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WTF is that all about, I hope nobody will be singing kettle well songs to that tune. ( need to go, Taxi is outside 😁)

Ah great memories. What a right-back. On full throttle he galloped up the wing like a rampaging bull elephant and when he tackled somebody they invariably didn’t want to go near him again. Hard as granite but fair - well most of the time.

I don't disagree with your overall thinking about bringing in experience. However I think it's clear that SH was adamant from the outset and throughout his reign that he didn't require experienced help. Therein lies part of his problem.

Obviously just one opinion but kind of gives you impression that Hammell really didn't know what he was doing. Still gutted for him and will still be a well legend but change was needed

Marked safe from 'Kettle' puns for nearly 24 hours now.....this site really has gone off the boil.

Absolutely buzzing with this guy he just gets it Well fans, everything he says oozes confidence and class! He seems to have learned from his mistakes at County and I think (and hope) we have got ourselves a good un here! Time for “Stuart Kettlewell is the best on earth” to the tune of Belinda Carlisle “Heaven is a place on earth” Well Bois!!!

In fairness the financial rewards that come our way from youngsters that are poached are substantial. £300k/£400k is pretty common as an up front payment. I can recall at least four that brought in that amount in the past three years. And that's not including Scott, Turnbull or Hastie who were all a bit older. Plus you can negotiate future payments based on a variety of events such as first team appearances, international call ups and future transfers. Most clubs try to negotiate terms rather than rely on the set Dev Fee. in my opinion Motherwell are pretty astute in their dealings. So, even with the disappointment of youngsters not staying with us long enough to reach the first team, youth development is worth the investment as it generates substantial income. Also to fully benefit from solidarity payments from UEFA related to the performance of other Scottish Clubs in Europe, a Club must have a qualifying youth programme in place. it is a bit annoying that the more successful the youth programme is, the more likely it is that players will be drawn from us. If it helps to make it more palatable, even Rangers and Celtic lose excellent prospects to England. Rory Wilson to Villa for £400k being a recent example

Exactly this And as the article says, Motherwell have offered Beattie a pro contract when he turns 17. So they are protected as far as development fees are concerned. Might be better to negotiate terms with his new club rather than rely on development fees though as that can include profitable add ons. As happened with Rice who made is Rangers first team debut last weekend. Not a lot any Scottish Club (including Rangers and Celtic) can do if an English team convinces a youngster to join their scholarship programme at age 16 with the promise of a full time contract at 17. So other than ensuring their entitlement to Development Fees I'm not sure that Motherwell could have done anything more or that they have "dropped the ball" as was suggested. In reality the chances of a Turnbull like pay out are becoming less and less likely as the bigger clubs increase their raids on Youth Academies. And that really hurts clubs like us who rely on youth development income. I would not imagine there are many like Miller who is able to resist such approaches. Credit to him for that.

Exeter is in Devon so it's cream first. Don't want Max making enemies on his first day!

I sometimes wonder if fans think our management teams heads button up the back. Do you not think that Hammell etc knew Johnston is a good player? Who was it that sanctioned his early return to the club last month? He's been involved in eight games since he returned, starting five and coming off the bench in three. As has been mentioned, you don't just chuck young players in there and have them play every single game. Johnston has had plenty of game time since his return.