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Motherwell discovered this afternoon that they would be facing Havnar Bóltfelag of the Faroe Islands in the second round of the UEFA Conference League. 

Otherwise known as HB Torshavn (HB), Motherwell and HB have already met in European competition.

Back in 1994, Motherwell were drawn against HB in the Preliminary Round of the UEFA Cup. Playing the first leg at Fir Park, Alex McLeish’s side cruised to a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Tommy Coyne, Paul McGrillen and Stevie Kirk.

After a strong result in the first leg, the squad travelled to the Faroe Islands, and after just 20 minutes, Kirk and Billy Davies had extended the Steelmen’s advantage to five before skipper Andreas Hansen pulled one back to deny Stevie Woods his clean sheet. Kirk scored his second of the match ten minutes later before Alex Burns rounded off a 4-1 win on the night.

A second tie between the two sides almost occurred in 2020 when HB were Motherwell’s potential opponents in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, Glentoran came out 1-0 winners of the tie with the Faroese side instead and progressed.

But the connection with the Faroese side doesn’t stop there.

André Olsen is HB’s current manager, a name Motherwell fans probably won’t recognise. But one connection between the Fir Park dugout and the one in the Gundadalur Stadium is Jens Berthel Askou. Askou managed HB through a successful spell, winning the league and league cup in 2020, and was named manager of the year for these achievements.

HB missed out on their 25th league title last season, finishing runners-up to winners Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag. HB hasn’t won the Faroese top-flight since 2020.

Now 13 league games into the 2026 season, HB have won four and drawn three of their matches as they sit sixth in the table.

Their top scorer is Storm Bugge Pettersen, who currently has six goals in all competitions. But someone who has two goals this season is former Motherwell player and fan-favourite Moses Ebiye, who moved to the Faroe Islands in April.

Former Motherwell goalkeeper Gunnar Nielson came out of retirement for one match in April this to take up a spot on the bench for HB, the side he came through the academy at. He didn’t feature.

HB play their home games at the Gundadalur Stadium, which is roughly a 45-minute journey from the main airport and has a capacity of 5000. The National Stadium in the Faroe Islands, Tórsvøllur, is also in Gundadalur.

HB are European regulars, having played in Europe, including this season, eight years in a row and 15 of the last 19 seasons. They have recorded notable wins over Red Bull Salzburg in 2010 and Maccabi Haifa in 2021 and drawn at home against the likes of Brøndby, Hajduk Split and HJK Helsinki in recent years, and a notable draw with Malmö in 2011.

The Faroese side have progressed through two European ties since 2014, a 6-3 aggregate win over Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar in 2014 and a 6-0 win over FK Budućnost Podgorica from Montenegro in 2021.

A reminder to all supporters that although we expect the first leg of our tie to be played at Fir Park, we encourage everyone to not book travel or accommodation until UEFA confirms match information.

All ticket and match information will be confirmed in due course.

We will face Havnar Bóltfelag of the Faroe Islands in the second round of the Conference League. 

The first leg will take place on Thursday 23 July, with the second leg taking place on Thursday 30 July.

As we have been drawn first, we expect the first leg to be at Fir Park. However, UEFA will confirm dates and venues of matches in the coming days.

We urge supporters not to book travel or accommodation until all match information is absolutely confirmed. These will be communicated as soon as we have all information confirmed.

As we edge closer to finding out who our European opponents will be, let’s take a look at how the draw works. 

We enter the second qualifying round for the UEFA Conference League, with the draw taking place on Wednesday 17 June in Nyon. Motherwell and Hibernian are in the draw.

Due to our club coefficient, we are unseeded in the draw. Hibernian are seeded. Seeding is not determined by position in the league table but is instead calculated using club coefficient ranking.

As the second-round draw takes place before the first qualifying round is completed, there is a chance we would have to wait until the first qualifying-round ties have taken place before we know our opponent. This means when our draw is completed, it could be ‘Motherwell v Team A or Team B.’

As we are unseeded, we will be drawn against a seeded opponent.

You can view seeding and potential opponents online by clicking here. Scroll down to the ‘CO-Q2: 2nd Qualifying Round section’. Teams with a ‘*’ next to them are seeded clubs of the first qualifying round that are assumed to progress to the second qualifying round.

