The Stadium

[fatcalf]

what about that racetrack place down near the old mill? or is it still used?

 

New school being built on it as we speak.

[fatcalf]

If I remember correctly the postal address for the steelworks was::

Ravenscraig Steelworks,

Motherwell.

 

If town centre status hadn't been granted then I'd agree but fact is the new town will be just that, a new town, rival to our town into the bargain as any investment from NLC will be channelled up there. To be honest do I fuck want my club to be part of that process as well. Means nothing to those of you who support the club from outwith the town obviously but sure as Hell means plenty to those of us from within the town.

[Shaka]

I do understand those sentiments, and It will be a wrench to leave Fir Park,however, there really seems to be a dearth of available land to site a new stadium in the actual town or "old town" if you like. Would you be happier staying at Fir Park with a growing millstone choking the life from the club in the name of tradition? or would it not make sense moving to an iconic landmark of the town? yes it will be a "new town" in name, but its motherwell! You can dress up a jobby to make it look better but in the end,its still a jobby!!

[fatcalf]

I do understand those sentiments, and It will be a wrench to leave Fir Park,however, there really seems to be a dearth of available land to site a new stadium in the actual town or "old town" if you like. Would you be happier staying at Fir Park with a growing millstone choking the life from the club in the name of tradition? or would it not make sense moving to an iconic landmark of the town? yes it will be a "new town" in name, but its motherwell! You can dress up a jobby to make it look better but in the end,its still a jobby!!

 

Perfectly happy at Fir Park whilst acknowledging the need for financial reasons to move will dictate that we do so in the pretty near future if factors allow it. Not happy at Ravenscraig sucking the lifeblood out of my town never mind taking the club with it though.

[Mad Mac]

I'm pretty sure the ML in our postcodes stands for Mid Lanarkshire.

 

No, Sir. When the whole postal code system was introduced, it was based around a series of what were known as "Mechanised Letter Offices". with automated sorting etc. The idea was that any mail for that particular code would go through the 'MLO' for onward distribution. Motherwell was one of them, hence the 'ML'.

[Mad Mac]

what about that racetrack place down near the old mill? or is it still used?

 

I believe the club seriously looked at moving there before deciding to build the stand in the early 60s. As for now, no way you'd ever get to build a stadium in the middle of a housing scheme.

[dazamfc]

Why not just build a stand at a time and then improve the pitch.Perfect

 

 

EDIT:In reverse order

[Malky79]

There is next to fuck all lifeblood in the town anyway. Walking through the town centre of an afternoon makes you wish for the place to be nuked.

 

Ravenscraig as a new town or extension of the current one really doesn't bother me one bit, if it adds some new life to the general Wishaw/Motherwell area it can only be good as there is really nothing left to take from Wishaw/Motherwell town centres other than the plebs.

 

Sad how badly the places have declined but it seems pretty terminal!

[fatcalf]

There is next to fuck all lifeblood in the town anyway. Walking through the town centre of an afternoon makes you wish for the place to be nuked.

 

Ravenscraig as a new town or extension of the current one really doesn't bother me one bit, if it adds some new life to the general Wishaw/Motherwell area it can only be good as there is really nothing left to take from Wishaw/Motherwell town centres other than the plebs.

 

Sad how badly the places have declined but it seems pretty terminal!

 

Well you've given up the ghost, many more like you and we're all fuckin' doomed.

[Gaag]

aye, i'm a motherwell boy and obviously i've got a sentimental affection for it, but it is a total shitehole.

 

Other than going to wetherspoons I haven't been up the precinct for anything else in years, absolutely nothing to offer me.

 

It's so bad I'd say the football club is easily the best thing Motherwell has to offer. That, and the train station.

[fatcalf]

It's so bad I'd say the football club is easily the best thing Motherwell has to offer. That, and the train station.

And you'd be happy to see that taken away as well? I agree actually the club is probably the only good thing in the town so I'd rather keep it where it is.

When it comes down to it this is a bigger issue than just the football club searching for a new home, this matters to folk like me far more than a new stadium.

[Gaag]

i definitely agree with you on that. And as previously stated, I'm firmly in the stay at Fir Park camp.

[Onthefringes]

If town centre status hadn't been granted then I'd agree but fact is the new town will be just that, a new town, rival to our town into the bargain as any investment from NLC will be channelled up there. To be honest do I fuck want my club to be part of that process as well. Means nothing to those of you who support the club from outwith the town obviously but sure as Hell means plenty to those of us from within the town.

Sorry, disagree. Done to death previously as I recall.

