Motherwell – The Celtic Wiki

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NAME: Fir Park
ADDRESS: Fir Park Street, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, ML1 2QN.
CAPACITY: Approx. 13,742.
CELTIC ALLOCATION: All of the South Stand and usually at least one of the wings of the Phil O'Donnell Stand (Main Stand). The Davie Cooper Stand was for a short time allocated to Celtic fans but this was returned for use to by Motherwell fans following opposition from home supporters.
RECORD VICTORY: Motherwell 0 Celtic 7, 18 September 1982
RECORD DEFEAT: Motherwell 8 Celtic 0, 30 April 1937

John Hunter Stand

Fir Park (view from lower tier of South Stand)

DIRECTIONS

Multimap Link

BY CAR: Junction 6 from the M74 is your best bet from pretty much every direction. Head into Motherwell and turn right onto Airbles Road. Follow that until you're just short of the A721 (windmillhill Street) and Fir Park will be visible on your right hand side. The alternative if you're coming from the North or the East is to take the A73 from the A80 (from the North) down through Airdrie and under the M8 (joining those from the East) and follow the A723 into Motherwell. You'll join the ring road – turn left and this will take you down to the A721 as before. Despite the lower classification of road, this can be quicker than the long way round of the M73/M74 route due to the fact there is usually less traffic using this route.

BY BUS: The 240, 255 and 267 all go from Buchanan Street, Glasgow to the station in the centre of Motherwell's ring road. Supporters buses may park in Orbiston Street on the other side of Windmillhill Street from the stadium.

BY TRAIN: The closest station to the ground is Airbles on Airbles Road. However, Motherwell station is the other side of the ring road from the stadium and is probably your best bet as it is on a mainline from Glasgow Central.

PARKING: There are two or three small to medium sized car parks in the vicinity. Closest to the ground is on Findlay Street, just off Manse Road with the nearby Civic Centre car park, Health Centre and MacDonald Street car parks all within reasonable walking distance. Beyond that it's on street parking with Manse Road a possibility if you are in the Phil O'Donnell Stand. The bulk of supporters buses will be parked on Orbiston Street behind the Police Station and Fire Station and there may be some parking options along this road also.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

A lopsided stadium in that they have three smaller stands and a really big one – the really big one being the South Stand they give to the Celtic fans.

A lopsided stadium in that if you look closely at the Davie Cooper Stand opposite the South Stand, you'll see that the pitch actually slopes significantly down from right to left.

Fir Park used to be renowned for being the worst surface in the top flight which resulted in several postponements but investment has turned this situation around and the pitch is now one of the best in the league.

A visit from Celtic is usually anticipated by the locals and a decent atmosphere can be expected, generated in the home stands generally by those closest to bulk of the Celtic support in the John Hunter Stand (formerly East Stand).

SAD TRIVIA:

Motherwell were formed from the almalgamation of two amateur factory based sides – Glencairn and Alpha – in 1886, where they used Alpha's home ground on Roman Road. This lasted for only three years before they moved to Dalziel Park on Parkhead Street! Again, this lasted for only a few years before Motherwell moved to their current location of Fir Park in 1895, two years after their election to the Scottish League. Their first game at Fir Park? An 8-1 thrashing by Celtic!

Motherwell's current badge depicts three things. Fir trees and a football are two of these for obvious reasons. The third is the now defunct Ravenscraig Steelworks, mirroring their nickname of "The Steelmen". This badge was designed by the fans during a competition in 1982.

While the Phil O'Donnell Stand (Main Stand) is looking increasingly dated with a wooden construction, the other three stands have all had work done in fairly recent times. The John Hunter Stand (East Stand was seated in 1991, the South Stand was completed in 1993, while the North stand was completed a year later, before being named after former player Davie Cooper following his death in 1995. The Main Stand should have ran the length the full length of the pitch but at the time of its construction Motherwell couldn't persuade the owner of the neighbouring home owner to sell up to secure the land needed. When Motherwell did eventually purchase the property there was no longer the finance nor need to complete the stand and an exposed girder remains along a third or so of the pitch.

Motherwell are one of the few Scottish sides who have won all domestic competitions and who have featured in Champions League.

In an era when Scottish football was world renowned Motherwell were welcome visitors across the globe undertaking tours in the 1920's and 1930's to locations as far flung as France, Spain, South Africa and South America. Amongst the headline results were a win over Real Madrid and a draw with Barcelona which helped Motherwell win the King of Spain Cup (a trophy that remains on display in the Fir Park boardroom). Legend also has that the Steelmen cut it so fine with their final South American tour fixture in 1928 that they had to make their way to the port to sail home complete in full kit.

TIM FRIENDLY PUBS:

"Jack Daniels pub just beside the Civic Centre."
– Owenybhoy

"This is where the casuals hang out – beware there used to be a pub caled tully's its now called the windmill and in the centre of motherwell you will find the railway tavern (beside the train station) their is also a wetherspoons (no colours) or about 2 mile from the stadium in carfin you will find the hibs club, carrigans ( both take bookings from buses) and the carfin vaults."
– Beachbhoy

"Used Jack's for a number of years, yet to see any trouble whatsoever when Celtic are in town at this particular venue, have no fear of drinking in this boozer."
– Big_Bobo_Balde

"We're the same,never had any bother whilst in this pub,the fans are segregated anyway."
– Hooped_Avenger

"used to go there all the time when playing motherwell. a great pub i thought"
– Caz

"Jack Daniels is a decent boozer and Fir Park social club is also good and you can get in no probs."
– chrisk173

Any more???

PUBS TO AVOID

"Avoid the Electric bar by Airbles Train Station on Airbles Road, the 'leccy is a hun pub."
– thebhoyalan

"Never go to Starkas. A Motherwell pub although sumtimes unable to tell (as they dont wear colours aka casuals) but it is allways full of them on matchdays. Just telling you for the future as it is casual central around that place."

– livingston hibee

Any more???