Motherwell
1996–97 season
ManagerAlex McLeish
Premier Division8th
Scottish CupQuarter-finals
League CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Tommy Coyne (11)
All: Tommy Coyne (11)

The 1996-97 season was Motherwell's 12th consecutive season in the Scottish Premier Division, the top division of Scottish Football.

Season events

Motherwell started the season with pre-season friendlies in England against Southend United, Baldock Town and Blyth Spartans. Motherwell lost to Southend United, defeated Baldock Town and Blyth Spartans before returning to Fir Park to face Portuguese giants Porto, losing 1-0.[1]

Squad

As of match played 10 May 1997
No. Name Nationality Position Date of birth (Age) Signed from Signed in Contract ends Apps. Goals
Goalkeepers
Scott Howie Scotland GK 4 January 1972 (aged 25) Norwich City 1994
Stevie Woods Scotland GK 23 February 1970 (aged 27) Preston North End 1994
Defenders
Mitchell van der Gaag Netherlands DF 22 October 1971 (aged 25) PSV Eindhoven 1995
Stephen Craigan Northern Ireland DF 29 October 1976 (aged 20) Blantyre Victoria 1995
Kevin Christie Scotland DF 1 April 1976 (aged 21) East Fife 1997
Greig Denham Scotland DF 5 October 1976 (aged 20) Youth team 1994
Brian Martin Scotland DF 24 February 1963 (aged 34) St Mirren 1991
Eddie May Scotland DF 30 August 1967 (aged 29) Falkirk 1994
David McCallum Scotland DF 7 September 1977 (aged 19) Bearsden BC 1995
Chris McCart Scotland DF 17 April 1967 (aged 30) Youth team 1985
Steve McMillan Scotland DF 19 January 1976 (aged 21) Troon 1993
John Philliben Scotland DF 14 March 1964 (aged 33) Doncaster Rovers 1986
Fraser Wishart Scotland DF 1 March 1965 (aged 32) Heart of Midlothian 1996
Midfielders
Joni Lehtonen Finland MF 30 September 1973 (aged 23) Ilves 1996
Simo Valakari Finland MF 28 April 1973 (aged 24) FinnPa 1996
Billy Davies Scotland MF 31 May 1964 (aged 32) Dunfermline Athletic 1993
Lee McCulloch Scotland MF 14 May 1978 (aged 18) Youth team 1994 21 0
Shaun McSkimming Scotland MF 29 May 1970 (aged 26) Kilmarnock 1994
Ian Ross Scotland MF 27 August 1974 (aged 22) Youth team 1995
Mickey Weir Scotland MF 16 January 1966 (aged 31) Hibernian 1996
Forwards
Owen Coyle Republic of Ireland FW 14 July 1966 (aged 30) Dundee United 1997
Tommy Coyne Republic of Ireland FW 14 November 1962 (aged 34) Tranmere Rovers 1993
Roy Essandoh Northern Ireland FW 17 February 1976 (aged 21) Cumbernauld United 1994
Dougie Arnott Scotland FW 5 August 1964 (aged 32) Pollok 1986
Alex Burns Scotland FW 4 August 1973 (aged 23) Youth team 1991
Willie Falconer Scotland FW 5 April 1966 (aged 31) Celtic 1996
John Hendry Scotland FW 6 January 1970 (aged 27) Tottenham Hotspur 1995
Left during the season
Jamie Dolan Scotland MF 22 February 1969 (aged 28) Youth team 1987
Innes Ritchie Scotland DF 24 August 1973 (aged 23) Youth team 1992
Andy Roddie Scotland MF 4 November 1971 (aged 25) Aberdeen 1994

Transfers

In

Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref
16 November 1997MFFinlandJoni LehtonenIlvesUndisclosed
7 January 1998FWRepublic of IrelandOwen CoyleDundee UnitedPlayer swap
7 February 1998MFFinlandSimo ValakariFinnPaUndisclosed
14 March 1998MFScotlandMickey WeirHibernianUndisclosed
21 March 1998DFScotlandKevin ChristieEast FifeUndisclosed

Loans in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Date to Ref.
24 July 2021FWScotlandMatthew ConnellyGretnaEnd of season

Out

Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
7 January 1998MFScotlandJamie DolanDundee UnitedPlayer swap
11 January 1998DFScotlandInnes RitchieEast FifeUndisclosed
27 January 1998MFScotlandAndy RoddieNotts CountyUndisclosed