All seeded teams in the second qualifying round draw are currently potential opponents. However, on the morning of Wednesday 17 June, UEFA will group all teams, and our potential opponents will be narrowed down to five. These will be communicated once they are known.

These groupings are loosely determined by geography to try and limit extensive travel, but there are no set guidelines on this.

The location of the first leg, as in will we play at home or away, will also be determined in the draw. The first team out of the hat will play at home in the first leg. Please note, however, this could be subject to change in the scenario of teams from the same area playing in European competition at the same time.

The draw for the third qualifying round takes place on Monday 20 July, prior to the first leg of the second qualifying round matches. This means that our opponents, should we progress to the next round of the Conference League, will be known. Ahead of the third qualifying round draw, UEFA will group our potential opponents like the second qualifying round draw.

In the draw, UEFA use the coefficient ranking of the highest club involved in every tie. In theory, should we be drawn against a team with a high coefficient ranking in the second qualifying round, and we progress, we will take their ranking. To be seeded in the third qualifying round, we would likely have to defeat a side with a very high club coefficient ranking so it is likely if we progressed to the third qualifying round, we would be unseeded once again.

All dates for all rounds and draws can be found on the UEFA Conference League website.

We recommend all supporters wait until official confirmation from UEFA on dates and venues before booking travel.

Ahead of the squad returning for day one of pre-season, we can confirm we will be travelling for a seven-day camp in Denmark.

The squad will depart on Monday 29 June and will return on Monday 6 July.

During their stay, the squad will undertake an intense seven-day programme in West Jutland. The squad will face newly crowned Danish champions AGF Aarhus in a friendly match on Sunday 5 July.

The match will take place at AGF Aarhus’ training ground and will be open to a limited number of spectators. Kick off is at 2pm local time.

We also want to confirm that our recruitment process to appoint a new manager is at an advanced stage. The club will not comment any further on this process.

Despite there being a managerial vacancy at the club, football staff have been working throughout the summer to ensure a comprehensive pre-season schedule is in place for the players returning.

Behind-closed-door pre-season fixtures have been arranged ahead of the commencement of our upcoming Conference League fixtures in late July and the William Hill Premiership in August, with these games taking place in the lead-up to these matches to ensure all players are fully prepared for the competitive action.

We hope to have a friendly match at Fir Park this summer once again, and once this is confirmed, all details will be published as soon as possible.

As the dust finally settles on the scintillating finale to the 2025/26 Scottish Women’s Premier League season, the women of steel are already preparing to kickstart their forthcoming Sky Sports Cup campaign.

Drawn in the reformatted and maiden league stage of the competition, Motherwell’s original Round One tie will be replaced by a competitive group stage format, with Iain Robinson’s side set to face an array of Premier League and Premier League 2 opposition.

Motherwell will face fellow top-flight side, Montrose before additional tests against SPWPL2 sides, Livingston, Gartcairn and Kilmarnock. Reflecting on the previous campaign, we gain an insight into our forthcoming opponents.

Montrose

Finishing level on points with the women of steel last campaign, the Gable Endies faced a tumultuous finale to their domestic campaign.

The Links Park side missed out on their maiden top-six finish on the final day of the regular season, as Partick Thistle netted a dramatic 94^th-minute winner to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat – firmly ending Montrose’s hopes of an historic season.

Despite heading into the post-split campaign, with a firm points advantage over the trailing three sides, Montrose finished their campaign in eighth, with Motherwell leading on goal-difference.

Aside from the league campaign, Montrose have had mixed success in the two cup competitions. A 7-0 thrashing from eventual SWPL champions Hearts promptly ended their Sky Sports Cup hopes before they could begin.

However, an excellent Scottish Cup run saw the side reach the Semi-Final stage after defeating both Aberdeen, Dundee United. A 2-0 defeat to Rangers at the National Stadium brought their campaign to a close.

Livingston

Scottish Power Women’s Premier League 2 side, Livingston maintained a largely uneventful 2025/26 campaign, with the club firmly out of the promotion playoff picture, but comfortably clear of the dreaded relegation playoffs.

Securing nine victories from 24-matches, the Lions finished seventh in the second-tier. The squad sealed a magnificent finale to the league campaign, thrashing St. Johnstone five-nil before hitting Stirling University for six in an exceptional 6-1 win.

