52-540: Parkneuk Sports Stadium was a greyhound racing and speedway track on Milton Street, Motherwell , North Lanarkshire , Scotland . The track was situated west of Milton Street and built in 1949 on the site of the Parkneuk Colliery pit numbers 1 and 2. It also went by the name of The Stadium and the Lanarkshire Speedway and Sports Stadium . The greyhound racing was independent (unaffiliated to
104-563: A Europa League game in 2014. Motherwell hosted motorcycle speedway racing at two venues. In 1930 and 1932 racing took place at Airbles Road which would soon be called the Clyde Valley Greyhound Track and the 1930 speedway venture was known as Paragon Speedway . The venture was run by a group of riders who were regulars at White City in Glasgow and known collectively as The Blantyre Crowd . Speedway returned to
156-560: A direct daily service between London King's Cross and Glasgow Central that stops at Motherwell. The smaller station in the Airbles suburb of Motherwell only runs on the line to Dalmuir via Glasgow Central low level and Hamilton Central ; however, it is closer to the Civic Centre and Fir Park stadium than the main-line station. That station is served by Abellio ScotRail. Formerly, Motherwell, Wishaw and Hamilton were served by
208-762: A fort and bath house were erected, but the Roman presence in Scotland did not last much later than this. Motherwell's location in the Scottish Lowlands means that it would have been inhabited by the Britons . Motherwell's name reportedly comes from a well, the Lady Well, formerly dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The site of this well is now marked by a plaque on Ladywell Road. The name "Moderwelt" appears on
260-593: A governing body) and opened on 15 October. The Lanarkshire Eagles speedway team also rode at the venue from 1950-1954. It competed for many years with another independent greyhound track called the Clyde Valley Greyhound Track at the bottom of Airbles Road. Greyhound racing ended in 1972 and the site today consists of the Daisy Park Community Centre and Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School. Motherwell Motherwell ( Scots : Mitherwall , Scottish Gaelic : Tobar na Màthar )
312-493: A green field into a site for steelworks. By 1957 several coke ovens , a by-products plant, a blast furnace and an open hearth melting shop with three steelmaking furnaces were built, and by 1959 a stripmill was complete. In 1954, as part of the development of Ravenscraig steelworks, Colvilles and British Railways began installing new wharfage and facilities at General Terminus Quay on the River Clyde at Kingston , near
364-539: A large fanbase due to the attraction of Glasgow's "Old Firm": Rangers and Celtic . The team attracts a regular home support of between five and six thousand fans. Motherwell is one of the most established clubs in the top division of the Scottish football league system , having been in the top flight continuously since the mid-80s. Again, due to the Old Firm's dominance of Scottish football, Motherwell's list of honours
416-468: A map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652. By the start of the 19th century Motherwell was a small hamlet, a farming community of some 600 people living adjacently to the 16th century laird's manor, Jerviston house. The hamlet remained reasonably small, reaching 1,700 people by 1841, and centred on the crossroads between
468-568: A school roll of around 1,000 pupils. Notable alumni of Dalziel include former Motherwell, Wigan and Rangers player Lee McCulloch and international television journalist, Alan Fisher . Braidhurst High School , in the Forgewood area of Motherwell, serves areas including Forgewood, North Motherwell , The Globe and Jerviston. With a roll of around 500, Braidhurst is one of the smaller secondary schools in Lanarkshire. The main school building
520-569: Is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire , Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow . It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarkshire , Motherwell is the headquarters for North Lanarkshire Council . Geographically the River Clyde separates Motherwell from Hamilton to the west whereas the South Calder Water separates Motherwell from Carfin to
572-476: Is a cycle path that acts as a direct route from Strathclyde Park to Motherwell Town Centre. The path was formed in 2005 and may expand into Ravenscraig in the future. Motherwell has a golf course based within the town, the Colville Park Golf Club, based at Jerviston Estate, on the former site of Jerviston House (the ruins are still visible in the grounds). A second golf course is located at
