wonderful memories these evoke. I was about halfway back in the terracing at what is now the East Stand with my brother and my dad. We were about level with the 18-yard line and Martin Chivers took the throw that led to Spurs goal just in front of us. I know they said that there was 22,000 in FP that night but I think it was more. We couldn't wait to get home from school that day and even classmates that weren't 'Well fans were mad kean to go too. It wasn't all-ticket so anyone could turn up on the night and pay at the gate. The atmosphere outside before the game was even more electric than it usually was for big night games at FP and there was really a feeling that we could win despite the quality of the opposition. Everyone in that team became a legend for me that night and they are my all-time favourite 'Well side.

Results elsewhere presenting a great chance to go clear at the top - are we going to our usual and blow it?

Go for it. One of my all time favourite memories at FP. I remember it as if it was yesterday. What a crowd, what a performance, what a team. Brian Heron's raker from the left flew past the great Pat Jennings like an excocet missile - unstoppable. When the winner went in at the special school end (now the the away stand end) FP exploded and nearly took off into space. I've never heard noise like it and it was equalled when the final whistle went. I just wish there was film somewhere of that glorious night.

Half-time at FP - Motherwell 0 V Dunfermline 2 and we are in deep doodoo in this relegation battle. End of game Motherwell 3 V Dunfermline 2 - a Stevie Cowan hat-trick. The cry around FP - "He's fat, he's round he's worth a million pounds" Priceless.

My first hero at FP was Dixie Deans. But as a cult hero for me there was the one and only big Jumbo Muir. :notworthy:

Sorry lads but as a matter of principle I'll never set foot in Mordor again. IMO fans from every club in Scotland should boycott the f*cking place.

Big Higdon does what he's bloody good at - scoring goals from in and around the penalty area - a hat-trick as well. Hopefully that shat should shut the boo-boys up once and for all. McCall should always play 4-4-2 with the big man in because he can and will score goals. Well done big Higgy.

Sorry a promising young player but he's already got himself a reputation with referees now. Only 21 so if £300K has been proffered might be politic to take it.

Again hardly a shock result. The players couldn't be faulted for trying their best and putting in maximum effort but the simple fact is we were over-matched. All the trying and effort in the world can't help you when the opposition are simply man-for-man better than you. They may not be a top Spanish side but the fact is their players could all do the basics things that footballers should be able to do and did them very well. They also are very well coached and play as a team - something that we are not and very rarely do. We keep hearing IMO, a lot of absolute sh*te from our club managers after every game a Scottish team loses in Europe - "its been a good learning experience for the players" and "there were a lot of positives to take". Well, its quite obvious that the players are not learning. However I believe that its not just the players who should be learning from these experiences but the managers. They need to get much at game tactics and learning how to get their players playing as a unit as opposed to 11 individuals. There is an expression called "synergy" which means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This is what our managers need to begin to understand and implement. Some who post on this site will be long enough in the teeth to remember one of the club's finest results against the then mighty Spurs in the old Texaco Cup when we defeated them over two legs. Spurs then had internationalist in every position and man for man they wer far superior to us but our guys then played as a single unit, a team and were able to overcome them as a result.. Scottish teams then could do that but we seem to be unable to do it now. Well I believe its down to the managers now, like McCall, Lomas of St.Johnstone, McGlynn of Hearts and Houston of Dundee Utd to begin to prove and show that they have learned as coaches/managers from these games, put it into practice on a weekly basis and begin to prepare for the next time round in Europe.

The one bright light on an otherwise dull night for me was young Adam Cummins. Had a terrific performance and put some of his more experienced colleagues to shame. Never panicked and dealt superbly with everything that came his way. If he keeps this type of performance up then he can go right to the very top.

This was wholly expected. Quite simply we were outclassed. And lets not think its just us - any club in the SPL wouldv'e got the same. We are no better than when we were knocked out by Odense and Nancy a few seasons back. I'm not specifically singling anyone out here but both Shaun Hutchsion and Stevie Hammell (two honest hard trying players)had their obvious shortcomings well exposed tonight - they perform like this every week in the SPL so why think otherwise tonight. Without wishing to flog and old horse, quite simply Scottish football is at a shocking level - our players and managers need a complete reality check and its time their obvious shortcomings were pointed out to them and reflected in their wages.