Motherwell
Encyclopedia
Motherwell is a town
and former burgh
in North Lanarkshire
, Scotland
, south east of Glasgow
. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont
some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more than a hamlet at that time. The town was a burgh from 1865 until it merged with the burgh of Wishaw
in 1920.
Motherwell was noted as the steel
production capital of Scotland, nicknamed Steelopolis, home of David Colville & Sons
during the 19th and 20th centuries, with its skyline
later dominated by the water tower
and three cooling tower
s of their Ravenscraig steelworks
which closed in 1992. The Ravenscraig plant had one of the longest continuous casting
, hot rolling, steel production facilities in the world before it was decommissioned. The closure of Ravenscraig signalled the end of large scale steel making in Scotland, although the town's Dalzell works continues to be operated by Tata Steel Europe
.
In the past decade, Motherwell has to an extent recovered from the high unemployment
and economic decline brought about by this collapse of heavy industry
. A number of call centre
s and business park
s such as Strathclyde Business Park have since set up in the region. Large employers include William Grant & Sons
whisky
distillers and blenders.
Motherwell is the headquarters for both North Lanarkshire Council, which is one of Scotland's most populous local authority areas
, and of Strathclyde Police
"N" division. These organisations cover an overall population
of 327,000 people (59,000 in Motherwell and Wishaw) throughout the 183 square miles (474 km²) of North Lanarkshire.
(known simply as Motherwell) and a smaller one located in . The main station runs on the West Coast Main Line
from Glasgow
to London
, and is located next to Brandon Shopping Centre
. The smaller station in the Airbles suburb of Motherwell only runs on the line to via low level and Hamilton
; however, it is closer to the Civic Centre and Fir Park
stadium than the main-line station.
The (now defunct) firm of Hurst Nelson
was a major railway rolling stock manufacturer based in the town. The company built trains for the London Underground, as well as main line railways.
beside the River Clyde
. This road leads to Cumbria on the English border, where it becomes the M6. It is also about three miles' drive from the M8 motorway, between the two largest cities of Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh. In the future, there are plans to build a dual carriageway, that will travel through the town linking the two motorways.
Since the M74 Extension has been completed, access to Glasgow Airport
has become easier. The airport is approximately 16 miles away from Motherwell.
There has been speculation in The Motherwell Times, on February 2011, that on the site of the former Dalzell Building (formerly a school), a bus station could be built, in order to decrease traffic and provide much easier accessibility to the nearby Brandon Shopping Centre. However, no decision has been made over whether this will happen.
, Whitelaws and Coakleys.
Some of the places that can be accessible by bus from Motherwell:
The three acute hospitals in Lanarkshire can also be reached by bus from Motherwell:
Motherwell also has a Civic Centre, situated next to the town's police station and North Lanarkshire headquarters building. A number of pantomimes and musicals have taken place in the centre's large concert hall. As well as this, the Masters Snooker has also been an event held at the Civic Centre. Renovations are currently being made to the building.
The Dalzell House
is a building that is situated to the South of the town, right on the banks of the River Clyde
. This house is protected as a Category-A listed building.
One of the main attractions in Motherwell is the M&D's Theme Park
, which is situated next to Strathclyde Loch in Strathclyde Park. It is ranked among the top theme parks in Scotland.
There is a fast growing contemporary church in Motherwell called Clyde Valley Community Church
is located in Crawford Street and has a school roll of around 1,025 pupils. It has achieved the best school report in Scotland, and even had a letter from the Prime Minister to praise the school's outstanding work. Notable alumni of Dalziel include Motherwell, Wigan and current Rangers player Lee McCulloch
.
Braidhurst High School, in the Forgewood area of Motherwell, serves areas including Forgewood, North Motherwell, The Globe and Jerviston. With a roll of around 500, Braidhurst is one of the smaller secondary schools in Lanarkshire. The main school building was recently modernised, with the outdated pink and yellow panels replaced by a modern-looking glass exterior. Notable alumni of Braidhurst include Elaine C Smith (actress), former Scottish football captain Gary McAllister
and Tam Cowan
(comedian and writer).
