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There will be a food bank collection at the upcoming match between Motherwell and Celtic on Sunday 2 February.

The collection will benefit the Maranatha Motherwell Food Bank, and supporters from both teams are encouraged to bring items to donate.

The goal is to collect food and other essentials to provide parcels for those in need.

Items needed are:

• UHT Long Life Milk Semi Skimmed & Whole
• Tinned Meat
• Tinned Meals (Mince, Curry etc etc)
• Tinned Potatoes
• Tinned Vegetables
• Tinned Fish
• Tinned Custard / Rice Pudding
• Tinned Fruit
• Jars of Pasta Sauce
• Savoury Rice
• Tinned Hotdogs
• Tinned Meatballs
• Jars of Coffee
• Toiletries

Motherwell fans can drop off at the Cooper Stand car park. Celtic fans’ drop points are on your approach to the Tommy McLean Stand. Stewards will direct you on arrival at the Davie Cooper Stand to drop donations inside the stadium.

We appreciate everyone who is able to contribute. Your help will go a long way.

Motherwell welcome champions Celtic to Fir Park on Sunday 2 February in the William Hill Premiership.

Kick off is 3pm.

How to follow the game

• Young Adults tickets would ages 14-17.
• Juveniles would be 13 and under
• Ticket Office open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

There will be no online sales as we need to check they have a continuous purchase history

Supporters are able to buy tickets by visiting the ticket office at Fir Park.

Ticket Office open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.

Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.

The match is live on Sky Sports.

What else is happening?

There will be a food bank collection at the upcoming match between your team and Celtic on Sunday 2 February.

The collection will benefit the Maranatha Motherwell Food Bank, and supporters from both teams are encouraged to bring items to donate.

The goal is to collect food and other essentials to provide parcels for those in need.

Items needed are:

• UHT Long Life Milk Semi Skimmed & Whole
• Tinned Meat
• Tinned Meals (Mince, Curry etc etc)
• Tinned Potatoes
• Tinned Vegetables
• Tinned Fish
• Tinned Custard / Rice Pudding
• Tinned Fruit
• Jars of Pasta Sauce
• Savoury Rice
• Tinned Hotdogs
• Tinned Meatballs
• Jars of Coffee
• Toiletries

Motherwell fans can drop off at the Cooper Stand car park. Celtic fans’ drop points are on your approach to the Tommy McLean Stand. Stewards will direct you on arrival at the Davie Cooper Stand to drop donations inside the stadium.

We appreciate everyone who is able to contribute. Your help will go a long way.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our home kit for this match.

Squad Update

There are no returning players from last weekend. Archie Mair has been ruled out due to a hand injury.

Jack Vale remains suspended.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Stevie Frail will lead the team on Sunday following Stuart Kettlewell’s departure earlier in the week. The Steelmen are on a two-game losing run in the Premiership, but remain fifth in the league as they look to close the gap to fourth.

Celtic have won both matches against Motherwell this season, with the most recent being a 4-0 win on Boxing Day.

Opposition Report

After a blip against Glasgow rivals Rangers at the start of 2025, Celtic have reacted to their second defeat of the season in all competitions. They have won five of their last six, and secured a spot in the knockouts of the Champions League.

They will round off their League Phase campaign in Europe on Wednesday night against Aston Villa. It’s been a busy week of transfers for the Hoops also, with star man Kyogo leaving for pastures new in France with Rennes. However, the Celtic support were compensated with the return of favourite Jota for his second spell at the club.

The manager gives his thoughts on a late defeat in Perth.

Two late goals from St Johnstone meant Motherwell tasted defeat at McDiarmid Park for the second time in a week.

The Steelmen led from the third minute but were undone by two set-plays with five minutes to go.

The away side got off to the best possible start when with only 30 seconds on the clock, Sven Sprangler knocked a the ball away with his arm inside the box and the officials finally reached the correct decision.

Andy Halliday kept his cool and sent Fisher the wrong way.

From there it was relatively positive, with Tom Sparrow – deployed in a right wing back role – getting up and down the sides, combining well with Tawanda Maswanhise but the Zimbabwean couldn’t find the target from just outside the box.

New signing Ellery Balcombe was called into action midway through the first half, palming away Victor Griffiths effort before Shane Blaney prodded the ball clear.

Into the second half, a Motherwell side that had been on the front foot, appeared to start sitting deeper, with chances coming few and far between.

Tawanda Maswanhise and debutant Luke Armstrong had decent chances but failed to test Fisher in the St Johnstone goal.

Up the other end, Balcombe had a good double save to deny Carey then Sidibeh.

The home side drew level with five minutes to go after a corner was recycled by Carey which allowed Taylor Steven to fire in Nicky Clark’s layoff.

At that point a draw might have been a fair result but the home side had other ideas. With 88 minutes on the clock, a corner wasn’t properly dealt with and Jozo Mikulic was on hand to fire in from close.

Defender Dominic Thompson has signed a short-term deal until the end of the season, having left League One side Blackpool. 

A star of the prestigious Hale End academy, Thompson rose through the youth ranks at the Gunners before signing his first professional contract at Arsenal in June 2018. He soon traded sides of the English capital, signing for then Championship outfit Brentford in 2019. Loan spells at Swindon and Ipswich Town followed before signing permanently for fellow Championship side Blackpool in 2022.

