In addition to the Motherwell F.C. first team, competing in the
Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish ...
, the club also has a
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
who play in the
SPFL Reserve League
The SPFL Reserve League is the reserve team league for football in Scotland. The league began in 2018, as the SPFL Development League was replaced by a reserve team (i.e not age-restricted) format.
History
In its first season, 2018–19, the lea ...
as well as younger age group teams in their youth system. They fielded a reserve team in defunct competitions for many years.
Reserve Team
In the early 1950s,
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
s were incorporated into the third tier of the senior
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...
, with Motherwell 'A' taking part for six seasons of the arrangement.Scottish Football League C Division overview Scottish Football Historical Archive
Motherwell were an ever-present in the
Scottish Premier Reserve League
The Scottish Premier Reserve League was the top reserve team league for Scottish football teams. The competition started at the same time as the inauguration of the Scottish Premier League in the 1998–99 season. It was initially an under-21 le ...
since its formation in the 1998–99 season. Initially starting as an Under-21 league, the reserve league was open to all age groups from season 2004–05.
The Motherwell reserve team withdrew their team from the 2009–10 season due to financial constraints and a lack of support from other clubs, leading to the competition's abandonment. Motherwell Reserves then played friendly matches.
In July 2018, it was reported that reserve leagues would be reintroduced in lieu of the development leagues that had been in place since 2009. The top tier of the new
SPFL Reserve League
The SPFL Reserve League is the reserve team league for football in Scotland. The league began in 2018, as the SPFL Development League was replaced by a reserve team (i.e not age-restricted) format.
History
In its first season, 2018–19, the lea ...
featured 18 clubs, whilst a second-tier reserve League comprised nine clubs. Other than a minimum age of 16, no age restrictions applied to the leagues. At the end of its first season (2018–19) several clubs intimated that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to play a variety of challenge matches, but Motherwell were one of those who chose to remain.
Motherwell Reserves usually played their home matches at
Dalziel Park
Dalziel Park is an area located between the villages of Carfin, Cleland, North Lanarkshire, Cleland and Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Other nearby settlements include the large town of Motherwell and the new town of Ravenscraig. T ...
, a sports facility outside Motherwell that is also the training ground of the first-team, but also used
Forthbank Stadium
Forthbank Stadium is a football stadium in Stirling, Scotland. Opened in 1993, it has been the home ground of Scottish Professional Football League club Stirling Albion since then. Since 2013 it has also hosted the first team matches of Lowland ...
Until 1998, Motherwell competed in the youth competitions administered by the
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...
. They then took part in the age group leagues run by the
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
and the
Scottish Professional Football League
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As ...
.
From 2015 onwards it is possible for the ''Well'' academy to participate in the UEFA Youth League by their under-18 side (previously under-17s) winning the prior season's league at that age group; however this has not yet been achieved.
The Scottish Youth Cup (which began in 1985) is administered separately, with Motherwell winning the competition for the first time in 2016.
For the 2016–17 edition of the
Scottish Challenge Cup
The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,Premiership clubs were granted entry to compete against adult teams for the first time in the modern era. In the 2018–19 edition, with the age now changed to under-21s, Motherwell reached the quarter-final stage, the best performance by a 'colt' team up to that point, losing 2–1 to eventual winners Ross County.
Having played home games at Fir Park,Hannah Park ( Shotts) and Creamery Park (
Bathgate
Bathgate ( sco, Bathket or , gd, Both Chèit) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Livingston, West Calder and Whitburn. Situated sout ...
), their regular stadium is now Airdrie's Excelsior Stadium.
In 2015, former Motherwell captain
Stephen Craigan
Stephen James Craigan (born 29 October 1976) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer. He played in central defence, and spent his entire playing career in Scotland, playing for Motherwell (twice) and Partick Thistle. He has also pl ...
coached the Under-20 side. In 2019,
Maurice Ross
Maurice Alexander Ross (born 3 February 1981) is a Scottish football player and coach, who was manager of Cowdenbeath.
Ross made his first senior appearance in professional football in February 2000 and played for eleven different clubs: Ra ...
The club also operates the ''Motherwell Academy''. The academy was formed in 2012, and consists of teams made up of players and coaches from Under-11 to Under-17 level. The youth teams train at a sports facility based within Braidhurst High School. From 2013 the director was former Motherwell captain
Scott Leitch
Donald Scott Leitch (born 6 October 1969) is a Scottish former football player and coach, who played as a midfielder. He played professionally for Dunfermline Athletic, Heart of Midlothian, Swindon Town and Motherwell, and managed Ross Count ...
, later being replaced by
Steven Hammell
Steven Hammell (born 18 February 1982) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who manages Scottish Premiership club Motherwell. Hammell played as a left-back for Motherwell in almost 500 league games across two spells, either side of a ...
who also had the same role as a player until his retirement.
In 2017, the Motherwell academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of ''Project Brave'', an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case.
Staff
Honours
Reserves
*Scottish Reserve LeagueSenior competition winners Scottish Football Historical Archive
**Winners: 1912–13
**Runners-up: 1988–89, 1994–95, 2006–07
* SPFL Reserve Cup
**Runners-up: 2018–19
*Scottish 2nd XI Cup
**Winners: 1942–43, 1948–49, 1956–57
*Scottish Reserve League Cup
**Winners: 1987–88
Youths
* Scottish Youth Cup
**Winners:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
**Runners-up: 1987
*
SPFL Development League
The SPFL Development League was the top level of youth football in Scotland, which was contested in various formats between 1998 and 2018.