Our Lady's High School is a Roman Catholic secondary located in Dalzell Drive, near Fir Park Stadium. At one point it was the largest school in Scotland, but the current school roll is around 700. Notable alumni of Our Lady's include Manchester City footballer and Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby, Celtic F.C. footballer Billy McNeill and current Derby County
footballer Stephen Pearson
.
Other secondary schools in the Motherwell area (thought outside the boundaries of the town itself) include Brannock High School
in Newarthill
, Taylor R.C. High School in New Stevenston
and Clyde Valley High School in Overtown
. The nearest private school is Hamilton College
in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
.
. This was located next to Our Lady's High School in Dalzell Drive, though in 2009 relocated to Ravenscraig
, about 1 km away from its former site. The current roll of students at the new building is approximately 20,000 students.
The former site is now being regenerated, with new homes and an indoor football centre.
Motherwell Football Club was established in 1886. Known as the "Steelmen" because of the history of steel making in the area, they play in the Scottish Premier League
from their home ground at Fir Park Stadium
. Like many smaller clubs in the area, Motherwell struggle to attract a large fanbase due to the attraction of Glasgow's "Old Firm" of Rangers and Celtic. However, the team attracts a regular home support of between five and six thousand fans. Also, the club is known to be one of the most established clubs in the top flight, having been in the top flight since the mid-80s. Again, due to the Old Firm's dominance of Scottish football, Motherwell's list of honours is somewhat modest. The club's last major trophy was the Scottish Cup in 1991
where they beat Dundee United F.C. by four goals to three in the final. More recently, they faced Rangers in the 2005 CIS Cup Final, but lost 5-1. In the 07-08 season, Motherwell (led by Mark McGhee
) finished third behind Celtic F.C and Rangers F.C meaning that in the 08-09 season Motherwell got the chance of playing European (UEFA Cup
) football. Motherwell lost out to French team AS Nancy
in the first round (3-0 aggregate). They qualified for Europe the following two seasons, in the newly-formed Europa League. The manager is Stuart McCall
, after Craig Brown resigned to become Aberdeen F.C.
manager in December 2010. In the 2010-11 season, they faced Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final, but lost 3-0.
speedway racing at two venues. In 1930 and 1932 racing took place at a site in Airbles Road and the 1930 speedway
venture was known as Paragon Speedway. The venture was run by a group of riders who were regulars at White City in Glasgow and known collectively as The Blantyre Crowd.
Speedway returned to the town in 1950 and the then newly constructed greyhound racing
stadium (The Stadium)in Milton Street. The Lanarkshire Eagles
staged open meetings from July to September 1950. In 1951 the Eagles started out in the National League Second Division
with veteran ex-Glasgow Tigers
Will Lowther and Joe Crowther in the line up. They operated until the end of the 1954 season.
The top man was Derrick Close, signed from the Newcastle Diamonds
in 1951, and he was supported by Gordon McGregor who was a founder Eagle. Eagles also featured Aussies Keith Gurtner and Ron Phillips who moved over when Ashfield left the League. Popular Australian Noel Watson was killed in his home country in 1953. However, due to his "never say die" approach, the fans' favourite was Bluey (Eric) Scott, who joined the Eagles in 1951. The pioneer Eagles featured Bill Baird from Forth who became the only rider to ride for all four Scottish teams.
Tommy Miller, one of the top Scottish speedway stars of the day, joined the Eagles in 1954 but moved on to the Coventry Bees
mid-season. A short season in 1958 under former Glasgow Tigers promoter Ian Hoskins saw the end of the events at The Stadium but a short lived Long Track venture and a small speedway track staged four events —three on the long track and one on the short track —in 1972.
Derrick Close represented Lanarkshire Eagles
and England in the 1952 Speedway World Championship
Final. He was the third Scottish based rider to achieve this feat after Ken Le Breton
(Ashfield Giants
and Australia) in 1949 and Jack Young
(Edinburgh Monarchs
and Australia) in 1950 and 1951.
play at Dalziel Park
(formerly Cleland Estate) between the villages of Carfin
and Cleland
(both near Motherwell). They recently won promotion to Scottish hydro electric Premier 3 via winning the national league 1 with an undefeated league season. The club has a strong mini and midi section.