Released

Date Position Nationality Name Joined Date Ref.
30 June 1996MFScotlandPaul LambertBorussia Dortmund

Friendlies

24 July 2021 Southend United 1 – 0 Motherwell Southend-on-Sea
BST (UTC+1) Stadium: Roots Hall
25 July 2021 Baldock Town 1 – 2 Motherwell Arlesey
BST (UTC+1)
Stadium: Hitchin Road
27 July 2021 Blyth Spartans 2 – 3 Motherwell Blyth
BST (UTC+1)


Stadium: Croft Park
3 August 2021 Motherwell 0 – 1 Porto Motherwell
15:00 BST (UTC+1) Stadium: Fir Park

Competitions

Overview

Competition First match Last match Starting round Final position Record
Pld W D L GF GA GD Win %
Premier Division 10 August 1996 10 May 1997 Matchday 1 8th 36 9 11 16 44 55 −11 025.00
Scottish Cup 25 January 1997 8 March 1997 Third Round Quarterfinal 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 050.00
League Cup 13 August 1996 13 August 1996 Second Round Second Round 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 000.00
Total 41 11 13 17 50 60 −10 026.83

Last updated: 10 May 1997
Source: Competitions

Premier Division

Results summary

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
36 9 11 16 44 55  −11 38 5 5 8 24 25  −1 4 6 8 20 30  −10

Source: Fir Park Corner

Results by round

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536
GroundAHAHAAHAHAHHAAHHAHAAAHHHAHAHAAHAHHAH
ResultDDWLDDWLDLLLWLWLDLLLLWLWLDWLDLLDWDWD
Position673555465789787888999897987778999978
Source: Fir Park Corner
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Results