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#1732772583038624-534: Is situated to the south of the town, right on the banks of the River Clyde . This house is protected as a Category-A listed building. One of the main attractions in Motherwell is the M & D's Amusement Park , which is situated next to Strathclyde Loch in Strathclyde Park . The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid, popularly known as Motherwell Cathedral , is a Roman Catholic cathedral which
676-525: Is somewhat modest. The club's last major trophy was the 1990–91 Scottish Cup , when they beat Dundee United 4–3 in the final . Motherwell have qualified for European football several times in recent seasons, usually competing in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League . It has been reported that the famous Viking Thunder Clap originated from Motherwell F.C. and was passed onto Icelandic football club Stjarnan when they played them in
728-857: Is the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell . It is the seat of the Bishop of Motherwell and its current bishop is Joseph Toal . The cathedral is open to the public most days. It is used as a venue for performances of the Motherwell Diocesan Choir. The following primary schools are located in Motherwell: Dalziel High School is located on Crawford Street near Duchess park, serving areas including North Motherwell, The Globe, Greenacres, Airbles and North Lodge. and has
780-527: Is the headquarters of North Lanarkshire Council (since 1996, previously the offices of Motherwell District Council within the Strathclyde region since 1975). A number of pantomimes and musicals have taken place in the concert hall and theatre within the complex. As well as this, top-level snooker (the Scottish Masters event) was also held there. The Dalzell House is a building that
832-528: The M8 motorway , between the two largest cities of Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh. In the future, there are plans to build a dual carriageway, that will travel through the town linking the two motorways. There are a number of different bus companies that travel through the town to various different locations. Some examples include First (Routes 201, 240, 242, 254 and 355), JMB Travel (Routes 41, 56, 211 and 802), Whitelaws Coaches and United Coaches (Route 1). Some of
884-635: The Newcastle Diamonds in 1951, and he was supported by Gordon McGregor who was a founder Eagle. Eagles also featured Aussies Keith Gurtner and Ron Phillips who moved over when Ashfield left the League. Popular Australian Noel Watson was killed in his home country in 1953. However, due to his "never say die" approach, the fans' favourite was Bluey (Eric) Scott, who joined the Eagles in 1951. The pioneer Eagles featured Bill Baird from Forth who became
936-495: The steel production capital of Scotland, nicknamed Steelopolis . Its skyline was dominated by the gas holder and three cooling towers of the Ravenscraig steel plant which closed in 1992. The Ravenscraig plant had one of the longest continuous casting , hot rolling , steel production facilities in the world before it was decommissioned. Construction of the integrated iron and steel works started in 1954. The steel mill, which
988-582: The town's Country Park , The North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre , formerly the Motherwell Heritage Centre on High Road, situated next to the town's railway station, is a building that displays the history of Motherwell from the Roman era. The building also has a viewing tower on the fifth floor, giving visitors a good view of the town and other parts of Lanarkshire, as well as of mountains as far back as Ben Lomond . Motherwell Civic Centre
1040-475: The 183 square miles (470 km ) of North Lanarkshire. Motherwell was noted as the steel production capital of Scotland, nicknamed Steelopolis , home of David Colville & Sons during the 19th and 20th centuries, with its skyline later dominated by the water tower and three cooling towers of their Ravenscraig steelworks which closed in 1992. The Ravenscraig plant had one of the longest continuous casting , hot rolling , steel production facilities in
1092-589: The Dalziel Park Hotel and Golf Club. Torrance Park Golf Club is a third located in Newarthill. Ravenscraig steelworks The Ravenscraig steelworks , operated by Colvilles and from 1967 by British Steel Corporation , consisted of an integrated iron and steel works and a hot strip steel mill . They were located in Motherwell , North Lanarkshire , Scotland. Motherwell was noted as
