Rickoza

Billy Davie's first game in charge of Motherwell.... 17th October 1998 St Johnstone 5 (1) - 0(0)Motherwell O'Boyle 39 Kernaghan 53 Simao 62 O'Boyle 85 Dods 88 St Johnstone: Main ,McQuillan ,Preston ,Dasovic ,Kernaghan ,O'Neil (Lowndes ,73 ) ,O'Boyle ,Kane ,Bollan ,Dods ,Simao (McMahon ,71) Subs not used: Grant,Griffin,Allan Ferguson, Motherwell: Woods ,McGowan (Craigan ,66 ) ,Ian Ross ,Valakari ,McClair (Matthaei ,45 ) ,Coyle ,Doesburg ,Stirling (McCulloch ,56 ) ,Teale ,Nevin ,Adams Subs not used Kaven,Ramsay, Bookings: Adams ,Doesburg ,Teale (Motherwell) Attendance: 4062 Referee: John Rowbotham (Scotland) And his second......... 28th October 1998 Motherwell 1 (0) - 0(0)Rangers Spencer 55 Motherwell: Kaven ,McMillan ,McGowan ,Brannan ,Valakari ,Coyle ,Christie ,Doesburg ,Teale ,Adams (McCulloch ,66 ) ,Spencer (Nevin ,76) Subs not used: Woods,May,Ramsay, Rangers: Charbonnier ,Porrini ,Amoruso ,Ferguson ,Kanchelskis ,Van Bronckhorst ,Albertz (Durie ,45 ) ,Wallace ,Johansson (Ferguson ,60 ) ,Vidmar (Numan ,45 ) ,Hendry Subs not used Mark Brown,Wilson, Bookings: Christie (Motherwell) Amoruso ,Ferguson ,Van Bronckhorst (Rangers) Attendance: 11777 Referee: Eric Martindale (Scotland)

For me? Rangers 0 Motherwell 2, May 5th, 1997. It was the 9-in-a-row conga party which never was, for the best performance I've ever seen from a Motherwell side at either Greyskull or Legoland ensured that we'd give ourselves a superb chance of staying up. With over 50000 in the ground, Motherwell were given just 600 tickets (and we were in a small section to the immediate left of the main stand) but I am sure there were only about 150 of us actually got a ticket. They were all around us, indeed I had their fans sitting in front, behind and to my left. And boy did we let them know when the goals went in, especially the second one. Fantastic feeling, and such a high. Brilliant stuff!!!!

Best of luck now that you have got rid of that arse Calderwood. His comments about Phil O'Donnell won't ever be forgotten up here. Davies was completely untried when we appointed him, did all right though was a bit out of his depth I felt and could've done with a job or two before us. He never actually took us into Europe, almost did but we lost out narrowly on the last day of the season despite giving then champions Rangers their only away defeat of the whole season at Fir Park. Personally I liked him, always had time to talk to you.

Happy New Year Everyone - Hope it's a good one

FHW - a staggering 121% of their turnover goes on wages. In other words, they will continue to lose money on top of the massive debts they have. Unsustainable, and they WILL be out of business before too long. ABERDEEN Turnover: £7.52m Wages: £5.15m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 69% Debt: £11.46m CELTIC Turnover: £75.24m Wages: £36.42m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 48% Debt: £9.16m FALKIRK Turnover: £3.98m Wages: £2.31m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 58% Debt: None DUNDEE UNITED Turnover: £4.01m Wages: £2.58m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 64% Debt:£7.28m DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC Turnover: £5.15m Wages: £3.34m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 65% Debt:£8.92m HEARTS Turnover: £10.32m Wages: £12.49m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 121% Debt:£37.57m HIBERNIAN Turnover: £9.85m Wages: £4.06m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 41% Debt:£2.88m INVERNESS CT Turnover: £2.88m Wages: £1.35m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 47% Debt:£20,000 KILMARNOCK Turnover: £8.06m Wages: £3.90m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 48% Debt:£11.60m MOTHERWELL Turnover: £3.68m Wages: £2.37m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 64% Debt:£0.5m RANGERS Turnover: £41.77m Wages: £24.26m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 58% Debt:£16.54m ST MIRREN Turnover: £2.96m Wages: £1.75m Wages/Turnover Ratio: 59% Debt:£1.37m • Source: Price Waterhouse Coopers Annual Review 2008 (Figures from accounts for 2006-07 season)

The one big thing in our favour is the old Manger of the Month curse. Now that McPherson has got it, we are surely odds-on for a win. I remembe the last day of the old Knowetop terracing. Home to Saint Johnstone, a win would see us finish second, they had to win 2-0 to stay up. We produced a dreadful performance, lost 0-1, but at least we got to wind up the visiting fans who had just been relegated.

Not so much that, but a TRUE one!

Hopefully not Franck Bernhard..........

You'll be made seriously welcome amongst the Mothewrell fans. Be good to have you amongst us all!

Not about tickets, but the result on Saturday is now surely a foregone conclusion. McPherson has been given Manager of the Month!

