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140 Years - Anniversary Gala Dinner

The Motherwell FC 140th Anniversary Dinner, taking place on Friday 15 May 2026, will bring together some of the club’s most celebrated figures from across the decades, including legendary goalscorer Willie Pettigrew, Scottish Cup Final winning goalscorer Stevie Kirk, captain and Hall of Fame defender Stephen Craigan, and one of Scotland’s leading after-dinner speakers, a former Steelman, John Gahaghan.

Hosted by Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust and Former Players, tickets for this fantastic celebration are now on sale, inviting supporters to join an unforgettable evening honouring the people, moments, and memories that have shaped the club’s remarkable history – while also marking an important new step in preserving that legacy for the future.

For full details plus booking your place, head to https://weareeventpal.com/MFCHeritage2026

Places are limited – early booking is highly recommended.

Tickets: £69

Looking forward to seeing you there.

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New Strategic Cooperation

Derek Williams joins the Board of MFC Heritage Trust, proposed by MFC Former Players Club (image: MFCHT)

Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust is delighted to announce a new strategic cooperation with the Motherwell FC Former Players Club – a natural and exciting alliance that brings together the custodians of the club’s history with the players who created it on the pitch.

The collaboration marks an important step forward in the Trust’s mission to preserve, communicate, and make accessible the club’s rich heritage. By working hand-in-hand with the former players who shaped so many memorable moments in claret and amber, the Trust aims to develop even more engaging heritage experiences for supporters, visitors, and the wider community.

Together, the two organisations will explore new projects with the club that celebrate Motherwell’s proud history, strengthen supporter engagement, and ensure the stories behind the achievements live on for future generations. From heritage events and exhibitions to supporter-focused initiatives, the cooperation will help bring the club’s past closer than ever to its fans.

As part of the new alliance, the Former Players Club will be represented on the Heritage Trust’s Board of Trustees, ensuring that the voices and experiences of those who wore the shirt are embedded in the Trust’s future plans. The Trust welcomes Derek Williams to the Board and look forward to the insight and experience he will bring to the charity.

Derek joined Motherwell FC from Fir Park Boys Club in 1978, progressing through the club ranks at the turn of the 1980s before moving on to Darvel in 1982. He is currently  active with the Former Players’ Club committee and plays a hands-on role in organising its highly regarded events, including the annual Former Players Dinner and a range of guest speaker evenings.

“This cooperation represents an ideal fit for both groups,” explains Brian McCafferty, the Heritage Trust’s Chair. “Combining the Trust’s commitment to safeguarding Motherwell FC’s history with the first-hand knowledge and passion of the players who helped create it, we look forward to delivering new heritage and engagement opportunities that supporters can enjoy for many years to come.”

“The Former Players Club is delighted to be working more closely with the Heritage Trust,” says Derek Williams. “The history of Motherwell FC lives not only in photographs and memorabilia, but in the memories and experiences of the players who represented the club, and this cooperation allows us to share those stories in a much stronger and more meaningful way.”

The Motherwell FC Former Players Club performs an important role in maintaining connections between those who wore the claret and amber around the world. Through its fundraising activities, the organisation also supports visits to elderly supporters to help rekindle cherished memories, provides assistance to the families of late former players, and contributes to charitable causes – with this year’s chosen charity being the Stonehouse based Trust Jack Foundation, which supports those suffering with a mental health illness.

Motherwell Football Club Heritage Trust exists to protect and celebrate the history of Motherwell FC by preserving collections of memorabilia, developing heritage displays within the stadium, organising events, and building a growing online virtual museum. With ambitious plans in the pipeline, the Trust aims to take the storytelling of the club’s history to a new level for today’s supporters, football fans around the world, our local community, and future generations.

Together, the Heritage Trust and the Former Players Club look forward to working closely to celebrate the club’s proud past while creating new opportunities for supporters to connect with the people, moments, and stories that define Motherwell Football Club.

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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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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 !