Scottish Cup Draw on Thursday

Hampden Park will host the lunchtime draw on Thursday (1230 on $ky Sports) and , as ever, the whole Scottish football community will be eager to hear the news. That's the beauty of it, the uncertainty of the draw. Where will we be on January 12?

Will we get a tie away from home to another SPL club? Will we be paired with a 'rabbit'? Will the game be a TV pick and be moved to the Sunday causing annoyance for all? One fact is certain. Motherwell fans will not be able to use their season tickets for any game in this competition. We lost that perk for the for the first time in this year's renewals.

Since our famous cup win in 1991 we have had only four home starts in this round (formerly the third round). Two of them were unsuccessful, against Rangers and Aberdeen, but we did have a cracking win against Celtic after a Coyne header and a brilliant triumph over Hearts. Our replay form has been good in case we draw this time, with three wins out of three in recent years.

3rd Round Cup Ties since we won in 1991

1992 'Well 4 1 Ayr 1 (after 1 1 draw)

1993 'Well 0 2 Rangers

1994 'Well 1 0 Celtic

1995 Falkirk 0 2 'Well

1996 'Well 0 2 Aberdeen

1997 Partick 0 2 'Well

1998 'Well 1 0 Dumbarton (after 1 1 draw)

1999 'Well 3 1 Hearts

2000 'Well 2 0 Arbroath (after 1 1 draw)

2001 St Mirren 1 2 'Well

2002 Dunfermline 3 1 'Well

2003 Kilmarnock 0 1 'Well

2004 St Johnstone 0 3 'Well

2005 Kilmarnock 2 0 'Well

2006 St Mirren 3 0 'Well

2007 Airdrie United 0 Motherwell 1

We have a decent record since 1991 in the third round but our recent form has been mixed. The win against Airdrie was competent enough but.the loss at Killie three years ago was poor and the dismal non-event at Paisley still causes nightmares for those unfortunate enough to be there.

There will be thirty two teams in the draw. Last season's SPL teams, the top four in last season's Division One (Gretna, St Johnstone, Dundee, Hamilton Academical) and the sixteen winners from round three - Airdrie or Queens Park, East Stirling, Cowdenbeath, Brechin or East Fife, Clyde, Cove Rangers, Huntly, Dumbarton, Linlithgow, Livingston, Morton, Partick, Queen of the South, Ross County, Stirling Albion and Raith Rovers.

One or two could provide an interesting awayday!