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The board of Motherwell FC met yesterday to discuss the vote by SPL member clubs on the question of the admission of a successor club or ‘Newco’ Rangers FC into the SPL.

The current board of Motherwell FC are not the owners of the club but are the trustees of the majority shareholding as we transition towards a fan-ownership model through the successfully launched ‘Well Society.

We are very conscious of our duties as directors to protect the financial interests of our club. The decision making on ‘Newco’ is rendered extremely difficult by the complexity of the potential scenarios and the uncertainty around the likely financial implications of all of them.

We are increasingly of the view that the uncertainties around the financial implications are substantial and negative under all likely scenarios. This is a matter of extreme regret for our club given all the work being undertaken on a strategy to help us grow sustainably as a community and family based club owned and run by our fans.

At a time we should be enjoying the club’s success on the park and development off it, we face a grave threat to the viability of our sport and our club through no fault of our own.

It is our view that in the face of this we will be best placed if we live by the spirit of the model we are seeking to achieve. We believe it is mission critical that we both listen, and are seen to have listened, to the views of our members and shareholders on whom our club relies now and for the future. Under all scenarios we need to come together as a club to see this situation through.

We will therefore hold a ballot of adult ‘Well Society Members and the small number of existing minority shareholders who have yet to join the society, on a ‘one member/shareholder-one vote’ basis.  The results of the ballot will be independently audited and will be used to determine which way the club votes on 4th July.

[pullquote]The results of the ballot will be independently audited and will be used to determine which way the club votes on 4th July.[/pullquote]

Ownership in any business has to mean making decisions and then dealing with the outcome. The timing for administering a ballot is not ideal, given the constraints we face but we believe it can be achieved and underpins the way we want our club to be run. Given that Society members have already parted with their cash with the purpose of having a say in the future running of the club, we believe using this group is the most practical and sustainable way for us to proceed. The final date for votes cast will be Friday 29th June 2012. All existing members can vote. Anyone joining between now and the date of the ballot will be required to pay in full to secure a vote.

An impartial guidance document on the likely risks to club finances of each outcome will be supplied as part of the information Society members will receive in order to vote.  This will be our assessment based on the information available to us at this time. In reality this analysis will never be perfect as it relies on estimates which change daily.

We look to all our members, shareholders and supporters to stand behind the club at such a pressured time for all. Motherwell fans have never been found wanting and we have to ask for their loyalty and support once again.

Anyone with any questions on the ballot should email wellsociety@motherwellfc.co.uk.

Motherwell Football Club are delighted to confirm a partnership continuation with programme publishers Curtis Sport.

The Steelmen enjoyed a successful first year with the English company culminating in a ‘Most Improved’ gong at the Scottish Football Programme of the Year awards in April.

And the hope is to go one step better next year with more emphasis placed on making the programme more like a magazine than purely specific to one match.

Press & Media Manager Alan Burrows said, “We are delighted to be working with Stuart and his team once again in what has proved a very effective partnership.

“We have had a series of discussions about what we feel would improve the publication and we hope fans notice positive differences in the up-coming season.

“Countless discussions have taken place internally at the club about the future prospects of the matchday programme going forward but, whilst we produce one, we are of a firm mind to make it as good as it can be and hope the 2012/13 version will the best we’ve ever produced.

“A shift towards a more modern magazine-style in terms of look and content will hopefully broaden its appeal to a wider audience.”

Curtis Sport are offering subscriptions ahead of the new season ensuring you have every home programme we produce.

Just £90 (UK only) sent in a hard backed envelope and dispatched in time to arrive for the day of the game!

Includes all friendly, league, domestic cup and European games played at Fir Park.

To order your subscription, or for back-dated programmes from 2011/1,2 head to the Curtis Sport website.

This season Cash Converters will be giving you the chance to ‘Convert your seat’ and sit next to your favourite stars in the dugout at Fir Park.

Our principle partners are investing in new Recaro seats for the dugouts at Fir Park which should be installed by the first home SPL game against St Johnstone on 11th August.

