MJC

Aye it's going to be a long bus trip. The buses from Fir Park leave at 1pm and Club 100 buses leave at half one so it'll be cutting it fine getting into Hampden going that route on a Saturday afternoon.

He said he wasn't bothered about filling anyone's boots, because he had his own.

According to Police Scotland's travel advice they are telling our coaches to take the 'M73/M77/Dumbreck corridor' route to Hampden on Saturday. Surely to God they aren't actually expecting our coaches to basically go through the city centre then Kingston Bridge instead of just staying on the M74 to the merge with M8 are they? It's bad enough that we need to pass the Polmadie cut off if we stay on the M74 but to send us onto the M73 is madness!

Do you know what? That's the way it should be. We should all suspend realism until the final over and allow our hearts to rule our heads. Not just the support but the players as well and I actually think that Stephen Robinson will be thinking along those lines too. This is a Cup final, one free shot and if we win this game we pick up that glorious trophy at the end. The realistic point of view is that Celtic are an excellent side and if they turn up they will beat us but we can't allow that to be at the forefront of our minds, it's all about us now, not them.

Can only echo the last few posts. I absolutely love this squad of players and Stephen Robinson. You can see just how much this game means to them and you can see how much they want to win it. Unlike so many of their predecessors, they aren't cowed by better teams and bigger clubs and indeed don't seem interested in them. All their focus is on Motherwell FC and so it should be. Not Celtic, not even ex players as that Main quote shows. (That is a smashing quote btw in response to being asked about filling Moults boots). Whatever happens on Saturday, this Motherwell team will live long in the memory and will have many a 'Well fan looking back with awe in years to come. When you think back to McCall's pitiful whimpering before the 2011 final, or Butcher telling everyone and their granny that he feared Rangers would take seven off us in the 2005 LCF, or McGhee rambling on about how Celtic play a similar style to us except they do it with 'good players' before the League cup tie at Parkhead last season(we got royally gubbed in all three of those games) then it really is a breath of fresh air hearing the current manager and squad talking this week. This squad deserve tangible success.

The bond between the players and the fans, and the club as a whole to be fair, this season has been an absolute joy to behold. You had today players engaging with the support buying tickets, you had Chris Cadden in the New Century Bar meeting fans after the Semi Final, plus the entire team joining in with the Bois celebrations after that game these little things that make so much difference as it shows that the players 'get it'. They get just how much the Cup means to the fans and they get how much the Club as a whole means to the fans. This is up there with Stranraer in 2003 and the whole town being taken over by Well fans after the Scottish Cup QF on the way back up the road and the team bus passing through to a 'guard of honour'. It's moments like these that make fond memories as it shows there is a genuine connection between support and players/club and that is very rare in football. If we go on to hold silverware next month then this current squad will rightly go down in Motherwell folklore and will be lauded for years to come.

That brawl was Fraser Kerr's finest moment in a Motherwell shirt imo. He was a very underrated contributor to that fracas.

One of the big changes for the better this season has been the drastic lowering of the age of the squad and overpaid and over the hill players such as McManus, Pearson & McFadden have been removed from the squad and replaced by much younger players. Signing a 38 year old Kenny Miller who would basically be out for one last payday would be a major backward step and I hope we stay well clear.

I've never spoken to him personally, but what always strikes me from his media talk, communication with the support via social media and before that 'age' through 'welltrustfc/steelmenonline' he is that he is an extremely honest, hard working and humble guy. He's not always got things right, but he's always been the first to admit that when that's been the case and it takes a big man to do that, as well as a big man to take on such a big role. As I said, our public relations, for as long as I can remember and that goes way beyond the days of twitter, fans forums etc, was something that was desperately lacking and was rightly chastised. Even under Leann Dempster, the only soundbites you ever got from the club were along the lines of "we're skint, we need to cut back here, there and everywhere regardless of what happens". Since Alan Burrows has held his role things have moved on significantly. Think back to the 2015 playoff with Rangers and how he handled that. Several predecessors would have rolled over and bleated how we couldnt possibly afford to cut Rangers ticket allocation...think of the Celtic trilogy from earlier this season where he had Brendan Rodgers and Celtic foaming at the mouth for daring to highlight injustices. His laptop still infuriates Brendan, I have no doubt of that. And look at how he basically laughed off talk of Carson being sold to Cardiff for £100k, just months after rejecting more than that from Celtic. Time was we were begging clubs to sign our top players for a pittance, now we have a now CEO stating that we won't be taken for mugs with regards to transfers. He has had his critics, he has had his doubters and I should know because I was one of them, but Alan Burrows has done a superb job and having someone like him at the helm who "bleeds Claret and Amber" whilst being pretty good at what he does can only be a great thing for Motherwell FC.

