- published: 19 Mar 2016
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Coordinates: 55°47′02″N 3°59′07″W / 55.78396°N 3.98522°W / 55.78396; -3.98522
Motherwell (Scots: Mitherwall, Scottish Gaelic: Tobar na Màthar) is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more than a hamlet at that time. The town was a burgh from 1865 until it merged with the burgh of Wishaw in 1920.
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 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.
Mark Edward McGhee (born 25 May 1957 in Glasgow) is a former Scottish professional football player. He is currently the manager of Bristol Rovers. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading. McGhee was part of the Aberdeen side which won the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup and 1983 UEFA Super Cup, as well as three Scottish Premier Division titles. McGhee has since managed several clubs in both England and Scotland.
McGhee played for a host of Scottish and English clubs, before he had to abruptly retire because of injury. He started his playing career at Greenock Morton before moving on to Newcastle United – where he scored 36 goals in 99 appearances, including a fantastic last minute winner against Bradford, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading and won the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1982 as well as four caps and two goals for the Scotland national football team. He also played for Queen of the South as a guest player against Manchester United in a benefit game following the Lockerbie air disaster.