El Grew Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Like a few others who have posted I’ve been going to Fir Park since the mid to late 1960s. In that time there’s been lots of great highs and heartbreaking lows. However I can’t help feeling that for a few years now the club has fallen into an ever descending downward spiral. Other than our struggling on the playing side (which inevitably fluctuates from year to year) there are other worrying factors at play. We occupy a ground that’s been way past its best for a long time now and despite the large amounts of money shelled out on it in recent years it really isn’t fit for purpose anymore. It seems that the club has lacked and probably still does lack vision to deal with this. I think other than Dens Park our ground is the worst in the top flight. We still haven’t appointed a new CEO or found a new chairman and the club has been allowed to become rudderless for too long. By its the own admission the badly needs an injection of new investment. The recent attempt at trying to attract interested parties was a bit amateurish and seems to have been fruitless - other than a few people joining the Well Society. I always looked forward to the cup competitions but our recent performances in these have been mediocre and for the second year running we’ve been knocked out of the Scottish Cup by a team from a lower league. It may well be an age thing but going to games now has become more of a penance than a pleasure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santheman Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Maybe we should start a Grumpy Old Men's Club. Meet before home games in Club100 and reminisce about the good old days of the 60's and 70's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirParkCornerExile Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 21 minutes ago, santheman said: Maybe we should start a Grumpy Old Men's Club. Meet before home games in Club100 and reminisce about the good old days of the 60's and 70's. 😆😆 And I bet we'd all recognise one another without ever having met. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 I've been going to Fir Park since the late 50s and haven't lost my enthusiasm. I still get annoyed at defeats but am no longer surprised. TV has changed the game irreversibly and its a small, very small consolation, that it's nothing to do with me. I'll continue to support MFC come what may. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 1 hour ago, bobbybingo said: Och well, would've been a trip to Parkhead. Just out of interest, does anyone know how much the club earns from a trip to Park head? I'm not sure it's that much but then I've never been and am basing my opinion in the low numbers of our fans that are permitted to attend. Or does the club get a share of the whole attendance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 On 2/10/2024 at 3:35 PM, steelboy said: Their stinking attitude got us into the playoff. As I alluded to in the next sentence you didn't quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirParkCornerExile Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 8 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said: I've been going to Fir Park since the late 50s and haven't lost my enthusiasm. I still get annoyed at defeats but am no longer surprised. TV has changed the game irreversibly and its a small, very small consolation, that it's nothing to do with me. I'll continue to support MFC come what may. The club is fortunate to have guys like you , guys like me not so, I'm at the stage after unstinting support for 46 years I'm sick to the back teeth of it. I could walk away tomorrow. It's only habit that keeps me going and the great people I have gone to games with. If they gave up I'd finish tomorrow. I stress it's got fuck all to do with the Morton game. I thoroughly expected that result. I've felt like this for 5/6 years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Blues Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 38 minutes ago, El Grew said: However I can’t help feeling that for a few years now the club has fallen into an ever descending downward spiral. Thing is, it's not just our club. I could live with that, having seen us play even worse at times over these many long years. And at least we haven't been relegated, unlike Hibs, Hearts, Dundee, Dundee Utd etc. However, the whole league is now an increasingly bad joke - I mean, how can we be THIS bad this season, and still be above so many other teams? The general quality is in the toilet, "entertainment" is often non-existent (thank heavens for KVV last season) and the spiral is indeed ever-downwards, I just can't see any light at the end of this dismal tunnel. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santheman Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 19 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said: 😆😆 And I bet we'd all recognise one another without ever having met. Probably all former members of "The Choir" 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlyg Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 What annoys me is every time there is a defeat it's manager must go....we are rotten....board clueless ...we are skint. We had a great performance v Ross co and yup were rank rotten v Morton . I was raging after Friday but I don't suddenly think it's doom and gloom. Kettlewell needs to grow a pair and stop being loyal to some players. I have been going to fir park somewhere nice 1977 as a 5 yr old and will continue to do so. It's a rollercoaster supporting Well which we all have to accept COYW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlyg Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 5 minutes ago, santheman said: Probably all former members of "The Choir" 😁 Should have a forum night out and we all turn up with name badges revealing who we are ....now that would be entertaining!!🤣🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewarkfanclub Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 4 minutes ago, grizzlyg said: Should have a forum night out and we all turn up with name badges revealing who we are ....now that would be entertaining!!🤣🤣 I will be the one with his glass half full! 