Motherwell FC superfan Graham Prentice made 19,000-mile round trip to watch cup final!

Motherwell diehard Graham Prentice was the Steelmen's furthest travelled fan at Hampden on Saturday, having made an arduous 9,500-mile journey across from Perth, Australia!
Graham Prentice chatted to Motherwell Times sports reporter Craig Goldthorp at Hampden Park on Saturday (Pic by Ian McFadyen)Graham Prentice chatted to Motherwell Times sports reporter Craig Goldthorp at Hampden Park on Saturday (Pic by Ian McFadyen)
Graham Prentice chatted to Motherwell Times sports reporter Craig Goldthorp at Hampden Park on Saturday (Pic by Ian McFadyen)

Ex-pat Graham, who was also at Fir Park on Friday to cheer the team bus on its way to their Turnberry Hotel pre match base, spoke to the Motherwell Times shortly after arriving in Mount Florida on Saturday afternoon.

“I left on what was, my time, Thursday night,” Graham said.

“I arrived on Friday morning in London at 5am UK time.

“I was invited by the Well Society to Fir Park on Friday which was great.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Ally Maxwell (Motherwell’s 1991 Scottish Cup winning goalkeeper) was there and he put on a bit of a show for us.

“I saw the team off on the bus, had a few beers afterwards and tried to stay awake on Friday night. I crashed out at 9.30pm and got up at 4am on Saturday morning.

“So I’ve had a bit of jetlag but I was buzzing to be over!”

Graham grew up in Larkhall but left in 1990 to go to Aberdeen to study.

That proved to be a convenient move, as he was at the Dons’ Pittodrie ground when Stevie Kirk scored Motherwell’s winner in a Scottish Cup tie in January 1991, the Steelmen’s first step on the road to eventual glory in the final that May.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When Stevie Kirk scored that goal there was a feeling we could go on and win the cup,” Graham said.

“There was just something magical about the team. We had a great team back then.

“Aberdeen were a great side and we didn’t beat them very often back then.

“So when we did that it did feel that we were onto something special and, sure enough, we went on to do it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Nobody gave us a chance after the first Celtic semi-final (which finished in a 0-0 draw) but we came back and won the replay 4-2.

“Obviously the final (’Well’s famous 4-3 win over Dundee United) speaks for itself. I went through all the emotions that day when we were 3-1 up and then back to 3-3.

“Going into extra time I thought we had lost it.

“But we won it on the day.

“One of my great regrets is that I didn’t get to go to the post final party at Fir Park as I had to get a bus back up to Aberdeen straight after the match.”

Saturday’s final – which was Graham’s first time watching Motherwell FC in the flesh for four years – ultimately proved to be a disappointment with Celtic winning 2-0 to complete a historic double treble.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the superfan’s enthusiasm for the Steelmen will never be curbed.

“I watch the games on TV over in Australia and I’m still a passionate Motherwell fan,” he said. “The games are on at 10pm at night over there and my missus is wondering what I’m doing when I’m shouting: ‘Ya dancer’ at the television late at night!

“I still follow the team as much as I can.”