numpty

Fair play to him and all that, but personally I still don't really like it when players "decide" to retire from international football. As long as you're good enough or fit enough, you should be picked and expected to play to the best of your ability. When the manager considers that you're no longer good enough or fit enough, you don't get picked any more, and so ends your international career. If you don't like that arrangement, then don't become a professional footballer... plenty other folk would like to have your job instead

Do we have a lot of options? Is our squad any bigger? Either way, unlikely to affect the outcome of the first game of the season for either team, you'd hope.

Would hardly call it a fiasco. You've got to speculate to accumulate, and sometimes young guys just don't live up to their early promise. C'est la vie.

Craggs scores a pen after 3 minutes! "1-0 Well. Crags takes it and coolly strokes the ball into the bottom right hand corner with the keeper going the right way."

Wasn't it Billy Davies who released him?

Bolton, QPR and Rangers all showing an interest in Murphy, supposedly. Nice of old Craig to offer an opinion, too. http://www.clicklancashire.com/sport/bolton-wanderers-fc/129933-bolton-wanderers-rival-rangers-fc-and-qpr-for-motherwell-ace-murphy.html

2-0, Murph again.

FWIW, McCall says this morning that he's only "hoping to bring in one more player". http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/motherwell/261384-work-to-do-for-well-after-morton-win/

It's nice enough, but I still just don't find the 125th anniversary of anything to be interesting enough to invest. I'll be more interested in what we do for 2013 -- the 100th anniversary of our first claret and amber strip

More likely because he's been away on holiday and didn't get back until Wednesday, according to his Twitter feed anyway.

When has it ever not looked good at this time of the year? It's six months from now we need to be worrying

Still just a loaner like he was earlier in the thread, so still doesn't really count

Slightly tangential, but just found an interesting wee article from the Times in 2008 that mentions Gordon Mair's time in the successful Notts County team of the early 80's (and what he's doing now, or was in 2008). Certainly a few decent players in that team: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article3216359.ece

He was only on loan though, so doesn't really count.

I wouldn't say all of those were right duffers -- a couple perhaps fell more into the "enigma" category. John Reilly seemed to find Billy's Boots every now and again and scored a couple of belting goals in his time, and my recollection of Gordon Mair is that he wasn't a bad winger until he had his confidence shattered by a crunching tackle on the main stand touchline one sunny day (can't remember who against, though). I never think of Derek Murray or John Gardiner as being especially bad compared to some later candidates either, but maybe I've just blanked them out

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Tom-English-Jennings-still-waiting.6792828.jp

Two years too late... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/6217531/Chas-and-Dave-split-as-Dave-retires.html

And if we're allowing Ian St John, then Leitch left us to manage Ross County before returning again as Assistant Manager, of course.

Alex Burns: 1991–1997 Motherwell 74 (8 ) 1997–1998 Heracles Almelo 24 (5) 1998–1999 Southend United 31 (5) 1999–2000 Raith Rovers 41 (10) 2000–2001 Livingston 23 (7) 2001–2002 St. Mirren 22 (1) 2002–2003 Partick Thistle 51 (20) 2003–2005 Motherwell 43 (3) Fraser Wishart: 1983–1989 Motherwell 154 (5) 1989–1992 St. Mirren 51 (0) 1992–1993 Falkirk 26 (0) 1993–1995 Rangers 9 (0) 1995–1996 Hearts 9 (0) 1996–1997 Motherwell 14 (0)

Regardless of the rules, I always thought artificial pitches had to be laid as flat as possible? There's far too big a slope on our pitch that would cost far too much to sort out first.

I can't imagine it's very hard for the bigger English clubs to find teams that would snap up a fringe EPL or Championship player on loan or otherwise, so I don't expect there's much incentive for them to give priority to a mid-table SPL team.

It's fair enough if you lived somewhere else for a while and actually went to some games, or have family connections. But aye, otherwise it mostly smacks of Old Firm-style glory-hunting

I doubt it. I'd expect there to be scope in the plan for adjusting the ratio between average punters, wealthy punters and businesses to make up any significant shortfall. And I'm sure the club are already well aware of roughly how many, or few 'Well fans are likely to be able to afford to buy in anyway.

Herne Bay anyone? http://www.yourcanterbury.co.uk/p_139/Article/a_14336/Herne_Bay_hoping_to_create_link_with_Scottish_Premier_League_side

Personally I'd expect it to be as much of a non-event (on the park, at least) as every other pre-season friendly, but we'll see.