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#17327725830381144-550: The East Coast Main Line via Edinburgh and Newcastle , and is located next to Motherwell Shopping Centre . National train operators; Avanti West Coast , CrossCountry and TransPennine Express , pass through the main station, but not all stop there. The station is also served by Abellio ScotRail who provide direct services to Carstairs, Coatbridge Central, Cumbernauld, Dalmuir, Edinburgh, Lanark, Milngavie and North Berwick. London North Eastern Railway also provide
1196-705: The International Brigades to fight for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War . The Spanish Civil War memorial in Duchess Park in Motherwell commemorates them. By the middle of the 1970s, Motherwell's steel industry employed more than 13,000 people. The 1980s brought a catastrophic collapse in the industry of Motherwell. The steel strike of 1980 lost British Steel Corporation important contracts and markets, followed by
1248-515: The Iron and Steel Board. It was first considered that a fourth blast furnace at Clyde Iron Works (at Tollcross , east of Glasgow ) was to be built, but a shortage of coking coal in Scotland meant that concentrating iron production at Clyde Iron would stop the other Colvilles works in Motherwell from being converted to hot metal working. The new location was found and surveyed in 1953. In 1954 construction work started in Ravenscraig, turning
1300-518: The Lanarkshire Tramways (closed 1931), which were connected to the very large Glasgow electric tramway system (closed 1962) at both Cambuslang and Uddingston. At its maximum extent, the 200-mile system extended to Balloch, Milngavie, Airdrie, Larkhall, Clarkston, Barrhead, Kilbarchan and Renfrew, besides providing a dense network of lines offering pollution-free electric transport in the city centre. The (now defunct) firm of Hurst Nelson
1352-717: The Motherwell area (though outside the boundaries of the town itself) include Brannock High School in Newarthill , Taylor R.C. High School in New Stevenston and Clyde Valley High School in Overtown . The nearest private school is Hamilton College in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire . Another former pupil of Garrion Academy, (later Clyde Valley High School), Deborah Orr, became an award winning journalist in London &
1404-711: The centre of Glasgow . These facilities were designed to allow the simultaneously unloading of two large ships carrying bulk iron ore . The ships were designed to carry 12,000 tons (12,200 tonnes ) of iron ore. Iron ore was to be transported, in railway wagons, via the General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway , from the General Terminus Quay to Motherwell and Ravenscraig. In 1954, Scotland imported 1,436,000 tons (1,460,000 tonnes) of iron ore, mainly from Sweden, North Africa, and Newfoundland . In March 1949, forward plans by Colvilles, to justify
1456-632: The closure of important local customers such as the Linwood car factory and Bathgate truck factory, Ravenscraig employed only 3,200 people by the end of the 1980s. Ravenscraig closed on 24 June 1992, and was demolished in July 1996, bringing 400 years of Scottish iron production to an end. Today the Dalzell Plate Mill is all that remains of Motherwell's industrial heritage, rolling steel from Middlesbrough into steel plates of various sizes. By
1508-499: The construction of Ravenscraig, indicated that the General Terminus Quay ore-handling facility would be handling two million tons of basic iron ore per year: 1,020,000 tons per year for the Clyde Iron Works and 980,000 tons for Ravenscraig steelworks. In the late 1970s, the General Terminus Quay was replaced by the purpose-built deep-water Hunterston Ore Terminal , near West Kilbride , which became operational in 1978. It
1560-438: The end of the 19th century Motherwell Town Hall and Dalziel High School had been built, the local football club had been founded, and its stadium, Fir Park , had been constructed. At the start of the 20th century Motherwell stood a large and growing industrial centre, a town of 37,000 people and a wide variety of heavy industries such as munitions, trams and bridge components. By the 1930s most of Scotland's steel production
1612-437: The long track and one on the short track – in 1972. Derrick Close represented Lanarkshire Eagles and England in the 1952 Speedway World Championship Final. He was the third Scottish based rider to achieve this feat after Ken Le Breton ( Ashfield Giants and Australia) in 1949 and Jack Young ( Edinburgh Monarchs and Australia) in 1950 and 1951. Motherwell had two greyhound tracks in the town. The first opened in 1932 and
Parkneuk Sports Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
