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I was pleasantly surprised. I kind of expected a heartless, concrete ground but not so. Still areas for improvement but a better experience than at other comparable new builds. Finance clearly defines what we could achieve but it will be interesting to learn how much a proper refitting of Fir Park would cost in comparison to a new build. Especially if the Local Authority was able to provide the land at no cost to MFC. Folk living in the area will know far better than me whether there is council land lying vacant which could be utilised. MFC are an asset the Authority should be proud of and willing to support. I do understand that many fans have a sentimental outlook where Fir Park and our history is concerned. I respect that view. But that approach by previous Boards has contributed to the situation we now find ourselves in. And to the increased cost of now finding a sustainable solution.

Interesting views and points. My own take is that Im more sentimentally attached to old Fir Park in the days of terracing than what we have now probably because that era holds more good memories for me. If we decided to up sticks it probably wouldn't bother me too much. I thought at the time when Ravenscraig was being developed that this was the ideal opportunity if we were ever going to move from Fir Park by getting into bed with the council and private equity. A fully integrated indoor sports facility and new ground with training facilities linked to a mini town centre with franchises like McDs etc all located in the same place with transport links. Could still happen I suppose but I think the most cost effective solution is probably some kind of redevelopment on the current site.

A luddite, by fuck! To me, its not borne out of pure attachment that I want to stay at Fir Park, its the thought of what we end up with (and where) that is the over-riding factor for me. Ive not see any new build in Scotland, where I've thought 'my God, I wish this was ours'...not once. The money required to finance a full new-build will surely make anything other than a 'Bill Barr' effort out of the question? The way I see it, we should be pulling out all the stops to demolish and rebuild the main stand into a stand that suits our needs, something modern but functional. Hibs and Hearts managed it, with limited footprints, so why cant we?

I looked up at the rust covered state of the metal beams in the POD yesterday, the wooden seats with no legroom, support poles impinging on the view, dirty 'windows' at the south end, the plastic bolted buckets in the south and north ends, the unsafe queues for catering and toilets, and realised this cannot go on for much longer. Add in the rotten pole covered view from most places in the Hunter stand, which we don't have the space to upgrade or step size to convert to safe standing. An away stand that I understand also needs some work. I've been going for over 50 years, the place is full of history and memories, but it's done, and I'm not sure even a complete rebuild of the POD, with all the cost and disruption that would cause fixes that. I trust our new Board to make the right choices, but there is jeopardy whatever route they go. I totally get the negativity towards new build both location and design wise, but again I would trust the Board to make sure any new stadium design would be fit for purpose and not soulless like St Mirren's dreadful place. Rotherham Utd's 12000 seater would be a good template, steep sides and close to the pitch, while on Madeira, Maritimo's 10600 seater with plenty corporate hospitality, closed in corners, and close to pitch (was at a game there in January) is another possible template. No easy solutions but if the finance question can be answered then its new for me, if not then the POD will have to be replaced, maybe with a lower height footprint at both ends to at least get it running the full length of the pitch, but as I say no easy answers, would love to see that report!

Nice internet debating technique. Don't want a substandard stadium build then you are a luddite. It's possible to hold two (or more) thoughts at once. I don't want a substandard new build and don't like the substandard facilities we have now. Maybe there are other options that are better, and that's why we have invested in reviewing options.

Seems simple to me . Move to a soulless new stadium like all the other horrible new stadiums built in the last 30 years . Ruining the history and wiping out the legacy of our home Fir Park. Or keep the three existing new refurbished stands ,knock down the main stand and rebuild it from scratch as a modern base for a modern club to our required specifications. We have a great playing surface and three modern sides to the stadium 75% of a good stadium already in place . Obviously a lot of disruption ,planning and organisation required for this but the best one . Nowadays history and tradition seem to go for nothing in the corporate world and the sporting world.. Surely its a matter of pride that we have been at the same site for over 100 years and worth presrving. So what if you need to park in a street n walk to the ground on match day ,its all part of the matchday tradition . Everything has got to be so new , sanitised and shinny these days . You could have a stadium in the middle of no where with a carpark right next to it costing £10 to £20 park every home game and an hour to get out of after the game ,no thanks Redevelope the Main Stand for me.

Can't think of many things worse than a flat-pack effort of a stadium at that desolate Ravenscraig

We should be incorporating better bars into any new stadium so folk don't need to walk from a pub and not putting that valuable money into the club. Anything has got to be better than the piss poor Cooper Bar that currently operates a one in one out policy if you don't arrive 2 hours before kick off.

The league challenge is ridiculous and every week I expect the wheels to come off. But here we are on Monday after making up ground on 2nd and 3rd and extending the gap to 5th. Making the most of it while it lasts.

I think moving ground is only a matter of time the POD and John Hunter stands both need major renovation which can't happen due to things in the surrounding area that being said the cost of a new stadium while up keeping FP until it's ready would be a massive outlay I'm not sure the club can afford w/o massive player sales or us doing the unthinkable and winning the league/ending up in the CL group stages and using the £30M that brings to fund it. The talk since we sold David Turnbull for a club record fee is that we'd look to build a new training facility so I'm assuming there has been some form of groundwork done on that and could come to fruition in a few years time where that might be though I have no idea. The point about local business is fair but should we move that will likely create new businesses in that area.