They will give fans at every home match the opportunity to take their spot on two of the new seats directly adjacent to the home dugout.

Further information on how you can ‘Convert’ will be on Cash Converters’ Facebook page.

The Board at Motherwell FC today released the following statement in light of today’s ‘Newco’ application to the SPL by Rangers FC.

“Confirmation has now been received from the SPL that an all club vote on the proposal to transfer Rangers share is scheduled to take place on 4th July. Motherwell FC are in the process of arranging a forum to discuss the issue with supporters of the club. Following that meeting, the board will meet and agree the club’s position and ultimately how we will vote if the meeting takes place as planned.

“The decision will be taken by the Director’s as a group, as the majority shareholding in the club is currently held under a Power of Attorney by Board members, pending the planned staged transfer to the ‘Well Society. No decision has yet been made by the club on the SPL share transfer, as we will only now see the full details of the proposal and be provided with the full information required. Considerable uncertainty on the implications for revenues and costs complicates our decision considerably.

“The Directors would also like to clarify that the comments made by Director Andrew Lapping in a letter to a national newspaper are entirely personal and are not in any way attributable to the club. Mr Lapping has played no active role in the running of the club for many years and is not part of the decision making group.
 
“The ‘Newco’ issue is often portrayed as a straight choice between preserving sporting integrity and clubs accepting a reduction in gate money together with potentially a significant amount of commercial revenue. In reality it is far more complex than that. We are fully aware that an overwhelming majority of our fans and most others, who have so far expressed an opinion, are totally opposed to ‘Newco’ being allowed immediately back into the SPL.

“The club has been flooded with correspondence from supporters of many clubs which ranges from fully reasoned arguments to direct threats concerning the consequences of a vote either way. Our Board of Directors is predominately made up of lifelong Motherwell supporters and we fully understand that fans are the single most important group within the club. History shows that any business which ignores the wishes of its customer base rarely prospers in the long term.
 
“In any event it would appear a yes vote may not even guarantee that ‘Newco’ will play in the SPL next season as the club is still subject to SFA sanctions and there is an ongoing investigation into the use of EBTs to make payments to players.
 
“The consequences of five or more clubs voting no to ‘Newco’ do also need to be understood and fully taken into account. In addition to lower gate receipts, we are likely to lose an as yet un-quantified amount of commercial revenue with a specific risk around TV payments. The clubs’ income from SPL distribution of commercial revenue was approximately 36% of the total amount generated last season, although this does vary year on year. A significant proportion of SPL income is obtained from TV and other broadcasting rights. The lack of clarity on what the actual impact of ‘Newco’ not playing in the SPL will have on these revenues is a major problem for the Board.

“Despite some reports, it is our understanding that Sky/ESPN have made no official statement on how they will react to a no vote and we believe that a number of other contracts could be re-negotiated if ‘Newco’ was refused entry to the SPL.  We very much hope that sponsors and partners will continue to provide their backing whatever the outcome of the various ongoing processes.
 
“The common response to the potential loss of revenue is that clubs need to cut their cloth accordingly. Of course this could be achieved over a period of time, by reducing both on and off the field costs, but it cannot be done overnight. It is vital that we honour player and employee contracts and meet all our other obligations.

“We are in the healthy position of having no debt but have set our cost base in the expectation that income will be at a certain minimum level. In the event of a shortfall we do not have a bank or benefactor able to fund the gap.  We clearly do not wish anyone associated with Motherwell, or any other club, to suffer as a result of events in which they played no part. Having been though a painful Administration process many years ago, we are also better placed than most to have sympathy with both the employees and ordinary fans of Rangers who are in no way responsible for the uncertainty they are facing.      
 
“The Directors of any business have a duty to act in the best interests of the company or, in this case, the club. In normal circumstances, decisions are fairly straightforward but in this situation a decision either way is likely to have a significant impact on at least one of our key income streams. It is inevitable that there will be consequences if a business suffers a sudden drop in income. Instead of the usual process of deciding what is best for the club, we are currently faced with trying to decide on which is the least worst option. The stakes here are high.
 
