David

The bigger issue for me is finding out why they choose not to go. Obviously, for some, it'll be price, and that's fair enough. Football isn't a cheap pastime anymore. But if there's other reasons, we can hopefully do something as a club to help solve those issues for some people anyway.

Apart from a cup semi-final and into the top six currently, of course.

Well, seeing as we're sitting 5th in the table and just got to a cup semi-final, I'd imagine that the manager is going nowhere for the time being.

Oh, upsets can happen. I think everyone will acknowledge that, but the likelihood is that if we play Celtic in the final, we lose. The Rangers game is priority anyway. We're not favourites for that one either. If we are to win the cup, it'll have to be done the hard way.

Who did St Johnstone beat in those finals?

The Rangers game is all that matters, although I have to admit that I'd likely have been more raging to lose tomorrow's game if I knew it was Aberdeen in the final. The idea of missing out on a competitive, non-old firm related final would be a real sickener. As it is? I'd obviously still love to beat Rangers as a final and a day out at Hampden with the extra money the club would generate isn't to be sniffed at, but I think the chances of us beating Celtic at Hampden in a cup final are pretty slim.

The first partnership announcement is always a significant milestone. There are definitely a couple of significant benefits, to be honest. The ability to adjust your monthly donation directly through the app will be a major advantage. Currently, it seems you have to either call or email to make such changes, and let’s be frank, how many people have thought about increasing their contribution but have hesitated because of that hassle? Once users can modify their donations within a minute on their phones, it will streamline the process considerably and likely result in an increase in funds for the Society. The advertising opportunities are substantial. The prospect of approaching local or national businesses to offer advertising space within the app could help generate additional revenue. Companies prefer to allocate their advertising budgets towards targeted markets, ensuring their message reaches an audience that is more aligned with their products or services. All in all, it's a real win and a great jumping off point for the Society.

Some recent news from the Well Society around the first strategic partnership: Society announces first strategic partnership with East Kilbride technology business The Well Society is excited to announce the development of our new app in partnership with Social Jungle, marking a significant milestone as we start to deliver initiatives identified in ‘Our Club, Our Future’ which was launched in July this year. The plan for growth, available here, covers a range of opportunities including ticketing initiatives, off-pitch revenue growth, local partnership investment and strategic investment. This collaboration represents our first strategic partnership, aimed at enhancing the overall experience for our members. Development of the app will commence in November with an initial five figure investment with further commitment down the line. There is a target launch by the end of the current season. This initiative is designed to provide greater value to Well Society members, ensuring that our supporters feel more connected and engaged with both the Society and Motherwell Football Club. In its initial phase, the app will offer members a comprehensive overview of their Well Society accounts. Users will be able to check their donation history, adjust donation amounts, and modify their membership levels. This functionality is intended to empower members by providing them with greater control and transparency regarding their contributions. By streamlining these processes, we aim to foster a more interactive and user-friendly experience that reflects our commitment to our members. Looking ahead, the app’s development could evolve to include features that enhance their overall Motherwell experience. The development of the app presents a multitude of opportunities for the Society and the Club, significantly enhancing our commercial prospects. By offering the app to our Society members, we can tap into a potentially broader fan base over the long term, thereby increasing our revenue streams. The app will facilitate new sponsorship opportunities, allowing us to forge valuable commercial partnerships by showcasing local businesses within the community and providing exclusive offers to our members. The app, which will be available for Android and iOS users, also delivers opportunities for supporters to make one-off donations, enabling us to support other initiatives alongside the Motherwell Academy and the women’s team, ultimately strengthening our community ties and fostering a culture of support and engagement. Established in 2019 and based in East Kilbride, Social Jungle has quickly become one of Scotland’s top digital and experiential marketing agencies. They have extensive experience in developing cutting-edge technology to provide first-class customer experiences. Philip Speedie of the Society’s Membership workstream, said: “We are really excited about our first strategic partnership. Our members have told us about a need for greater engagement and added value from their membership. Our new app will help us to create a more cohesive and rewarding experience for all Well Society members.”

Based on what?

If this is true, it means he's being misled by those working for him. It implies that the staff at the club have such little regard for the CEO that they fail to provide him with accurate information, resulting in him responding to questions with incorrect details. Are we really going to forfeit that crucial cash boost from ticket sales? We can’t be shouting about our need for investment on the one hand and then turning away six-figure sums from ticket revenue on the other. The reality is, we’re not in a position to reduce their allocation any further, no matter how much we might prefer to. As I mentioned earlier, if what you say is accurate, then Brian Caldwell is being deceived by those around him. It must be one or the other: he’s either lying or being lied to. In either scenario, it represents a significant issue that extends far beyond Celtic supporters gaining entry without tickets. Personally, I’m not inclined to make such a judgement based solely on what I could observe from the O'Donnell stand during the game. In situations like this, you either trust the individual responsible for managing the club or assume that there are various questionable activities occurring behind the scenes at Fir Park. I don’t believe that to be the case.

You're right, it does sound crazy. It’s much more likely that ticket sales were well within capacity, and that some Celtic fans who had purchased tickets for the top tier decided they were not happy with the view and chose to watch the game from the bottom tier instead, leading to overcrowding there. Which is exactly what Brian Caldwell says in his email. The migration from top tier to bottom is an issue that will need to be addressed I think.

So, do you think there were people without tickets in the away section?

You’re completely entitled to your opinion, but you don’t have the actual figures. I’m more inclined to trust the CEO, who has access to the attendance data and reports from various stadium staff and so on.

Aside from him and a few club staff, no one who was at the game really knows how many fans were present in that stand. You're making assumptions based on your distant view. It’s entirely possible that some fans with valid tickets for the upper tier chose to watch the match from the lower tier instead. That’s likely the crux of the issue, which is certainly worth discussing. How can we ensure that this doesn’t happen in the future? Your claim that he is outright lying to you is a bit far-fetched. If that had been his intention, he simply wouldn’t have responded. His reply is reasonable, and he isn’t avoiding the topic at all, which he easily could have done.

Here’s a thought: what’s the point of engaging with him and seeking an answer if you’re simply going to accuse him of lying when he doesn’t give you the response you’re after? The fact that he’s taken the time to respond says a great deal. He isn’t obliged to do so at all. I’d bet that most club CEOs wouldn’t even have bothered to read your email.

I wouldn't be surprised to see at least a couple of changes, especially considering the game on Sunday. As the Sky Sports pundits kept banging on about when mentioning Celtic, going up against a side with more resources and better players can be tiring for players. The exact same thing applies to our players after the weekend. Particularly in that second half, we were run ragged. A few changes for tomorrow and hopefully we will be fresher for the game at the weekend.

I believe that number is somewhere around 600 or so, isn't it?

It all depends on how Celtic play. For us to get anything from the game, we need to be on our game while Celtic are off theirs. It's that simple. If we can take anything it's a bonus.

Get an email typed up and fire it off to him, make sure he's on the ball.

Speak to the manager. It was his "superb observation." It basically shows that you can have the best training plan in the game, and sometimes shit still happens.

He literally kicked a football. I'm not sure how that could have been avoided.

Yeah, but you also claimed that numerous other players in our team were "the worst in the league," so you were always going to be correct at some point. A broken clock etc.

I'm pleased to hear that. Let’s stay focused on the topic and avoid revisiting posts that have already been addressed.

C- on that reply as well. What's actually going on in here? Jesus.

I've long been in Balmer's corner. I think he looks a proper class act and will be a mainstay in the team before long.