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We are saddened to learn of the news of the death of Johannes Edvaldsson at the age of 70.

The former Iceland international played for Motherwell between 1982 and 1984, arriving from German side Hannover 96.

An uncompromising defender, “Shuggie”, as he was known, made 65 appearances in claret and amber, netting six goals. Primarily playing at the back, he could also be deployed to great effect further up the pitch.

Prior to arriving at Fir Park, he played with Valur, FC Metz, Celtic and Tulsa Roughnecks. He was capped 34 times by his country.

Everyone at Motherwell FC’s thoughts are with his family.

January is traditionally the month when we all resolve to start moving more, with new members queuing up to join the gym and more health and fitness related internet searches than any other month.

But with the UK now in lockdown for the rest of January, and leisure centres and swimming pools closed to the public, it looks likely that 2021 will be a little different.

Yet we know that exercise can dramatically enhance our wellbeing and positively impact our mental health – alongside all of the physical benefits.

Running for just 15 minutes a day, or walking for an hour, has been shown to reduce the risk of major depression by 26%.

Studies have also found anxiety and other mental health conditions are improved most by rhythmic, aerobic exercises including running, swimming and cycling.

In fact, there’s a whole campaign around the links between mental health and exercise – Red January – which encourages participants to get moving every day this month.

And since the current lockdown was announced, they’ve been using the motto ‘As we can’t be together in person, let’s be together in purpose’.

Our main partners Paycare are sharing their top tips to help everyone with their health and wellbeing and to beat those January lockdown blues:

• A lunchtime walk helps you take your eyes off the screen – and is sure to have you feeling more productive when you return to your desk.
• Joe Wicks is likely to spring to mind when you think about YouTube workouts, but there are thousands more to explore so you could try a different type of exercise every time to keep things fresh and exciting.
• Exercising outdoors with one person outside of your household or support bubble is allowed under the current rules – and this can include an outside personal training session as long as you are at least 2m apart at all times.
• Why not join together with your friends, family, or colleagues to try an online exercise class or take it in turns to lead a session during a weekly video call? At Paycare, different team members are setting up HIIT and Yoga sessions for us all to join in if we want to.
• Walking for 20 minutes a day consistently through the month will be much more beneficial than doing a 10-mile run once. So do remember to keep your goals realistic and manageable, scaling up the time and intensity of your workouts as you become fitter and stronger.
• You’ll need to up your water intake to account for the fluid you use while exercising, so remember to keep sipping away during the day.

Motherwell Football Club posted a profit of £346,590 in the year ending 31 May 2020.

This profit came against a previous loss of £435,970 in 2019, a swing of £782,560.

Despite the hugely difficult restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, the club’s turnover rose by nearly £0.4m to £4.95m, up from £4.59m in the previous year.

The financial year in review

A member’s resolution gave the SPFL Board the power to officially end the leagues and decide the outcome on an average points basis, which they did on 18 May 2020. This decision meant the club confirmed a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership in the 2019/20 season, completing 30 of the campaign’s 38 matches.

That represented our best league finish for six years, having finished second in 2013/14. It also meant a return to UEFA Europa League football for the first time since 2014.

Sadly, there were no significant runs in either domestic cup competitions during the year.

The shortening to the season and the lockdown restrictions, which started in mid-March and are likely to continue until at least the end of the 2020/21 campaign, had a material impact on the club’s ability to generate revenue in the last quarter. Included in that was the loss of at least four home matches, one being a Category A fixture.

We continue to trade effectively in the transfer market. The overall figure on player registration gains is up by over £260,000, posting a final figure of £1.04m, compared to £781,000 the previous year. This came primarily from the sale of James Scott to Hull City FC in January 2020. Like last year, the club wishes to record its gratitude and acknowledge the recruitment and coaching staff’s excellent work on that particular transfer, together with all the Elite Academy staff, who were instrumental in James’ development into an excellent young talent.

Shortly after year end, the club also traded David Turnbull to Celtic FC for a fee significantly higher than the previous record received for Phil O’Donnell back in 1994. Not only did this action justify the board’s decision not to accept a revised transfer deal in the summer of 2019, but also validated the investment the club made in David’s rehabilitation to get him back to the level he was before his operation.

Costs for the year have remained relatively consistent. There was a slight increase in our staff costs, most of which resulted from performance-related bonuses for confirming third place and European football.

Most importantly, during the year the club settled the outstanding amounts owed to Mr J Boyle and Mr L Hutchison. This repayment was facilitated by a small loan on favourable terms, offered by five Motherwell-supporting individuals. The five were all fully repaid less than two months later following James Scott’s sale to Hull.

At the height of lockdown, to ensure sound management of the club’s cashflow, the club took advantage of HMRC schemes to defer VAT and PAYE/NIC liabilities and took out a small £50,000 “bounce back” loan from the UK Government. The “bounce back” loan is the only external debt on the balance sheet, with the only other borrowings currently being to the Well Society, an accumulation of their contributions across the last nine years, totalling £868,000.