Maybe this guy.... Motherwell keen on Northern Ireland keeper Dec 30 2008 MOTHERWELL boss Mark McGhee is tracking Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Alan Mannus as he faces up to the possibility of losing first choice Graeme Smith. The 26-year-old shotstopper is available on a free transfer when his Linfield contract expires at the end of the season. And Well skipper Stephen Craigan is believed to have tipped off the Fir Park coaching staff about his international team-mate. Smith is yet to decide on his future beyond the summer and has only held informal talks over extending his stay at Fir Park. Second-choice Gunnar Nielsen's loan spell from Blackburn is set to expire but the SPL club are unlikely to meet Linfield's demands for an immediate transfer. However, Motherwell may face competition from several interested Coca-Cola Championship teams if they decide to open talks over a pre-contract agreement.

It also contains some really good pics of the late, great Uncle Phil in there, especially from the 3-0 win last November.

They are good. I'm just fecked off with my camera. Broke down after just 5 minutes of the game on Saturday, gets it home and sure enough, it's okay

RIP Uncle Phil. Never to be forgotten.

You know, when I was at the game I thought Clarky's shot was a good one. Never realised, until I saw the highlights, just how good an effort it was, and how narrowly it went past with their keeper nowhere.

Scotsman Motherwell 3 - 2 Inverness : Porter has no desire to swap Fir for Forest By Angus Wright CHRIS Porter claimed he would be happy for Motherwell to reject any offers for him in January after his hat-trick helped the club remember Phil O'Donnell with victory. Porter headed home three times as Motherwell returned to form two days before the first anniversary of the death of their hugely-respected captain. The players formed a huddle before the game where they vowed to claim three points for O'Donnell. Manager Mark McGhee admitted the added drive had helped them claim their first win for almost two months, but he rightly pointed out that the return from injury of Stephen Craigan and David Clarkson had made a huge difference. Stephen Hughes, who missed last week's defeat by Hamilton through illness, was influential in midfield as Motherwell attacked with pace and precision. And the importance of Porter was also evident. When the Englishman headed home Steven Hammell's eighth-minute cross, it was the first goal from open play McGhee's men had scored since Porter's second goal in a 2-0 win over Hamilton on November 1. The former Oldham striker has been watched by Nottingham Forest and McGhee admits he cannot stand in his way if he wants to move next month. But Porter is not looking to leave Fir Park, at least until the end of the season. "I read in the papers a couple of days ago that I had signed a pre-contract with Forest, which was not true," the 25-year-old said. "I would just leave it up to Motherwell if a bid came in. I am happy here and I just want to keep playing and scoring goals for Motherwell." Soft goals in the closing stages in each half from Ross Tokely and Adam Rooney, who followed up his own penalty, only served to disguise the dominance of the home team. And Porter admitted there was an extra determination about them, due to the time of year. The striker completed his hat-trick just as the game entered the 78th minute, the time O'Donnell had collapsed with heart failure against Dundee United. The home fans marked the moment with a standing ovation and song for their late hero and Porter said: " I'm sure Phil would have been pleased for us and I'm sure his family are as well." With Craigan back in defence, Slovakian Maros Klimpl performed well in midfield and McGhee now aims to extend his loan spell from Danish side FC Midtjylland. "We are hoping to continue that," McGhee said. "We played him in midfield and he showed his experience. He was an anchor there and I think Stephen Hughes had his best game for a long time, and I'm not sure that was because of Maros or whether that was a coincidence."

This could require up to 35 or more points to be absolutely certain. With so many taking points off each other, really could go down to the wire.

Johnny Gahagan for me. Was my first favourite footballer that I got to see.

Aye. Me too.

Possibly. I kinda thought he'd scored more than the one hat-trick, should've done up at Sheepyville a couple of years back but, after giving us a 2-0 lead, we slipped to 2-2. Last minute, Clarky skins the fullback and with only the keeper to beat (and a big gap on the inside post) he screws the ball along the six-yard line just inches from McDonald and the chance was gone. Clarky said to us afterwards "I was absolutely shagged and just didnae have the legs"!

Absolutely. What was even more blatant was the penalty we never got. The fermer just took Hughes right out and knew it. For their pen, aye, Craggo had his arm around him, but didn't wrestle him to the ground - Rooney simply dropped like a sack of tatties the moment contact was made.

Nah, if you're thinking of the 5-3 game, it was a double, two in two minutes including a brilliant chip.

McGhee wants to extend the loan period.... McGhee eyes Klimpl loan extension Klimpl has six international caps for Slovakia Motherwell manager Mark McGhee says he expects to extend Maros Klimpl's loan deal at the club. The Slovak was borrowed from Danish side FC Midtjylland but the current agreement expires on 31 December. McGhee said: "We are hoping to continue that. I thought he was an anchor in midfield against Inverness. "And I think Stephen Hughes had his best game for a long time, and I'm not sure that was because of Maros or whether that was a coincidence." Klimpl arrived at Fir Park in September but has made just four appearances for the Steelmen because of injury. The player has previously stated his desire to remain with the Lanarkshire club

Richmond is alomst completely incompetent, though I have to credit him with booking the ICT player a good few minutes after the foul as play continued for a long spell. In saying that, he's still an idiot.

Four of us sitting together turned round immediately soon as the goal went in. Very, very fitting.