 

Merely 'creative accounting', drawing on the financial help available from European Community funding et all. I'd expect NLC to channel investment there as we have a private developer owning our town centre, yes, one who trumpeted to all and sundry massive plans for regeneration and failed to deliver, hence, currently for sale to any mug with more money than sense.

 

What have we now? Poor retail choice and an open-air meeting place for any Eastern European/African waif and stray with £3 Tesco jeans, leather jacket and brand new mobile phone. Steady decline for what? 30 years now? Trying to grasp onto halcyon days from a golden age long since left our town will do little to deter progress. Surrounding towns in Lanarkshire benefit from the poor facilities on offer here, East Kilbride, Hamilton, dare I say it, Airdire (apparently about to announce NLC regeneration plans) and Cumbernauld forever being mentioned as ear-marked for investment. For me? Embrace the likely change, make the most of what could be for us.

[Juan Kerse]

And you'd be happy to see that taken away as well? I agree actually the club is probably the only good thing in the town so I'd rather keep it where it is.

When it comes down to it this is a bigger issue than just the football club searching for a new home, this matters to folk like me far more than a new stadium.

 

 

I agree, so seeing as MFC is the only good thing left in the town how about building a new stadium actual on Brandon Parade - god knows not like anyone will miss the charity shops and pound shops as that's all that's there. Then you have the football club at the heart of the town - with that might come more investment. Bingo - Motherwell FC IS Motherwell.

[Shaka]

I agree, so seeing as MFC is the only good thing left in the town how about building a new stadium actual on Brandon Parade - god knows not like anyone will miss the charity shops and pound shops as that's all that's there. Then you have the football club at the heart of the town - with that might come more investment. Bingo - Motherwell FC IS Motherwell.

 

and we could make money by incorporating some units into the stadium so no-one would miss poundland! I aint been down brandon parade for years but even back then it was a total shitehole,the place needs nuked,the thing is,with the money spent on hamilton a couple of miles down the road, + spending up at ravenscraig,what is there to do with brandon parade? no-one will ever do anything with it

[Special aka]

No, Sir. When the whole postal code system was introduced, it was based around a series of what were known as "Mechanised Letter Offices". with automated sorting etc. The idea was that any mail for that particular code would go through the 'MLO' for onward distribution. Motherwell was one of them, hence the 'ML'.

 

Ah, I stand corrected. Appreciate the clarification

[Special aka]

aye, i'm a motherwell boy and obviously i've got a sentimental affection for it, but it is a total shitehole.

..................

So much for a Labour run council, Labour MP and Labour MSP - too busy lining their own pockets. Motherwell aint seen any inward investment since the 'Craig was built yet the daft baisterts of Motherwell continue to re-elect them. Put a monkey in a red rosette and it would win the parliamentary seat

 

I agree that the Ravenscraig project sought New Town status merely to win much needed funding. Ravenscraig is Motherwell imho and always will be.

 

How many thought "I'm home" when the cooling towers of the 'Craig came into view from the M74 ?

 

Just like the former villages of Ladywell, Flemington, Knowetop, Shields, Jerviston and so on, it's Motherwell FFS.

 

Jeez Fir Park was outwith Motherwell when our beloved MFC relocated there in 1895.

 

To ensure long term viability MFC has to evolve, and that evolution requires change along the way. Stick your head in the sand and fail to embrace this evolution and we'll end up like Renton, St Bernards, Kings Park, etc.,

Embrace it, like our forefathers did, and our descendants will have a Club to support.

[Optimus Prime]

How many thought "I'm home" when the cooling towers of the 'Craig came into view from the M74 ?

 

Just like the former villages of Ladywell, Flemington, Knowetop, Shields, Jerviston and so on, it's Motherwell FFS.

 

Jeez Fir Park was outwith Motherwell when our beloved MFC relocated there in 1895.

 

Great post. Its 100% correct of course. Look at McDiarmid Park - it wasn't originally in Perth. ICT's ground - not in Inverness. Falkirk's ground - not in Falkirk. Its donkeys years since Partick Thistle actually played in Partick.

 

Towns expand and grow and Motherwell will do that or die. They have always done that. Out of interest what settlement was Ravenscraig steelworks actually in?

[East_Stand_Al]

So much for a Labour run council, Labour MP and Labour MSP - too busy lining their own pockets. Motherwell aint seen any inward investment since the 'Craig was built yet the daft baisterts of Motherwell continue to re-elect them. Put a monkey in a red rosette and it would win the parliamentary seat

 

I agree that the Ravenscraig project sought New Town status merely to win much needed funding. Ravenscraig is Motherwell imho and always will be.

 

How many thought "I'm home" when the cooling towers of the 'Craig came into view from the M74 ?

