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Motherwell FC News
March 2000
Friday, March 31
Newspaper reports suggest that Pat Nevin is another player struggling to make tomorrow's game with St Johnstone.
Thursday, March 30
Clan FM reports that John Spencer and Andy Goram are still injured and will miss Saturday's match with St Johnstone, while Sasa Curcic and Derek Townsley are rated as extremely doubtful.
Billy Davies has ruled out any new signings before tomorrow's transfer deadline. Interestingly, he also mentions that he's received no offers for any of his current squad.
Simo Valakari played for an hour of Finland's 2-1 win over Wales last night. Our esteemed match programme editor informs us that Simo now becomes the club's most capped player with 14 caps, one more than Tommy Coyne.
Still on the subject of Simo, the Motherwell Times reports that he is currently thinking over a new two-year contract and Pat Nevin is hopeful that the midfielder will sign it.
Wednesday, March 29
Motherwell have been fined by the SPL for not having enough under-21 players on the bench during the 2-0 win over Dundee Utd in October. Both clubs have accepted the decision.
Tuesday, March 28
Simo Valakari is reported to be holding signing talks with Derby County. Another source claims that he is currently considering a new one-year offer from Motherwell, but it's looking increasingly likely that he won't be with us next season. Simo is in Finland's squad for their friendly with Wales tomorrow night.
John
Boyle declined to release details of the figures involved in the new sponsorship
deal with Motorola, but said:
"I am delighted the company is continuing it's association with the
club. Our deal with Motorola spans nine seasons and is the longest
existing shirt sponsorship deal in the SPL. We're now extending that
commitment to improve youth development and training policy."
Our new home strip for next season was unveiled today. Photo courtesy of the Evening Times.
Monday, March 27
It is reported in today's press that Billy Davies is keen to sign Greig Strong on a permanent contract. The defender still has a year to run on his contact at Bolton, and a fee of £350,000 was mentioned.
Motorola have extended their sponsorship deal with the club for further two years, and their name will appear on the new strip next season.
A rumour on the Motherwell Mailing List suggests that Simo Valakari will sign for Derby County this week.
Ricky's report of the Hearts game is now available.
A few more pics have been added to the photos page, courtesy of Mr Mullen.
Saturday, March 25
Today's game at Tynecastle finished goalless. We were dealt a blow before kick-off when it was announced that recent signing Sasa Curcic hadn't managed to shake off an ankle knock, and neither he nor Andy Goram would play any part in the match. However, we started very impressively and dominated the first half-hour or so, our best chance falling to Lee McCulloch who was unlucky to see his shot rebound off the bar. Hearts began to come in to the game more as half-time approached and we survived a couple of decent penalty claims from the home side. Incidentally, the ref today was our old friend Mike McCurry, who once again proved that he is without doubt the most incompetent grade one official in Scottish football. Hearts definitely had the better of the second half and hit the bar themselves, but we always looked dangerous on the break and Pat Nevin missed an absolute sitter with a few minutes to go. In the end though, a draw was probably about right. The result keeps us in with a shout of Europe next season, but three points are a must next week against St Johnstone.
Click here to access Ian Buchanan's new MFC Goals Archive.
Thursday, March 23
Don Goodman will be back to face Hearts on Saturday after serving a one-match suspension, and John Davies is also in contention after being out with a head knock and also banned against Rangers. Sasa Curcic suffered a slight ankle injury during Tuesday night's friendly with Gothenburg, but should be ok for Tynecastle.
The club have been given permission from the North Lanarkshire Licensing Board to open a sports bar in the Davie Cooper Stand. Building work will begin once the current season ends in May, with the opening date likely to be sometime in July.
Radio Clyde reports that Dunfermline have taken Michael Doesburg on loan until the end of the season. Looks like he'll definitely be on his way at the end of the season (see below).
Ricky's report of the Gothenburg game is now available.
Reports suggest that Stephen Halliday has signed permanently for Carlisle after his recent loan spell.
A couple more snippets of gossip from Ricky:
Wednesday, March 22
The Sun reports that Italian trialist Nicola Innocentin headed back home this morning after the club refused to meet his wage demands.
John Spencer will be out of action for another 7 to 10 days while he recovers from his appendix operation.
A posting to the Motherwell Mailing List suggests that the following eight players are all out of contact at the end of the season: McGowan, Doesburg, Valakari, Nevin, Matthaei, Halliday (currently on loan with Carlisle), Craigan and Denham
Tuesday, March 21
Tonight's friendly against Gothenburg ended 0-0. All three of our recent signings played from the start although Sasa Curcic went off at half-time, but apart from that there is little else to mention as the game was absolutely dire!
Ricky's report of the Rangers game is now available.
