The African

Over the years Steve Hammell has been the consummate professional for us. The fact that some are comparing him to Joe Wark is a tremendous compliment to them both. We have been extremely fortunate to have had him playing for us. As for the future, if he were joining another club Id wish him nothing but the best. The fact that he is staying on in a role where he can hopefully influence the young players coming through our academy will hopefully turn out to be a stroke of genius. A tea made up of eleven players with the attitude and professionalism of Steve Hammell should do us okay.

Can we change the thread title now that it is no longer 2017? A happy, safe and prosperous new year to all Motherwell fans, wherever they may find themselves.

The ideal mix of the consummate professional and a decent guy. The fact he was such a good fit for our club speaks very well for both parties. A decent player who worked hard, continued to improve and took advantage of the chance we gave him. He also knew how to behave and carry himself when dealing with the public. When you write it down, it doesnt sound so difficult, yet so few are able to manage it. Good luck to you Louis Moult, and thanks for the memories.

I am not convinced that McInnes will go to Rangers. The job there has poisoned chalice written all over it. So many things wrong with that club, on so many levels. If they do move for Moult, you would think that it would be in terms of a pre contract signing with him moving in the summer. I doubt Rangers have the cash to meet our valuation.

Seems a classy guy. Dont think we need to be taking any lessons from him or his ilk. We are who we are. As a club we donor always get it right, but I am happy that we try to do thinks the right way and the best we can.

Try and place a bet on Celtic getting a penalty on Saturday. I doubt you will find a bookie daft enough to take it.

I suppose we should be thankful that he did not send the defender off, for the foul.

I think this sums up why you are not a Celtic fan. None of them will care because they won.

I think we can cut Faddy some slack. He is new to the media game and also realises that he cannot wear his heart on his sleeve with regard to Motherwell if he wants to continue in that line. Only ex Old Firm players and Willie Miller are allowed to do that.Rest assured that Faddy is still the Daddy and that he loves us and that we will always love him. Its just the way it is. And as Rick says to Ilsa at the end of Casablanca, We will always have Paris.

He is a class act. Doing a great job and I admit I was of a mind that he got the gig because he was the cheap option. Nice to be proved wrong.

Thanks for that, I think. If that is a penalty, then call me Jan from Amsterdam!

Was never a penalty and with a red card and a second goal, the game was gone. We can only do things about the stuff we have control of, like giving the ball away. Congratulations to Celtic, but we can hold our heads high,and this is not the end of our season. He also hinted that Sinclair is a diving wee bastard, when he said that he wasn the type to vilify other teams players.

Stephen Robinson talking sense on the BBC. A decent man doing a decent job. We are lucky to have him.

Not our day. Life goes on. Sounds like we had a game plan that was keeping us in it, but once they scored we were chasing the game and it opened up giving them more chances. The penalty and red card killed us off. We need to lift ourselves for the league games coming up.

Good luck to the team and all those going to the game. Realistically, we are unfancied underdogs and have little or no real chance of lifting the cup. But then again, when did realism and reality have anything to do with supporting a football team. As long as we give our all, leave nothing in the tank, then,whatever may transpire, we can live with the consequences. As for me, I will be getting up at three oclock in the morning to follow events from the other side of the world. A small price to pay for the pride I take in the club my grandfather and father followed.

Lost two nil. Cannot believe that Peru are ranked tenth in the world by FIFA though.

Michael McGlinchey playing for New Zealand in the final play off game for the World Cup, in Lima, Peru.

Would be nice to get back on track with a win, but given the fact that we have already banked a lot more points than might have been expected at this stage of the season, a draw would not be a disaster. One more effort before the international break, then we can rest and regroup properly.

The truth is that, in the last couple of games, we have not played particularly well, but we have kept on winning. Hopefully our good run still has enough momentum to keep going into the run of away fixtures, and this starts now with our last home game for a while. You have to make hay while the sun shines, so lets be greedy and get as many points now as possible.

Three points, a clean sheet, a few boys given a rest and a few more given a much needed run out. Can we really ask for more?

Hats off to Mr Robinson. He is currently playing a blinder. Showing a degree of wit, intelligence and dignity that others might want to take as an example. Of course, the true test will come when our good run comes to an end, but he is really making it it easy to be proud of our little club right now. The line about theRangers manager not having to concern himself about the final was a particular favourite. As for Them and their continual whinging, they are proving to have failed on every level, even the simple act of being a good loser, and, as the late great Richie Benaud said, it is easy to be a good loser, all you have to do is lose.

I doubt I will ever get over the 1976 semi final and the pitch invasion a couple of years later. I can live with that. Right now, whilst beating this mob is extremely satisfying, I genuinely believe it is not the same club. Just an ersatz copy of the unappealing original. The only thing that might give me any closure against the old club now seems tantamount to the unedifying act of pissing on a corpse, so not worth the bother.

Oh what sweet, sweet irony. Does it make up for 1976? Probably not. Some scars will never fully heal. What a result like this proves to me is that they are not the same club they were before liquidation. The old club would never have had to put up with a referee who had not been fully briefed at the previous lodge meeting. When even the refs think they are done, there is no coming back. Welcome to the twenty first century.

Good post. I hope you are right. I will have to make do with following the game online in the middle of the night herein New Zealand. At least Monday is a public holiday. I may be the only sports fan with a smile on my face on Monday here,as the All Blacks lost in Australia and the local provincial side lost by a point in the semi final of the National Provincial Championships last night. Heres hoping anyway.

The moment we went two nil up in that semi final in 1976 was the apex of that side. We had already put out Celtic and Hibs, and would have grubbed Hearts in the final. We were robbed, pure and simple., that night, and the fact that the referee was subsequently found to be corrupt is neither surprising or unrelated to the fact . After that, it was downhill all the way for Willie McLeans team. If anyone ever asks me why I hate Rangers, I just think back to this game. They have no shame, they never have, they never will. An abomination of a club and the home for c**ts of the highest order. Party at my house on the day Derek Johnstone dies. All welcome.