Fir Park

What Is Fir Park Like?

The stadium is dominated by the large South Stand at one end. Almost twice the height of the other stands, it is two tiered with a row of executive boxes running across the middle and has a capacity of 4,500. Opposite, the Davie Cooper Stand, is a small covered seated stand. The single tiered Phil O'Donnell Stand on one side of the ground, is both raised above pitch level and set back from it. This older stand has windshields to either side as well as a few supporting pillars. It is unusual in that the stand itself doesn't run the full length of the pitch, but the supporting steelwork does, making for an odd looking sight. According to Simon Inglis in his book 'The Football Grounds Of Great Britain', this was because it was originally intended in 1962 to build a full length stand but due to a dispute with a an owner of a house beyond the corner of that ground (a dispute which the club lost) it was never completed as intended. This stand was funded chiefly from the sale at that time of Ian St John & Pat Quinn to Liverpool. This did not go down well with the fans as many subsequently boycotted the stand and to this day it is the most sparsely populated section of the ground. Opposite is the smaller East Stand, which also has a number of supporting pillars, running across it. This originally was a covered terrace, but was made all seated in 1990.

What is it like for visiting supporters?

Away fans are housed in the South Stand at one end of the pitch. Normally only the lower tier is opened for away fans, but if demand requires it, then the upper tier can be opened also. Up to 4,500 fans can be accommodated in the two tiers. The view of the playing action from this stand is pretty good, as well as the facilities. David Tennant a visiting St Mirren supporter adds; 'Overall Fir Park is a good day out. The huge away stand was very nice to be in and the atmosphere was alright. No hassle around the ground, but some good banter was had with the home support.

Pubs for away fans

Craig Barry recommends the 'Jack Daniels Bar, which is the closest to the ground. It is popular with both home and away fans, each having their own bar'. Whilst Craig Irving adds; 'The Fir Park Social Club is on same road as the ground and is an extremely friendly boozer. Away fans are normally admitted, although restrictions may be put in place for Old Firm games'.

Directions and Car Parking

Leave the M74 at Junction 6 and head towards Motherwell. At the first set of lights that you come to turn right onto the B754 (Airbles Road) towards Wishaw. The ground is at the end of this road on the right. Street parking.

By Train

Airbles Railway Station is the closest to Fir Park, but is only served by a local service. You are more likely to end up instead at Motherwell Central station, which is around a 15 minute walk away from the ground.

Alan McAulay adds; 'You exit the train station facing the main shopping street in the direction of the ground; go straight along it through the shopping precinct/centre; past the shopping centre car park, which leads to an underpass; go under the underpass, up the stairs and turn left; go straight on and the large stand gradually comes into view from behind Wilsons Furniture Store. The road 'forks' at this point with away fans, and those going into the old seated terrace going to the left and all other fans to the right. Away fans walking from Motherwell should note, that the road to the away end is a long and winding one (you think you're there when you see the stand, but it takes about another 5 minutes to access it), so should allow plenty of time. There is also a pretty good pub right next to Motherwell Central, but fans should remember to leave on time, the last time I was in Motherwell I missed the first ten minutes!'

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Ticket Prices

Admission prices vary in accordance with the category of the match. Category A (Premium) prices are shown here with category B (Standard) prices in brackets.

Home Fans
Phil O'Donnell Stand:
Adults £28 (£24), Concessions £19 (£17), Juveniles £3 (£3) 1 Adult + 2 Juveniles £32 (£28)
Davie Cooper Stand:
£28 (£24), Concessions £19 (£17), Juveniles £3 (£3) 1 Adult + 2 Juveniles £32 (£28)
John Hunter (East) Stand:
Adults £21 (£20), Concessions £17 (£16), Juveniles £3 (£3) 1 Adult + 2 Juveniles £25 (£24)

Away Fans
South Stand:
£28 (£24), Concessions £19 (£17), Juveniles £3 (£3) 1 Adult + 2 Juveniles £32 (£28)

Concessions apply to over 60's, Under 18's and full-time students. Juveniles are classed as under 16's.

Motherwell Hotels - Find and Book Yours And Help Support This Website

If you require hotel accommodation in Motherwell or Glasgow then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will help towards the running costs of keeping this Guide going.

Programme Price

Official Programme £3

Local Rivals

Airdrie United and Hamilton.

Fixture List 2019/20

Motherwell FC fixture list (takes you to the Motherwell FC website).