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 The whole club is stagnant and directionless and there is a great deal apathy surrounding everything just now and that’s been the case for a good few years now. As a club we have zero ambition and a gutless yellow streak which results in our dismal cup performances, in my opinion. The other night was no surprise whatsoever, just like Raith Rovers a year ago today wasn’t either. And let me be clear here. I am not expecting us to win Cup competitions but i would prefer it if we didn’t whimper out early the minute we are paired with a fellow top flight side or mid to high table Championship team as we do all too often. Basically the extent of our ‘ambition’ these days appears to be to be less shite than the shitfest two teams in the division and hope we can avoid relegation, anything else is a bonus. We are always skint, as the club constantly ram down our throats the product on the park reflects this. I don’t know what the plan is. I don’t even know if there is anyone in place to put a long term plan in place but it just feels like we trundle along until the year we are eventually relegated, and when that happens we will almost certainly be looking at part time football. Sad times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 31 minutes ago, Mad Dog said: Just out of interest, does anyone know how much the club earns from a trip to Park head? Very roughly it would 80% of 33% of the gate. Extra prize money of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewarkfanclub Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 3 hours ago, MJC said: The whole club is stagnant and directionless and there is a great deal apathy surrounding everything just now and that’s been the case for a good few years now. As a club we have zero ambition and a gutless yellow streak which results in our dismal cup performances, in my opinion. The other night was no surprise whatsoever, just like Raith Rovers a year ago today wasn’t either. And let me be clear here. I am not expecting us to win Cup competitions but i would prefer it if we didn’t whimper out early the minute we are paired with a fellow top flight side or mid to high table Championship team as we do all too often. Basically the extent of our ‘ambition’ these days appears to be to be less shite than the shitfest two teams in the division and hope we can avoid relegation, anything else is a bonus. We are always skint, as the club constantly ram down our throats the product on the park reflects this. I don’t know what the plan is. I don’t even know if there is anyone in place to put a long term plan in place but it just feels like we trundle along until the year we are eventually relegated, and when that happens we will almost certainly be looking at part time football. Sad times. Hard to put in a long term plan when everytime we hit a bad run some of our fans are screaming for the manager to be sacked. There are clearly changes requiring to be made in the structuring of the club. However, that is now underway. Once that is done hopefully the new incumbents will carry out a root and branch review of where the club is at and make the necessary changes. I get its been a shit couple of seasons and many mistakes have been made. But the darkest night is just before the dawn. We just need to get to the end of this season still in the top flight and take it from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 14 minutes ago, MJC said: As a club we have zero ambition and a gutless yellow streak which results in our dismal cup performances, in my opinion. The other night was no surprise whatsoever, just like Raith Rovers a year ago today wasn’t either. And let me be clear here. I am not expecting us to win Cup competitions but i would prefer it if we didn’t whimper out early the minute we are paired with a fellow top flight side or mid to high table Championship team as we do all too often. We've been to 4 cup finals in the past 20 years, which is good going for Motherwell, historically speaking. And our league record over the past 3 decades would equal that of most eras. No happy clapping involved, those are just facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirParkCornerExile Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 30 minutes ago, joewarkfanclub said: I will be the one with his glass half full! 😉 I'll be the one with the blindfold on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirParkCornerExile Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 21 minutes ago, bobbybingo said: We've been to 4 cup finals in the past 20 years, which is good going for Motherwell, historically speaking. And our league record over the past 3 decades would equal that of most eras. No happy clapping involved, those are just facts. You are not wrong and I fully get why those who stick with it do and I'm not trying to piss on their parade. If they still love it as much as they did 40 years ago I'm genuinely jealous. I'm at the stage and have been for 5/6 years where I find it all intensely tedious and predictable and 90% of the time it is predictable. It's not just us that it affects most of the clubs go through the same ups and downs. A league devoid of any real competition and excitement. The product is crap. Where the club are guilty is the constantly depressing whinging about being skint, we are the worst whingers in the league. Clubs like St J , St Mirren , Killie and Ross County are not significantly better off than us financially but by Christ we are world beater at griping about it. I never started supporting Motherwell to concern myself with the clubs balance sheet every year. I feel that's all we exist for is to keep the finances in balance. Anyway I never stared this topic to depress everyone , for those who still love it all , good for you and I hope it stays that way for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 6 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said: You are not wrong and I fully get why those who stick with it do and I'm not trying to piss on their parade. If they still love it as much as they did 40 years ago I'm genuinely jealous. I'm at the stage and have been for 5/6 years where I find it all intensely tedious and predictable and 90% of the time it is predictable. It's not just us that it affects most of the clubs go through the same ups and downs. A league devoid of any real competition and excitement. The product is crap. Where the club are guilty is the constantly depressing whinging about being skint, we are the worst whingers in the league. Clubs like St J , St Mirren , Killie and Ross County are not significantly better off than us financially but by Christ we are world beater at griping about it. I never started supporting Motherwell to