The left-sided defender has already made over 100-appearances across the English footballing pyramid, including two in the Premier League, with the 24-year-old completing the first-half of the 2024/25 campaign on-loan to Forest Green Rovers.

“I’m excited to be here in Scotland,” Thompson said.

“I wanted to continue playing regular first-team football, and the opportunity to join Motherwell and play in the Scottish Premiership was an exciting prospect for myself personally.

“The manager has a real track record of developing players and enhancing their qualities on the pitch, and I felt that Motherwell would be the perfect place for me to develop my game.”

“This is another positive addition,” manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“Dominic is still a relatively young defender, who has already made a considerable amount of appearances across all levels of the English footballing pyramid.

“He has a quick burst of pace, physically strong, and technically skilled both going forward and when defending. We are looking forward to seeing Dominic in action this season.”

He may have only arrived a couple of weeks ago, but new signing Kai Andrews has played ample minutes and has been learning every week. 

The 18-year-old wasn’t expecting to take part in so many games this early on, but insists that it has been excellent for his development.

Striker Luke Armstrong has completed a loan deal from English League Two side Carlisle United until the end of the season, subject to international clearance. 

Armstrong came through the ranks at Middlesbrough before a short spell within the youth sides at Birmingham City. After being released from the Blues in 2015, Armstrong earned his first taste of Scottish football with Cowdenbeath.

Following a short stint with the Blue Brazil, Armstrong joined Northern Premier League side Blyth Spartans, where he netted 23 goals in 42 appearances at Croft Park. His performances attracted one of his predecessors as he returned to the Riverside Stadium.

Armstrong continued his goalscoring form on loan at Gateshead before stints at Accrington Stanley, Salford City, Hartlepool United, and Harrogate Town. The forward netted 29 times in 103 appearances for the latter before completing a move to Carlisle United in 2024.

The Steelmen overcame a host of competition North and South of the border for the 28-year-old’s signature, with Armstrong choosing Fir Park as his preferred destination.

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

“The manager really sold me on his vision for the club and how I could fit into the system alongside the strikers already in the squad. There were other offers on the table, but I felt this one suited me and could get the best out of me as a player.

“I’m in the prime age of my career, and I felt that the challenge of the Scottish Premiership was one that I simply couldn’t miss out on.”

The forward, who has netted six times throughout his time at Brunton Park so far, had previously been a key transfer target for League One promotion-chasers Wrexham, but paperwork couldn’t be completed before the 2024/25 summer window deadline.

“We’re delighted to have Luke at the club,” Manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“There have been a lot of clubs competing for Luke’s signature, so to get this over the line, we are extremely pleased.

“Luke is combative, capable of finding pockets of space in the box, and an accurate finisher. We were looking for a player who held these attributes, and Luke perfectly fit the profile.”

Stuart Kettlewell says the team have spent plenty time in the video room following their defeat last weekend against St Johnstone. He says the players have no egos and have accepted that they were not good enough in front of a healthy travelling crowd. 

Offering updates on Liam Gordon and Harry Paton, the manager also speaks about the recent transfer speculation surrounding Lennon Miller, as well as commenting on recent VAR audio released by the SFA.

25-year-old shot-stopper Ellery Balcombe joins the Steelmen on a loan deal from Premier League side Brentford until the end of the season, subject to international clearance. 

A product of ‘the Bees’ academy, Balcombe has risen through the ranks in the English capital, featuring within the first-team squad just three weeks after his 17th birthday.

He made his competitive debut for Brentford in 2023, as the London side defeated Newport County in the EFL Cup, with Balcombe saving two decisive spot-kicks following a 1-1 draw after extra time. He soon signed a four-year extension at the club, with the option of an additional year.

Balcombe has since tested his talents throughout a variety of loan spells at Boreham Wood, Viborg FF, Doncaster Rovers, Burton Albion, Bromley, Crawley Town, Bristol Rovers and latterly St. Mirren.

“I’m delighted to make the move to Motherwell,” Balcombe said.

“One thing I noticed when playing for St Mirren was the competitiveness of the league and the atmosphere at most stadiums. This is a great opportunity for me to come back and do it again.

“I’m looking forward to getting started, and I can’t wait to see you all at Fir Park.”

Internationally, the goalkeeper has contested the fierce competition within the English youth ranks, making 18 appearances across Under-18, 19, and 20 age categories, including selection within the 2018 UEFA U19 European Championships and the 2017/2019 variations of the Toulon tournament. The Watford-born stopper also trained alongside the full England first-team during his U21 call-up.

“I’m really pleased to welcome Ellery to the club,” manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“We’ve not had our issues to seek with regards to injuries within the goalkeeping department. Ellery has played plenty of football this season in this league, so he won’t need a settling-in period.

“Having watched Ellery on numerous occasions for St. Mirren, you instantly recognise that he is a commanding presence in the box and a leader in the backline. We look forward to seeing him in action at Fir Park.”

Having been knocked out the Scottish Cup on Saturday, Chief Executive Brian Caldwell thanks supporters for making the trip to Perth. In this interview, he discusses a range of topics including new signings, rejecting a bid for Lennon Miller and supporters buses. 

He also talks about his relationship with the Well Society and dates for the upcoming club AGM.