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“I’ve been lucky. There’s thousands in the stadium every week and their dream was to be a football player. I’ve been able to do that.”

Andy Halliday explains why the time is right to hang up his boots for the final time at the end of the season.

Andy Halliday has today announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2025/26 season.

The 34-year-old has taken the decision to retire from playing as he begins the next chapter of his life.

“I feel that time is right for me to step away from the playing side of the sport I adore,” Andy Halliday said.

“There have been some ups and downs along the way, but when I look back on my career, I have zero regrets. So many players may not get to experience some of the things I’ve managed over the years, and for that, I’m grateful.

“Being a footballer isn’t easy. It’s required a lot of sacrifice over the years, which is all part of what I signed up for, but for my loved ones, I owe them my deepest thank you. I simply wouldn’t have been able to get to where I got to without them. Their support has been incredible on this journey, and I don’t know what I would have done without them all.

“I want to thank my teammates and staff at Livingston, Middlesbrough, Walsall, Blackpool, Bradford City, Rangers, Hearts and Motherwell for being a part of my journey. I’ve met some friends for life through this sport, and at every club I hold the fondest of memories that will stick with me. Thank you.

“Despite this announcement and my appreciation for all the kind messages I’ve received recently, I don’t want any distractions for the boys as they look to finish this incredible season on a high. We’re all desperate to close out as strongly as possible and gather as many points as we can, starting tomorrow against Hearts. Thank you to the Motherwell fans for their support all season long, and let’s get stuck into these last three games.”

A professional career that spanned 18 years, Halliday burst onto the scene with Livingston in Division 1, making his debut in April 2008 against St Johnstone.

Following his debut, Halliday continued to impress in his early years for the Lions and scored his first professional goal in a 2-2 draw with Ross County in May 2009.

His big breakthrough year came in 2009/10 when Livingston were playing in Division 3. Playing 34 games, he scored 14 goals as an 18-year-old, and his dazzling displays caught the eye of many clubs. Middlesbrough would be his chosen destination, where he would spend five years, making 42 appearances in total.

At the Riverside, Halliday enjoyed three loan spells at Walsall, Blackpool and, latterly, Bradford City. His loan at the Valley Parade was made permanent at the midway stage of the season, and Halliday ended up scoring against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a memorable 4-2 win in the FA Cup which saw his side go on a fairytale run to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Having made 32 appearances in his time with Bradford, Halliday opted to move back home to join Rangers in 2015, with the Gers looking to seal their place back in the top flight for the first time since 2012 at the second time of asking. His start at Rangers couldn’t have been any sweeter as he netted on his debut against Hibernian at Easter Road, with his side winning 6-2.

Rangers went on to lift the Scottish Championship title and thus were promoted back to the Premiership in what was a lively season that saw the Ibrox side defeat their rivals Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup before losing in the final to a last-minute header against Hibernian.

In his five-year stint in Govan, Halliday represented Rangers over 150 times and scored 18 goals. A brief spell in Azerbaijan in 2017 was the only short time he spent away from Ibrox during that time. The Covid-19 pandemic struck, and Halliday departed the club in May 2020 to travel along the M8 to sign for Hearts, who had just been relegated.

He lifted the Scottish Championship for the second time in his career at Tynecastle, with Hearts earning promotion back to Scotland’s elite at the first time of asking. Halliday played over 100 games for the Jambos during his two-and-a-half year stay in Edinburgh, as he helped his side finish third and fourth in the Scottish Premiership to secure European football.

In January 2024, Halliday arrived in ML1 seeking regular minutes on an initial loan deal with Stuart Kettlewell’s squad. He scored his first goal for the Steelmen in a 5-0 rout against Ross County at Fir Park and played 14 games between January and the end of the season.

His contract was made permanent in the summer of 2024, and Halliday would go on to win the Players’ Player of the Year vote for the 2024/25 season for his consistency and availability throughout the season. Halliday wouldn’t miss a game for the entirety of the season, playing 46 matches across the campaign, 42 of which were starts.

He may not have featured as heavily under Jens Berthel Askou this season, but Halliday was named as vice-captain by the Motherwell manager for the 2025/26 season, citing his experience and leadership qualities as his reason why he chose Halliday in his leadership group.

Ahead of the match against his former side Hearts tomorrow night at Fir Park, both clubs will come together to present Halliday with some gifts to thank him for his service to both clubs.

From now until the end of the season, Halliday will continue to train and continue to be available for selection, and when the time comes, we congratulate Andy for an exceptional playing career and wish him well in his future.

Matchday 23 and the final weekend on the road of the 2025/26 Scottish Power Women’s Premier League campaign awaits the women of steel this weekend, as they travel North to face Montrose at Links Park on Sunday.

With top-flight safety secured for the forthcoming season, and aspirations of finishing at the top of the split still firmly within reach, Motherwell head to Montrose knowing a victory could put them within touching distance of finishing above the Gable Endies.