Well done to him. The guy is a Motherwell FC diehard who would be in the East Stand on a Saturday if he wasn't in the directors box and he clearly gives his all to a job he loves. I think he seems to have really grown into his role over the past year or so and is an excellent 'face' for the club. It's no coincidence that our previously dreadful PR has improved significantly with Alan Burrows at the helm. The whole club have improved on and off the park in the last year and a great deal of that is down to this man, so well done to him and good luck in his 'new' role at the club.

It might be interesting to see how he looks after a full pre-season as he's never looked anywhere near full fitness since he's been here. I suspect he's probably too big a gamble though and I'd be surprised if he's here next season.

Excellent listen as usual and captured the thoughts of many a 'Well fan.

£100k reported. Alan Burrows has already laughed it off and said we won't be selling unless we get the right price which is brilliant to hear. The improvement in our PR in the last year or so has been immense. Time was we were nigh on begging arse end English clubs to offer buttons for our top players then selling them for a pittance at the first offer.

Why are you being optimistic? I don't like this... The benefit of a few* Gin & Tonics after an equally few* pints in the Fir Park Club/Club 100 after the game. *By few I mean several. But I stand by my words!

I'm pissed after a couple of halfs. I'm okay but....Yes THIS is our year.

Oh aye and... 2017/18 started with a win at Hampden and on the final day of the same season we return to Hampden again... It's in the stars Bois it's in the fucking stars!!!

This season has been my favourite season in as long as I can remember. We may not be the greatest of sides to watch. We may not be awash with quality. But we have a group of players who have bags of bottle and a manager with an infectious confidence and will to win. When we look back on 2017/18 in years to come we will revel in it. Pumping Aberdeen out of both Cups with an aggregate score of 6-0, pumping Rangers at Hampden in a semi final in what was our first cup victory over them in 50 years. Add to that McHugh's stunner as we beat Hearts in the Quarters....and it could get better yet! Regardless of what happens on the 19th May, this has been an excellent season and I have enjoyed it far more than I did when we were finishing 2nd yet losing to Albion Rovers in the 4th Round of the Cup. And you know what? I think we WILL win the Cup this season, no matter who we play. This IS our year.

I have been very impressed with Main and I say that as someone who was sceptical when he signed given his lack of goals at previous clubs..."aw no no another striker who doesn't score goals" was my general thinking. He has though been a very good addition to the squad and as well as chipping in with some crucial goals he has proved himself a very industrious, hard working and physical forward player who also possesses a nice touch and skill. He's not an out and out goalscorer but I'd like to see him paired with someone who is, though that won't happen this season of course.

I'd be moving Bowman on in the summer without question and be keeping Main & Tanner as well as bringing in a 'Number Nine' striker. As I've said before about Ryan Bowman, he is the type of forward player you want as a foil to a Moult or even a Higdon type striker and indeed at the start of the season he was just that to Moult but he hasnt been the same since he left, neither has the rest of the team in fairness. This will be a big summer for Robinson in the transfer market. We need to be seeing a midfielder and a striker at the very least coming in, but that's of course easier said than done for a club like us, we need to get it right. I have a feeling Kipre will be moving on for a fee so that would obviously aid any transfer business but time will tell.

I've never bought the 'support your local team' argument and actually find it a bit cringy and smalltime when I hear Motherwell fans boast about this as though it means something. It really doesn't imo. I am from Motherwell, was born there and lived there all my days but the main reason I support Motherwell FC is because that is who my father supports and therefore who I was taken to watch as a youngster and I expect a large majority of football fans worldwide support their clubs for exactly that reason too. It's almost a family connection rather than some kind of local pride for me. I couldn't imagine supporting any other club and the idea of changing allegiance to anyone other than Motherwell FC would just be a non starter for me. If Motherwell ever ceased to exist that would be that for me as far as football is concerned.

Ya Bezzer! will have a mental breakdown when he hears about Kipre getting yet another new contract, a lucrative one at that. In all seriousness though I'm not a massive fan of Kipre and don't quite get the cult hero status he is afforded by the support. I know he is a youngster and is very rough round the edges, but I just think he is a bit of a bombscare and it gives me the fear whenever a high ball goes near him. I'd love to see him score though as you get the impression that his celebrations would be epic.

I'll need to take your word for that then. Because you sound more and more angry with every post you make.

The most hilarious post? How come you're not laughing then?

Jeezo what a trolling trumpetheid.

Hammer blow that is. Our one 'creative' player and he's out for the season. The Semi Final just became even more difficult than it already was.