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| Full name | Motherwell Football Club Under-20s |
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In addition to the Motherwell F.C. first team, competing in the Scottish Premiership, the club also has a reserve team who play in the SPFL Reserve League as well as younger age group teams in their youth system. They fielded a reserve team in defunct competitions for many years.
In the early 1950s, reserve teams were incorporated into the third tier of the senior Scottish Football League, with Motherwell 'A' taking part for six seasons of the arrangement. [1] [2] [3]
Motherwell were an ever-present in the Scottish Premier Reserve League since its formation in the 1998–99 season. Initially starting as an Under-21 league, the reserve league was open to all age groups from season 2004–05. [4]
The Motherwell reserve team withdrew their team from the 2009–10 season due to financial constraints and a lack of support from other clubs, leading to the competition's abandonment. [5] Motherwell Reserves then played friendly matches.
In July 2018, it was reported that reserve leagues would be reintroduced in lieu of the development leagues that had been in place since 2009. The top tier of the new SPFL Reserve League featured 18 clubs, whilst a second-tier reserve League comprised nine clubs. Other than a minimum age of 16, no age restrictions applied to the leagues. [6] At the end of its first season (2018–19) several clubs intimated that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to play a variety of challenge matches, [7] but Motherwell were one of those who chose to remain.
Motherwell Reserves usually played their home matches at Dalziel Park, a sports facility outside Motherwell that is also the training ground of the first-team, but also used Forthbank Stadium in Stirling and Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie.
Until 1998, Motherwell competed in the youth competitions administered by the Scottish Football League. They then took part in the age group leagues run by the Scottish Premier League [8] and the Scottish Professional Football League.
From 2015 onwards it is possible for the Well academy to participate in the UEFA Youth League by their under-18 side (previously under-17s) winning the prior season's league at that age group; however this has not yet been achieved.
The Scottish Youth Cup (which began in 1985) is administered separately, with Motherwell winning the competition for the first time in 2016.
For the 2016–17 edition of the Scottish Challenge Cup, under-20 teams of Premiership clubs were granted entry to compete against adult teams for the first time in the modern era. In the 2018–19 edition, with the age now changed to under-21s, Motherwell reached the quarter-final stage, the best performance by a 'colt' team up to that point, losing 2–1 to eventual winners Ross County. [9]
Having played home games at Fir Park, [10] Hannah Park (Shotts) and Creamery Park (Bathgate), their regular stadium is now Airdrie's Excelsior Stadium.
In 2015, former Motherwell captain Stephen Craigan coached the Under-20 side. [11] In 2019, Maurice Ross was appointed coach. [12]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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The club also operates the Motherwell Academy. The academy was formed in 2012, and consists of teams made up of players and coaches from Under-11 to Under-17 level. [13] The youth teams train at a sports facility based within Braidhurst High School. [14] From 2013 the director was former Motherwell captain Scott Leitch, [15] later being replaced by Steven Hammell who also had the same role as a player until his retirement. [16]
In 2017, the Motherwell academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case. [17] [18]
Reserves
Youths
James McFadden [note 1] David Clarkson [note 1] Mark Reynolds Paul Quinn Stephen Pearson [note 1] Steven Hammell [note 1] Keith Lasley Shaun Fagan Lee McCulloch [note 1] Jordan Halsman Adam Coakley Jamie Pollock Mark Archdeacon Paul Slane Brian Dempsie Steven Meechan Jamie Murphy [note 1] Robert McHugh Ross Forbes William Kinniburgh 
Shaun Hutchinson Jonathan Page Steven Saunders [note 1] Marc Fitzpatrick Steven Lawless Gary Smith Darren Smith Steven Hetherington Adam Asghar Josh Watt Lee Erwin Craig Moore Jack Leitch Dom Thomas Allan Campbell David Turnbull [note 1] Jake Hastie James Scott 
Motherwell Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Motherwell have not dropped out of the top flight of Scottish football since 1985, and have lifted one trophy in that time – the Scottish Cup in 1991.
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations. It was formed in 1873, making it the second oldest national football association in the world. It is not to be confused with the Scottish Football Union, which is the name that the SRU was known by until the 1920s.
The Excelsior Stadium is a football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the home ground of Airdrieonians of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). Since the 2021–22 season it has also been used by Celtic for the home matches of their women's team in the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) and B team in the Scottish Lowland Football League, as well as by Glasgow University F.C. of the West of Scotland Football League. It is an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 10,101, and has a 3G artificial surface.
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Stephen James Craigan is a Northern Irish former professional footballer. He played in central defence and spent his entire playing career in Scotland, playing for Motherwell (twice) and Partick Thistle. He has also played for the Northern Ireland national team. He is currently a pundit for Viaplay's coverage of the Scottish League Cup.
Donald Scott Leitch is a Scottish former football player and coach, who played as a midfielder. He played professionally for Dunfermline Athletic, Heart of Midlothian, Swindon Town and Motherwell, and managed Ross County.
Steven Hammell is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is currently the head of academy coaching at Celtic. Hammell played as a left-back in almost 500 league games across two spells with Motherwell, either side of a stint with Southend United. Hammell also played once for Scotland, in 2004. Hammell retired from playing in 2018. After a period as Motherwell's academy director, he became their manager in August 2022 but was sacked six months later.
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The SPFL Development League was the top level of youth football in Scotland, which was contested in various formats between 1998 and 2018.
The 2009–10 Scottish League Cup was the 64th season of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-operative Insurance Cup. Rangers won the cup beating St Mirren 1–0 thanks to a goal from Kenny Miller.
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