Monday, March 20
The Sweepstake league table has been updated at long last! I'm very grateful to my good friend Kevin McCormick, who has agreed to maintain and update the page for the remainder of the season. Kev is responsible for running the BBC Sweepo (in which I'm doing very badly!) and also maintains Berwick Rangers Online.Saturday, March 18
We got humped 6-2 at Ibrox. Despite Pat Nevin's claim beforehand that we would go and attack Rangers, we sat-back and played with only one striker up-front for the entire 90 mins. We actually started quite well and scored first courtesy of a Benito Kemble header from a corner, but alas the Huns equalised virtually straight away and took the lead shortly afterwards when the referee inexplicably awarded them a penalty, apparently for hand-ball although no-one at the match could say for definite. Albertz was then allowed far too much time and space in the box to make it 3-1, but we gave ourselves a chance by bringing it back to 3-2 thanks to a Lee McCulloch header after 41 mins. If we'd held it at that until half-time then we were definitely in with a shout, but in true Motherwell fashion we allowed Rangers to restore their two goal lead just before the interval, giving us a mountain to climb in the second half. Despite the two goal defecit, Davies seemed content to keep just one player upfront instead of having a real go at Rangers, and they added further goals courtesy of poor defending (and goalkeeping) and their old friend the referee, who awarded them another penalty in injury time. In the end, we got exactly what we deserved for some truely woeful defending. On a positive note, Sasa Curcic made his debut and certainly looked impressive despite being nowhere near match-fit. Unfortunately, he was substituted early in the second half and with him went any chance we had of salvaging something from the game. At least Hibs won the Edinburgh derby to keep us just one point behind Hearts in the race for third place.17.03.2000
John Spencer will miss tomorrow's game at Ibrox as he has just undergone an appendix operation.A Daily Record article on Sasa Curcic is available here
16.03.2000
Clan FM reports that we are to play IFK Gothenburg in a friendly at Fir Park next Tuesday night. Season tickets are valid, while admission prices have been set at just £5 for adults and £1 for juveniles.Ged Brannan is back in the squad for Saturday's game at Ibrox after returning from the Cayman Islands, but Don Goodman is suspended. John Davies is still out following his head knock against Hearts, but Stevie McMillan and Kevin Twaddle are both fit again and Derek Townsley will face a late check on his ankle injury.
In today's Motherwell Times, Pat Nevin claims that Sasa Curcic is still a long way off match fitness, so reports of his making his debut on Saturday may be somewhat premature.
The Dundee Utd game has been re-arranged for Wednesday, April 19.
Some more news on trialist Nicola Innocentin: he impressed MLS side Boston Revolution during a recent trial, but the league's regulations prevented them from signing him.
15.03.2000
Motherwell have taken former Parma defender Nicola Innocentin on a week's trial. The Italian star will play in a closed door game before Billy Davies decides whether or not to sign the 23 year old. Innocentin began his career with Parma before moving down to Serie B side Ancona. He moved to America last season under the reccomendation of former Italian international keeper Walter Zenga to sign for Major League side New England Revolution, but now wants to ressurect his career in EuropeSasa Curcic has been given a contract until the end of the season after impressing Billy Davies during his week's trial. He may well feature at some stage of the game against Rangers on Saturday.
14.03.2000
Motherwell have signed Bolton centre-half Greg Strong on loan for the remainder of the season, with a view to a permanent deal. The 6ft 2in defender is seen as a possible replacement for Shaun Teale. Strong, 24, joined Bolton from Wigan Athletic in 1995, but has out of the first team picture recently and has also spent loan periods with Blackpool and Stoke.13.03.2000
Not much news today, so here are some more snippets of gossip from Ricky...12.03.2000
Noticed in the local press that Don Goodman's suspension is in fact for TWO games, meaning he will miss the Rangers game AND the match at Tynecastle the following week.10.03.2000
The media have finally confirmed Ricky's story on Sasa Curcic. The Yugoslav midfielder is at Fir Park for a week's trial. However, it emerges that he was discarded by Major League Soccer side New York Metrostars where he was branded a troublemaker, and ran into problems during his time at Crystal Palace due to him being a non EEC player who didn't feature in the required number of first-team games to remain in the country. Speaking today, Billy Davies said:Pat Nevin today stressed that Ged Brannan would not be made an outcast after returning from his Cayman Islands disaster. Billy Davies was enraged when the midfielder decided to head off to the Carribean, missing vital games for his club.
Motherwell have dropped their interest in French defender Hakin Sar, who had spent a week training at Fir Park.
09.03.2000
Ged Brannan was back in training at Fir Park on Monday after returning from the Cayman Islands. The midfielder made one appearance for the Carribean side in a friendly, but FIFA legislation prevented him from playing in their World Cup qualifiers.Just when he was coming on to a game, Don Goodman will miss the Rangers game a week on Saturday due to a one-match suspension.
Stevie McMillan suffered a thigh strain during last week's game against Aberdeen, but should be ok for Ibrox.
More news on Sasa Curcic from Ricky. Apparently the Yugoslav midfielder was at Fir Park today with his agent for signing talks. The 28-year-old spent last year playing for the NY/NJ Metrostars in New York after leaving Crystal Palace.