, with the latter containing a top-class indoor athletics track. The sports facility in the new town of Ravenscraig
will be one of the main venues for the 2011 International Children's Games
in Lanarkshire
, and is currently hosting the athletics events.
and anglers
. As well as the M&Ds
theme park, there is also woodland
and grass areas that are ideal for picnicking and leisurely strolls. Excavations in the park have revealed a site of archaeological interest including a Roman
mosaic
, Roman bath house
and bridge (currently closed for health and safety reasons). Strathclyde Park is also on the site of the former mining village, Bothwellhaugh
, with much of the town drowned after abandonment. It also hosted two live outdoor events, Parklife and Retrofest.
and the 2011 International Children's Games
. It will host the Triathlon
event in both.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and former burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, south east of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more than a hamlet at that time. The town was a burgh from 1865 until it merged with the burgh of Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
in 1920.
Motherwell was noted as the steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
production capital of Scotland, nicknamed Steelopolis, home of David Colville & Sons
David Colville & Sons
David Colville & Sons was a Scottish iron and steel company. It was founded in 1871, and in 1967 it was nationalised as part of British Steel. The company's first plant was the Dalzell Steel and Iron Works in Motherwell, which was opened in 1872, and by World War I this plant was the largest...
during the 19th and 20th centuries, with its skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
later dominated by the water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
and three cooling tower
Cooling tower
Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat to the atmosphere. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air temperature or in the case of closed circuit dry cooling towers rely...
s of their Ravenscraig steelworks
Ravenscraig steelworks
The Ravenscraig steelworks, operated by Colvilles and latterly by British Steel, consisted of an integrated iron and steel works and a hot strip steel mill. They were located in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland....
which closed in 1992. The Ravenscraig plant had one of the longest continuous casting
Continuous casting
Continuous casting, also called strand casting, is the process whereby molten metal is solidified into a "semifinished" billet, bloom, or slab for subsequent rolling in the finishing mills. Prior to the introduction of continuous casting in the 1950s, steel was poured into stationary molds to form...
, hot rolling, steel production facilities in the world before it was decommissioned. The closure of Ravenscraig signalled the end of large scale steel making in Scotland, although the town's Dalzell works continues to be operated by Tata Steel Europe
Tata Steel Europe
Tata Steel Europe is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest steel-maker in Europe and is a subsidiary of Tata Steel of India, one of the ten largest steel producers in the world.Corus Group was formed through the merger of Koninklijke...
.
In the past decade, Motherwell has to an extent recovered from the high unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and economic decline brought about by this collapse of heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
. A number of call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
s and business park
Business park
A business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
s such as Strathclyde Business Park have since set up in the region. Large employers include William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Ltd. is an independent, family-owned Scottish company which distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is now run by the descendants of the founder. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky...
whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
distillers and blenders.
Motherwell is the headquarters for both North Lanarkshire Council, which is one of Scotland's most populous local authority areas
Subdivisions of Scotland
For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
, and of Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West...
"N" division. These organisations cover an overall population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 327,000 people (59,000 in Motherwell and Wishaw) throughout the 183 square miles (474 km²) of North Lanarkshire.
Railway
The town has two stations, the main railway stationMotherwell railway station
Motherwell railway station serves Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on the West Coast Main Line, and is served also by Argyle Line trains of the Glasgow suburban railway network. It is the penultimate stop on the northbound WCML before Glasgow. There are four platforms of various...
(known simply as Motherwell) and a smaller one located in . The main station runs on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and is located next to Brandon Shopping Centre
Brandon Shopping Centre
Brandon Shopping Centre is an outdoor shopping centre located in the centre of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is owned by CALA Properties, who have been owners of the site since February 2007.- Location and transport links :...
. The smaller station in the Airbles suburb of Motherwell only runs on the line to via low level and Hamilton
Hamilton Central railway station
Hamilton Central railway station serves Hamilton, South Lanarkshire in Scotland, lying on the Argyle Line. It is situated in the town centre, adjacent to the Hamilton bus station, as well as the Regent Shopping Centre, Hamilton's main shopping location...