“There are a number of other knock on impacts to this lack of certainty. Firstly we have temporarily delayed giving the club any access to the ‘Well Society funds. When we launched the Society we made it clear that we would not put the funds raised at risk and that they would be used only to assist with short term funding requirements at the club, when there was a clear source of repayment. In the current circumstances we believe that we can only fully protect the money raised by keeping it entirely ring fenced from the club until the outcome of the ‘Newco’ debate is known and the financial impact understood.

“In addition we will need to adopt a cautious approach to investing in the playing squad. To date we have not changed our previously agreed plans but this could change dramatically in the current weeks. The inability to accurately forecast future income could also impact on the production of our financial accounts.
 
“By any measure the events at Rangers are having and will continue to have a huge impact on Scottish football. It is our hope that the tax authorities and liquidator will investigate these events fully and are able to take appropriate action against those responsible for causing lasting damage to our national game. 
 
“Whilst we fully understand that the ‘Newco’ issue is one which many people feel strongly about, we hope that our fans now have a better idea of the extremely difficult position the club is in and that you continue to offer support by buying season tickets and, if you have not already done so, joining the Well Society which remains very much part of the club’s plans for the future.

“We can assure you that any funds raised by the Society will remain separate from the club, until the position is clearer, but we remain totally committed to the fan ownership model. Whatever the outcome of the vote on ‘Newco’ it will be more important than ever that our fans stay loyal to the club, as we look forward to our debut in the Champions League, and that our efforts to grow the fanbase continue to be successful.

“On the pitch, these are very good times at Motherwell FC and it is vital that we continue to work together as a club to enable us to emerge from the current SPL difficulties with our integrity and optimism intact.”

Motherwell will kick-off the 2012/13 Scottish Premier League campaign with a visit north to take on newly promoted Ross County at Victoria Park.

It will be the first time ever the Steelmen have faced the Staggies in a competitive match, although the teams did meet in a pre-season friendly back in the summer of 2006 – the match ending in a 1-1 draw.

In other notable fixtures, Motherwell face two home matches over the Christmas period with Aberdeen at home on Boxing Day and Kilmarnock at home on the 29th December. The Fir Parkers will travel to Glasgow for the New Year game to take on SPL Champions Celtic.

Heading towards the league split in April, McCall’s men will face “Club 12” on the penultimate match with St Mirren at Fir Park wrapping up the first 33 games of the new campaign.

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Motherwell Football Club are pleased to announce details of the Youth Development revamp currently taking place at the club.

From the turn of the year Chief Executive Leeann Dempster, in partnership with an independently appointed consultant, undertook a strategic review of Motherwell’s youth infrastructure.

That reported last month with a number of recommendations in line with the new Club Academy Scotland from the Scottish Football Association and the shift to U20s football by the Scottish Premier League.

Chief Executive Leeann Dempster said, “The youth development side of the club is an area which, up until recently, I haven’t really got overly involved with.  With the changes brought forward by the SFA and also the new Under 20 league, it was timely to take the opportunity to review our operation and importantly see where we could add value and resource.

“We have been producing some great young players but that doesn’t mean to say we can’t aim to be better and produce more.  I’ve had complete buy in from everyone at the club on the changes we’ve proposed and indeed, by virtue of the fact that the full board are behind the review, there is a lot of excitement about the changes and improvements that are sure to come.

“Gordon Young was previously responsible for our Under 19s team on a day to day basis, as well as the Youth Development role and also all of the scouting and, being honest, that is far too much to ask one person to do. It has been under resourced for a long time.

[pullquote]We have been producing some great young players but that doesn’t mean to say we can’t aim to be better and produce more. [/pullquote]

“We have made some changes to our operation and some new posts have been created so we are currently recruiting.  We have decided to split and enhance the responsibilities of Gordon who has, with immediate effect, been appointed as our Academy Director, wholly responsible for all players seventeen and below.

