Motherwell boss Graham Alexander feels the club’s behaviour towards the community is just as important as results as he hailed an initiative that will hand free season tickets to hundreds of low-income families.
Supporters have donated more than £60,000 to help others who are unemployed or surviving on low incomes – and the club have matched the total.
Fans who would not have been able to afford to attend Fir Park regularly will now get the chance to cheer Motherwell on this season and Alexander feels that relationship with the community is an integral part of the club.
“The club continuously tries to look after its own,” he said. “We constantly talk about the importance of the supporters and the community being part of this club and we take it seriously.
“Obviously these decisions are made above my head but we fully support everything that helps the people and supporters of Motherwell.
“You want to feel good about your employer and your club and it’s not just on how they treat you but how they treat everybody.
“Everyone that’s connected to Motherwell can say that they feel a connection and a warmth that comes from the club and a care. That’s really important.
“We are in the business of winning but how you treat people is just as important and I think we do that really well as a club.
“It’s important that it’s maintained and it flourishes from season to season and year to year because the rewards of that goes round everybody.
“It’s vital for a club like ourselves, and I know other clubs take it seriously as well.”
Motherwell treated their fans to an opening-day thriller last weekend but were on the wrong end of a five-goal clash with Hibernian. Their next test is to take on a St Johnstone side fresh from drawing 1-1 against Galatasaray in Istanbul in the Europa League on Thursday.
Alexander is sure Saints will be ready to go again on Sunday.
“We have to focus on what we can do,” he said. “Every professional football team is fit and prepared and disciplined and organised, and we won’t expect anything different from St Johnstone on Sunday.
“For us, we will talk over the positives from the game against Hibs but there were elements of the game we can improve on, which we know.
“We are a new team and there’s plenty of progress to be made so we are trying to do that on the training pitch but also when it comes to match days.”
