Motherwell fans will get a glimpse of ‘European’ football tomorrow when the club broadcast the rarely seen clash against Kenny Dalglish ’s star-studded Liverpool.
And among the first to tune in will be Motherwell scorer on the night Stevie Kirk - because he can’t remember what his goal was like!
The match - from November 1986 - might have been to mark the Steelmen’s Centenary but it had more than a hint of Euro glamour about it.
Tommy McLean’s Well went up against a Liverpool side that included Bruce Grobbelaar, Alan Hansen, Steve Nicol, Jan Mølby, Steve McMahon, John Wark, Ian Rush and, of course, King Kenny himself.
It finished 1-1 with Kirk cancelling out Wark’s opener. And the full 90 minutes is being re-run on Motherwell’s official channels to raise funds equally for the charity Chris’s House, the Motherwell FC Community Trust and The Well Society.
Kirk recalled: “It was a fantastic occasion and it was great to get the chance to play against what was the best side in England if not Europe.
“They had players who had won the European Cup in their side.
“Incredibly I can’t for the life of me remember what my goal was like. I’m sure it was a header - I must have outjumped big Hansen!
“It was a friendly but not a friendly! I remember when I was playing in England with Stoke City that when you played pre-season friendlies for English clubs they would take you by the scruff of the neck and say ‘we don’t play friendlies’.
“So it was a right good game and Fir Park was more or less full.
“Kenny Dalglish was a hero to us all. So for him to play was a real buzz.”
The match is just one of a number of classic games being broadcast by Motherwell as part of a Motherwell v Covid19 fundraiser. More details are available on the club website.
“The current situation is having a real and immediate impact on people’s lives,” Motherwell FC chief executive Alan Burrows said.
“We want to use our platform to raise money to try and offer support in the areas we’ve identified – namely Chris’s House, who work tirelessly to help with the mental health issues which may come from current circumstances, and also our Community Trust, who amongst other things are continuing to ensure food is available for local children who may go without some meals while schools are off.
“We have set an initial target which we hope people will see as a challenge we can all get involved in to hit. All donations will go towards making a huge impact in the local community as we try and get through this together.”
