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The Motherwell Academy were front and centre as the Steelmen secured their first win in European competition since 2020. 

Over 3000 Motherwell fans left Fir Park last against Genk, full of optimism for the future as Mikey Booth and Robbie Hunter found the back of the net, as a team filled with academy players showed bravery and fight against the Belgian Pro League side.

Six days later, in the UEFA Conference League, 19-year-old Mikey Booth was handed his debut and first start by Alfred Johansson in front of a packed Fir Park crowd. Booth’s journey hasn’t been straight-forward to the first-team. Named the Academy Player of the Year for the 2024/25 season, the young midfielder’s season ended abruptly. Sustaining a serious knee injury that saw him sidelined for over a year, he had to remain patient as he sat on the sidelines waiting for the recovery to take place.

Had it not been for the ACL injury, who knows how many games he would have played for the Motherwell FC first-team. He was first named on a first-team bench back in January 2024, but sometimes the reward is worth the wait. And despite it being a high-pressure match, Booth showed everyone why he’s ready for the step-up as he went on to impress in the heart of the team. Booth even notched an assist on his debut, teeing up fellow midfielder Lukas Fadinger for the second goal of the evening.

Booth wasn’t the only MFC Academy star to make their first steps in claret and amber in a competitive match. Olly Whyte was subbed on in the final stages to make his first Motherwell appearance. He too was involved in first-team squads previously, having been named on the bench in December 2023. But Whyte has gone down a different route to this moment, enjoying incredibly successful loan spells with Cowdenbeath and Stenhousemuir over the last two seasons to build up his first-team experience. The 19-year-old has played close to 80 games combined for Cowdenbeath and Stenhousemuir and now can tick off his MFC debut following his introduction in the UEFA Conference League.

Finally, there was also a new club-record achieved as Motherwell picked up a crucial win. With the introduction of 17-year-old Lucas Weir, there was a third academy player making their first appearance, but Weir would also become the youngest Motherwell FC player to play UEFA competition. The young forward has been training with the first-team since the summer and joined Alfred Johansson’s squad in Denmark. Playing against both AGF Aarhus and Genk, Weir’s work rate and determination have ensured he has been rewarded. Subbed on in stoppage-time, Weir now takes his place in the record books.

The Academy players played a crucial role in the evening. Ewan Wilson started at full-back before being asked to fill in at centre-back during the second-half. The 21-year-old gave everything as he made his first start for the club since July 2025. Closing in on 50 appearances for the club, he is another player to have completed the journey to the first-team.

12 substitutes were named on Thursday night, and ten of them were Motherwell FC Academy players as Alfred Johansson continues to show his trust in the next generation of stars.

Exciting young defender, Olivia McStay has signed a permanent deal following her recent departure from Hamilton Accies.

McStay, 18, broke through the ranks at Celtic, and has been one of our most promising talents in Scotland. Despite an opportunity to continue with Celtic, McStay opted to receive senior first-team football as soon as possible, signing permanently for Hamilton Accies last year after spending the previous season on-loan.

The former Celtic academy prodigy is a third-generation footballing talent – following in the footsteps of her dad, Jock McStay who broke through the youth ranks at Fir Park before making his senior debut with the club in the 1980s.

Francis McStay being another notable family member with deep ties to ML1. Francis is amongst Motherwell’s top-15 record appearance holders, making 214-appearances for the club across eight years spanning the World War 1 Period.

The most recognised family member being Celtic’s third all-time appearance holder and Scotland legend, Paul McStay, but regardless of her illustrious family history, Olivia has been forging her own path in the game.

“I’m really excited to be here,” McStay said.

“The squad have really made me feel welcome, and I can’t wait to get started.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend.”

McStay will be Head Coach, Iain Robinson’s fourth addition of the summer transfer window.

“We are really pleased to welcome Olivia to the squad,” Head Coach Iain Robinson noted.

“Despite her young age, she brings that experience from the last two-seasons, and plenty of space to develop the talent she has as a player.

‘We are excited, and will be looking forward to continuing her development this season.”

As Motherwell played their first competitive match of the season, over 7,700 arrived at Fir Park full of hope and nerves as the Steelmen looked to pick up their first win in UEFA competition since 2020. 

Havnar Bóltfelag from the Faroe Islands were the opponents, with the two sides facing off for a second time following a UEFA Cup meeting in 1994.

Alfred Johansson was experiencing his first competitive match in charge, and despite a number of players not involved due to injury, the 11 players selected pushed the opposition back into their own box during the early stages.

Summer signing Martin Moormann blasted home inside 15 minutes to make a bang on his debut, before Lukas Fadinger scored an equally brilliant goal in the second period.

The Steelmen now travel to the Faroe Islands with a two-goal advantage but know the tie is far from over.

Alex Lowry has joined the club on a season-long loan deal from Wycombe Wanderers. 

The 23-year-old makes the move back to Scotland for the duration of the 2026/27 season. For the avoidance of doubt, Lowry is ineligible to play in our second leg tie against Havnar Bóltfelag.

“We see this as a great opportunity for Alex and the club,” Alfred Johansson explained.

