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Following the Well in the 60s!

It’s time for some more Sporting Memories from our team here in Scotland - this time from John Whitelaw, one of our Session Workers. (A session worker looks after one or two of our clubs locally to them when required)  

John tells us here how he began following Motherwell FC in the early 1960’s. He’s a confirmed ‘Jam Tart’ man now (Hearts FC) but that’s a story for another day... 

John’s early recollections of Motherwell are connected to a famous neighbour he had when his parents moved houses. 

“We lived in Craigneuk in an old tenement building – you know outside shared toilet, flights of stairs, no room to move, no garden, only the communal yard. So, when we moved to  Coltness in Wishaw my parents must have thought they’d won the Pools. It was a brand-new council house, inside toilet, coal fire, that kind of thing.  

“We stayed at 45 Gallow Crescent and through the wall at 47 was a guy called Tommy McKenzie who, at that time, was Motherwell’s coach. If you are interested, Tommy had a sterling football career from 1931 – 42. He coached the legendary Motherwell team at the time of the Ancell Babes. By default, I became a Steelmen supporter and absolutely loved it. I really did. Tommy gave me memorabilia that otherwise I would never have got. For example, he gave me the floodlight socks that came up to my thighs. They were white with a number band at the top of them. “ 

John eventually started to go with his dad, or if his Dad was working, neighbours, to watch the Steelmen in action and recalls a memorable game from over 60 years ago in the bitter cold. 

“The first game that I can clearly recall was when I was about nine years old.  Motherwell were playing Stirling Albion and won the match 5-3.  It was a midweek game and played in January 1962. I remember being frozen through. The fans stood in the old wooden stand at Fir Park and there was a Jimmy Shand record playing, The Bluebell Polka, and most of the people in the stand were stamping their feet in time to it as much to keep warm as anything else.” 

John went on to share some other early footballing memories including watching teams from Brazil head up to North Lanarkshire. 

“I have another vivid memory of a couple of years earlier. Motherwell used to play a series of floodlight friendlies and I was at a Motherwell v Bahia of Brazil match. In fact, I think I am right saying that this match was the inauguration of their new floodlights. The lights were quite tall, 125 metres and seemed like they were the biggest ever to a 7-year-old me.  

“Why I so clearly remember that match is that I had never seen anyone at all with dark skin. Paleface Scots were all I knew and I was mesmerised.  Don’t ask me who scored the goals. I can’t really remember but suffice to say the home team beat the visitors 3-0.” 

“Oddly, that same year, Motherwell played Flamenco of Brazil and they won 9-2. And I know I definitely wasn’t at that game. My dad was though. I was laid low with a cold or flu. I can remember as clear as day when he came home after the game and said “Son, I’ve seen the best game ever in all my life.”  

One final memory shared with us was of a painful cup exit for Motherwell, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. 

“Another game that I saw was an away game. Dundee 1 v Motherwell 1 and that was a Scottish Cup quarter final. I would have been aged 11. My hero in those days was Joe McBride and he scored with a free kick in the very last minute. I also went to the replay, which was midweek. Sadly, Motherwell lost 4-2 and I think Alan Gilzean scored those two goals.” 

“I’ve been to countless more matches but these are my early recollection of memorable games.” 

Our thanks to John for sharing some lovely footballing memories and one day we look forward to hearing about your defection to Hearts!