The Well Society was proud to sponsor prizes at last week’s Motherwell Academy awards. Trophies were handed out to boys throughout the age groups over three nights at Fir Park and families got to join the celebrations for the teams’ achievements.
The Well Society has previously made financial contributions that have bought equipment for the Academy and helped some teams attend tournaments. Our 12 Days of Christmas campaign in December 2024, which brought in more than £11,000, also directly raised money for both boys’ and girls’ academies.
Well Society board member Gavin McCafferty attended one of the events and said: “It was great to see the players, families and coaches coming together to celebrate the success of the teams over the past season.
“The Academy has been a major success story for the club over a number of years now, evidenced by the number of players who have proceeded to first-team level and the unprecedented transfer income raised.
“Lennon Miller’s recent international breakthrough now makes it six Motherwell Academy graduates who have made their Scotland debuts in the past seven years, showing this club is the best pathway for young Scottish footballers.
“It’s vital that the Academy is at the forefront of every significant decision the club makes and that’s why it’s been really positive to see that maintaining that pathway to the first team has been a major part of the criteria used for recent managerial appointments.
“Jens Berthel Askou has handed debuts to 26 teenagers in five or so years as a manager, so there is a real chance we could be seeing some of the prize-winners and their team-mates in the first team before too long.
“I recently asked Lennon about the success of the Academy and he instantly attributed it to the coaches and how enjoyable they make it to train and play from an early age right through. That was evident on the night given the atmosphere and connection between players, coaches and families.
“A huge thanks goes to David Clarkson and his coaching staff for their ongoing work to build for the future of the club.”
Academy Director David Clarkson said: “The Well Society takes a real interest in the work of the Academy and the next generation coming through. We’d like to thank members for their support.”