concern myself with the clubs balance sheet every year. I feel that's all we exist for is to keep the finances in balance. Anyway I never stared this topic to depress everyone , for those who still love it all , good for you and I hope it stays that way for you. I don't disagree with anything you said and I could never criticise anyone who's had enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 13 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said: You are not wrong and I fully get why those who stick with it do and I'm not trying to piss on their parade. If they still love it as much as they did 40 years ago I'm genuinely jealous. I'm at the stage and have been for 5/6 years where I find it all intensely tedious and predictable and 90% of the time it is predictable. It's not just us that it affects most of the clubs go through the same ups and downs. A league devoid of any real competition and excitement. The product is crap. Where the club are guilty is the constantly depressing whinging about being skint, we are the worst whingers in the league. Clubs like St J , St Mirren , Killie and Ross County are not significantly better off than us financially but by Christ we are world beater at griping about it. I never started supporting Motherwell to concern myself with the clubs balance sheet every year. I feel that's all we exist for is to keep the finances in balance. Anyway I never stared this topic to depress everyone , for those who still love it all , good for you and I hope it stays that way for you. Great post and you’ve worded that a lot better than I could have. You are wrong though to feel that all we exist for is to keep finances in balance. We all know what we exist to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Dosser Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 My first season was 1963 (unfortunately I missed both St John and Quinn). It's very, very difficult to gauge relative levels of playing excellence or even competence over the last sixty years (gulp!) but we were very poor when relegated in the late 60s (watch the YT vid of our defeat at Dens Park that year for example) and when we spent three years in the second division (along with Hearts). Can't imagine what people would have said then if there had been social media. No point in listing the many lows and disappointments since then but I was given hope by last Tuesday night's victory and still think we will scrape up this year. The whole of Scottish football is circling the drain, though, mainly because of the perennial incompetence of our footballing authorities and the colossal finanncial imbalance in the UK caused by the huge amounts of money pumped into the game down south, including gambling industry money (which I find particularly disgusting since it exploits the most desperate in our society). Given that, I'm not sure what kind of quality players we can afford to attract to a fan-owned club of about 4,500 hard-core fans without some rich investor chipping the odd million in. It can work for Hearts because they have a large support but we're trapped like many in an economic bind. Best we can hope for short of a Sugar Daddy is unearthing a Turnbull or Milller occasionally who will then be snapped up for relatively small change when the time comes. Loanees are a short-term option which may tide you over but can bite you on the bum, as we saw with Mika. Perhaps after about forty years in the top flight our time has finally come and the bullet can no longer be dodged but I don't actually think so. I appreciate that the brave souls who travel from far away may be close to breaking point after so much disappointment and some of it may be age-related, although I have two neighbours in the POD who remember Baldy Shaw and Andy Paton and they still seem up for it. Admittedly, they are locals and I doubt I would be travelling regularly down to FP if I lived in Perth or Inverness and we all have to decide what's worthwhile for us and our families. Living in Hamilton, I'll be there next year if we go down, if only to avoid going around Asda on the weekly shop or watching endless re-runs of Midsomer Murders on the TV. Also, I hear the FP chicken chasni pies are good, although at my age I don't think I'll risk them. I think wellgirl's positivity has rubbed off on me too. She seeems to have been through a lot for a a young person already yet still shows great commitment both to her studies and the club. Keep the faith if you possibly can, dossers. You could support West Ham...... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirParkCornerExile Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 2 minutes ago, Happy Dosser said: My first season was 1963 (unfortunately I missed both St John and Quinn). It's very, very difficult to gauge relative levels of playing excellence or even competence over the last sixty years (gulp!) but we were very poor when relegated in the late 60s (watch the YT vid of our defeat at Dens Park that year for example) and when we spent three years in the second division (along with Hearts). Can't imagine what people would have said then if there had been social media. No point in listing the many lows and disappointments since then but I was given hope by last Tuesday night's victory and still think we will scrape up this year. The whole of Scottish football is circling the drain, though, mainly because of the perennial incompetence of our footballing authorities and the colossal finanncial imbalance in the UK caused by the huge amounts of money pumped into the game down south, including gambling industry money (which I find particularly disgusting since it exploits the most desperate in our society). Given that, I'm not sure what kind of quality players we can afford to attract to a fan-owned club of about 4,500 hard-core fans without some rich investor chipping the odd million in. It can work for Hearts because they have a large support but we're trapped like many in an economic bind. Best we can hope for short of a Sugar Daddy is unearthing a Turnbull or Milller occasionally who will then be snapped up for relatively small change when the time comes. Loanees are a short-term option which may tide you over but can bite you on the bum, as we saw with Mika. Perhaps after about forty years in the top flight our time has finally come and the bullet can no longer be dodged but I don't actually think so. I appreciate that the brave souls who travel from far away may be close to breaking point after so much disappointment and some