1664-494: The main road following the Clyde, and the road connecting Edinburgh with Hamilton and the west. Motherwell's fortunes changed dramatically in the second half of the 19th century. With the coming of the railway in 1848, came industry and money. By 1881 David Colville had opened both an iron and steel works; Motherwell had a new piped water supply; had been granted burgh status and had its population swelled to 13,800 people. By
1716-629: The major Scottish music festival, T in the Park , until 1996, when it was moved to a disused airfield in Balado , Kinross-shire. It houses Roman bath ruins, in said park, and is a 2 hour drive away from some remnants of Hadrians Wall. Motherwell is the headquarters for both North Lanarkshire Council , which is one of Scotland's most populous local authority areas , and of Police Scotland "Q" division. These organisations cover an overall population of 327,000 people (59,000 in Motherwell and Wishaw ) throughout
1768-521: The nearby steel plants at Dalzell in Motherwell and Clydebridge in Cambuslang were in 2012 still in operation under the ownership of Tata Steel Europe , with both acquired by Liberty House Group in 2017). Demolition of the site's landmark blue gasometer in 1996 and the subsequent cleanup operation have created the largest brownfield site in Europe. This huge area between Motherwell and Wishaw
1820-493: The new building is approximately 20,000 students. The former site at Barons Grange is now being regenerated into a modern housing area. Motherwell Football Club was established in 1886. Known as the "Steelmen" because of the history of steel making in the area, they play in the Scottish Premiership from their home ground at Fir Park Stadium. Like many smaller clubs in the area, Motherwell struggle to attract
1872-429: The north-east and New Stevenston and Bellshill towards the north. Motherwell is also geographically attached to Wishaw and the two towns form a large urban area in North Lanarkshire , with both towns having similar populations and strong community ties. A Roman road through central Scotland ran along Motherwell's side of the River Clyde , crossing the South Calder Water near Bothwellhaugh . At this crossing
1924-461: The only rider to ride for all four Scottish teams. Tommy Miller, one of the top Scottish speedway stars of the day, joined the Eagles in 1954 but moved on to the Coventry Bees mid-season. A short season in 1958 under former Glasgow Tigers promoter Ian Hoskins saw the end of the events at The Stadium but a short lived Long Track venture and a small speedway track staged four events – three on
1976-453: The ownership of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain . However, a change of government and the passing of the Iron and Steel Act 1953 , gradually returned the former nationalised iron and steel companies to their original owners. This was to be achieved via the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency, which was charged with creating an efficient industry. Stewarts & Lloyds
2028-528: The places that can be accessible by bus from Motherwell: The three acute hospitals in Lanarkshire can also be reached by bus from Motherwell: Since the M74 Extension has been completed, access to Glasgow Airport has become easier. The airport is approximately 16 miles (26 km) away from Motherwell. Edinburgh Airport is further away, at 31 miles (50 km), and can be reached by the M8. As well as
2080-494: The region. Large employers include William Grant & Sons whisky distillers and the heavy equipment manufacturer Volvo Construction Equipment /Rokbak. Motherwell has been a Fairtrade Town since January 2007. The town has three stations, a main railway station (known simply as Motherwell), Airbles and Shieldmuir . The main station runs on the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow to London and on
2132-483: The start of the 21st century Motherwell had begun to transform itself with the service industry thriving, the large scale unemployment of the previous twenty years had been largely remedied. Through the expansion of both towns, Motherwell and Wishaw are now effectively one continuous urban area, although the towns remain distinct. Motherwell hosted the National Mòd in 1983. Strathclyde Park previously hosted
Parkneuk Sports Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
2184-560: The town in 1950 at the then newly constructed Parkneuk Sports Stadium in Milton Street. The Lanarkshire Eagles staged open meetings from July to September 1950. In 1951 the Eagles started out in the National League Second Division with veteran ex- Glasgow Tigers Will Lowther and Joe Crowther in the line up. They operated until the end of the 1954 season. The top man was Derrick Close, signed from
