I've decided to open a thread for my team, Motherwell FC, aka The Steelmen.

Don't worry, I quite enjoy talking to myself.

Anyway, for all you guys out there who are despairing at your teams ownership situation, Motherwell FC have now received approval from the Financial Services Authority to take on a new type of ownership model.

In effect, even though we will still be a full time professional football club we will have a type of charity status and a Mutual Society type ownership. Here is the link to the new ownership scheme........

http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/the-club/the-well-society/

Basically, we buy into the Well Society starting at £300 for an adult member, and we pay a small annual sub to help maintain the club. Due to the way the club is now set up we don't need to worry about owners coming in and jeopardising the club with wild spending.

We have been down that path before........

http://www.fc-utd.co.uk/home.php

Hope Motherwell are successful in its initative. When you look at the attendances at Fir Park and compare them to Parkhead and Ibrox you can see what an huge struggle it is for all the other clubs. TV income is paltry compared to the Greed is Good league in England.

Is talking to yourself a sign of madness? No it's good for you, say scientists

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314434/Is-talking-sign-madness-No-good-say-scientists.html#ixzz1mXqcglJe

Hope Motherwell are successful in its initative. When you look at the attendances at Fir Park and compare them to Parkhead and Ibrox you can see what an huge struggle it is for all the other clubs. TV income is paltry compared to the Greed is Good league in England.

Is talking to yourself a sign of madness? No it's good for you, say scientists

Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1mXqcglJe

The thing that is overlooked is that any pretence of a fair sporting battle went out of the window when Graeme Souness took over at Ibrox. His reign heralded the beginning of the spend big philosophy, and spend big they did.

The ten seasons previous to this Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and Dundee United had won the league, if it wasn't for a last day loss at Dundee, Hearts would have beaten Celtic to the title in 1986.

During the past 26 years money has ruled supreme, and the Old Firm have choked the life out of Scottish football.

A little known fact is that Scotland has the greatest professional football infrastructure in the world per head of population. We have three UEFA 5 star stadiums, all in Glasgow, and even our secondary clubs such as my team, Motherwell, have modern 15,000 seater UEFA licensed stadiums.

Football is an easy game, put on your boots, get out on the pitch, and play. We small Scottish clubs faced reality a long time ago, we are feeder clubs to the Old Firm, and the English Championship / Premiership.

We have full time clubs in Scotland paying on average £500.00 a week wages, a superstar player at a club like Hibs would maybe earn £2,000 a week.

We don't need the massive wage inflation and cost inflation that the Old Firm bring, we don't even need the £80 million TV contract.

What we need is a level playing field, a sporting chance, and the fans will come back. The last time Hibs were relegated they came back to the Premier League a year later as First Division champions, Their attendance in that division was 20,000 a game.

Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen can command crowds of 20,000 easy, and if they were contesting for the title ( with the Old Firm out of the way ) they would sell out their stadiums. So would the majority of current Premier league teams.

I want the Old Firm out of Scottish football, they are big boys, so let them go play with the big boys.

Leave us little guys to fight it out, let us develop young talent and forget about the mercenaries that bleed British clubs dry, and we will live forever.

Right now, the way it is going, all Scottish football will be a charity case soon.

Just so you know.......it looks like we are going to finish in the second Champions League qualifying spot this year!!! Wee Motherwell, in the Champions League!! Happy days!!

( for those of you that haven't been paying attention, Rangers will finish in second spot in Scotland this year, but due to their financial problems UEFA has not granted them a licence to play in Europe next year, so if we finish 3rd, which looks likely, we will take their place in the Champions league qualifiers).

I bet Barca and Real Madrid etc are cakking themselves Only joking. Well done

I bet Barca and Real Madrid etc are cakking themselves Only joking. Well done

Hmmm, well Barca are under new management so we could do them easy.

You know what though, it is living the dream for a little team like us. We will be more than lucky to get through the qualifying rounds but just to have the chance is just a dream come true. Amazing.

You know I'm jealous....enjoy your day(s) in the sun!!

You know I'm jealous....enjoy your day(s) in the sun!!