08.03.2000
EXCLUSIVE!!!
Courtesy of Ricky...
Former Bolton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace midfielder Sasa Curcic is currently
training at Fir Park. The Yugoslav international, who cost Villa £4 million when he joined
from Bolton, was recently reported to have given up football for sex, claiming he would
only sign for a club if they offered him fifteen women from around the world!
07.03.2000
Derek Townsley's injury isn't as bad as was at first feared. The winger damaged ankle ligaments during Saturday's 1-0 over Aberdeen, but is expected to be back within a fortnight. The fact that we don't have another game until a week on Saturday should give the likes of Townsley, Twaddle, Spencer and Davies some time to regain their fitness.A Sporting Life atricle on Motherwell is available here.
Ricky's email problems have been resolved, and his reports of the games against Kilmarnock, Ayr, Hearts and Aberdeen are now available.
The Sweepstake league table will be updated soon, I promise!
04.03.2000
At last a home win, and a clean sheet to boot! This was a thoroughly deserved three points for the 'Well and with a bit of luck we could have had a few more goals. We definitely had the best of the first half and were a bit unlucky to have a goal chalked off just before half-time, apparently for off-side. The second half was dominated by Motherwell for long periods and we eventually found the breakthrough when a brilliant Stevie McMillan cross was powerfully headed home by Don Goodman, who had earlier missed a sitter when clean through on goal but was once again our best player. Further chances were passed up and Lee McCulloch hit the post late on, but we held on to register out first home win since the end of November.As if we didn't have enough injury problems, Derek Townsley was stretchered off this afternoon with what looked like a serious injury.
The Celtic game has been re-arranged for Wednesday, April 5. Dundee Utd's involvement in the Scottish Cup means that next week's league game will be postponed, and a new date has yet to be announced.
Tickets for the Rangers game at Ibrox on the 18th of March go on sale on Monday the 13th. Tickets for the re-arranged Celtic game are available from Monday 27th March.
It has emerged that Ged Brannan won't be allowed to play for the Cayman Islands after all. FIFA have changed their rules to specify that players must have been born in the country or have been registered there.
Apart from Brannan, John Davies will also miss this afternoon's game with Aberdeen. The midfielder will be out for three or four weeks with whiplash and concussion. John Spencer has a hamstring injury and Kevin Twaddle is suffering from ankle ligament damage, and both are doubtful. Dougie Ramsay is added to the squad.
03.03.2000
19-year-old french defender Hakin Sar has joined Motherwell for a short-term trial period.John Davies is will miss tomorrow's game after suffering concussion and whiplash to the neck during Wednesday's match against Hearts. It's not yet known how long he will be out for.
A newspaper report suggests that Derby County are interested in Lee McCulloch. Pride Park manager Jim Smith watched the 21-year-old against Hearts, who had a £1million bid for the striker turned down earlier in the season.
Ged Brannan's international debut for the Cayman Islands got off to a nightmare start as they were thrashed 5-0 MLS side DC United in a friendly. The Caymans face Cuba on Sunday in a World Cup qualifier.
Shaun Teale has hit out at John Boyle in today's Daily Record, saying that he doesn't know a thing about football. Teale claims his former team mates are unhappy with the way things are going at Fir Park, and expresses concern at the way the defence has conceded 13 goals in the last four home games. The full atricle is available here.
01.03.2000
Motherwell went down to yet another home defeat tonight as Hearts won 2-0 to move within a point of us in the race for a European spot. We actually started pretty well and dominated virtually all of the first-half, displaying the kind of fight and commitment that was sadly lacking on Saturday. Don Goodman missed a couple of chances, one of which in particular was a real sitter, but to be fair to him he worked his socks off all night and was easily our best player. Typically, we shot ourselves in the foot in first-half injury time when Jackson shot home after being given too much time and space at the edge of the box. We picked ourselves up and things looked promising after the re-start, only for Hearts to make it 2-0 in 60 mins, their first attack of the second-half. The second goal virtually killed the game and we quickly ran out of ideas. The bottom line is that Hearts took their chances and we didn't. Looks as though we've blown any remaining chance we had of qualifying for Europe.Team news ahead of tonight's game: John Spencer, Benito Kemble and Kevin Twaddle are all injured, while Don Goodman and Steve McMillan will undergo late fitness tests. Ged Brannan is away on international duty with the Cayman Islands.
The SFA have expressed fears that Ged Brannan's international call-up may set a precidence, and various other overseas countries may attempt to recruit Scottish players.
According to a posting to the Motherwell Mailing List, the Cayman Islands lost 6-0 to MLS League & Cup champions DC United in last night's friendly. Another unconfirmed report claims that we've signed a 19-year-old French defender.
Read a recent interview I did with Football365.
In case you'd wondered what had happened to the match reports, Ricky is unfortunately experiencing some email problems at his work and it's unlikely that they'll be online before the weekend.