Alex’s ‘stoater’ set up Well win over the Hoops
The clash between Motherwell and Celtic this afternoon will be the fourth meeting of the teams this term.
There is the potential for seven games between the clubs if The Steelmen make the Premiership top six and reach the Scottish Cup Final.
That wouldn’t quite top the magnificent seven matches that took place in season 1973-74.
There was little between the teams at that time but, perhaps not surprisingly, Celtic won most of the games.
The Hoops triumphed on four occasions, Motherwell recorded two wins and there was one draw.
Although they’d have liked even more victories, it was quite an achievement for the Lanarkshire team to beat Celtic home and away in the same campaign.
Midfielder Alex Martin played a huge part in their success.
It’s fair to say it was the best season of his career. He played 29 league matches and scored six goals.
As he recalls, one of those strikes sparked a remarkable finish to an amazing win against Celtic at Fir Park in February, 1974.
“We were 2-0 down with just over 20 minutes to play,” he said.
“Then I hit a left-foot shoot that smashed past Ally Hunter in the Celtic goal. It was a stoater.
“We really battled to get something from the game.
“There was a great camaraderie among the players at Motherwell back then and that came out on the pitch.
“Bobby Graham got an equaliser and then set up John Goldthorp to get a late winner.
“It was a great feeling to have come back from the dead and get a win in front of 17,000 fans.”
It was fitting that Goldthorp got the crucial goal.
Alex had set him up with a brilliant pass at the start of the game, only for the forward to be denied by a fingertip save by the Celtic keeper.
The pair had teamed up to great effect at the start of the season.
Motherwell beat Celtic 1-0 in the League Cup, with a superb pass from Alex setting up a Goldthorp goal.
That was their first win at Parkhead for 26 years and made the aggregate score 2-2.
Celtic won the toss of a coin to host a third match, and eventually got through with a 3-2 win.
“I always did my best in midfield to set up chances for the forwards,” said Alex.
“I joke that I made Willie Pettigrew when he broke into the team.
“We should maybe have won something but we just couldn’t go to that final stage.”
Alex joined Motherwell in 1970 from Hull City.
He explained: “I was scouted by Hull after playing in a Scottish schoolboys’ trial.
“I was only 15 when Billy Brown and I went there in 1965.
“We got a bit homesick eventually, and the chance to join Motherwell came when we were recommended by Hull chief scout, John Mcseveney.
“His brother, Willie, was reserve coach at Fir Park and a former player.
“I have some great memories of big games with Motherwell, particularly when we went down to England to take on Stoke City and Tottenham in the Texaco Cup.
“Bobby Howitt was the manager when I first arrived, and then Ian St John took over for a season.”
It’s safe to say that Alex and Willie Mclean didn’t see eye- to- eye, and he was released by Motherwell in the summer of 1975.
He went from playing in the top flight to turning out in the Juniors for Broxburn Athletic.
Alex, now 67, went on to work in electronics for Mitsubishi and has never been back to Fir Park.