Fans Ground Reviews

Be the first to provide a visiting fans review of Fir Park.

Hotels and Guest House in Motherwell and Glasgow

If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going.

Record and Average Attendance

Record Attendance

35,632 v Glasgow Rangers
Scottish Cup, March 12th1952.

Average Attendance

2019-2020: 5,557 (Premier League)
2018-2019: 5,448 (Premier League)
2017-2018: 5,448 (Premier League)

Map Showing The Location Of Fir Park In Motherwell

Website and social media links

Fir Park Motherwell Feedback

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, then please e-mail me at: contact@footballgroundguide.com and I'll update the guide.

Acknowledgements

Special thnaks to Owen Pavey for providing the layout diagram and to Jean-Francois Foxhal, for some photos of Fir Park Motherwell.

Game Attended

Motherwell vs Heart of Midlothian

Competition

Scottish Premiership

Date

20/11/2021

Kick Off Time

15:00

Team Supported

Neutral

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

This was our second game of a three-game weekend in Scotland and as a groundhopper, I had heard good things about the atmosphere at Fir Park.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

We travelled from our base in Cardross (which is the other side of Glasgow) to the game via train and after one change at Partick, we were in Motherwell, taking about an hour and a half. Fans are advised to alight in Airbles, but it's also not that far from Motherwell's main station and there is more to do around the town centre. Google Maps guided us to the ground, but it is also pretty well signposted from the centre of the town.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

We visited a couple of pubs in the town centre before walking to the ground. These were passable without being amazing! We didn't speak to many home fans, but I've had plenty of pleasant interactions with them on social media.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Fir Park is a proper throwback with massive character and we were in the South Section of the John Hunter Stand. With a triangular roof to keep the atmosphere in, it's fantastic. The away end is the largest stand in the ground with two tiers and Hearts had taken a pretty sizeable travelling contingent. Opposite the John Hunter stand is the Main Stand which looks like it used to have terracing and there is a single tier stand behind the goal at the other end of the stadium. I really rated the ground!

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Motherwell were the better side from the first whistle and Hearts never looked like showing the form that had taken them to 3rd in the table. The Well had the lead midway through the first half as Kainye Woolery's pull-back eventually found Connor Shields and he slammed home for the opener. Hearts were struggling to create chances but they tried to push on in the second half, only for Taylor Moore to receive his marching orders for a second bookable offence. From the resulting free-kick, Rickie Lamie was able to head home from all of about 3 yards to double their advantage and seal the three points. The atmosphere at Fir Park was electric, orchestrated by a megaphone and drum and the home fans were excellent, with a great repertoire of songs. I've had Twist and Shout in my head for 3 days now! That said, I'm convinced 90 percent of the fans around us were not even watching as the ball hit the net for the second goal before all charging down to the front! I often think the atmosphere Scottish football is completely unsanitised in relation to what I experience in England and this further demonstrated my point. The away fans were very subdued, even before falling behind. The stewarding at Fir Park was very fair and unobtrusive.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

After the game, we went to the Steelworks Bar to watch the evening kickoffs, which was most acceptable, although they did seem to ask for "Fan ID" on entry. Once they found out we were English, they allowed us in. After that, we got the train from Airbles back to Cardross and by that time, the crowds had died down.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

A phenomenal and very enjoyable afternoon! For £20, you couldn't go wrong with the pricing either. Hats off to The Well and good luck to them for the rest of the season.

Images

Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian
Scottish Premier League
Friday 30th September 2016, 7.45pm
Mike Kimberley (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Fir Park?

During the summer I saw a few Scottish matches and I enjoyed the atmosphere and visiting Scotland. This was a handy Friday night match and staying the night I could catch two other games on the Saturday.

I was staying near Motherwell Central Railway Station and a taxi up tp Fir Park cost £3.80. There did appear to be street parking not too far away from the ground.

I had already eaten at one of the many take-away food outlets in town. I went to look at the club shop and bumped into another Ninety-Two Club member who was chatting to two other ground-hoppers. We all appeared to be doing much the same, taking in two or three games in a weekend. Locals were all friendly and helpful as usual in Scotland.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Fir Park?

Fir Park has largely been rebuilt, certainly on three sides and looks neat and tidy. The away end looks rather square and dark but I am sure it offers an excellent view.