History
A youth league was founded as the Scottish Premier under-18 League in 1998. Clubs fielded under-1 ...
James McFadden
James Henry McFadden (born 14 April 1983) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player who played as a forward.
McFadden started his playing career with Motherwell, where he came to prominence in the 2002–03 season by scoring ...
Steven Hammell
Steven Hammell (born 18 February 1982) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who manages Scottish Premiership club Motherwell. Hammell played as a left-back for Motherwell in almost 500 league games across two spells, either side of a ...
*
Keith Lasley
Keith William Robert Lasley (born 21 September 1979) is a Scottish retired football midfielder, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Scottish Premiership club St Mirren. During his playing career, Lasley played for Motherwell, Plymou ...
Lee McCulloch
Lee Henry McCulloch (born 14 May 1978) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He is the first team assistant manager at Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian.
McCulloch was capped on eighteen occasions by the Sc ...
*
Jordan Halsman
Jordan Halsman (born 13 June 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer, who played for Elgin City until 2017. He plays as a left-sided full-back, but can also operate on the left side of midfield.
Whilst at Motherwell he had loan spells wit ...
*
Adam Coakley
Adam Thomas Coakley (born 19 October 1987 in Glasgow) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker. He is the son of property tycoon Tom Coakley, who in 2007 expressed an interest in buying Motherwell where his son was a player. Coakley quit ...
*
Jamie Pollock
Jamie Pollock (born 16 February 1974) is an English former football club chairman, manager and professional player. As a player he was a midfielder from 1990 to 2002. He played Premier League football for Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers and Man ...
*
Mark Archdeacon
Mark Archdeacon (born 9 October 1989) is a footballer who plays for Scottish Junior team Neilston Juniors. He previously played professionally for Motherwell. He is the son of former Celtic and Morton player Owen Archdeacon.
Career
In January 2 ...
*
Paul Slane
Paul Slane (born 25 November 1991) is a Scottish media personality and former professional footballer. He has played for Motherwell, Celtic, Partick Thistle, Milton Keynes Dons, Ayr United, Clyde and Open Goal Broomhill. Slane also represente ...
Steven Meechan
Steven Meechan (born 30 March 1991) is a Scottish Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kilbirnie Ladeside F.C., Kilbirnie Ladeside in the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region. He has previously played in t ...
Robert McHugh
Robert McHugh (born 16 July 1991) is a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), striker for St Cadoc's F.C., St Cadoc's. McHugh has previously played for Motherwell F.C., Motherwell, F ...
*
Ross Forbes
Ross Forbes (born 3 March 1989) is a Scottish footballer, currently playing as a midfielder for Scottish League Two club Clyde.
Career Motherwell
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Forbes began his football career with Motherwell. In the 2007–08 ...
*
William Kinniburgh
William Daniel Kinniburgh (born 8 September 1984, in Glasgow) is a retired footballer who was the manager with Gartcairn F. A. Juniors in the West of Scotland Football League. He has played in the Scottish Premier League for Motherwell and th ...
*
Shaun Hutchinson
Shaun Matthew Hutchinson (born 23 November 1990) is an English footballer who plays for Millwall as a centre- back. Hutchinson had played for Motherwell, Fulham and currently Millwall. A career that has spread over 14 years, playing 6 seasons i ...
Steven Saunders
Steven Saunders (born 30 March 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for East Kilbride.
He played for Motherwell, Ross County, Dumbarton, The New Saints, Livingston and Partick Thistle at club level, and also r ...
*
Marc Fitzpatrick
Marc Fitzpatrick (born 11 May 1986 in Lanark) is a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who plays for Airdrieonians F.C., Airdrieonians as a Midfielder#Winger, left winger or Defender (association football)#Wing-back, left bac ...
*
Steven Lawless
Steven Lawless (born 12 April 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a left-sided winger, and is in his second spell with Partick Thistle.
Lawless, who is a product of Motherwell's youth system, started his professional care ...
Adam Asghar
Adam Asghar (born 26 July 1994) is a Scottish football coach and former player who is currently U-21 lead coach at Championship side Southampton.
As a player, Asghar had spells with Motherwell, Alloa Athletic, Annan Athletic and Clydebank, a ...
Craig Moore
Craig Andrew Moore (born 12 December 1975) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. His 2006 FIFA World Cup profile describes him as being "tough-tackling and uncompromising but also calm and composed under p ...
*
Jack Leitch
Jack Leitch (born 17 July 1995) is a Scottish footballer who plays for Stirling Albion. A midfielder, he started his career with Motherwell and was a product of the Motherwell Academy. In 2016, he moved to Airdrieonians and had one season with ...
*
Dom Thomas
Dominic Thomas (born 14 February 1996) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Queen's Park. Thomas, who started his professional career with Motherwell, has also played for Kilmarnock and has been on loan over two spel ...
Jake Hastie
Jake Hastie (born 18 March 1999) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for club Hartlepool United.
Hastie is a product of the Motherwell academy, and has previously played for Linfield, Motherwell, Airdrieonians, Rangers, Alloa ...
*
James Scott James Scott may refer to:
Entertainment
* James Scott (composer) (1885–1938), African-American ragtime composer
* James Scott (director) (born 1941), British filmmaker
* James Scott (actor) (born 1979), British television actor
* James Scott (Sh ...
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...