Motherwell F.C. Under-20s and Academy

In addition to the Motherwell F.C. first team, competing in the Scottish Premiership, the club also has a reserve team who play in the SPFL Reserve League as well as younger age group teams in their youth system. They fielded a reserve team in defunct competitions for many years.

Motherwell Under-20s
Full nameMotherwell Football Club Under-20s
GroundExcelsior Stadium
Airdrie
Head CoachMaurice Ross[1]
LeagueSPFL Reserve League
2018–194th

Reserve Team

In the early 1950s, reserve teams were incorporated into the third tier of the senior Scottish Football League, with Motherwell 'A' taking part for six seasons of the arrangement.[2][3][4]

Motherwell were an ever-present in the Scottish Premier Reserve League since its formation in the 1998–99 season. Initially starting as an Under-21 league, the reserve league was open to all age groups from season 2004–05.[5]

The Motherwell reserve team withdrew their team from the 2009–10 season due to financial constraints and a lack of support from other clubs, leading to the competition's abandonment.[6] Motherwell Reserves then played friendly matches.

In July 2018, it was reported that reserve leagues would be reintroduced in lieu of the development leagues that had been in place since 2009. The top tier of the new SPFL Reserve League featured 18 clubs, whilst a second-tier reserve League comprised nine clubs. Other than a minimum age of 16, no age restrictions applied to the leagues.[7] At the end of its first season (2018–19) several clubs intimated that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to play a variety of challenge matches,[8] but Motherwell were one of those who chose to remain.

Motherwell Reserves usually played their home matches at Dalziel Park, a sports facility outside Motherwell that is also the training ground of the first-team, but also used Forthbank Stadium in Stirling and Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie.

Under 20s Team

History

Until 1998, Motherwell competed in the youth competitions administered by the Scottish Football League. They then took part in the age group leagues run by the Scottish Premier League[9] and the Scottish Professional Football League.

From 2015 onwards it is possible for the Well academy to participate in the UEFA Youth League by their under-18 side (previously under-17s) winning the prior season's league at that age group; however this has not yet been achieved.

The Scottish Youth Cup (which began in 1985) is administered separately, with Motherwell winning the competition for the first time in 2016.

For the 2016–17 edition of the Scottish Challenge Cup, under-20 teams of Premiership clubs were granted entry to compete against adult teams for the first time in the modern era. In the 2018–19 edition, with the age now changed to under-21s, Motherwell reached the quarter-final stage, the best performance by a 'colt' team up to that point, losing 2–1 to eventual winners Ross County.[10]

Having played home games at Fir Park,[11] Hannah Park (Shotts) and Creamery Park (Bathgate), their regular stadium is now Airdrie's Excelsior Stadium.

In 2015, former Motherwell captain Stephen Craigan coached the Under-20 side.[12] In 2019, Maurice Ross was appointed coach.[1]

Current squad

As of 1 January 2021[13][1] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF  SCO Jamie Semple
23 GK  SCO Peter Morrison
24 DF  SCO David Devine
25 FW  SCO Ross Maciver
26 MF  SCO Dean Cornelius
27 DF  SCO Max Johnston
28 DF  SCO Yusuf Hussain
No. Pos. Nation Player
30 GK  SCO Matthew Connelly
35 DF  SCO Matthew McDonald
36 FW  SCO Findlay Cook
37 MF  SCO Cammy Williamson
40 MF  SCO Paul Hale
42 MF  SCO Lewis Robertson
— DF  SCO Sam Muir

Academy

The club also operates the Motherwell Academy. The academy was formed in 2012, and consists of teams made up of players and coaches from Under-11 to Under-17 level.[14] The youth teams train at a sports facility based within Braidhurst High School.[15] From 2013 the director was former Motherwell captain Scott Leitch,[16] later being replaced by Steven Hammell who also had the same role as a player until his retirement.[17]

In 2017, the Motherwell academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case.[18][19]

Staff
PositionName[20]
Academy DirectorSteven Hammell
Under 20's team coachMaurice Ross
Under 18's CoachDiarmuid O'Carroll
Head of Intermediate AcademyDavid Clarkson
Chief ScoutMartin Foyle
Head of Academy RecruitmentStuart Ogilvie
ScoutStuart Ogilvie
Head of Performance AnalysisRoss Clarkson
PhysiotherapistJohn Porteous

Honours

Reserves

  • Scottish Reserve League[lower-alpha 1][21]
    • Winners: 1912–13
    • Runners-up: 1988–89, 1994–95, 2006–07
  • SPFL Reserve Cup
    • Runners-up: 2018–19[22]
  • Scottish 2nd XI Cup[21]
    • Winners: 1942–43, 1948–49, 1956–57
  • Scottish Reserve League Cup[21]
    • Winners: 1987–88

Youths

Notes
  1. Includes the Scottish Reserve League 1910–1915 / 1945–1949, the Scottish (Reserve) League 1955–1975, the Scottish Reserve League 1975–1998 and the Scottish Premier Reserve League 2004–2009. Any wins in the Scottish Football Alliance (1918–1939) or the SFL Division C (1949–1955) are listed separately. Any wins in the SPL Under-21 league (1998–2004) are listed in the Youth section.
  2. Since 1998; previously known as the Scottish Premier Under-18/Under-19/Under-20 League and SPFL Under-20 League.

Former youth team players

[23]

  1. This player has also represented their country at full international level.

References
  1. Reserves: Staff, Motherwell FC
  2. Scottish Football League C Division overview, Scottish Football Historical Archive
  3. Scotland - Final Tables Third Level 1924-2004, RSSSF
  4. Hibernian Reserves Football Club History Database
  5. SPL Reserve League - General Information Archived 15 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Managers united in call to scrap SPL reserves, Roddy Forsyth: The Daily Telegraph, published 5 January 2009
  7. "SPFL reintroduces reserve leagues after nine-year absence". BBC Sport. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  8. Jack, Christopher (1 May 2019). "Rangers and Celtic set to quit SPFL Reserve League in a bid to boost Academy teams". The Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  9. "SPL to create Under-20 league". sport.stv.tv. STV Sport. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  10. Motherwell U21 1-2 Ross County, Soccerway, 17 November 2018
  11. "Fir Park Stadium". Motherwell F.C. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  12. "Former Rangers star Johansson quits Motherwell post and Craigan takes over". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  13. "Motherwell FC Squad Numbers – Scottish Premier League". Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  14. Recruitment & scouting, Motherwell FC
  15. "Academy:The Braidhurst Campus". Motherwell F.C. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  16. "Motherwell return for Scott Leitch as former captain is appointed academy director". Daily Record. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  17. About our academy, Motherwell FC
  18. "Project Brave: Scottish FA confirms eight-club academy elite". BBC Sport. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  19. "SFA confirms Project Brave academy placings". The Scotsman. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  20. Coaching Staff, Motherwell F.C.
  21. Senior competition winners, Scottish Football Historical Archive
  22. SPFL Reserve Cup 2018–19, Soccerway
  23. Academy Graduates, Motherwell FC
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