; however, it is closer to the Civic Centre and Fir Park
Fir Park
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.- History :...
stadium than the main-line station.
The (now defunct) firm of Hurst Nelson
Hurst Nelson
Hurst, Nelson and Company Ltd was a railway rolling stock manufacturer based in Motherwell, Scotland. The company also built many railway wagons, as well as trams for several local authorities.-Products:...
was a major railway rolling stock manufacturer based in the town. The company built trains for the London Underground, as well as main line railways.
Roads
Motherwell is very accessible, as it is right next to the M74 motorwayM74 motorway
The A74 and M74 motorways form a major motorway in Scotland. Following an extension opened on 28 June 2011, it connects the M8 motorway west of Glasgow to the English border at Gretna, creating an alternative route for traffic moving from the south to the west of the city...
beside the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
. This road leads to Cumbria on the English border, where it becomes the M6. It is also about three miles' drive from the M8 motorway, between the two largest cities of Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh. In the future, there are plans to build a dual carriageway, that will travel through the town linking the two motorways.
Since the M74 Extension has been completed, access to Glasgow Airport
Glasgow Airport
Glasgow Airport may refer to:*Glasgow International Airport, in Renfrewshire, the primary airport serving Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.*Glasgow Airport , also known as Wokal Field, in Glasgow, Montana, United States.It may also refer to:...
has become easier. The airport is approximately 16 miles away from Motherwell.
There has been speculation in The Motherwell Times, on February 2011, that on the site of the former Dalzell Building (formerly a school), a bus station could be built, in order to decrease traffic and provide much easier accessibility to the nearby Brandon Shopping Centre. However, no decision has been made over whether this will happen.
Bus
There are a number of different bus companies that travel through the town to various different locations. Some examples include FirstFirst Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in, Scotland. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
, Whitelaws and Coakleys.
Some of the places that can be accessible by bus from Motherwell:
- WishawWishawWishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
- HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
- BellshillBellshillBellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, 10 miles south east of Glasgow city centre and 37 miles west of Edinburgh. Other nearby towns are Motherwell , Hamilton and Coatbridge . Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area...
- East KilbrideEast KilbrideEast Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
- CoatbridgeCoatbridgeCoatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
- AirdrieAirdrie, North LanarkshireAirdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
- GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- CarlukeCarlukeThe town of Carluke lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, 5.4 miles northwest of Lanark and 4 miles southeast of Wishaw....
- LanarkLanarkLanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
- LarkhallLarkhallLarkhall is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France.Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the Avon Water to the West...
- Law
The three acute hospitals in Lanarkshire can also be reached by bus from Motherwell:
- Wishaw General HospitalWishaw General HospitalWishaw General Hospital is a district general hospital in the Craigneuk area of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire.-The Hospital:Wishaw General Hospital opened on 29 May 2001. It is a 633-bedded hospital, with the second-largest maternity unit in Scotland, delivering 5500 babies each year...
- Hairmyres HospitalHairmyres HospitalHairmyres Hospital is a busy district general hospital in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The hospital serves one of the largest elderly populations in Scotland.-The Hospital:...
- Monklands HospitalMonklands HospitalMonklands District General Hospital, is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Administered by NHS Lanarkshire, it serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas...
Places of interest
There are many places of interest that have made Motherwell a place to visit. As well as the town's Country Park, The Motherwell Heritage Centre on High Road, situated next to the town's railway station, is a building that displays the history of Motherwell from the Roman era. The building also has a viewing tower on the fifth floor, giving visitors a good view of the town and other parts of Lanarkshire.Motherwell also has a Civic Centre, situated next to the town's police station and North Lanarkshire headquarters building. A number of pantomimes and musicals have taken place in the centre's large concert hall. As well as this, the Masters Snooker has also been an event held at the Civic Centre. Renovations are currently being made to the building.
The Dalzell House
Dalzell House
Dalzell House is a historic house in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located to the south of the town, on the north bank of the River Clyde. At its core is a 15th-century tower house, with extensive additions built during the 17th and 19th centuries...
is a building that is situated to the South of the town, right on the banks of the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
. This house is protected as a Category-A listed building.
