Mike's Moan: The Joy Of Uncertainty
Last updated : 14 August 2007 By Mike
One minute you can be defeating one half of the Old Firm, the next you can lose in a cup tie to the footballing gods that are East Fife but the one thing that is constant is you never know what is going to happen.
No Motherwell fan is fooled into believing that we are a great team, however we are a great team to support. As for me, football is as much about despair as it is about euphoria. You can't have one without the other and this is what makes football the best game in the world. To celebrate the highs, such as the Scottish Cup win in 1991, you have to experience the lows such as being relegated or selling your best player for a pittance to balance the books.
How boring it must be to watch your team winning week-in-week out, being disappointed because you only managed to score three this week instead of the usual five. At Motherwell we need to celebrate every victory as we really don't know when the next one is going to come as it is common place for the team to go on a four or five match winning streak or a four or five match losing sequence. The uncertainty is fantastic!
The Scottish Cup win in 1991 summed this up completely and displayed everything great about being a Motherwell supporter. During the match we played both superbly and terribly, and in the end just shaded it in extra time. We seemed in total control of the match until the last minute when we conceded the worst equaliser I have ever seen. A long ball from the goalkeeper cleared everyone and Darren Jackson nipped in before our injured keeper to nod the ball over the line. What a low. One minute away from victory, now staring defeat in the face. But somehow we recovered and when Stevie Kirk nodded the winner from a Davie Cooper corner the place went berserk. And it was all the sweeter because minutes before we were left in desolation. The game has been described as the greatest Scottish Cup final of all time and I don't think you will ever hear a 'Well fan disagree.
