The 2012/13 season ended with the team in second place, Stuart McCall as the PFA Manager of the Season and Higdon celebrating the award of the Player of the Season in spectacular style. The future looked uncertain. Not only did we have a huge rebuilding task ahead but the very structure of the game in Scotland was in turmoil. Eventually an agreement was reached and the SPFL was born, playoffs and all.
It's Motherwell Jim, but not as we know it!
Hammell, at the end of his testimonial season, was called into the Scotland squad for the World Cup qualifier against Croatia but before he and the squad headed for the pre-season training camp in Spain he had to acquaint himself with some new colleagues. Randolph, Humphrey, Higdon, Humphrey and Law were gone to be replaced by Sutton, Lawson, Vigurs, Nielsen, Anier, McManus and Ainsworth. McFadden raised our expectations when he agreed to a one year deal in mid-July.
The draw for the Europa League paired us with debutants FC Kuban from the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. The first leg opened season on 1 August and, as has become the habit, we lost 2-0. That set the tone for a horrible run of cup competitions. We lost the second leg 1-0 with poor Bob McHugh failing to convert a late penalty. We managed to beat Livingston in the League Cup before a losing to ten men Aberdeen at Fir Park. That was a real low point but worse was to come.
Our Scottish Cup draw seemed to offer a free pass into the fifth round but we suffered the most embarrassing defeat in the club's history when Albion Rovers won the tie at New Douglas Park. Our interest in cup competitions was ended before December.
Fortunately, our progress in the league was better. There had been fears that it would prove impossible for the team to match the heights achieved in 2012/13 but results would prove otherwise. As the year drew to a close the table showed that we had more points at the halfway point than the previous season.
Our striking partnership of Sutton and Anier delivered a respectable scoring rate while at the other end of the team Hollis, Neilsen and Twardzik (on emergency loan from Dundee) kept guard. Lasley, in his testimonial season, captained the side with his usual drive and determination.
One interesting aspect of our league form was the huge contrast in our results against teams in the top and bottom halves of the table. Our win at Pittodrie on Boxing Day was the first against the other five in the top six while we had a magnificent 11 wins from 11 outings against the rest.
On the third anniversary of Stuart McCall's appointment, the year ended with a thumping 5-1 win at Firhill. We were clear in the runner up position and all set for a successful New Year.
And finally, some tweets from @MotherwellFC sum up the year (just don't mention the cups)..
As we bring 2013 to an end, it's worth highlighting some stats in what has been an super year for the Steelmen...
Of the 36 league games we played, 'Well won 21, drew 3 and lost just 12 - that's a 66 points haul for the calendar year.
That's a win ratio of 58.3% and a undefeated ratio of 66.66% - in other words, we didn't lose in 2/3 of our league matches the whole of 2013
Another interesting stat - 'Well are seven points & four wins better off than at the same stage last season. We've conceded fewer goals too.
All these stats come on Stuart McCall's third anniversary as 'Well boss. He's the sixth longest serving manager in Scottish football!
Stuart has a overall win ratio of 44.28% from 140 games, making him amongst the most successful 'Well managers (in terms of wins) in history
If you take in just league games, only Davie Hay has a better win % record as 'Well boss but that was for just one season (in Div 1 - 81/82)