Those celebrations at Easter Road after the full-time whistle epitomised what qualifying for European football meant to the supporters and players at Motherwell Football Club.
For supporters, it’s looking forward to creating more memories following the club they adore across Europe. Trips to Nancy, Odense and Dortmund live long in the memory for fans who made the trips, and home matches at Fir Park feel extra special when the game is played in European competition.
For players, it’s the chance to compete against some good teams, experience something they don’t often feel when playing domestic football and a chance to make it a memorable occasion for everyone involved.
Regan Charles-Cook is looking forward to ticking off European football off his bucket list. He has played in Belgium but is yet to play in a UEFA competition, so as our Conference League campaign continues against Havnar Bóltfelag, the Grenadian international is brimming with excitement.
“The first time playing in European competition is pretty cool,” Charles-Cook said.
“I’m hoping it’ll be a good start. From my time in Belgium, I’ve had that experience of playing against players from different countries. I think you can expect Havnar Bóltfelag to be a team that is good on the ball, doesn’t rush things and is patient in the build-up. So, we’ll have to be quite disciplined and will have to be in the right shape to work off the correct triggers.
“People might say that they won’t be a physical team, but European teams are very physical, so I expect it to be a tactical but physical game.”
When the draw was made, supporters and players alike started their research on our UEFA Conference League second qualifying round opponents. Some may remember the first match between the sides back in 1994, but Charles-Cook headed straight to Google to do his own research.
“I mean, I looked on the map and saw it was a bit past Inverness,” the forward laughed.
“It’s going to be cold up there, I reckon! They’re a team with some good experienced players and are used to playing in this competition. I’ve also found out that there is an ex-Motherwell player playing there. I’ll leave the research to the analysts and coaches, and then we’ll follow the plan they make.
“The first leg has set the tempo for the tie. We wanted a good result and to play well to stamp our authority down early on. That will help us for the away leg, and ideally, we can take an advantage over there. Some may have wanted the away leg first, but actually, I think it was quite nice to have the home leg first as we got all our fans behind us, and it felt special.
“They have been the 12th man in my time here.”
Pre-season training is difficult for the players. A programme designed to push the team to their physical limits to ensure everyone is match-fit come the first competitive match.
But for the second pre-season in a row, the Motherwell squad have had the added layer of getting to know and understand their new boss and his ideas. But Charles-Cook believes the last three weeks have been incredibly productive for the squad.
“There’s no doubt it’s been intense, but we’ve got a lot out of it,” he explains.
“We’ve gone into a lot of detail about how we want things to look, but we’ve also just got to know the manager too on a personal level. He’s an incredibly nice person, but he demands standards, which is what you want from any manager.
“For me personally, this pre-season has been crucial for me. With the way things worked out last summer, I didn’t have a pre-season and just had to come straight in. It’s nice to have the last few weeks under my belt, so I just want to keep the momentum going.
“As a squad, we’ve worked hard. It hasn’t felt like a major adjustment to what we were doing last year. Fans can expect to see us still playing the same style of football we have played in the last year. They can probably expect to see us more directly as well, with more counter and physical pressure, which we’ve already been doing. We just want the fans to have an entertaining game to watch. The way the manager has come in and gone about everything the right way.
“The squad has formed a lot of connections, and the way we played last year helped us become really close as a group. So, if he were to come in and flip everything straight away, it would make things difficult. There are lots of new details, but we’ve still got most of our team from last year. It’s working because we’re seeing the progress. With the new players coming in as well, when they get up to speed and start to get comfortable with the way we play, it’s going to be even better.”
Charles-Cook’s first season in claret and amber had its highs, but it also had its lows. Playing 27 games in total, he started ten games across all competitions. Injury hampered his playing time, and just when he felt like he was building up some momentum, injury would strike again and disrupt his progress.
But the positives were there, and now with a strong pre-season under his belt, he is feeling optimistic for the 2026/27 season.
“Last year was very stop-start with the injuries,” Charles-Cook mentioned.
“I was coming in and out of the team and squads. But I made sure over the summer that I got my body in the right place to give myself the best chance of a strong pre-season. Last year was the first time in my career that I’d never really taken part in a pre-season.
“It builds your confidence and helps you through the long season that’s ahead of you. This year is a big one for me, and I’m looking to hit the ground running straight away and show the fans Regan Charles-Cook. The manager has been really helpful because he tells me little things that he wants me to do to improve my game. He’s obviously seen me train and play for a while now, and the staff here constantly want to help all players improve and develop. The manager is someone who wants to form that close bond with his players, and you’ll see him having little chats here and there with players, which is important.
“That bond is the same one we have amongst the players, and it creates that connectivity and family feeling around the club. Because we all need to be in it together. You can see from last season that, whilst it was incredibly successful and, for large parts of the season, positivity was beaming out from the club, it’s a long, long season now. Ups and downs are inevitable, and if the bonds are in place beforehand to deal with those scenarios head-on, it’s a smoother ride. Our connections as teammates were good, but what made it was the fact we were actually friendly off the pitch, which helped us go so far.
“Our first big test was against Havnar Bóltfelag, and it was our first competitive match, so we tried not to play the occasion. We’ll play our football and go over there and give it our best. I’d never played in Europe before, so I’m buzzing; the team is ready, and we all want to make it a night to remember.
“The new players are all such nice people, which has allowed us to keep things moving forward. When you bring nice people into the environment, it means minimal disruption, and they just join and help us progress. Willy [Vogt] and Martin [Moormann] have come in and are getting up to speed very quickly. Alex [Paulsen] and Jake [Girdwood-Reich] are working hard too. We’re making the squad stronger as we go, so it’s good times ahead.”
