Motherwell’s European bill reaches around £100,000

Motherwell released a statement this week asking for unity among fans after fines from UEFA and a bill from HJK Helsinki has resulted in just under £100,000 of damage, with a further fine currently being investigated.

This has resulted in somewhat divisive commentary on social media from Motherwell fans. Some express dismay at those who contributed to the fines, with others criticising the manner of the statement.

Personally, I sit somewhere in between those opinions. It is frustrating to hear that there are financial punishments. Damaging an advertisement board feels needless, even if accidental. Going on the pitch feels needless, even if accidental.

But…, haven’t we all taken a bit far? I’m certainly not going to take the moral high ground here, I absolutely have in the folly of my youth.

Another worrying aspect, in my opinion, is that we are too quick to blame ‘groups’. I wouldn’t profess to speak on behalf of groups like Block E, for example, but isn’t it a bit easy to just say ‘ah, it’s those wee guys at it again’ (despite there being people who sit in the section who are most certainly not ‘wee guys). There is also the issue of people who may sit near a group, and suddenly those actions are representative of a whole fanbase.