The game itself had a own scrappy goal and then two fantastic shots for Hearts, giving the visitors a three nil advantage. Many of the home crowd had left when James McFadden, formerly of Everton, scored a magnificent consolation goal in the top left corner from a free kick outside the box. The quality of the goals were well worth the entrance fee.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

I walked back to my hotel slowly via several hostelries. Again the locals were friendly and welcoming.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

A most enjoyable game for the neutral of which I suspect there were more than the four I have mentioned.

Motherwell v Berwick Rangers
Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Saturday 29th July 2017, 3pm
Adrian Hurst (Neutral fan)

This was a sentimental visit to Fir Park as I had last visited over 40 years earlier when my team Sheffield Wednesday had played a pre-season friendly there.

We were staying locally as we were supporting my daughter in the British Transplant Games that were being hosted by North Lanarkshire during the same long weekend. The Fir Park ground was easy to find – about three-quarters of a mile from the town centre, and we parked on a nearby side road.

Before the game, we walked around the ground and took particular interest in the Phil O'Donnell Stand as he previously played for Sheffield Wednesday before returning north to play for Motherwell prior to his tragic death. We spent time in the club shop and bought the grandkids a club scarf each before having a couple of drinks in the supporters bar attached to the Davie Cooper Stand. The home fans were friendly and readily got into conversations with me and the boys.. A girl in the supporters bar war was doing face painting before the game and my youngest grandson had the Scottish flag painted on his face!

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Fir Park Stadium?

I would describe Fir Park as a nice homely kind of ground. We sat behind the goal in the home end in a quite low stand but had an excellent view. To our left was a low stand which ran the full length of the pitch. The Main Stand was bigger but somewhat strange as the stand seemed to end abruptly towards the away end. The away stand was by far the biggest and the 59 Berwick Rangers fans seemed to get somewhat lost in the lower deck! No doubt there would be a brilliant atmosphere when either of the Old Firm teams are in town and that stand is full.

The game was largely one way with the home team doing the vast majority of attacking and only some wayward finishing coupled with dogged defending and a portion of luck kept the game level until the 82nd minute when Motherwell grabbed the only goal of the game. The atmosphere was somewhat quiet, but considering the crowd was only about half of what they get for a league game coupled with the low away support this is understandable. The stewards were friendly and helpful, especially before the game when we were finding our way around the ground. We didn't have food or drink so can't comment, however the prices looked reasonable.

A five minute walk back to the car and got straight out and away without any problems.

We had a good day out at Fir Park and will have to leave it less than the previous 40+ years before returning again!

Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 26th August 2017, 3pm
Mark Steele (Neutral fan)

I was taking my wife and daughter to their first football match in Scotland. I thought this would be a good game from what I'd seen on TV in the League Cup. Motherwell's ticket office were really helpful when I called and they have a good team and a decent stadium.

Really easy. There is plenty of legal street parking near Fir Park. We were only coming from East Kilbride so the journey by car was maybe 20 minutes.

By the time we'd parked, picked up the tickets and had a quick look in the club shop it was half two so we headed into the ground. Both home and away fans were really friendly and a great advert for Scottish football.

Fir Park is a really nice stadium with plenty of character and enough modernisation to make it comfortable but not sterile. Unlike some other stadia in Scotland it is a four-sided ground, which I think helps with the atmosphere at the game.

The game was really good – the tickets cost less than watching a Conference game in England, but the standard was much, much better. My daughter isn't that into football but she really enjoyed it. Motherwell look like they've got a good side this season and should do well if they can keep clear of injuries. Both sets of supporters got behind their teams well (including the great turn out from the travelling Hearts fans). There was a good range of pies at the stadium too.

Not too much trouble compared to some I've been to. I was pleased I'd parked on the estate on the opposite side of the main road from the stadium, giving me a left turn out onto the road rather than having to fight my way out from the right.

One of the best match day experiences I've had in a very long time. I was only visiting South Lanarkshire, otherwise I would be a far more regular visitor, but I will definitely go again to Fir Park.

Motherwell

Mike Kimberley (Neutral) 30th September 2016

Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian Scottish Premier League Friday 30th September 2016, 7.45pm Mike Kimberley (Neutral fan)

Adrian Hurst (Neutral) 29th July 2017

Motherwell v Berwick Rangers Scottish League Cup Group Stage Saturday 29th July 2017, 3pm Adrian Hurst (Neutral fan)

Mark Steele (Neutral) 26th August 2017

Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian Scottish Premier League Saturday 26th August 2017, 3pm Mark Steele (Neutral fan)

Tim Scales 23rd November 2021