Lasley has to settle for singing praises of Motherwell side
KEITH LASLEY’S on-field rendition of Motherwell anthem Twist And Shout after the club’s play-off victory over Rangers in 2015 has gone down in Fir Park folklore, and perhaps down in infamy for the quality of his singing.
After clinching third place in the Premiership this week, though, Lasley’s joy was only curtailed by the fact he was denied the opportunity to warm up his pipes once again in front of the Steelmen supporters.
Whether they shared his sense of disappointment at that fact is open for debate, but they would have certainly shared the pride that Stephen Robinson’s No.2 felt at finishing “best of the rest” and clinching a Europa League place – assuming the tournament goes ahead.
Lasley can’t wait to share his own appreciation with the fans for the backing they have given their side this term, but he will probably leave the singing to them this time around.
“That is probably the only positive,” Lasley said. “They’ll be happy they won’t have to put up with that again, but
I’ll probably have a couple of private karaoke sessions in the house to make up for that.
“It’s not the way you would obviously want to do it. You want to share these things with your fans first and foremost, because I know how special that was as a player.
“I can remember vividly the first time we did that with Mark McGhee as the manager and being out on the pitch when we knew we had clinched it. Unfortunately, that side of it has been taken away, but the players have to take credit for what has been a really good season. “As always with a Motherwell season there have been ups and downs, but the supporters have been there throughout, so it’s as much as an achievement or them as it is for us.”
Much has been made of the disparity between Motherwell’s lofty position and the resources they have at their disposal, with Lasley explaining there is no secret to their success, only sheer hard work.
“It’s a real feather in our cap to be up there,” he said.
“We don’t want to be seen to pleading poverty every five minutes, but it’s a great achievement if you look at the grand scheme of things.
“You take out the Old Firm with the size of their resources, but even outwith that there are many clubs with greater resources to call on than us.
“What we do is try to make the most of everything, not just the budget. Every member of staff, we try to improve them. We feel that if we can do that, then we can compete, and I think we’ve shown that this season. It certainly gives you a sense of satisfaction that the hard work you put in on a daily basis has paid off.
“It sounds very cliched, but for our football club to succeed, we need everybody really excelling in each department, and everyone at the club has stood up to be counted.”
As a player, Lasley was honoured to play in European competition with Motherwell, even captaining the side against Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifiers back in 2012. He is hoping that – having been robbed of the acclaim of their supporters for finishing third – the current Motherwell squad don’t lose out their own opportunity to play on such a stage.
“I just hope that actually happens,” he said. “Playing in Europe was certainly one of my career highlights.
“As a player, it is a fantastic experience. It improves you and it broadens your horizons.
“For the fans and everybody involved, it would be a fantastic experience.”