It is our view that the club remains in a strong position, but we are cognisant of the genuine and ongoing threats to the whole football infrastructure from the current crisis. The work that has been done to establish the club’s model and strategy in recent years has been successful, but we have to do more. We must secure the foundations of the club and emerge from the crisis in a sustainable way. Our aim continues to be that of an exemplar fan-owned, community-focused, family club.

The 115th annual general meeting of the club will be held on Thursday 11 February 2021.

Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, attendance at the meeting will be by Zoom. Shareholders who wish to attend the AGM are required to provide an email address to the company secretary at accounts@motherwellfc.co.uk no later than 5pm on 9 February 2021.

Any shareholder who would wish to receive either a printed or emailed copy of the audited accounts should email accounts@motherwellfc.co.uk before the close of business on 9 February 2021.

January is traditionally thought of as a gloomy month.

Our main shirt sponsors Paycare are leading the fight against the ‘Blue Monday’ slump – the term coined for the most depressing day of the year – by hosting a hopeful e-clinic.

Their wellbeing manager, Kerry B Mitchell, will be joined by Maddie Powell from the charity PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide on Monday 25 January from 10am to 11am for a hope and wellbeing session.

It is part of a series of hour-long webinars focused on a different aspect of mental health each time.

Virtual attendees will be able to find out more about current mental health research and the work of PAPYRUS – which was set up to support young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, engage communities in suicide prevention projects, and influence social policy.

Suicide is the biggest cause of death for under 35s, both male and female, in the UK.

Kerry, a mental health first aid qualified trainer, says the free monthly sessions were designed to give attendees lots of information, examples of best practice and an opportunity to ask questions.

“January has traditionally been regarded as a depressing month partly because of it falling just after Christmas, the weather, and the length of time between paydays for workers,” she said.

“We wanted to counteract that feeling by offering information and research to help attendees recognise the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health and feel able to support and signpost accordingly.

“We also have a range of mental health training courses available for companies who wish to delve further into wellbeing strategies and invest in employee wellbeing.”

To book your free place on the e-clinic or for more information, simply RSVP here or email wellbeing@paycare.org.

In addition to the webinars, Paycare have also extended their online offering – to complement their pre-pandemic face-to-face mental health training programme – which now includes a two-day virtual accredited MHFA course.

Visit paycare.org/wellbeing to find out more.

Graham Alexander is the new manager of Motherwell Football Club.

Graham becomes the 25th man to lead the club, succeeding Stephen Robinson.

A former Scotland international and captain of both Preston North End and Burnley, the 49-year-old arrives with 363 games of managerial experience at Fleetwood Town, Scunthorpe United and Salford City.

He will be joined by his long-term assistant Chris Lucketti, himself a former captain of Huddersfield Town who made over 600 career appearances, who will work alongside current assistant Keith Lasley.

“I am delighted to have been handed this role at a great club,” said the new Motherwell manager.

“People will get to understand the hard work I put in, along with my staff and players. I have always brought that to every club, as a player and a manager.

“It’s something different. It is something I am really excited about. I have been a manager now for seven to eight years, and had success with the three clubs I’ve been at. But this is out of my comfort zone. I’m someone who is up for a challenge, and I will get that here.

“I spoke to Stephen Robinson, as we played together at Preston. He said nothing but good things. That together with what I heard from the board meant it was a challenge I wanted to take on.

“The obvious first objective is to win on Saturday. This is a team which is underperforming but there is talent there. We are in a month where we can also make additions, but there is no way I see this current group should be where they are.

“I believe in producing young talent and I’ve always given chances. The board have made clear what they see as success for Motherwell, and I want to exceed those expectations.

“I’ve seen if you work hard enough, you can achieve whatever you want. But the work has to go in. And that not only comes from me, it comes from the whole group. My role is a manager is to get that working straight away.”

Graham started his playing career with Scunthorpe United, moving onto Luton Town, Preston North End and Burnley, before ending with a final season with Preston.

The 863 league appearances he made across a 24-year career ranks him fourth in the all-time list of games played by footballers in England.

Although born in England, his long-held international commitment was to Scotland through his father. His call would come in 2002 in a friendly against Nigeria at the age of 30, kicking off a Scotland career which would bring 40 caps.

Having had a brief spell as caretaker at Preston North End in 2011/12, his first permanent managerial appointment would come at Fleetwood Town in December 2012. A near-three year spell saw him lead the club up from League Two through the play-offs.

A return to his first club Scunthorpe United would follow in March 2016, spending two years at Glanford Park and leading them to the League One play-off final, where they would lose to Millwall.

The call from ambitious National League side Salford City came in May 2018, winning promotion to the Football League through the play-offs. The curtailment of the 2019/20 campaign due to the Covid-19 outbreak would end back-to-back promotion hopes, and also halt an appearance in the final of the EFL Trophy.

“We are delighted to have chosen Graham to be our next manager,” Motherwell chairman Jim McMahon said of the appointment.

“The calibre of candidates for the role was high, as were the qualities shown by those we interviewed.

“Graham has demonstated to us he is the man to take us forward. He fits the profile of what we expect a Motherwell manager to be.

“He is dynamic. He is hungry. He will lead from the front and shares in our belief of developing talent. He also has a track record of success, leading clubs to promotions and cup finals.”