“He is a technically gifted footballer who enjoys being on the ball and being creative. His knowledge of Scottish football and experience here could prove vital over the next 12 months. We are pleased to make an addition to the squad, and now Alex can start training with his new teammates immediately.

“The staff behind the scenes have been meticulous in their scouting of Alex, and I have no doubt he will slot into our team well. I look forward to working with him and helping him develop over the next 12 months.”

Lowry is a product of the Rangers Academy system. From the age of 10, he progressed through the age groups and went on to represent the Rangers B team. His development continued at a steady rate and made his debut for the Rangers first team in January 2022 in the Scottish Cup. Scoring on his debut against Stirling Albion, his first-team involvement grew for the remainder of the season as he went on to play in the Scottish Premiership and was on the bench for the Ibrox squad for their Europa League matches, including the final against Frankfurt.

He scored his first Premiership goal against Hearts to round off a successful period. The start of the 2022/23 season was a difficult one for Lowry, who picked up an injury which impacted his first-team involvement. He made his Champions League debut against Ajax in November but would only play seven senior matches throughout the season.

For the 2023/24 season, the midfielder joined Hearts on loan, where he played 17 games, scoring one goal and assisting four times. His loan spell was cut short midway through the season, with Lowry sidelined for a number of weeks. Lowry then joined Wycombe in January 2025, where he has played 34 times thus far before returning back home with the Steelmen.

“It’s great to be back up the road,” Alex Lowry stated.

“Being a Scottish football fan, everyone knows Motherwell were an outstanding team last year. But having spoken to the manager, it’s already clear he has his own ideas for what he wants the team to look like, and I think even in these early stages, the identity is clear.

“I feel I can add to the already strong squad assembled here and I’m looking forward to kicking on this season.”

Motherwell will take a two-goal advantage to the Faroe Islands next week, as they registered a 2-0 win over Havnar Bóltfelag in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie. 

Martin Moormann scored a peach from 25-yards after 15 minutes to open the scoring before Lukas Fadinger added a spectacular second in the second half.

In his first competitive match in the charge, the stakes couldn’t have been much higher for Alfred Johansson. All five summer signings for the Steelmen made their first starts, including Alex Paulsen, Jake Girdwood-Reich, Martin Moormann, Dylan Williams and Willy Vogt. Tom Sparrow took the armband, with Mikey Booth making his professional debut for the club also.

On the bench, first-team options were light, with ten academy graduates named amongst the substitutes, with only three of the 12 subs having played for the Motherwell first-team. But as the players emerged from the tunnel to 7,700 Motherwell supporters, the energy within the stadium rose to optimum as the hosts started the match firmly on the front foot.

The first opportunity came within two minutes. Moormann peeled off at the back post to get free from his marker as Fadinger’s free kick found the Austrian. The defender’s header was on target but was saved by Havnar Bóltfelag keeper Bjarti Mork.

Alfred Johansson’s side continued to push forward, and when Ewan Wilson found himself in behind the Havnar defence, Fir Park rose to its feet, but the full-back’s cross was cleared before anyone had a chance to create.

But on 15 minutes, the deadlock was broken. The visitors cleared a cross into their penalty area, and Moormann, who was making his debut, stepped forward and smashed a left-footed strike into the net from 25-yards. The goal was just as good as the celebrations, as all 11 players, including goalkeeper Paulsen, were sprinting the length of the pitch to join in the celebrations.

Motherwell looked to continue the pressure on the Havnar goal, having large spells of possession and pushing the opposition back closer to their penalty box. Ibrahim Said saw his header come crashing off the bar on 34 minutes following Sparrow’s cross into the area, with the Nigerian left frustrated at not converting the big opportunity.

Moormann’s header was gathered by the keeper two minutes later, before Said again tried to get on the scoresheet but failed to get the desired connection with the ball. There would be one more chance for Said before the half was out; this time the forward connected well with the ball, but the effort was wayward, and the teams would go into the break with just one goal between them.

The second-half began with the Steelmen once again probing. Wilson had a deflected effort gathered, but on 56 minutes, Motherwell extended their lead. Fadinger set the ball outside the penalty area, and the Austrian used the side of his foot to smash the ball high into the net, leaving the keeper with no chance. 2-0.

Just after the hour mark, the visitors had their best chance of the evening, with Jakup Thomsen trying to find the bottom corner with an acrobatic effort inside the right edge of the penalty box, but to Paulsen’s relief, the shot went wide.

That chance seemed to spark Motherwell back into life. Captain Sparrow burst past the full-back on the right-hand side of the pitch and sped up the line before driving into the box; he squared the ball to Said, who laid it off to Vogt, who saw his strike palmed away by the goalkeeper.

But Havnar kept fighting, and Asi Dam forced Paulsen into a strong save in the 73rd minute before the Kiwi keeper had to be strong to get behind Noah Mneney’s powerful volley from the edge of the box. Hedin Hansen had his head in his hands when he couldn’t convert from inside the six-yard box after the midfielder latched onto a flick-on from a corner.

The night was rounded off with both Lucas Weir and Olly Whyte, two academy graduates, coming on to make their debut for the first-team as the Motherwell squad took a well-deserved lap of honour after sealing Motherwell’s first win in European competition since 2020.