One of the main attractions in Motherwell is the M&D's Theme Park
M&Ds
M&Ds is an amusement park located in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Bordering on Strathclyde Park, the park contains five rollercoasters and two water rides among others as well as an arcade, theatre, ten-pin bowling and indoor reptile house, Amazonia....
, which is situated next to Strathclyde Loch in Strathclyde Park. It is ranked among the top theme parks in Scotland.
There is a fast growing contemporary church in Motherwell called Clyde Valley Community Church
Primary schools
The following primary schools are located in Motherwell:- Ladywell Primary School
- Cathedral Primary School
- Glencairn Primary School
- Knowetop Primary School
- St Brendan's Primary School
- Logans Primary School
- Muirhouse Primary School
- Muir Street Primary School
- St. Bernadette's Primary School
- Calder Primary School
Secondary schools
Dalziel High SchoolDalziel High School
Dalziel High School is a non-denominational secondary school that is based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The current rector of the school is Levi toi.1.-Overview:...
is located in Crawford Street and has a school roll of around 1,025 pupils. It has achieved the best school report in Scotland, and even had a letter from the Prime Minister to praise the school's outstanding work. Notable alumni of Dalziel include Motherwell, Wigan and current Rangers player Lee McCulloch
Lee McCulloch
Lee Henry McCulloch is a Scottish association footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers.He has been capped on 18 occasions by the Scotland national football team. During his career McCulloch has played for Motherwell, Wigan Athletic and Rangers as club level...
.
Braidhurst High School, in the Forgewood area of Motherwell, serves areas including Forgewood, North Motherwell, The Globe and Jerviston. With a roll of around 500, Braidhurst is one of the smaller secondary schools in Lanarkshire. The main school building was recently modernised, with the outdated pink and yellow panels replaced by a modern-looking glass exterior. Notable alumni of Braidhurst include Elaine C Smith (actress), former Scottish football captain Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...
and Tam Cowan
Tam Cowan
Tam Cowan is a Scottish football journalist, radio and television presenter. Educated at Braidhurst High School in Motherwell, he writes a twice weekly article in the Daily Record newspaper and was presenter of Scottish football comedy TV show Offside.He reviews Scottish restaurants in the Daily...
(comedian and writer).
Our Lady's High School is a Roman Catholic secondary located in Dalzell Drive, near Fir Park Stadium. At one point it was the largest school in Scotland, but the current school roll is around 700. Notable alumni of Our Lady's include Manchester City footballer and Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby, Celtic F.C. footballer Billy McNeill and current Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
footballer Stephen Pearson
Stephen Pearson
Stephen Paul Pearson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Bristol City, on loan from Derby County in the English Championship. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.-Early career:Pearson was born in Lanark...
.
Other secondary schools in the Motherwell area (thought outside the boundaries of the town itself) include Brannock High School
Brannock High School
Brannock High School is a non-denominational, co-educational comprehensive secondary school in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated on Loanhead Road.-Headteacher and Management Team:The Headteacher is Mr Colquhoun...
in Newarthill
Newarthill
Newarthill is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, situated roughly three miles north-west of the town of Motherwell. It has a population of around 7,800. The Member of Parliament for the local area is Pamela Nash. The Member of the Scottish Parliament for the local area is Michael McMahon...
, Taylor R.C. High School in New Stevenston
New Stevenston
New Stevenston is a small village situated outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.SchoolsThe village is served by two primary schools: St.Patrick's Primary School & New Stevenston Primary School which share a joint campus incorporating New Stevenston Library.Secondary education is...
and Clyde Valley High School in Overtown
Overtown
Overtown is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States, just northwest of Downtown Miami. Originally called Colored Town during the Jim Crow era of the late 19th through the mid-20th century, the area was once the preeminent and is the historic center for commerce in the black American...
. The nearest private school is Hamilton College
Hamilton College (Scotland)
Hamilton College is a Co-educational Private School located in Hamilton South Lanarkshire, Scotland, it provides education from Nursery age through the full 7 years of primary education and 6 years of high school...
in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
.
Further education
There is a Further Education college in Motherwell, known as Motherwell CollegeMotherwell College
Motherwell College is a further education college located in the Ravenscraig area of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The college moved into a new campus in 2009, which is located 1 km from the old site....
