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Bring Motherwell FC’s History to Life – Join Our Heritage Trust Volunteer Team

Motherwell Football Club has a proud and storied history, and with the recent launch of the Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust, we’re eager to welcome volunteers who are as passionate about preserving this legacy as we are. This is a unique opportunity to help build a lasting tribute to our club’s heritage, connecting fans with the rich moments, stories, and memorabilia that define our community.

At our first board meeting on Wednesday, 30th October 2024, our Trustees identified three key areas where dedicated volunteers can make a meaningful impact: archiving, website management, and media production. If you’re experienced in any of these fields and driven to preserve the legacy of Motherwell FC, there’s a place for you in the Heritage Trust. Here are the roles that can benefit most from your expertise:

Key Volunteer Roles

  1. Archivist
    As the Trust’s Archivist, you’ll work closely with Stuart Graham (Trustee, Club Historian) in cataloguing and managing a wide range of historical materials, including photographs, manuscripts, audiovisual recordings, and digital files. This role is ideal for someone experienced in archival management and preservation who wants to make a long-lasting impact on the club’s legacy.
  2. Webmasters
    If you have experience with WordPress, consider joining our Webmasters team! In this role, you’ll support Kevin Tweedlie (Trustee, Digital Design and Development) in building and maintaining our virtual museum—a space where fans worldwide can access the history of Motherwell FC. We’ll provide training to help you refine your skills as you bring our club’s history online.
  3. Media Content Producers
    Are you skilled in photography, videography, or media production software like Premier Pro or Final Cut? Join our team to help bring Motherwell FC’s story to life through captivating content! Working with Nick Mackie (Trustee, Operations and Communications) you’ll produce engaging multimedia for our virtual museum, social media, and events, capturing the spirit and legacy of the club.

 How to Get Involved

If you’re ready to share your talents and become part of “Team Heritage,” reach out to us at admin@mfcheritagetrust.com . This is a chance to make a real impact, connect with fellow fans, and bring the story of Motherwell FC to life for future generations.

Join us in celebrating and protecting the legacy of Motherwell FC—your contribution will help ensure that our club’s spirit lives on. We can’t wait to welcome you to the Motherwell FC Heritage Trust community!

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Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust Receives Approval from OSCR

We are delighted to announce that following approval from Scotland’s charity regulator (OSCR)  the Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust has officially been established. Registered under charity number SC053724, this new trust marks a significant milestone for the club and its supporters.

The Trust will work to collect, preserve, and share the extensive history of the club, ensuring that the achievements, stories, and cultural impact of Motherwell FC are safeguarded for future generations. In addition, it will develop educational initiatives that explore the club’s rich heritage, helping to inspire and educate people about its significance both locally and nationally.

Brian McCafferty, Trustee and Chair, expressed his excitement about the Trust’s potential:

“Motherwell Football Club has always been at the heart of its community. The formation of the Heritage Trust enables us to protect our club’s proud history and use it as an educational tool to inspire future generations. This is a truly exciting development for everyone connected to the club.”

The founding trustees of the Trust are Brian McCafferty, former Chair of Motherwell FC and The Well Society, Stuart Graham, the Club Historian, and Nick Mackie, an award-winning journalist with extensive business development experience. Together, they bring a wealth of expertise to the Trust along with passion and dedication.

Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting projects and opportunities that the Trust will offer. And we encourage all members of the Motherwell FC community to get involved in this exciting new chapter in our club’s history.

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Scanning the ‘Well’s Rich Heritage One Programme at a Time

Motherwell fans get scanning with the MFC Heritage Trust (image: MFCHT)

Wednesday’s gathering of history enthusiasts and club supporters was nothing short of a triumph.

An 18 strong crew met in the Davie Cooper Stand’s hospitality boxes, overlooking the lush turf, to work on the Motherwell FC Heritage Group’s pilot Scan-a-Thon. Over 10 hours, they scanned and preserved a treasure trove of home match programmes, covering nearly 14 full seasons from 1948-1949 up to 1959-1960, and the 1962-1964 seasons.