Motherwell Team: Paulsen, Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann, Wilson, Priestman, Fadinger, Booth, Williams, Vogt, Said.

Motherwell Subs: Connelly, McConnell, Longelo, Thomson, Dalziel, Ngandu, Whyte, Ross, Weir, Buchanan, Hunter, Charles-Cook. 

Tickets for our opening day trip to Easter Road are now on sale. 

The Steelmen travel to Easter Road on Sunday 2 August as they kick off their William Hill Premiership campaign.

Kick off is 4:30pm.

You can buy your tickets online by CLICKING HERE.

Prices are as follows:

• Adult – £26
• Over 65 – £16
• Under 18 – £14
• 12 & Under – £12

All tickets for this game are the Motherwell Digital tickets, there will be no physical tickets for this game. Tickets are online to season ticket holders Friday 24^th July at 9am until Monday 27^th 5pm, then any remaining tickets will go on general sale.

The manager gives his views on beating Havnar Bóltfelag in the first-leg of the UEFA Conference League second-qualifying round.

An easy to read guide on all things matchday related ahead of our match against Havnar Bóltfelag.

Tickets

The Tommy McLean stand is now open for home supporters.

The John Hunter Stand is sold out, with extremely limited tickets available in the Davie Cooper and Phil O’Donnell Stands.

You can buy your tickets by CLICKING HERE.

How to Watch

Our UEFA Conference League match against Havnar Bóltfelag will be available to watch via SolidSport.

The match is available to watch for £12.

You are able to purchase your matchday pass by CLICKING HERE.

Travel

Airbles Road remains closed from outside The Kings Church to junction with Glencairn Street. Diversions are in place but we encourage you to plan your journey ahead and leave early to ensure you arrive at Fir Park on time.

If you are coming off the M74, or coming from Hamilton, it is advised you continue straight on the Hamilton Road.

Other Information

For supporters seated in the Tommy McLean Stand, enter turnstiles S5 and S6 and follow steward directions. Kiosks and toilets will be open.

There is a tifo prepared by our supporters for the players coming out the tunnel. At 6:15pm, supporters will be walking from Motherwell town centre up to Fir Park.

We want to remind all supporters that unacceptable conduct will not be tolerated. We ask all supporters to enjoy the match responsibly.

In UEFA matches, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body can issue and distribute a range of punishments against the football club, including fines, partial stadium bans, away ticket bans, etc.

The use of pyrotechnics, pitch incursions, throwing objects, use of laser pointers and any discriminatory behaviour can result in any individual receiving a club ban, football banning order as well as harsher punishments. We encourage all supporters to get behind the team on what is a huge European night for the football club in a safe and responsible manner.

Food & Drink

Mrs Baillie’s Fanzone is open once again with live entertainment on pre-match. There will be music performed by So Sally (on Facebook as sosallyindieband). It all kicks off at 5:30pm. 

The Cooper Bar will be open from 5:30pm for home. It will also be open for one hour post-match for those looking to avoid the traffic. Food and drink will be available.

All kiosks will be open in the home stands. Card and cash are accepted.

Weather Forecast

The current forecast is to be dry evening in North Lanarkshire with a moderate breeze, with temperatures expected to be around 18 degrees come kick off. There is no forecast for rain.

Elijah Just has joined Swansea City for a club-record fee. 

The New Zealand international had a stunning 12 months in Scotland after he joined the club from Danish 1st Division side Horsens in July last year.

Despite this being a new club-record fee for the club, the overall fee will remain undisclosed under the terms of the agreement with Swansea. The fee sets a new record sale for the club, with a number of add-ons included in the agreement that could see this rise in the future.

His 43 appearances in claret and amber will be remembered by Motherwell supporters for years to come. In his 12 months in Scotland, Just was named in the PFA Team of the Season and nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, the SFWA Player of the Year award, the Motherwell FC Player of the Year and the Motherwell FC Players’ Player of the Year. This was all achieved before scoring three goals for New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup as he became the first Motherwell player to score a brace at a World Cup.

His seven goals and eight assists, combined with his tireless work and creativity, played a crucial part in Motherwell achieving European football for the first time since 2022.

“I want to wish Elijah all the very best for the future,” Chief Executive Brian Caldwell said.

“His 12 months at the club will be remembered fondly by everyone, and he is a humble and genuine person who deserves every success.

“As a club, this move marks another hugely successful moment for our overall strategy. Setting a new record sale for the second time in the space of 11 months is down to the hard work of all the football staff involved at the club.

“Elijah is our fourth player sale during this summer window, and we have been working tirelessly to strengthen the squad going into a hugely competitive and important part of our season. Bringing five players in so far, we’ll continue to work on improving the squad ahead of the window closing.”

The club also wishes Elijah the very best for the future and thanks him for his immense contribution at the club.

Our UEFA Conference League match against Havnar Bóltfelag will be available to watch via SolidSport. 

The match is available to watch for £12.

If you’re unable to attend the big European night at Fir Park, you’ll still be able to support from home or on the move.

You are able to purchase your matchday pass by CLICKING HERE.