of it may be age-related, although I have two neighbours in the POD who remember Baldy Shaw and Andy Paton and they still seem up for it. Admittedly, they are locals and I doubt I would be travelling regularly down to FP if I lived in Perth or Inverness and we all have to decide what's worthwhile for us and our families. Living in Hamilton, I'll be there next year if we go down, if only to avoid going around Asda on the weekly shop or watching endless re-runs of Midsomer Murders on the TV. Also, I hear the FP chicken chasni pies are good, although at my age I don't think I'll risk them. I think wellgirl's positivity has rubbed off on me too. She seeems to have been through a lot for a a young person already yet still shows great commitment both to her studies and the club. Keep the faith if you possibly can, dossers. You could support West Ham...... The club is indeed fortunate to have fans like you that still have the enthusiasm. Thankfully in the small support we've I would consider myself in the minority and for the clubs sake hope it stays like that. Even if we had 12,000 more of them every week would we be any better off when you look at Hibs and Aberdeen over the last few years. The Scottish game is going nowhere because there is no genuine competition. How's it managed to survive this long as a two horse race ever year is truly astonishing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Just to add to the temporary positivity, I know of 2 "senior" fans (I hope they won't mind me calling them that), who travel from Alyth and Dundee to home games - both season ticket holders. So, there are quite a few diehards, who will give up when they have to and not a minute before. Like Happydosser I can remember some dreadful teams in the late 1960s - the worst I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellgirl Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 43 minutes ago, Happy Dosser said: My first season was 1963 (unfortunately I missed both St John and Quinn). It's very, very difficult to gauge relative levels of playing excellence or even competence over the last sixty years (gulp!) but we were very poor when relegated in the late 60s (watch the YT vid of our defeat at Dens Park that year for example) and when we spent three years in the second division (along with Hearts). Can't imagine what people would have said then if there had been social media. No point in listing the many lows and disappointments since then but I was given hope by last Tuesday night's victory and still think we will scrape up this year. The whole of Scottish football is circling the drain, though, mainly because of the perennial incompetence of our footballing authorities and the colossal finanncial imbalance in the UK caused by the huge amounts of money pumped into the game down south, including gambling industry money (which I find particularly disgusting since it exploits the most desperate in our society). Given that, I'm not sure what kind of quality players we can afford to attract to a fan-owned club of about 4,500 hard-core fans without some rich investor chipping the odd million in. It can work for Hearts because they have a large support but we're trapped like many in an economic bind. Best we can hope for short of a Sugar Daddy is unearthing a Turnbull or Milller occasionally who will then be snapped up for relatively small change when the time comes. Loanees are a short-term option which may tide you over but can bite you on the bum, as we saw with Mika. Perhaps after about forty years in the top flight our time has finally come and the bullet can no longer be dodged but I don't actually think so. I appreciate that the brave souls who travel from far away may be close to breaking point after so much disappointment and some of it may be age-related, although I have two neighbours in the POD who remember Baldy Shaw and Andy Paton and they still seem up for it. Admittedly, they are locals and I doubt I would be travelling regularly down to FP if I lived in Perth or Inverness and we all have to decide what's worthwhile for us and our families. Living in Hamilton, I'll be there next year if we go down, if only to avoid going around Asda on the weekly shop or watching endless re-runs of Midsomer Murders on the TV. Also, I hear the FP chicken chasni pies are good, although at my age I don't think I'll risk them. I think wellgirl's positivity has rubbed off on me too. She seeems to have been through a lot for a a young person already yet still shows great commitment both to her studies and the club. Keep the faith if you possibly can, dossers. You could support West Ham...... I'm really loving the fact that you've just called me young given that I'll I was born in 1969... Just typed that rather than say what age ill be on Tuesday 😂. In my defence it's also my wee brothers birthday next week and he's ten years younger than me so if he's a kid so am I!!! (That's my defence and Im sticking to it). Hes way more sensible than me though. He didn't break his shoulder at a Jesus and Mary chain gig and then break his nose at a Depeche mode one . (He sent me a text saying I shouldn't be let out on my own. His exact words were ... You're not safe to be let out). It is sods law though that I finally get a student discount on my season and we are struggling. Onwards and upwards though. Irrespective of how we are doing at the moment we've done Ok for a provincial club when many others have been relegated. By the skin of our teeth more than once but all we can do is keep believing. I lost a close relative in tragic circumstances six months before we won the cup in 1991. That cup run got my family through the worst times. I'm sure other people have similar stories to tell. I hope we kick on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee Dougie Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 1 hour ago, grizzlyg said: What annoys me is every time there is a defeat it's manager must go....we are rotten....board clueless ...we are skint. We had a great performance v Ross co and yup were rank rotten v Morton . I was raging after Friday but I don't suddenly think it's doom and gloom. Kettlewell needs to grow a pair and stop being loyal to some players. I have been going to fir park somewhere nice 1977 as a 5 yr old and will continue to do so. It's a rollercoaster supporting Well which we all have to accept COYW FFs, I've got underwear older than you!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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