. This was located next to Our Lady's High School in Dalzell Drive, though in 2009 relocated to Ravenscraig
Ravenscraig
Ravenscraig is an area of land located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Ravenscraig was previously inhabited by steel industry workers, as it was formerly the site of Ravenscraig steelworks...
, about 1 km away from its former site. The current roll of students at the new building is approximately 20,000 students.
The former site is now being regenerated, with new homes and an indoor football centre.
Football
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
from their home ground at Fir Park Stadium
Fir Park
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.- History :...
. Like many smaller clubs in the area, Motherwell struggle to attract a large fanbase due to the attraction of Glasgow's "Old Firm" of Rangers and Celtic. However, the team attracts a regular home support of between five and six thousand fans. Also, the club is known to be one of the most established clubs in the top flight, having been in the top flight since the mid-80s. Again, due to the Old Firm's dominance of Scottish football, Motherwell's list of honours is somewhat modest. The club's last major trophy was the Scottish Cup in 1991
Scottish Cup 1990-91
The 1990–91 Scottish Cup was the 106th staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won by Motherwell who defeated Dundee United F.C...
where they beat Dundee United F.C. by four goals to three in the final. More recently, they faced Rangers in the 2005 CIS Cup Final, but lost 5-1. In the 07-08 season, Motherwell (led by Mark McGhee
Mark McGhee
Mark Edward McGhee is a former Scottish professional football player. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading...
) finished third behind Celtic F.C and Rangers F.C meaning that in the 08-09 season Motherwell got the chance of playing European (UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
) football. Motherwell lost out to French team AS Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
in the first round (3-0 aggregate). They qualified for Europe the following two seasons, in the newly-formed Europa League. The manager is Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...
, after Craig Brown resigned to become Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
manager in December 2010. In the 2010-11 season, they faced Celtic in the Scottish Cup Final, but lost 3-0.
Speedway
Motherwell hosted motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
speedway racing at two venues. In 1930 and 1932 racing took place at a site in Airbles Road and the 1930 speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
venture was known as Paragon Speedway. The venture was run by a group of riders who were regulars at White City in Glasgow and known collectively as The Blantyre Crowd.
Speedway returned to the town in 1950 and the then newly constructed greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
stadium (The Stadium)in Milton Street. The Lanarkshire Eagles
Motherwell Eagles
The Motherwell Eagles were a motorcycle speedway team based in Motherwell in Scotland that participated in the British National League Division Two from 1951 and 1954.-Brief history:...
staged open meetings from July to September 1950. In 1951 the Eagles started out in the National League Second Division
Speedway National League Division Two
The National League Division Two was the second tier of Speedway league competition in the United Kingdom. The competition was founded in 1938 following a competition named "The National Provincial League". Following World War II the second tier of racing was entitled "The Northern League" in 1946...
with veteran ex-Glasgow Tigers
Glasgow Tigers (speedway)
The Glasgow Tigers are a motorcycle speedway team from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1928, the club adopted the Tigers nickname in 1946 and compete in the British Premier League...
Will Lowther and Joe Crowther in the line up. They operated until the end of the 1954 season.
The top man was Derrick Close, signed from the Newcastle Diamonds
Newcastle Diamonds
Newcastle Diamonds are a motorcycle speedway team who compete in the British Premier League. The club has a reputation of importing young foreign talent and have given starts to the British careers of six times World Champion Ivan Mauger, three times World Champion Ole Olsen, 1974 World Champion...
in 1951, and he was supported by Gordon McGregor who was a founder Eagle. Eagles also featured Aussies Keith Gurtner and Ron Phillips who moved over when Ashfield left the League. Popular Australian Noel Watson was killed in his home country in 1953. However, due to his "never say die" approach, the fans' favourite was Bluey (Eric) Scott, who joined the Eagles in 1951. The pioneer Eagles featured Bill Baird from Forth who became the only rider to ride for all four Scottish teams.