We shall win and smother them like we have with most teams this season. Reason why we are in the league mind and it isn't by playing crapola week in week out. Easy peasy!

Thank goodness that never happened the new park the sports centre and the college would have been the only things there for last 20 years . Imagine going to that on a Saturday. No transport links materialised, no mini town centre as planned and still no houses. A white elephant of a site that will be lucky to be finished in the next 20 years if ever. Lets not forget all the poisonous stuff that's been buried on it over the years yet to be found.

Awww fuck naw........please, please, don't do that !!!!!!! 😕

Was the talk at the AGM not that Jens was on a rolling 1 year deal. On Olly Whyte you'd expect he'd be offered a new deal with a view of getting him involved next season. I think also as we have a co-op agreement with Stenhousemuir should the last few games end up with little meaning he'll probably play some minutes.

Hopefully for Motherwell and not Manchester Untd as i suggsted 😂

I went to the Falkirk Dundee Utd game and was impressed with what I saw in the main stand. An excellent view, spacious seats, well under cover and catering facilities that put Fir Park to shame. Think a smaller version of the Hampden set up but still with several kiosks and a Club shop. Easily accessible and no lengthy queues blocking off toilet access. Talking of which, numerous toilets, wide corridors and staircases. So no crushing at full time despite a full house. Hospitality on an upper tier but not infringing on us peasants. Stacks of pre bookable car parking for home and away fans. A good income generator I imagine. Did take a wee while to exit the car park though but nowhere near as frustrating as at Perth. Cannot comment on what the away stand offers fans as I was on holiday when we last played there. As a POD season ticket holder, the set up I saw at Falkirk was far superior to the facilities on offer at Fir Park. Both the POD and Hunter Stands need a massive upgrade and whether that is possible given space limitations and likely disruption I have my doubts. If it can be done, fair enough. Let’s see what the study reveals. Where Falkirk do fall down is in having stands on three sides only which does feel weird. Even worse than Accies in my opinion. Why they have no stand on one side I have no idea. But other than that I would happily move to such a Stadium. As you suggest, the quality of any new facility would have to be up to scratch but done correctly it would be fine. A site where neighbouring housing did not impact the construction of the stands would be a huge leap forward.

I see from a Dons site, that Mark Reynolds hung up his boots yesterday after the Highland League Cup semi for Banks O Dee. Good player for us, before he moved on to Sheffield Wed.

Thats it for me Allan. I get the attachment and sentimentality argument but for me its outweighed by other more practical considerations. If the Directors decide against moving for well thought out and researched financial reasons then I can accept that. However, as you say, we have 2 stands that simply aren't fit for purpose. The East Stand has a poor view due to its low angle and is simply a covered shed and it has poor access from one end only. Kiosk siting is far from ideal. I guess that the only way that stand could be refurbished satisfactorily would be to extend it into Knowetop School playground. Thats not going to happen anytime soon. The POD Stand was contructed over 60 years ago and is way past its sell by date. Refurbishment would represent a sticking plaster job. Catering and hospitality facilites are totally inadequate. We're also having to maintain an external structural framework which has no practical purpose whatsoever. As for seating, both ends are simply seats bolted onto benches and I think I'm right in saying that they don't meet European competition standards. Kiosk and toilet facilities are medieval, but more importantly are part of a safety issue. If the POD was to be demolished and rebuilt that would cause all manner of logistcal problems: loss of hospitality income temporarily; and having to accommodate current patrons elsewhere in the ground (again resulting in decreased income). In short, Fir Park is the wrong shape and too constrained. I don't think that moving to Ravenscraig would be the end of the world. Its not as if we'd be moving to Honningsvag or anywhere as remote as that. The site is being developed, albeit more slowly than originally envisaged but new facilities will come. The area has changed dramatically over the past 100 years or so and will continue to change and evolve. How many of our fans miss our old park at Roman Road for example? Anyway, its an interesting debate and personally I'm looking forward to finding out a summary of the Director's feasibility study (hopefully) and learning their conclusions.

I see the luddites are out in force tonight, we have two srands at Fir park that are not fit for purpose by todays standards and expectations from the paying public, bolting seats to old terracing and having people pay to sit on seats in the pod stained with pigeon crap, every 2nd or 3rd one broken, turnstyles that were modern the last time we won the league, unsafe congestion in public areas etc and people are getting teary eyed and sentimental about it, aye ok then. Would you accept sub standard and or potentially unsafe conditions in a theatre, restaurant etc, football grounds are no different.

The thunder clap has been great but always such a long build up. I think the 'stand up and sing for Motherwell ' is brilliant. Seeing all 3 stands do it really is something.

I was sorry to learn that John Boyle took unwell and collapsed at Fir Park this afternoon. Hopefully he's ok. Its great that he still takes an interest in us and I still have a lot of time for him. I met him on several occasions and he was always pleasant and approachable. Yes he made huge mistakes, but his heart was in the right place. Hopefully he'll be attending games again in the near future. As I say, I hope he's recovering and its nothing serious.

A comfortable 3-0 win