Gartcairn

A fellow Scottish Power Women’s Premier League 2 side, Gartcairn’s domestic campaign mirrored the Lions in many respects. Despite securing a top-six place, the side were ultimately forced to compete in a league of their own, with the North Lanarkshire outfit finishing 24-points shy of the promotion playoffs.

Sealing eight victories across the season, Gartcairn scored 40, and conceded 51, with former Motherwell midfielders, Tara McGonigle and Georgie Robb both featuring for the team.

Kilmarnock

Despite a magnificent start that yielded much optimism of title success, the 2025/26 campaign ended in disaster for the Ayrshire side. Unbeaten across the campaign, securing 16 victories from 17, with one stalemate by matchday-17 – Kilmarnock built what seemed an irreversible 15-point advantage over title-rivals Spartans.

However, Spartans went unbeaten for the remainder of the season whilst Killie could only muster four-wins from the remaining 11 fixtures – sending the SPWPL2 trophy to Edinburgh, as Spartans snatched the title on the final day by two-points.

Despite the heart-breaking conclusion to their campaign, several players shone through, with forwards Abby Robinson and Cara Gray both being named amongst the top goal scorers in the division. The pair collectively netted 30-goals, and both finished three-goals shy of the league top-goalscorer.

Gill Inglis –

One final curtain call. Captain, Gill Inglis brought the curtain down on a remarkable tenure in the women’ game – retiring from football following seven successive years in ML1. The experienced skipper adorned the claret and amber shirt for the final time in a 2-2 stalemate with Aberdeen after announcing her retirement the previous week.

After almost two decades in the Scottish top-flight, seven consecutive campaigns captaining Motherwell, the highest league position in the history of the club, and two Scottish Cup Semi-Final appearances – Inglis’ departs ML1 after being at the forefront of an historical chapter of women’s football at the club.

A tough decision for the 35-year-old that took a lot of consideration, but ultimately felt fitting to coincide with the 140^thanniversary of Motherwell Football Club, and exciting changes to her personal life following the birth of her son, baby Louie.

We thank Gill for her numerous years of service at Motherwell FC, and wish her the absolute best for the future.

Amy Bulloch –

The first addition of the 2025/26 SWPL campaign, lifelong Motherwell supporter and Partick Thistle’s Player of the Year, Amy Bulloch returned to Motherwell after previously featuring for the club in 2019.

Joining then Paul Brownlie’s side, Bulloch became a mainstay under the former Motherwell Head Coach – featuring 16-times for the women of steel before departing for Scottish Power Women’s Premier League 2 title-chasers, Kilmarnock for the remainder of the season.

We thank Amy for her efforts at Motherwell, and wish her well for the next chapter in her career.

Milly Boughton –

Seeking regular competitive action, Australian youth international, Milly Boughton departed the defending champions, and joined Iain Robinson’s side during the winter transfer window.

The young Matilda firmly hit form in claret and amber after joining the club prior to a crucial post-split campaign. Milly played a vital role, as the women of steel staved off the threat of relegation to finish at the top of the split.

The former Arsenal and Spurs academy graduate scored six-times during her spell in North Lanarkshire, and cemented herself as a key figure in the Motherwell midfield.

We thank Milly for her efforts at Motherwell, and we wish her the best for the future.

Keri Halliday –

Signing alongside Milly Boughton, Northern Irish International forward Keri Halliday became a marquee addition for Iain Robinson’s side.

Arriving in Scotland with a prolific goalscoring record in her homeland, the pacey winger scored 53-goals, and assisted 26 throughout her time in South Belfast, and Halliday wasted little time in opening her Motherwell account.

Making her debut against Aberdeen, Halliday broke the deadlock at the Balmoral Stadium, as Motherwell secured a valuable three-points in a four-three victory. Halliday repeated the feat in the reverse home encounter – scoring the opener in the final matchday against Aberdeen.

The Balleymoney-born striker continued to represent her national team during her time in ML1, and it became a memorable occasion for the youngster, with Halliday scoring her first and second international goal for the senior Northern Ireland team.

Sophie Townsley –

Adding excitement and firepower to the final third, striker Sophie Townsley completed a loan deal from Rangers until the end of the season.

An SWPL2 Player of the year nominee, Townsley made her mark on the division last term, with her consistent goalscoring form guiding local rivals Hamilton to SWPL2 title success and promotion to the first-tier.