Tommy Miller, one of the top Scottish speedway stars of the day, joined the Eagles in 1954 but moved on to the Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees
The Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team based at Brandon near Coventry, England. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane...
mid-season. A short season in 1958 under former Glasgow Tigers promoter Ian Hoskins saw the end of the events at The Stadium but a short lived Long Track venture and a small speedway track staged four events —three on the long track and one on the short track —in 1972.
Derrick Close represented Lanarkshire Eagles
Motherwell Eagles
The Motherwell Eagles were a motorcycle speedway team based in Motherwell in Scotland that participated in the British National League Division Two from 1951 and 1954.-Brief history:...
and England in the 1952 Speedway World Championship
1952 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1952 Individual Speedway World Championship.Speedway riders from Sweden, Scotland and Republic of South Africa was starters in World Championship first time.# Jack Young # Freddie Williams # Bob Oakley...
Final. He was the third Scottish based rider to achieve this feat after Ken Le Breton
Ken Le Breton
Francis James "Ken" Le Breton was an international speedway rider who was nicknamed "The White Ghost" due to his wearing white racegear.-Early career:...
(Ashfield Giants
Ashfield Giants
Ashfield Giants were a motorcycle speedway team based at Saracen Park, Glasgow, Scotland between 1949 and 1952. The track operated on an open licence in 1953.-Brief history:...
and Australia) in 1949 and Jack Young
Jack Young (speedway rider)
Jack Ellis Young was a Motorcycle speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship in 1951 and 1952...
(Edinburgh Monarchs
Edinburgh Monarchs
The Edinburgh Monarchs are a Scottish Speedway team, currently based in Armadale. They compete in the Speedway Premier League, racing on Friday nights during the Speedway season. The club is run by a Board of Directors, chaired by Alex Harkess. The team manager is Alan "Doc" Bridgett...
and Australia) in 1950 and 1951.
Rugby Union
Dalziel Rugby ClubDalziel RFC
Dalziel Rugby Football Club, formerly known as Dalziel High School Former Pupils Rugby Club, currently has a playing and social membership hailing from Motherwell, Wishaw, Bellshill and other parts of Lanarkshire, Scotland. Historically the club was closely associated with Dalziel High School in...
play at Dalziel Park
Dalziel Park
Dalziel Park is an area located between the small villages of Cleland, Carfin and Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Other nearby settlements include the large town of Motherwell and the new town of Ravenscraig. The area consists of an estate, a sports facility , a golf course and a clubhouse...
(formerly Cleland Estate) between the villages of Carfin
Carfin
Carfin is a small village to the north-east of Motherwell, Scotland on the road to Newarthill.-Local facilities:The closest secondary school is Taylor High School in nearby New Stevenston...
and Cleland
Cleland, North Lanarkshire
Cleland is a small village near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland - see . The two nearest towns are Wishaw and Motherwell. The village has a strong mining heritage and is a typical example of a working class village in North Lanarkshire and the Glasgow area...
(both near Motherwell). They recently won promotion to Scottish hydro electric Premier 3 via winning the national league 1 with an undefeated league season. The club has a strong mini and midi section.
Athletics
Athletics is becoming a more common sport in Motherwell, as the town has a number of athletics clubs in different locations. Usually they are based at numerous primary and secondary schools at night, although in recent years there have been top class sports facilities being built just outside the town, first Dalziel Park and most recently the Ravenscraig Regional Sports FacilityRavenscraig Regional Sports Facility
The Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility is a public leisure centre that is located in the Ravenscraig area of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-History:...
, with the latter containing a top-class indoor athletics track. The sports facility in the new town of Ravenscraig
Ravenscraig
Ravenscraig is an area of land located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Ravenscraig was previously inhabited by steel industry workers, as it was formerly the site of Ravenscraig steelworks...
will be one of the main venues for the 2011 International Children's Games
International Children's Games
The International Children's Games is an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event held every year where children from cities around the world and between the ages of 12 and 15 participate in a variety of sports.-History:...
in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, and is currently hosting the athletics events.
