Why Motherwell are a club to watch right now and how we plan to cover intriguing times at Fir Park
As pints of Scottish optimism are consumed in a Euro 2024 haze, there’s still plenty of room for domestic shots of excitement.
Plenty has changed in the over 17 years since I walked through the Fir Park turnstiles to watch my first Motherwell match – a 2-0 defeat to Hearts. The slope has levelled out, the manager has had 10 different names, European forays and Hampden memories have been made.
Some of it remains the same. The Phil O’Donnell stand steps, Alan MacDonald the kitman and a sense of community togetherness that binds the whole thing together. It’s always been that way, and I suspect it’s the same at most provincial clubs. There are perhaps glitzier – some would call easier – paths not too many miles away.
The chance of being part of something so embedded in their own towns and community is a draw enough for the few thousand who come to Fir Park every second week, and the hardy bunch who travel near and far on alternate weekends.
That feeling is being scrutinised, pondered and soon to be voted on amid talk of investment from America. Former influential Netflix figure and ESPN director Erik Barmack has said all the right things as he looks to buy into Motherwell but with fan ownership through the Well Society something that was so hard fought, fans will soon have to decide what they think is best for the long-term future.
On the park, manager Stuart Kettlewell is undergoing a major rebuild of his squad. A core of experienced players remain but there are a whole host of players going out – like captain Liam Kelly and Blair Spittal – with several coming in.
The transfer rumour mill is one supporters are keen to get on, and the done deal klaxon a sound eagerly welcomed. Paul Brownlie and co have ambitious plans for the women’s side in the SWPL, while the academy looks to continue churning out stars of tomorrow fit for action today, like Lennon Miller.
It’s why we feel it’s the perfect time to delve into ML1 ahead of intriguing times on all sides of the club. I’ve had my share of national and local media experiences, and there’s something far more personal about the latter. The people you meet and the stories you hear are so intrinsically based around one common topic, and it makes it all feel so much personal.
The Motherwell Times was something I picked up when I was a kid not too long ago. The excitement of picking a paper up and seeing the new player’s first words, or manager’s transfer tease is something I still remember vividly.
Local journalism had had a bit of a battering in an industry constantly trying to adapt and keep up with the way the world now consumes its media. At least in our small corner of the world, we’ll aim to have you up to date with the latest surrounding Motherwell, at a standard you can rely upon.
There will be ups, downs and everything in between. I don’t anticipate it being boring, though, and I hope you can join us to find out.
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