Just like the former villages of Ladywell, Flemington, Knowetop, Shields, Jerviston and so on, it's Motherwell FFS.

 

Jeez Fir Park was outwith Motherwell when our beloved MFC relocated there in 1895.

 

To ensure long term viability MFC has to evolve, and that evolution requires change along the way. Stick your head in the sand and fail to embrace this evolution and we'll end up like Renton, St Bernards, Kings Park, etc.,

Embrace it, like our forefathers did, and our descendants will have a Club to support.

 

 

Wouldn't it be something if a new MFC Stadium was the replacement for that iconic image ?

[fatcalf]

Wouldn't it be something if a new MFC Stadium was the replacement for that iconic image ?

Now there's a unique design idea? Main Stand resembling the old cooling towers

[Andy_P]

As was said above. Its not like the people moving in to ravenscraig have just arrived in scotland and are looking for a team to support. You can bet your bottom dollar they will already be Celtic and Rangers fans.

 

I tend to think that regardless of where we happen to play our football in the future, that's an assumption worth challenging.

 

Apologies for getting away from the stadium talk but I'm not at all convinced that we advertise and promote ourselves as well as we might do and a letter drop at each new residence that's built within our catchment area would be a good way to start addressing that.

 

How often do you read on here of folk asking the likes of the opening hours of the club shop? Is the ticket office open today? What hours are the ticket office open? Is a student valid for this game? What do they define as a juvi ticket at this place etc. etc. If our existing fans can't access that kind of information easily then that's potentially a barrier that a prospective newbie is likely to face also.

 

For the price of a 2nd class stamp it could do a whole lot of potential good for us as a club. You would be introducing the club to them and welcoming them to their new house. A nice touch if nothing else.

 

Take it a step further - give them the opportunity of attending the game as a household (whatever amount of bodies that may consist of) for free. If they already support Motherwell - so what, if they support another team - so what.

 

If they take it up then you've got their details and they'll be on the database to target in the future with the emails (though they've currently dried up) and promotions that we currently get. Its a whole lot more focused than simply saying "Bring a friend for free" where there's record of how many came for free, who they are, where they are from etc.

 

But most important of all you might well be a step along the road to attracting some folk be they new or old fans more regularly.

 

An introductory letter would allow MFC to advertise the non-first-team football stuff they do like functions at the Cooper (or any new stadium) making folk aware that the facilty exists close at hand to folk that may have absolutely no interest in going to the game but might be quite interested to know they could hold a birthday party, wedding, engagement at the stadium just down the road.

 

I don't imagine the club will have either the time or finance to tackle the task but I still think we should be actively promoting ourselves and chasing supporters and new builds be they Ravenscraig, Motherwell, Hamilton, Bellshill or wherever offer an opportunity in waiting for us.

[Juan Kerse]

.

 

Apologies for getting away from the stadium talk but I'm not at all convinced that we advertise and promote ourselves as well as we might do and a letter drop at each new residence that's built within our catchment area would be a good way to start addressing that.

 

 

 

For the price of a 2nd class stamp it could do a whole lot of potential good for us as a club. You would be introducing the club to them and welcoming them to their new house. A nice touch if nothing else.

 

Take it a step further - give them the opportunity of attending the game as a household (whatever amount of bodies that may consist of) for free. If they already support Motherwell - so what, if they support another team - so what.

 

If they take it up then you've got their details and they'll be on the database to target in the future with the emails (though they've currently dried up) and promotions that we currently get. Its a whole lot more focused than simply saying "Bring a friend for free" where there's record of how many came for free, who they are, where they are from etc.

 

Absolutely a no brainer. Granted there will be families who move into the area who are 'cast iron' Old Firm 'fans' (even some of them can be converted though - esp with young families - I was one for a start) but alot will fancy a new leisure pursuit to get involved in with their families - in time these kids - and the parents become 'well fans - if not fully fledged die hards perhaps 5 or 6 a season people - THESE are the punters we need to attract. And after their 5 or 6 games hit them with Season Ticket deals (like the free kids just now - fair play).

 

Put it this way - who on here would move to a new area - Blackburn, Wigan, Southampton - wherever and not even think about going along to a free match, or a discounted one at the local team? - You are still a 'Well fan - of course you are but after time away you can easily get involved in another team.

 

All this needs to be part of a bigger picture - From lower prices, STs to simply advertising the Club's next home game in Motherwell ffs!!

[Onthefringes]

Wouldn't it be something if a new MFC Stadium was the replacement for that iconic image ?

Well, the tower currently forming part of the college development was to be exactly that... like the car parking facilities, a design error methinks.