Motherwell FC News – October 1996
October 1996
31.10.96 Tommy Coyne is hoping to play at some point in a reserve game against Rangers today, and if he shows no ill-effects he could come into contention for a place against Dundee United on Saturday. Mitchell Van der Gaag is struggling to make the match due to injury.
29.10.96 Motherwell’s match against Hearts on November 23 has now been re-scheduled for Monday November 11 with a 7.45pm kick-off due to Hearts involvement in the Coca-Cola Cup Final.
25.10.96 Mitchell Van der Gaag looks likely to miss tomorrow’s match at Ibrox with a groin injury.
A report in one of yesterday’s papers suggested that Andy Roddie is set to leave Motherwell for Stockport.
22.10.96 Billy Davies and Willie Falconer are expected to be back for Saturday’s match against Rangers at Ibrox. Davies missed the Hibs game with head and neck knocks and Falconer has been out for a month with a knee injury. Alex McLeish also hopes to have Tommy Coyne back soon, but Jamie Dolan is now suspended for two games following his weekend booking against Hibs.
21.10.96 McLEISH STAYS !
Alex McLeish has ended two weeks of speculation by pledging his future to Motherwell, and says he’s staying at Fir Park to fight for the title! The announcement from McLeish came on Friday, just hours after Hibernian were refused permission to approach him for the THIRD time. Caretaker manager Jocky Scott is now expected to take over at Easter Road. McLeish admitted that he had been tempted by the Hibs job, but insisted "I’ve said all along I would not resign. I have great ambitions for Motherwell FC. I want to win the league with this club and if that doesn’t happen I want us to be playing regularly in Europe and enjoying great runs."
18.10.96 Chris McCart and Mitchell Van der Gaag have recoverd from the injuries that prevented them playing against Celtic last week and both are likely to be fit for tomorrow’s match against Hibs, as are Brian Martin and Billy Davies who both took knocks at Parkhead. Jamie Dolan will be available again after suspension, but Willie Falconer and Tommy Coyne are still missing, although both could be back soon. Falconer did light training this week while Coyne is due to resume training on Monday.
Tickets for next week’s match against Rangers at Ibrox are now on sale from Fir Park, price 13 pounds.
Alex McLeish is expected to announce later today if he is to stay at Motherwell or leave for Hibernian.
17.10.96 Hibernian will not be appointing a new manager until after the weekend. Caretaker manager Jocky Scott will remain in charge for Saturday’s game at Fir Park.
15.10.96 Hibs chairman Douglas Cromb has announced that he might not contemplate appointing Alex McLeish as manager if he was to resign from Motherwell. It is believed he wishes to avoid a repeat of the Fergus McCann/Tommy Burns situation with Kilmarnock a couple of years ago.
14.10.96 The Sun reports that Alex Mcleish will annouce at noon tomorrow if he is quitting Motherwell. The club yesterday turned down McLeish’s THIRD request to talk to the Hibs board to find out exactly what they are offering, but it is believed to be 110,000 pounds a year plus a 30,000 pound club jeep – a much better deal than he is currently on at Motherwell. McLeish held talks with John Chapman yesterday, and has told friends that he still hasn’t made up his mind. Eck has stressed that he has no intention of resigning, but that the chairman’s decision to sell his interest in the club was unsettling him. Mcleish was close to tears in the Parkhead press room on Saturday after what could be his final game in charge of Motherwell – a sickening injury-time defeat by Celtic. Click here for a match report.
11.10.96 Motherwell chairman John Chapman has announced that he intends to sell his 51% shareholding in the club and retire from all business interests. Chapman, 64, has been a board member since 1981 and was appointed chairman in 1987. The news comes after the Motherwell board yesterday refused Hibernian permission to speak to Alex McLeish about the vacant manager’s job at Easter Road. However, it appears that Mcleish is interested in the job, and wants to meet with Hibs chairman Douglas Cromb to find out if the Hibs post is better paid than the Motherwell job, and whether there would be more cash available to fund transfers. The Daily Record claims that Eck is prepared to resign as Motherwell manager to allow him to take over at Easter Road. It appears increasingly likely that tomorrow’s match against Celtic will be McLeish’s last as Motherwell manager.
10.10.96 This morning’s Sun claims that Alex McLeish is set to be named as the new Hibs manager, with Alex Miller ready to replace him at Motherwell! It also claims that Hibs made an official approach to Motherwell last night for McLeish, who is due back from Estonia today after helping out with the Scotland Under-21 side. McLeish could speak to Hibs chairman Douglas Cromb this afternoon, but Motherwell vice-chairman Bill Dickie has vowed to fight any bid from Hibs and is quoted as saying "We would be very unhappy to get an approach from any club for Alex and we will fight tooth and nail to keep him. We would certainly not encourage any offer from anyone to take him away from Motherwell". McLeish’s contract with Motherwell expires at the end of this season, and Hibs would have to fork out considerable compensation if he was to leave.
09.10.96 There has been no announcement yet concerning the new Hibs manager, but it still appears that Alex McLeish is favourite to land the job.
08.10.96 This morning’s Sun newspaper is claiming that Alex McLeish is now the red-hot favourite to land the vacant manager’s job at Hibs. It was thought that Dundee boss Jim Duffy was likely to get the job, but it now appears that McLeish is the clear front-runner. Hibs hope to make an announcement before Saturday.
04.10.96 Willie Falconer will be out for a further two or three weeks with a knee injury, but Shaun McSkimming is expected to be fit for the Celtic game on October 12 after missing the Kilmarnock match with a groin injury. Jamie Dolan will miss the Celtic game through suspension following his sending-off against Killie.
03.10.96 Newspaper reports this morning are suggesting that Alex McLeish is one of the candidates being considered for the vacant Hibs manager’s job.
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