10 August 1996 1 Dundee United 1 – 1 Motherwell Dundee
BST (UTC+1) McSwegan 7' van der Gaag 78'
May Yellow card
Denham Yellow card		 Stadium: Tannadice
Attendance: 8,157
Referee: Captain W Simpson
17 August 1996 2 Motherwell 2 – 2 Aberdeen Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) McSkimming 40', pen.', 51'
McMillan Yellow card
Falconer Yellow card		 Windass 24' Yellow card
Shearer 72' Yellow card
Kiryakov Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,036
24 August 1996 3 Raith Rovers 0 – 3 Motherwell Kirkcaldy
BST (UTC+1) Browne Yellow card
Millar Yellow card		 van der Gaag 23', 58'
Arnott 31'
Dolan Yellow card		 Stadium: Stark's Park
Attendance: 4,836
7 September 1996 4 Motherwell 0 – 1 Rangers Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) van der Gaag Yellow card
McSkimming Yellow card		 Gough 39'
Gascoigne Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 12,288
14 September 1996 5 Dunfermline Athletic 1 – 1 Motherwell Dunfermline
BST (UTC+1) Clark 5' May 57' Stadium: East End Park
Attendance: 5,687
21 September 1996 6 Hearts 1 – 1 Motherwell Edinburgh
BST (UTC+1) Weir 5' Arnott 46'
May Yellow card		 Stadium: Tynecastle
Attendance: 10,932
28 September 1996 7 Motherwell 1 – 0 Kilmarnock Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) Arnott 19'
Dolan Red card 86'		 Anderson Red card 86' Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,700
12 October 1996 8 Celtic 1 – 0 Motherwell Glasgow
BST (UTC+1) Marshall Yellow card Yellow-red card 80'
van Hooijdonk 90'		 May Yellow card
McSkimming Yellow card		 Stadium: Celtic Park
Attendance: 49,422
19 October 1996 9 Motherwell 1 – 1 Hibernian Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) McSkimming 73'
Dolan Yellow card
Burns Yellow card		 Leighton Yellow card Yellow-red card 26'
Harper 73' Yellow card
Wilkins Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 6,784
26 October 1996 10 Rangers 5 – 0 Motherwell Glasgow
BST (UTC+1) Laudrup 51', 78'
Gascoigne 66', 79', 84' Yellow card		 Ross Yellow card
McCart Yellow card		 Stadium: Ibrox Stadium
Attendance: 48,160
2 November 1996 11 Motherwell 1 – 3 Dundee United Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Ross 59' Olofsson 55'
McKinnon 57'
Winters 89'		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,814
11 November 1996 12 Motherwell 0 – 2 Hearts Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) May Yellow card
Martin Yellow card
Burns Yellow card		 Paille 54' Yellow card
Robertson 88'
Weir Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,441
16 November 1996 13 Kilmarnock 2 – 4 Motherwell Kilmarnock
15:00 GMT (UTC) Wright 55', 87' (pen.) Coyne 9', 59', 89'
Philliben 49'		 Stadium: Rugby Park
Attendance: 7,087
30 November 1996 14 Hibernian 2 – 0 Motherwell Edinburgh
15:00 GMT (UTC) Jackson 35', 90' (pen.)
Wilkins Yellow card		 Dolan Yellow card
Davies Yellow card		 Stadium: Easter Road
Attendance: 7,332
7 December 1996 15 Motherwell 2 – 1 Celtic Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Davies 39'
Ross 89'
Roddie Yellow card		 Hay 83' Yellow card
McKinlay Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 11,589
11 December 1996 16 Motherwell 0 – 1 Raith Rovers Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Lennon 89' Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 4,040
14 December 1996 17 Aberdeen 0 – 0 Motherwell Aberdeen
15:00 GMT (UTC) Shearer Yellow card Martin Yellow card
McMillan Yellow card
Dolan Yellow card
Roddie Yellow card
Burns Yellow card		 Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium
Attendance: 10,000
21 December 1996 18 Motherwell 2 – 3 Dunfermline Athletic Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Ireland 12' (o.g.)
Coyne 29'
van der Gaag Yellow card
Davies Yellow card		 Miller 15' (pen.) Yellow card
Andy Smith 56', 75'		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 4,529
26 December 1996 19 Dundee United 2 – 0 Motherwell Dundee
15:00 GMT (UTC) McSwegan 36'
Hannah 67'		 Martin Yellow card Stadium: Tannadice
Attendance: 8,072
28 December 1996 20 Hearts 4 – 1 Motherwell Edinburgh
15:00 GMT (UTC) Robertson 22' (pen.), 75'
Weir 53'
Hamilton 63'		 Coyne 12'
Martin Yellow card
McSkimming Yellow card
Davies Yellow card
Falconer Yellow card		 Stadium: Tynecastle
Attendance: 11,164
4 January 1997 21 Celtic 5 – 0 Motherwell Glasgow
15:00 GMT (UTC) Di Canio 29' (pen.)
van Hooijdonk 41'
Cadete 75', 86'
Wieghorst 87'
Mackay Yellow card
McNamara Yellow card		 McCart Yellow card
Denham Yellow card		 Stadium: Celtic Park
Attendance: 45,374
11 January 1997 22 Motherwell 2 – 1 Hibernian Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) McSkimming 20'
Hunter 24' (o.g.)
van der Gaag Yellow card		 Dow 49'
Welsh Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,855
18 January 1997 23 Motherwell 1 – 3 Rangers Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Coyle 68' (pen.) Yellow card
van der Gaag Yellow card
McSkimming Yellow card
Ross Yellow card
Falconer Yellow card		 Albertz 20'
Laudrup 60' Yellow card
Gascoigne 88'		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 13,166
21 January 1997 24 Motherwell 2 – 0 Kilmarnock Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Coyle 3', 38'
van der Gaag Yellow card		 Mitchell Yellow card
Reilly Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,508
1 February 1997 25 Dunfermline Athletic 3 – 1 Motherwell Dunfermline
15:00 GMT (UTC) Miller 11'
Tod 26'
Britton 76'		 Davies Yellow card Stadium: East End Park
Attendance: 4,796
8 February 1997 26 Motherwell 2 – 2 Aberdeen Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Falconer 48' Yellow card
Burns 54' Yellow card
Philliben Yellow card Yellow-red card 82'
May Yellow card		 Dodds 11'
Martin 33' (o.g.)
Windass Yellow card Yellow-red card 82'
Glass Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,555
18 February 1997 27 Raith Rovers 1 – 5 Motherwell Kirkcaldy
15:00 GMT (UTC) Duffield 79' Coyle 27'
van der Gaag 40'
Coyne 48', 54'
May 81' Yellow card
Valakari Yellow card		 Stadium: Stark's Park
Attendance: 3,052
22 February 1997 28 Motherwell 0 – 1 Celtic Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) McMillan Yellow card Cadete 10' Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 12,131
Referee: Jim McCluskey
1 March 1997 29 Hibernian 1 – 1 Motherwell Edinburgh
15:00 GMT (UTC) Wright 51' Coyne 64'
Falconer Yellow card		 Stadium: Easter Road
Attendance: 8,328
15 March 1997 30 Kilmarnock 1 – 0 Motherwell Kilmarnock
15:00 GMT (UTC) Wright 77'
MacPherson Yellow card		 Martin Yellow card
Wishart Yellow card		 Stadium: Rugby Park
Attendance: 7,612
22 March 1997 31 Motherwell 0 – 1 Hearts Motherwell
15:00 GMT (UTC) Martin Yellow card
Davies Yellow card		 Paille 12' Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 6,245
5 April 1997 32 Aberdeen 0 – 0 Motherwell Aberdeen
BST (UTC+1) Valakari Yellow card
Davies Yellow card
Coyle Yellow card		 Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Captain W Simpson
12 April 1997 33 Motherwell 5 – 0 Raith Rovers Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) Falconer 17'
Weir 46'
Coyne 53', 74'
Coyle 78'		 Harvey Yellow card Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 4,691
19 April 1997 34 Motherwell 1 – 1 Dundee United Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) Coyne 36' (pen.)
Christie Yellow card Yellow-red card 88'
Weir Yellow card		 McKimmie Yellow card Yellow-red card 40'
Zetterlund 66'
Bowman Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 5,382
5 May 1997 35 Rangers 0 – 2 Motherwell Glasgow
BST (UTC+1) McLaren Yellow card
Gascoigne Yellow card		 Coyle 7', pen.', 84'
Valakari Yellow card
Weir Yellow card		 Stadium: Ibrox Stadium
Attendance: 50,059
10 May 1997 36 Motherwell 2 – 2 Dunfermline Athletic Motherwell
BST (UTC+1) Weir 32'
van der Gaag 73'		 French 38'
Bingham 59'
Fraser Yellow card
Britton Yellow card		 Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 9,676