Recreation
Strathclyde Country Park contains many sports and leisure facilities and also has sites for bird-watchersBirdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
and anglers
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. As well as the M&Ds
M&Ds
M&Ds is an amusement park located in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Bordering on Strathclyde Park, the park contains five rollercoasters and two water rides among others as well as an arcade, theatre, ten-pin bowling and indoor reptile house, Amazonia....
theme park, there is also woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
and grass areas that are ideal for picnicking and leisurely strolls. Excavations in the park have revealed a site of archaeological interest including a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
, Roman bath house
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
and bridge (currently closed for health and safety reasons). Strathclyde Park is also on the site of the former mining village, Bothwellhaugh
Bothwellhaugh
Bothwellhaugh was a Scottish coal mining village occupied from the mid 1880s until the 1960s, when it was abandoned. The village was based next to the towns of Motherwell and Hamilton in Lanarkshire, about ten miles south-east of Glasgow, now within Strathclyde Country Park.There were two coal...
, with much of the town drowned after abandonment. It also hosted two live outdoor events, Parklife and Retrofest.
Major events
The park will be a venue for the 2014 Commonwealth Games2014 Commonwealth Games
The 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be held in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The winning city was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation on 9 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Games will run over 11 days of competition from 24 July to 3 August 2014...
and the 2011 International Children's Games
International Children's Games
The International Children's Games is an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event held every year where children from cities around the world and between the ages of 12 and 15 participate in a variety of sports.-History:...
. It will host the Triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
event in both.
Notable people
- Anne SharpAnne SharpAnne Sharp is a Scottish coloratura soprano particularly associated with the operas of Benjamin Britten.-Background and education:...
- opera singer - Andy ThomsonAndy Thomson (Scottish footballer)Andrew "Andy" Thomson is a former Scottish professional football player. He played in 549 league matches, scoring 195 league goals in a career that saw him play for Queen of the South, Partick Thistle, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir in Scotland and Southend United, Oxford United, Gillingham and...
- ex professional footballer - Doogie WhiteDoogie WhiteDoogie White , is a Scottish rock vocalist, who has sung for Midnight Blue, Rainbow, Cornerstone, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis and Rata Blanca...
- Scottish rock vocalist - Craig WhyteCraig WhyteCraig Whyte is a Scottish businessman and the owner of Rangers Football Club.Whyte first entered business in a plant hire company; since then he has branched out into security, manufacturing and property, before becoming a venture capitalist...
- Owner of RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, was born and brought up in Motherwell. - Jim ConacherJim ConacherJames Conacher is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Motherwell, Scotland, United Kingdom and raised in Toronto, Ontario....
- retired ice hockey player that played 324 NHL games - Katie LeungKatie LeungKatie Leung is a Scottish actress, best known for playing Cho Chang in the Harry Potter film series. She returned for a brief role in the video game Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.-Early life:...
- Actress, best known as Cho Chang in Harry Potter films. - Ian St. JohnIan St. JohnIan St. John is a former Scottish footballer, who played for Scotland 21 times. He later became a manager and pundit...
(born 7 June 1938 in Motherwell) is a former Scottish footballer. - Scott LeitchScott LeitchScott Leitch is a Scottish former professional footballer and former manager of Ross County.Leitch began his playing career in 1989 at Shettleston Juniors F.C. before turning professional with Dunfermline Athletic in April 1990...
- former Scottish footballer, formerly of MotherwellMotherwell F.C.Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998... - Hamish ImlachHamish ImlachHamish Imlach was a folksinger. He was born in Calcutta but claimed to have been conceived in Glasgow, Scotland. Although his commercial success was limited he influenced many other artists, including most notably John Martyn and Billy Connolly. In Central and Northern Europe Imlach enjoyed a...
Scottish Folk Singer - Lived in Muirhouse, Motherwell. - Paul HigginsPaul Higgins (actor)Paul Higgins is a Scottish actor. He has appeared onstage in Paul, Black Watch and in the film Complicity....
- Actor, best known as Jamie MacDonald in The Thick of ItThe Thick of ItThe Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast on BBC Four in 2005, and has so far completed fourteen half-hour episodes and two special hour-long episodes to coincide with Christmas and Gordon Brown's...
and In The LoopIn the Loop (film)In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq... - The DelgadosThe DelgadosThe Delgados were a Scottish indie rock band from Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The band was composed of Alun Woodward , Stewart Henderson , Paul Savage and Emma Pollock .-Biography:...