Despite Hamilton sitting at the foot of the SWPL table, Townsley had been a shining light in the squad, netting 23-goals in her time in ML3.

Townsley became a mainstay in Iain Robinson’s side – featuring 21-times in claret and amber, and supported Motherwell to a dominant and unbeaten spell in the post-split.

We thank Sophie for her efforts at Motherwell and wish her well for the future.

Mia McArthur –

Midfielder Mia McArthur joined her fellow Rangers teammate Sophie Townsley in the switch to Lanarkshire – teaming up with her former youth academy coach in ML1.

Despite her youthful age, the then 18-year-old arrived in Motherwell with wealth of senior experience, regularly featuring for SWPL 2 side, Gartcairn across the opening to the 2025/26 campaign.

McArthur featured six-times for the women of steel, and her performances on the domestic footballing scene have continued to catch the eye internationally, with McArthur regularly selected to represent the Scotland under-19 squad.

We thank Mia for her efforts at Motherwell and wish her well for the future. 

Sarah Petherick –

A graduate of the Motherwell FC youth academy, midfielder Sarah Petherick made her senior competitive debut under Paul Brownlie before gaining additional senior experience on-loan at Ayr United before joining Rossvale last season.

Petherick impressed in Scotland’s third-tier, becoming a standout player across the entirety of the league, being named in the SWF Championship Team of the Year, and the top Goalscorer for the club.

We thank Sarah for her efforts at Motherwell and wish her well for the future.

Now that our 2025/26 ScottishPower Women’s Premier League season has reached its conclusion, we can provide an update on our playing squad. 

Players under contract

• Rebecca Cameron
• Tegan Browning
• Chelsie Watson
• Shannon Leishman
• Jenna Penman
• Amy Denholm
• Leah Paterson
• Lucy Ronald
• Mason Clark
• Mia Gillespie
• Lia Young
• Kodie Hay
• Bailley Collins
• Hannah Cairns
• Carla Boyce

Loan player returning to parent club

• Mia McArthur (Rangers)
• Sophie Townsley (Rangers)
• Milly Boughton (Hibernian)
• Keri Halliday (Heart of Midlothian)

Players departing

• Gill Inglis
• Amy Bulloch
• Sarah Petherick 

We thank our departing players for their efforts at Motherwell, and we wish them well for the future.

The 2025/26 season may only recently concluded, but next season isn’t too far away. Here are all the key dates you’ll need to know. 

Conference League draw

Motherwell fans can look forward a European tour this summer, with the Steelmen confirming their place in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.

The draw for the second qualifying round will take place on Wednesday 17 June, with ties taking playing on Thursday 23 July and Thursday 30 July.

We are unseeded in the draw.

First-team return from pre-season date

The first-team squad will return from their summer break on Thursday 18 June.

Premiership fixture release date

The William Hill Premiership fixtures will be released on Thursday 18 June.

Premiership matchday 1

The first Premiership matchday takes place on Saturday 1 August.

Season Ticket Early Bird

Monday 1 June 5pm.

Season Ticket Seat Relocation

You have until Monday 15th June at 10am to secure their seat.

Women’s Fixtures

The Women of Steel will discover their schedule for their league campaign on Friday 26 June.

A look at our final loan report for the season. 

Aston Oxborough

Aston Oxborough and Dunfermline have been an exciting journey this season.

Since our last report, Oxborough has played five games, taking his appearance count to 15 for the season.

Rounding off the league season with a 2-0 win over Queen’s Park and a 0-0 draw with Arbroath, the Pars secured a spot in the promotion playoffs. In the first leg of the quarter-final, Dunfermline beat Arbroath 1-0 and then travelled to Gayfield for the second leg.

Oxborough conceded a penalty kick in the latter stages of the match with the game at 0-0, but the shot-stopper made amends by saving the spot kick.

Dunfermline was eventually eliminated from the playoffs following a narrow defeat to Partick Thistle over two legs with Oxborough missing for the second leg due to a temporary recall.

Dunfermline then took on Champions Celtic in the Scottish Cup final. Despite a brave performance, the Pars lost out 3-1.

• Appearances: 15
• Clean Sheets: 7

Jack McConnell

Jack McConnell didn’t make his debut for Cowdenbeath after joining the Lowland League side in January; however, he gained valuable experience during his six-month stay.