These programmes, from the personal collection of Motherwell FC Club Historian Stuart Graham, tell the story of Motherwell FC’s rollercoaster journey through Scottish football during some of the club’s most iconic years.

a selection of pages from Motherwell FC home programmes (1948, 1950, 1953, 1963)

Heritage Matters

The significance of this archival effort cannot be overstated. Among the programmes scanned were those from the historic 1950 Scottish League Cup campaign which culminated in  Motherwell defeating Hibernian 3-0 at Hampden and the 1952 Scottish Cup home games, which led to the Steelmen’s 4-0 triumph over Dundee. These are not the only highlights, as the project also captured the drama of relegation and promotion, 1953-1954, as well as the exhilarating rise of the legendary Ancell Babes, featuring stars like Ian St John, Andy Paton, Charlie Aitken, John Martis, Pat Delaney, Bobby Roberts and Joe McBride.

One of the standout programmes preserved in the collection is for Fir Park’s record attendance of 35,632 during the Scottish Cup quarter-final replay on 12 March 1952, where Motherwell defeated Rangers 2-1. Another memorable programme was on sale ahead of the club’s record 12-1 victory against Dundee United in 1954, a scoreline that remains etched in the annals of Scottish football history.

Three Cheers for the Volunteers

Brian McCafferty, Heritage Group Lead and former Motherwell FC and Well Society Chairman, reflected on the day’s success. “The Scan-a-Thon was a fantastic opportunity to connect with our club’s rich history and preserve it for future generations. The work we’ve done is more than just digitising old programmes; it’s about keeping the spirit of Motherwell FC alive, celebrating our proudest moments, and learning from the challenges we’ve faced. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who participated and shared their passion for our beloved club.”

Scanning a treasure trove of Motherwell FC home match programmes (image: MFCHT)

Wednesday’s Scan-a-Thon is just the beginning. With the first season of Motherwell FC programmes dating back to 1948-49, there’s still a lot of work ahead. The Heritage Group is committed to refining and optimizing the workflow, ensuring that we can efficiently scan and preserve the entire collection. This event marks a significant step forward, but the journey to fully archive Motherwell FC’s rich history continues with renewed energy and focus.

“This is hugely important and valued work by the Heritage Group – a credit to the club,” said Greg Anderson, Well Society Board Member and Managing Director of Blue Parrot Events Group, who volunteered to work a shift on the Scan-a-Thon.

Again, a huge thank you to all who helped on the day. Until next time ! Heritage really does Matter !

If you are interested in getting involved in our Club’s heritage related work and activities, please let us know via the contact form.

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Preserving Motherwell FC’s Legacy: How You Can Help Shape Our Digital Archive and Virtual Museum

On Wednesday August 21st, the Motherwell FC Heritage Trust working group actioned an exciting new chapter in our ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate the rich history of our fan-owned football club.

Following on from previous discussions about the importance of heritage, this meeting marked a pivotal step toward bringing our vision of a comprehensive digital archive and virtual museum to life.

Mapping Out the Digital Archive

“One of the primary focuses of our meeting was to strategize the development of a searchable digital archive that will serve as the cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard and share the history of Motherwell FC,” said Brian McCafferty, Heritage Group Lead. “This archive is intended to be an invaluable resource for fans, researchers, historians, and anyone with an interest in the club’s storied past.”

Our discussion centered on the scope of this digital archive, which will encompass a wide range of materials. These include:

  • Photographs: A visual journey through the club’s history, capturing iconic moments, players, matches, and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
  • Match Programmes: A treasure trove of information and memorabilia that will offer insights into individual games, players, and the evolving narrative of the club.
  • Handbooks: Documents that provide a deeper understanding of the club’s administration, philosophy, and organisational history.
  • Newspaper Archives: Articles and clippings that highlight the club’s impact on the community and its presence in the media over the decades.
  • Other Documents: May include records of decisions that have shaped the club’s direction through the years.