“Gordon’s move across to focus on the Academy has created a post for a new Under 20s coach who will sit and provide a vital bridge between the Academy and the First Team. It is a critical role for the club.

“We are also recruiting an Academy Recruitment Coordinator – or in old money, a Chief Scout who will report directly to Gordon. We have some great scouts working for the club but we need more and, importantly, someone coordinating it. We need to identify young talent as early as possible and make sure they are committed to us as early as possible.

“Finally, as a part of Club Academy Scotland which from October will split into various levels, we are aiming to be involved at the highest level possible. To do that, there are a couple of additional requirements one of which being the recruitment of more Youth Licence holders so we’re are again advertising for those positions, someone who is Motherwell minded or someone who is looking to take the next step in football.”

“We are extending the deadline on applications for a couple of days to see if any other applicants come forward.”

Interested applicants should apply via email, including their CV, to mfcenquiries@motherwellfc.co.uk

TV: Leeann Dempster on the Academy restructure

TV: Gordon Young excited by new role

Five of Motherwell’s most talented youngsters have signed professional terms with the club and will form a part of the new Under 20s squad next term.

The five (L-R), Steven Higgins (Motherwell), Fraser Johnston (Strathaven), Dale Shirkie (Mauchline), Morgyn Neil (Motherwell) and Paul McCafferty (Motherwell) were all stand-outs with the Under 17s squad last season and have been promoted for the up-coming season.

And with the SPL’s newest league set to include at least two overage players, Academy Director Gordon Young said: “I am pleased that, once again, we’ve been able to promote from within and these lads have deserved their professional contract.

“All five have been with us for between five and six years and Motherwell have played a large part in their footballing career so far. Two of them are already youth Internationalists so have a degree of experience and playing at a very high standard.

“But it will be a big step up for the lads; the move to the Under 20s with two overage players will bring them face to face with some really experienced professionals but that can only be a positive thing.

“It’s also pleasing to have three of the five are from the Motherwell and surrounding areas , a priority  in our scouting network

“I wish the every success in their careers and hope they can establish themselves as future Motherwell players.”

At Motherwell Football Club, you can advertise your company or brand to a specific target audience in a number of unique and innovative ways.

With tailored exposure to suit all budgets, your company can show support for your local football team, whilst tapping into a powerful and loyal fan base, as well as receiving unrivalled recorded and live televised coverage.

We have several options available to suit any budget.

• Trackside advertising (starting from £1500+vat)
• Match Day Programme (starting from only £250+vat)
• Team Sheet advertising (starting from only £400+vat)
• Or sponsor one of our players from only £275

Contact us on 01698 338008 for more information or why not pop into the stadium to discuss and view available options.

Sponsor your favourite player’s jersey or boots for season 2012-13 from only £275!

As a sponsor, your name or company name will be listed in our award-winning matchday magazine and on the official club website – motherwellfc.co.uk.

Your name will be highlighted by our PA announcer alongside that of your chosen player on a matchday if he is selected in the first-team; fantastic exposure for any small business or as a special gift to the ‘Well fan in your life!

At the end of the campaign, you will be invited to the annual sponsor’s evening.  Mix and mingle with Motherwell stars from the past and present before your chosen player joins you at your table for dinner and later, presents you with his jersey. 

The evening also includes a fabulous three-course meal, an intimate Q & A with the Management Team, as well as entertainment from Fir Park favourite, Tam Cowan.

For more information or to sponsor a player please contact 01698 333333 or email (including your contact telephone number) commercial@motherwellfc.co.uk.

The Board at Motherwell Football Club today (Tuesday) released the following statement in light of recent developments in the on-going situation at Rangers FC.

“The Board is very aware of implications of all scenarios and will consider them in detail when all the information we need is at our disposal.

“We will consult our members, shareholders and fans before taking a decision on what our position should be. 

“We regard the sustainability of the club and the integrity of the sport as inter-linked. We have a duty to act in the interests of our club and we hope these can be reconciled with the interests of the game.

“It really is more important than ever that all Motherwell fans continue their fantastic support of our club.”