Four successive victories have put Motherwell one-point shy of this weekend’s opposition.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Back-to-back victories in the Lanarkshire derby strengthened Motherwell’s grip on derby day, with the women of steel extending their record to seven straight victories over Hamilton Accies.

Motherwell have propelled themselves back into contention for finishing best of the rest, as they aim to finish at the top of the split. Player of the Year, Carla Boyce will be available for her first game since lifting the accolade at the Motherwell FC Player of the Year night this month.

Goalkeeper Emma Thomson will miss out after being recalled by parent club Hearts.

Montrose

Despite scoring fewer, and conceding more than the women of steel this season, Montrose have maintained a one-point advantage over Iain Robinson’s side, with two-games left to play.

Aside from last weekend’s narrow Scottish Cup Semi-Final defeat to Rangers, Montrose have won their last two SPWPL fixtures – defeating Aberdeen twice.

Sunday’s opposition will be focused on mounting a response, after suffering a five-one defeat when the sides last met in March.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased through the matchday turnstiles at K-Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted.

• Adult – £10.
• Concession (Over-65s and Under-17s) – £7.

Follow our live matchday coverage on the Motherwell Women X (formerly Twitter) account.

Elijah Just believes if Motherwell finish lower than fourth in the league, then it’ll be disappointing and knows a big performance is needed to get that first win over Hearts this season. 

Just describes how focused he’s been this season and why external noise doesn’t bother him.

Jens Berthel Askou says his team have a lot of pressure on their shoulders to secure European football in the coming games, and is insistent that although Hearts and Celtic are going for league titles, Motherwell are also playing for a huge prize.

Askou knows the dangers that Hearts pose to his team, but believes previous matches against Derek McInnes’ side show that Motherwell can get the win if they tighten up in a couple of areas.

Emmanuel Longelo has won the G4 Claims April Player of the Month award.

Winning his first award of the season, Longelo scored the opening goal at Tynecastle, before finding the back of the net twice in the 3-2 win at Ibrox.

Now on nine goals for the season, the full-back is closing in on a double figure goal count for his first campaign in Scotland.

Well done, Manny.

Hibernian have provided 700 more tickets for our final day match at Easter Road.

Tickets are on sale now and can ONLY be purchased online.

You can do so by clicking HERE.

Due to the short window, ticket sales will be through Hibs ticketing platform, providing digital tickets only.

Motherwell supporters will need to create an account, verify their email and then click back in through the link again to access the matchday tickets. To register, click here!

For a step by step guide on registering please direct supporters here.

Block 36 is available online and once this sells out, Block 35 will open.

Ticket pricing is as follows:

• Away Adult: £26
• Away Over 65: £16
• Away Under 18: 14
• Away Under 13 (with full paying adult): £12

The club are also running supporters buses to the match that will depart Fir Park for Easter Road.

 They will leave from outside the Cooper stand at 10.15am and price is £18pp.

The link to buy your seat is found by clicking here.

Sunday night saw the Motherwell FC family come together to mark and celebrate the achievements of the Motherwell FC first-team, Academy and Women’s team.

A sold-out Dalziel Park watched Carla Boyce collect her Women’s Player of the Year award in her first season back with the Women of Steel. Top goalscorer for the side, the number nine has been instrumental in Iain Robinson’s side retaining their top-flight status for next season.

An interview with Carla can be viewed by clicking HERE.

The second award of the evening was for the Academy Player of the Year, which Zander McAllister won. In a breakthrough season, Zander has not only been operating at a top level for the youth side but has also played a part in Jens Berthel Askou’s first team. Making his professional debut against St Johnstone in the Premier Sports Cup, the 18-year-old has gone to play three further games this season.

Whilst also being a regular for the Scotland youth sides, McAllister has shown that he is one to keep an eye on for the future. Well done, Zander.

Zander spoke following the collection of his award and can be watched by clicking HERE.

The next award up for grabs was Young Player of the Year, with Tawanda Maswanhise, Ibrahim Said, Oscar Priestman, Tom Sparrow, Luca Ross and Matty Connelly up for nomination. Following a stunning season which has included 22 club goals, Maswanhise won the accolade.

Also nominated for the PFA Player of the Season, Maswanhise has shone for club and country this season. A worthy winner, well done, Tawanda.

You can watch an interview with Tawanda by clicking HERE.

Goal of the Season was the next voting category. Following a season of wonderful individual goals and team moves, the fans had their say and voted Emmanuel Longelo’s goal against Livingston as their Goal of the Season.

In a move that lasted over 60 seconds and involved 10 players making 25 passes, the stunning team goal was voted the best goal scored this season. Longelo himself hasn’t been shy in front of goal this season, scoring nine times in total this campaign.