The working group explored the best ways to organise and digitise these materials to make them easily accessible and searchable for users. We discussed leveraging advanced scanning technology, metadata tagging, and creating a database management system to ensure that every document is catalogued accurately and can be retrieved efficiently.

Considering the Virtual Museum

In addition to the digital archive, we also took significant steps toward conceptualising the front-facing Motherwell FC virtual museum. This virtual museum will be more than just a repository of historical artifacts; it will be an immersive experience that brings the club’s heritage to life in a dynamic and engaging way.

During our meeting, we discussed several key concepts of the proposed virtual museum, including:

  • Interactive Exhibits: Features that allow users to explore the club’s history through interactive timelines and virtual tours of the stadium.
  • Thematic Galleries: Curated sections of the museum that focus on specific eras, legendary players, memorable matches, and important milestones in the club’s history.
  • Multimedia Content: Incorporating video footage, audio interviews, and digital recreations of historic moments to provide a rich, multi-sensory experience.
  • Educational Resources: Materials aimed at schools and researchers to promote the educational value of the club’s history and its impact on the community.

Next Steps

“This is just the beginning,” said Brian McCafferty. “We have established a clear roadmap for the development of both the digital archive and the virtual museum.”

We now seek volunteers to attend a series of ‘scan-a-thon’ events at Fir Park where we can work together, overlooking the pitch, to scan our treasure trove of documents. Further details of the scale and scope of the task, and dates, will be provided once logistics are in place. In the meantime, if you are interested to know more, please get in touch via the contact form.

We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are committed to creating a resource that honours the legacy of Motherwell FC while making it accessible to future generations.

As always, we welcome input and support from the community as we embark on this journey. Together, we will ensure that the heritage of Motherwell FC is preserved and celebrated for years to come.

Come on The Well !

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Past, Present, Future: Heritage Matters

Concept drawing by Jujar Singh for display themes

The Motherwell FC Heritage Group is thrilled to announce that we have taken a significant step towards preserving and celebrating our club’s rich history!

We have applied to incorporate a charity dedicated to curating, preserving, and promoting Motherwell FC’s proud heritage, which would include delivering a variety of heritage-related fan engagement, education, and wellbeing activities.

Scotland’s charity regulator (OSCR) is currently reviewing our submission to establish ‘Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust’ as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

“Over the past year, our dedicated team has been hard at work exploring the best ways to develop and deliver top-notch heritage experiences for our fans,” explains Brian McCafferty, Project Lead and former Chair of Motherwell FC and The Well Society. “ With the assistance of an experienced sports museum designer, we have also created an array of exciting concept designs that we look forward to sharing with you and taking forward.”

In keeping with our commitment to a “One Motherwell” approach, we will flesh out these ideas further by working closely with the Club, The Well Society, Motherwell FC Community Trust, the Former Players Club, and most importantly, by listening to input from you, the Club’s fans. Your feedback and participation are vital to ensuring that our initiatives reflect the true spirit and heritage of Motherwell FC. Feel free to contact us via this website or by email admin@mfcheritagetrust.com

Concept design by Jujar Singh for Phil O'Donnell Stand entrance

Our plans so far include:

Stadium Tours: Offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the heart of Motherwell FC, from the locker rooms to the pitch with dynamic storytelling around our Club’s history.

Exhibits: Both physical and digital exhibits that showcase the memorable moments, legendary players, and cherished artifacts of Motherwell FC.

Education and Wellbeing: Utilising our Club’s historical records to supporting literacy, numeracy and other educational initiatives for young fans, as well as ‘memory clubs’ for seniors.

This is just the beginning of our journey, and we are excited about the possibilities ahead. To stay updated on our progress, we encourage you to follow our journey on this website and our social media channels.

Your support and passion for Motherwell FC are what drive us. Together, we can ensure that the legacy of our beloved club is preserved and celebrated for generations to come.

‘Mon the ‘Well!