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
6 Aberdeen 36 10 14 12 45 54 −9 44
7 Kilmarnock 36 11 6 19 41 61 −20 39 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
8 Motherwell 36 9 11 16 44 55 −11 38
9 Hibernian (O) 36 9 11 16 38 55 −17 38 Qualification for the Play-off
10 Raith Rovers (R) 36 6 7 23 29 73 −44 25 Relegation to the First Division
Source: Soccerbase
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ↑ Kilmarnock qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as the winners of the Scottish Cup.

Scottish Cup

25 January 1997 Third round Partick Thistle 0 – 2 Motherwell Glasgow
McSkimming 65'
Davies 76'		 Stadium: Firhill
15 February 1997 Fourth Round Motherwell 1 – 1 Hamilton Academical Motherwell
Coyle 33' Clark 69' Stadium: Fir Park
Attendance: 8,050
26 February 1997 Fourth Round Replay Hamilton Academical 0 – 2 Motherwell Glasgow
[ Report] Coyle 1', 77' Stadium: Firhill
8 March 1997 Quarter-finals Dundee United 4 – 1 Motherwell Dundee
McLaren 47', 66'
Winters 63'
Olofsson 87'		 [ Report] Van der Gaag 80' Stadium: Tannadice
Attendance: 11,054

League Cup

13 August 1996 Second round Motherwell 0 – 0 (a.e.t.)
(2 – 4 p)		 Alloa Athletic Motherwell
Stadium: Fir Park

Statistics

Goal scorers

Ranking Position Nation Number Name Premier Division Scottish Cup League Cup Total
1FWRepublic of IrelandTommy Coyne110011
2FWRepublic of IrelandOwen Coyle73010
3DFNetherlandsMitchell van der Gaag6107
4MFScotlandShaun McSkimming4105
5FWScotlandDougie Arnott3003
6FWScotlandWillie Falconer2002
MFScotlandEddie May2002
MFScotlandIan Ross2002
MFScotlandMickey Weir2002
MFScotlandBilly Davies1102
Own goal2002
12FWScotlandAlex Burns1001
DFScotlandJohn Philliben1001
TOTALS 446050

See also

References

  1. ↑ "1996/97 Fixtures". motherwellnet.com/. Motherwell Net. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
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