Emmanuel Longelo spoke following his win, and you can view the full interview by clicking HERE.

The Top Goalscorer award was next to be presented, with Tawanda Maswanhise heading back on stage for the second time on the night to collect the award. His 22 goals have him top of the goalscoring charts in the Scottish Premiership this season, as he aims to collect the Golden Boot in the division this season.

A second interview with Tawanda is available to watch HERE.

The coaching staff had their say next, voting for the Coaches’ Player of the Year. With a full squad of players who have impressed all season, Elliot Watt picked up the accolade after an immense season in the middle of the pitch. His twists, turns, goals and pinpoint passing got the vote from the backroom team.

Bouncing back from a disappointing season last year, Watt has caught the eye of many, and plenty think he should be up for international recognition soon.

For now, he is our Coaches’ Player of the Year and you can watch an interview with him HERE.

The penultimate award was all about the players. Every player had their say, and Elijah Just was voted Players’ Player of the Year. Many were in with a chance with Lukas Fadinger, Elliot Watt, Calum Ward, Paul McGinn and Tawanda Maswanhise all nominated, but it was Just who got the nod following his maiden season in Scotland.

Also nominated for PFA Player of the Year, Just’s performances have earned him a lot of praise from various supporters up and down the country.

And the final award of the evening also went to Just. Voted Player of the Year by the Motherwell FC supporters, he capped off a wonderful night picking up his second trophy.

You can watch an interview with Elijah by clicking HERE.

A big thank you to all our sponsors and those who attended. Your support is much appreciated.

It’s Saturday night football in ML1 this weekend, as Motherwell host league leaders Hearts at Fir Park. 

Kick off is 8pm.

How to follow the game

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

• Young Adults tickets would ages 13-17.
•  Concessions are classed as, Over 65, Full Time Students, 18-21 Year olds.
• Juveniles would be 12 and under

On Match days, the Ticket Office is open from 5pm – 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 being shown live on Sky Sports.

What else is happening?

Senscot is collecting money via bucket collection this weekend.

The Cooper Suite will open at 5pm for food and drinks, and will re-open for one hour post-match. Home fans only. Mrs Baillie’s Fanzone will open at 5:30pm for home fans only.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

The Steelmen have been unable to register a win over Derek McInnes’ side but will count themselves unlucky not to have done so. It was a 0-0 draw at Fir Park in November, with a 3-3 draw at Tynecastle before a 3-1 defeat last month.

Emmanuel Longelo moved on to nine goals following his brace at Ibrox, as he looked to reach double figures for the season. It was a 1-0 defeat to Falkirk last time out for Jens Berthel Askou’s side, but they remain six points ahead of Hibernian with three games to play.

Opposition Report

Hearts remain top of the league with three games to go, as they look to win their first league title since 1960. Claudio Braga picked up the PFA Player of the Year award last weekend, with the forward lighting up the league with his 17 goals this season.

Lawrence Shankland was also nominated for the award with the Scotland international also registering 17 goals for the season so far.

Permutations

Motherwell have the opportunity to seal a return to European football on Saturday night.

Facing off against Hearts, a win would mathematically confirm their spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League if Hibernian fail to win at Falkirk.

Hibernian take on Falkirk on Saturday afternoon at 3pm and the result from that game will play a big part in qualification.

A Falkirk win would see the Bairns move up to 5th and five points behind Motherwell. In that scenario, a draw in the Motherwell match would see the Steelmen hold a six-point gap over Falkirk with two games to go. Although not mathematically confirmed, with a substantially better goal difference, it would take Falkirk to win both their final matches and Motherwell to lose their last two, and there would need to be a 21-goal swing in Falkirk’s favour.

If Falkirk win and Motherwell lose, the gap would be five points with two to play. The Steelmen would need to secure a point in the final two to confirm their European spot.

If it’s a draw between Falkirk and Hibernian, there would be five points separating Motherwell and Hibernian. If Motherwell draw with Hearts again, mathematically the European spot wouldn’t be confirmed, but with a six-point gap and two games left to play, there would need to be an 11-goal swing in Hibernian’s favour for the Hibees to move up to fourth.

If Hibernian beat Falkirk, the gap gets cut to three points. A Motherwell draw with Hearts means the gap would be four points with two to play. A defeat sees the gap remain at three points with two to go.

There have been only two sides in the Scottish Premiership this season that Motherwell have failed to beat, one of whom was Falkirk. 

Facing off for the fourth time this season, Falkirk had won both matches at Fir Park. The Steelmen knew a win would put them on the cusp of qualification for Europe, but the hosts continued to get the better of the Steelmen.

It took until the second half for the deadlock to be broken, and in the closing stages, Motherwell looked to rescue a point but couldn’t get the ball over the line.

John McGlynn’s side got the better of Motherwell once again, and with three games to go, it’s all still to play for in the Premiership.