2236-485: The world before it was decommissioned. The closure of Ravenscraig signalled the end of large scale steel making in Scotland, although the town's Dalzell steel plate works continues to be operated by Tata Steel Europe . In the past decade, Motherwell has to an extent recovered from the high unemployment and economic decline brought about by this collapse of heavy industry . A number of call centres and business parks such as Strathclyde Business Park have since set up in
2288-641: Was a major railway rolling stock manufacturer based in the town. The company built trains for the London Underground , and tramcars, as well as vehicles for main line railways. Motherwell is very accessible, as it is right next to the M74 motorway beside the River Clyde . This road leads to Cumbria on the Anglo-Scottish border , where it becomes the M6 . It is also about 3 miles (5 km) drive from
2340-549: Was built shortly after, was one of four in the United Kingdom. In 1992, when it closed down, it was the largest hot strip steel mill in Western Europe. The former steelworks and strip mill have now been cleared, and the site is in the process of becoming the new town of Ravenscraig . On 15 February 1951, as a result of the Iron and Steel Act 1949 , the nationalised Scottish iron and steel companies came under
2392-539: Was called the Clyde Valley Greyhound Track , it was located on Airbles Road and closed in 1959. The second was the Parkneuk Sports Stadium near Milton Street and was opened in 1949 but closed in 1972. Dalziel Rugby Club play at Dalziel Park (formerly Cleland Estate) between the villages of Carfin and Cleland (both near Motherwell). There are cycle routes based in Motherwell and in neighboring Strathclyde Country Park. The Greenlink Cycle Path
2444-438: Was designed to accept bulk ore carriers of up to 350,000 tonnes capacity. In the early 1980s the ore-handling equipment was demolished at General Terminus Quay. By the 2000s it had been removed entirely and replaced by apartments and a cinema complex. The closure of Ravenscraig in 1992 signalled the end of large-scale steel making in Scotland. It led to a direct loss of 770 jobs, and another 10,000 jobs linked to these (although
2496-559: Was in Motherwell, and owned by the Colville family. In 1959 the Colville family were persuaded by the government to begin work of a vast new steel works, which would become Ravenscraig . Within a few years, Ravenscraig was producing more than a million tonnes of steel per year. Following nationalisation of the steel industry, production at the plant was raised, with the Motherwell blast furnaces producing 3 million tonnes each year. 40 locals from Lanarkshire travelled to become volunteers of
2548-547: Was married for a time to Will Self. Her personal memoir "Motherwell" 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN 978 1 4746 1146 6, gives a clear eyed description of the town as she knew it from the 1960s onwards. There is a Further Education college in Motherwell, known as New College Lanarkshire . This was located next to Our Lady's High School in Dalzell Drive, though in 2009 relocated to Ravenscraig , about 1 km away from its former site. The current roll of students at
2600-623: Was recently modernised, with the outdated pink and yellow panels replaced by a modern-looking glass exterior. Notable alumni of Braidhurst include Elaine C Smith (actress), former Scotland national football captain Gary McAllister and Tam Cowan (comedian and writer). Our Lady's High School is a Roman Catholic secondary located in Dalzell Drive, near Fir Park Stadium in Knowetop, the school serves areas including Knowetop, North Lodge, Airbles, Glencairn and Muirhouse. At one point it
2652-471: Was returned to its former owners in 1954; and Colvilles in 1955. Shortages of strip steel led to the need to increase the capacity for producing strip steel and tin plate , the first strip mill in Great Britain having been opened at Ebbw Vale in the late 1930s. A major expansion of Colvilles, the largest steel manufacturer in the United Kingdom before World War II , was approved in July 1954 by
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#17327725830382704-403: Was the largest school in Western Europe, but the current school roll is around 700. Notable alumni of Our Lady's include Manchester City footballer and Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby , Celtic F.C. footballer Billy McNeill, Derby County footballer Stephen Pearson , Celtic F.C. footballer Kieran Tierney and Motherwell F.C. footballer Chris Cadden . Other secondary schools in
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