Fir Park

Fir Park Stadium
Location	Motherwell, Scotland
Opened	1895
Owner	The Motherwell Football & Athletic Club Ltd.
Surface	Grass
Architect	Unknown/Bill Dickie (Davie Cooper Stand & South Stand)
Capacity	13,742
Tenants
	Motherwell F.C.

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Coordinates: 55°46′47.81″N 3°58′48.28″W / 55.7799472°N 3.9800778°W / 55.7799472; -3.9800778

Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premier League club Motherwell. The stadium is all-seater with a capacity of 13,742. The record attendance for the stadium is 35,632 against Rangers in a 1952 Scottish Cup match.

Today, the stadium has an unbalanced look about it, with one large stand contrasting with three smaller stands. The biggest stand at the ground is the South Stand, a massive two-tiered structure which was built in 1993. Opposite is the comparatively small Davie Cooper Stand, named after the former player, which was built in 1995. Until recently, these two stands have their advertising slogans changed whenever the club's sponsor changes, and are perhaps best known for displaying "M O T O R O L A", which adorned the stands for many years. Both of these stands were designed by Scottish architect Bill Dickie.

Running along one side of the ground is the East Stand, a former terrace which was converted into a seating area. This stand is highly distinctive in that it has the legendary "KEEP CIGARETTES AWAY FROM THE MATCH" slogan displayed below the roof, facing the pitch. Since the introduction of the Smoking Ban in 2006, slogans such as these are no longer needed. This stand is the stand of choice for many of the younger and more vocal fans.

Opposite the East Stand is the The Phil O'Donnell Stand, which was previously known as the Main Stand. The stand was renamed The Phil O'Donnell Stand in honour of the late Motherwell captain who died on the Fir Park pitch.

It is an unusual structure in that the steel girders run for the full length of the pitch, but the stand only runs for two thirds the length of the pitch. This was due to a dispute with a home owner beside the stadium during construction, which the club lost, and thus were unable to complete the stand across the whole length of the pitch^[1].

[edit] Gretna

During the 2007–08 season, Gretna rented Fir Park from Motherwell and played all but one of their home league games there. The now-defunct borders club also played their UEFA Cup second qualifying round 1st leg against Derry City at the stadium.

[edit] Future

At the moment, there is much debate amongst fans over the future of Fir Park Stadium. At the 2008 AGM, the club announced plans to investigate the possibility of a redevelopment of Fir Park Stadium, which is showing its age and will require major works some time in the future, or the possibility of a move to a new ground. Motherwell chairman John Boyle indicated at the club's AGM that the club would not be leaving Fir Park in the next 5–10 years.

A renovation of Fir Park Stadium is considered to be the most likely option. The club are set to spend a considerable amount of money to bring the facilities up to standard and a new undersoil heating sytstem and pitch is set to be installed in the close season of 2009. Many^[who?] say that the club plan to rebuild the ageing Phil O'Donnell Stand and replace it with a newer and more modern structure. It is thought that if such a renovation was to go ahead, the current South and Davie Cooper Stands would be retained, as both are relativley new and in good condition, thus leaving the East Stand, the future of which is currently unknown.

[edit] Problems

Fir Park has received publicity for the many problems surrounding its sloped and poor pitch. In the 2007–2008 Season, Fir Park's pitch was waterlogged for a number of games, leading to a number of postponements and heavy criticism from many fans from opposing clubs, and from Motherwell supporters themselves. This forced Gretna, who were ground-sharing with Motherwell at the time, to play one of their league games at Almondvale Stadium in Livingston. In season 2008–09, a game against Hearts was called off due to the pitch being frozen. Motherwell again came under heavy fire from the media as the Under-soil heating should have prevented this. Mark McGhee, manager of Motherwell also showed his annoyance at the situation. The SFA and Motherwell FC have launched an investigation on why the undersoil heating failed to work. Motherwell FC could face a fine if their pitch didn't meet SPL criteria, or even thrown out of the league altogether. The management of Motherwell Football Club have came under heavy fire from supporters on the running of the club, stadium and how the club handles its finances. The pitch was further criticised in February 2009. In recent times, however, the pitch has undergone extensive remedial work and will be ready for the 2009-10 Scottish Premier league season.

The Stands at Fir Park are all of different sizes, making for an unbalanced look.	Supporters take their seats early before a match at Fir Park Stadium.	The South Stand is used for away supporters and is the largest stand at the ground.	The Phil O'Donnell Stand is the most sparsely populated area of the ground.
The Davie Cooper Stand is popular amongst younger supporters and families.	The Phil O'Donnell Stand offers an excellent view of the game for spectators.	A view from the South Stand, A typical view for away supporters.