Cowdenbeath finished 11th in the table.

• Appearances: 0

Scott Williamson

Scott Williamson didn’t feature in the latter stages of the season for Cowdenbeath due to injury but did make 18 appearances in total this season.

With 14 starts to his name, Williamson was trusted in his first season playing men’s football and accumulated a large amount of minutes played this season.

• Appearances: 18
• Assists: 2

Kofi Balmer

Kofi Balmer’s loan spell at Bristol Rovers couldn’t have gone much better. Making 23 appearances in total, Rovers went on a stunning run of form to charge up the table.

Winning 14 of their last 16 matches in the season, Rovers finished 14th in the table on 62 points.

Balmer also picked up the Goal of the Season award for his wonderful strike against Walsall.

• Appearances: 23
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 2
• Clean Sheets: 7

Jay Gillies

Jay Gillies earned some valuable experience and playing minutes with Cumbernauld Colts this season.

The defender played seven times across the campaign, scoring one goal, which came against Broxburn.

Gillies and Cumbernauld Colts finished sixth in the Lowland League standings.

• Appearances: 7
• Goal: 1

Ewan Wilson

Ewan Wilson played 21 matches this season at Raith Rovers.

Raith Rovers narrowly missed out on a playoff spot. His minutes were sporadic towards the end of the campaign, but he did feature in the dramatic win over Ross County in the final game.

It’s been another season of learning for Wilson, who will now return to Motherwell for the start of pre-season.

• Appearances: 21
• Assists: 1

Campbell Forrest

Campbell Forrest has played three matches for Hamilton Accies since our April report.

Playing nine games for Accies this season, Forrest was involved in the end-of-season playoffs for the League One side as they fought to retain their League One status.

Those three appearances came from the bench, with Forrest featuring in both semi-final matches against Forfar. Hamilton progressed to the final and beat Clyde over two legs to stay in League One next season.

• Appearances: 9
• Assists: 1

Olly Whyte

What a season for Olly Whyte, who rounded off his wonderful campaign with a win in the promotion play-off against Alloa Athletic. Although losing the second leg, the Warriors managed to secure their spot in the Championship for the first time in their history.

Overall, Whyte made 47 appearances for Stenhousemuir and scored ten goals in all competitions. Whyte missed one game all season for Gary Naysmith’s side.

• Appearances: 47
• Goals: 10
• Assists: 1

Dylan Wells

Dylan Wells finished on ten appearances for Stirling Albion this season, having missed the majority of the campaign.

In those ten appearances, Wells scored one goal and assisted four times.

Stirling finished 8th in League Two this season on 38 points, 14 points clear of bottom-of-the-table Edinburgh City.

• Appearances: 8
• Assists: 3
• Goal: 1

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos’ and Sydney FC’s season has concluded.

Sydney finished 5th in the A-League, which earned them a spot in the grand finals. Defeating Newcastle Jets over two legs, they could look forward to the grand final against Auckland FC, however the lost narrowly 1-0.

Stamatelopoulos scored against Newcastle Jets in the semi-final first leg, his third goal in Sydney colours.

• Appearances: 14
• Goals: 3

Nathan Lawson

Nathan Lawson enjoyed a successful season with Cowdenbeath in the Lowland League. Scoring three goals and making 23 appearances, Lawson got a taste for first-team football with Cowdenbeath ending their season strongly.

• Appearances: 23
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 2

Topping off an impressive first season with Motherwell, Elijah Just has claimed the G4 Claims May player of the month. 

In a tight final vote of the season, the World Cup bound Kiwi gained enough votes to edge past Callum Slattery, Elliot Watt and Stephen Welsh.

Just impressed in every game as The Steelmen picked up four points in May, drawing with Hearts and defeating Hibernian in a dramatic final day to clinch fourth place.

It could have been more however a late, late Celtic penalty denied Elijah and his teammates what would have been a well deserved point.

July – Tawanda Maswanhise

August – Tawanda Maswanhise

September – Elliot Watt

October – Elliot Watt

November –  Tawanda Maswanhise

December – Elliot Watt

January – Tawanda Maswanhise

February – Tawanda Maswanhise

March – Elijah Just

April – Emmanuel Longelo

May – Elijah Just