WELL IN EUROPE

By Paul Marshall
March 20 2004

On this section of the site Pride of Lanarkshire will be showing how Motherwell have done in European competitions.

Motherwell have competed in European football three times, once in the Cup Winners Cup 1991 and twice in the UEFA Cup 1994 and 1995.




I was there ! The Katowice ticket.




Motherwell's first trip in Europe came in the 1991/92 season after winning the Scottish Cup and gaining a place in the Cup Winners Cup.




Well fans in Poland


The first leg was in Poland and our experienced european opponent's proved too strong for us winning 2 - 0, goals scored by Wolny and Szewczyk in front of a crowd of 6000.




Match action in Poland


10,032 Motherwell fans packed into Fir Park for the return leg and were rewarded with a 3 - 1 win. Stevie Kirk opened the scoring for us only for Rzeznicek to level and get a priceless away goal, a late charge from ' The Well ' saw forward Nicky Cusack and Stevie Kirk score to put us 3 - 1 up but it was too late and lost the tie on away goals.






Die hards in the Faroes !


Havnar Boltfelag were Motherwell's easiest European opponent's and were crushed 7 - 1 on aggregate. Goals from Paul McGrillen, Tommy Coyne and Stevie Kirk in a 3 - 0 demolition at Fir Park in front of 7,517.



Faroes national stadium




Teams line up


In the return leg, Motherwell manager Alex McLeish rested Tommy Coyne and still ran out 4 - 1 winners. European goal machine Kirk got two with Billy Davies and Alex Burns getting the others. At the start of the campaign Big Eck brought in veteran keeper Ray Allan from Brechin City as cover for Stevie Woods and made an appearance for the second half making his European debut at 39 after playing most of his career in the lower league. Only 480 fans bothered to turn up for the away leg.



Kirk scores again !








Westfalon Stadion


Our next opponent's in the First round were the much tougher opponents than Havnar Boltfelag, Borrussia Dortmund proved to be too strong for us over the two legs winning 3 - 0. The first leg was in Germany and nobody including Motherwell fans had gave us a chance of competing with the German giants, but McLeish had his men ready for this tie and gave them a fright and were unlucky not to come home with a draw or even a victory, an Andreas Moller goal 15 minutes from the end gave the home side the edge heading into the Fir Park encounter. The second leg Dortmund showed their true class and never gave Motherwell a chance running over the top of us. We lost 2 - 0, but all I can remember coming home from the game was the incredible atmosphere that was in Fir Park that afternoon.




8,280 inside Fir Park against MYPA

After our 7 - 1 demoltion of Havnar the previous season, Motherwell fan's expected more of the same against the Finnish part-timers and that seemed to be the case when midfielder Shuan McSkimming score early on to put the home fans into a false sense of security, Mypa managed by future Motherwel manager Harri Kappman went on to win 3 - 1 and effectivly kill the tie with the three away goals. Alex Burns and Dougie Arnott score in a 2 - 0 away win,but the task of winning by three clear goals was too much for ' The Well. The result meant Mypa went through on away goals and received Dutch giants PSV in the next round.



Harri Kappman with MYPA