Stephen Robinson has resigned as manager of Motherwell Football Club.

After Wednesday night’s match with Kilmarnock, Stephen approached the board, giving an honest assessment of the current situation. He then stated his desire to leave.

It is with regret that the board accepted his resignation, having carefully considered his reasons for wanting to leave his post.

Despite the current restrictions, the board will now run a thorough process to identify the right person to take the manager’s post.

This will move at pace, mindful of the busy fixture list and the January transfer window’s impending opening.

Keith Lasley will take interim charge of the first team with immediate effect.

“I would like to thank everyone at Motherwell FC for their support throughout my time here, both as manager and assistant,” Robinson said.

“We have qualified for Europe, reached two cup finals and achieved a third-place finish, on top of developing some wonderful players in my time here.

“We cleared the club’s external debt through player sales, cup runs and league positions. The club has numerous assets going forward, and I’m sure that there will have a strong finish to the season with the brilliant coaching staff currently there.

“My goal was always to leave the club in a healthier position. I believe the staff and I have done this.

“I now feel it is the time for someone new to take the club forward as I feel I have taken it as far as I can.

“I would like to put on record my thanks to Jim McMahon, Alan Burrows and the rest of the board, as well as the fans for their loyalty and support to my family and I throughout.

“I will take a short break before looking at new challenges ahead. But my family and I will forever be Motherwell fans. I wish the staff, supporters and club as a whole every success in the future.”

Motherwell chairman Jim McMahon added: “I thank Stephen for everything he has done for this club.

“Year after year, he delivered upon or exceeded the targets set for him.

“On the field, that entailed reaching cup finals, achieving a third-place finish and reaching European competition. Those moments will live long in the memory of supporters and will go down in our history.

“Off it, his success in player development and sales has ensured this club is in a strong financial position. His ability to rear new talent was commendable and delivered great benefit to us.

“He is a man who has conducted himself exceptionally well and has been a figurehead for our club for the last three-and-a-half years.

“It has been a privilege to work with him over these years. We all wish him well for the future.”

We are installing a brand new PA system at Fir Park.

As part of our improvement programme to the stadium as we await the return of supporters, we have invested in a system which will significantly enhance the matchday experience.

Installed in partnership with CITA Smart Solutions, the new PA network in the stadium replaces the previous setup, which had been in place since the mid-1970s.

“We’re delighted to have made this change at the stadium,” chief executive Alan Burrows said. “It is another step forward in ensuring our home continues to be fit for purpose.

“We long shared the frustration of our fans in how inadequate the old system was.

“The existing infrastructure was purchased when Abbotsinch Airport became Glasgow Airport, so that gives an idea of just how critical it was that we brought things up to modern standards.

“When supporters are allowed to return home to Fir Park, we hope they will see and benefit from several improvements we have made, and are continuing to make, across the stadium.”

CITA are an integrated security solutions business, who have already assisted the club through recent months with a number of projects.

“We’re happy to have helped Motherwell FC to enhance the experience at Fir Park,” Ian Beattie, managing director from CITA Smart Solutions said.

“Developing cost-effective technologies, CITA remains at the forefront of technological advancements in integrated security, ensuring it meets and exceeds the demands and requirements of its customers.

“Our partnership with Motherwell FC has led to our involvement in many key projects around the club. We’re delighted to be involved.”

We have been out in our local community delivering festive parcels to those in need, in association with the SPFL Trust.

Each box contains £35 worth of supplies, such as soup, sweets and soap to help those who need it most.

There are real extremes of poverty we are giving help to. People who don’t have money to turn the electricity on, or to switch the oven on to cook food.

Because of the surge in the Covid-19 virus, many of these people will be spending Christmas Day alone.

We are here to try and improve people’s lives. So many in our area are finding things tough just now, and we’re stepping up to help.

The ‘Well Shop will close at 3pm on Christmas Eve.

Thereafter, the shop will remain closed until tier four restrictions are lifted by the Scottish Government, provisionally scheduled for 18 January.

During this period, the shop will still be able to accept online orders for delivery or click and collect. Orders will be fulfilled twice a week, which may result in longer despatch times, but fans can be assured that precautions have been taken to ensure staff are working in a safe environment.

Any click and collect orders can be picked up from the shop between 12pm and 4pm on Wednesday 30 December, Monday 4 and 11 January, and Friday 8 and 15 January.

Please note that the shop staff will be unable to offer in-person exchanges and refunds during the tier four restrictions. Instead, the Christmas exchange and returns period has been extended until 7 February, facilitating the use of this service when the shop reopens.

The team at the ‘Well Shop wish to express their thanks to fans for their patience in what is a very fluid situation. To keep abreast of updates, be sure to keep an eye on social media channels.

Prior to Christmas, the shop will open between 9.30am and 5pm, Monday-Wednesday, and from 9.30am to 3pm on Christmas Eve.

There’s still time to get your hands on a late Motherwel FC Christmas gift.

We’ve launched the ML1 T-shirt range, a special run of six designs featuing parts of Fir Park which may not be immediately obvious. But if you know, you know.

Shop the range here.