Eh shock result with Rangers beating Dundee Utd 5-0. No one seen that coming

Interesting stat today re Motherwell. We have played 7 lost 7 against the Old Firm this season. Against the other teams we have played 29 lost 4. That's amazing for a squad of basically 14 players plus youths.

Maybe that is what the answer is, small squads playing every week instead of this modern obsession with rotating all the time??

Look at the Dundee Utd team who won the league back in '83.

Look at the Dundee Utd team who won the league back in '83.

Yes they were in my mind too, apparently they played the whole season with only 13 men? Incredible performance, in fact superhuman. I remember the next season when they were cheated out of the European Cup Final by Roma they played around about 70 games, stunning stuff.

Look at the Dundee Utd team who won the league back in '83.

Yes they were in my mind too, apparently they played the whole season with only 13 men? Incredible performance, in fact superhuman. I remember the next season when they were cheated out of the European Cup Final by Roma they played around about 70 games, stunning stuff.

Jim McLean was a fantastic manager. Only he was up against the master further north or he would likely have won much more....

Look at the Dundee Utd team who won the league back in '83.

Yes they were in my mind too, apparently they played the whole season with only 13 men? Incredible performance, in fact superhuman. I remember the next season when they were cheated out of the European Cup Final by Roma they played around about 70 games, stunning stuff.

Jim McLean was a fantastic manager. Only he was up against the master further north or he would likely have won much more....

It just goes to show you that the manager is MORE IMPORTANT than the players. True leadership off the park creates leaders on the park.

Look at the Dundee Utd team who won the league back in '83.

Yes they were in my mind too, apparently they played the whole season with only 13 men? Incredible performance, in fact superhuman. I remember the next season when they were cheated out of the European Cup Final by Roma they played around about 70 games, stunning stuff.

Jim McLean was a fantastic manager. Only he was up against the master further north or he would likely have won much more....

It just goes to show you that the manager is MORE IMPORTANT than the players. True leadership off the park creates leaders on the park.

Yeah certainly brings the best from the players...no doubt about that!

This thread has huge potential...if you know what i mean!

This thread has huge potential...if you know what i mean!

Yeah! I know EXACTLY what you mean. They could be massive!

This thread has huge potential...if you know what i mean!

Yeah! I know EXACTLY what you mean. They could be massive!

This is your third post and i confess i haven't understood any of them. Are you Scottish?

This thread has huge potential...if you know what i mean!

Yeah! I know EXACTLY what you mean. They could be massive!

This is your third post and i confess i haven't understood any of them. Are you Scottish?

Your goose is cooked on this thread carmine. Mark my words.

This thread has huge potential...if you know what i mean!

Yeah! I know EXACTLY what you mean. They could be massive!

This is your third post and i confess i haven't understood any of them. Are you Scottish?

Your goose is cooked on this thread carmine. Mark my words.

Seriously mate, i'd like to join in but i really haven't a clue what he's on about! If you do can you enlighten me?

I'll let theblether explain it to you carms. He will enjoy that.

I'll let theblether explain it to you carms. He will enjoy that.

I can't wait

I'll let theblether explain it to you carms. He will enjoy that.

I can't wait

Fair enough.

I'll let theblether explain it to you carms. He will enjoy that.

I can't wait

Fair enough.

I don't think you understand either

Motherwell are playing Panathanaikos in a Champions League qualifier tonight, that's right.....Motherwell and Champions league in the same sentence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19053702

I'm away over to the Tottenham thread to annoy them.

Motherwell are playing Panathanaikos in a Champions League qualifier tonight, that's right.....Motherwell and Champions league in the same sentence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19053702

I'm away over to the Tottenham thread to annoy them.

That will be short and sweet then.

If you can't get BBC coverage it's also being shown here.

If you can't get BBC coverage it's also being shown here.

The first part of the act is West Hams European adventures 1980-2012

Only a 2 nil defeat at home.

The away leg will be available to view here.

Your a cheeky bast*#d Stoneyboy....alas you were correct.

Tonight we are playing Levante in a Europa League qualifier.....first leg at home.

I predict a 4-0 home win. The men in white coats will collect me after the game.

Its only Levante....what's going on at Fir Park??

Get intae thum!!