Football is not in Paterson's plan for future

jim reynolds

15 May 1989

Motherwell 1, Hearts 1

TOMMY McLean, the manager of Motherwell, can take a deal of satisfaction from a tail-end of the season in which his side were unbeaten in their last five matches.

Now, however, the battle begins to keep key players at Fir Park, a hazard that will always be with provincial managers such as McLean.

Out of contract defenders Fraser Wishart and Craig Paterson have been linked with Celtic and Dunfermline respectively, but McLean is not interested in rumour.

"As far as I'm concerned it's all talk.

I haven't heard anything official," said the Motherwell manager.

"Those two players have been offered new terms here."

In Paterson's case, however, the new contract will be turned down this week -- but not because the former Rangers captain is planning a walkout.

In fact, the big centre half has not given much thought to his football future at all.

He said yesterday: "Now that the season has ended I feel it is time I had a good think about my long-term future and that will be outside the game.

I have never had any ambitions to become a manager or a coach and at 29 it's maybe time I decided how to make use of the six Highers I achieved while I was at school.

"Since then football has been my life, but it has been an up and down career -- good years with Hibs, injury plagued years at Rangers, and now another trouble-free spell with Motherwell.

It's a fickle business.

I could go on playing until I'm 35 and find myself on the scrap-heap with no qualifications to do anything else, but I don't intend to let that happen.

"For the moment I will be concentrating on doing a business course and that is the only reason I will be turning down the new contract.

According to the rules I have to reply to the club's offer within a certain time limit and at the moment I have to say no -- not because I am planning on going anywhere but just to give myself a little bit of time and to concentrate fully on my business studies."

Tommy McLean also revealed after the Hearts match that he is retaining all his players for next season, but that he will listen to offers for four of his first-team squad, Alex Kennedy, Steve Cowan, David Shanks and John Philliben.

He said: "They all want regular first-team football, but that is something I can't guarantee anyone."

On the bright side for Motherwell is the emergence of such young talent as Colin O'Neill, Chris McCart and Dougie Arnott.

They have gained valuable experience in what has been an unspectacular season and they will be much better equipped for the rigours of the premier-division next season, when McLean hopes to have found a striker who can grab him at least 10 goals.

It is no secret that the lack of a front man who can score goals was the main cause of the spectre of relegation hanging over Fir Park in the earlier stages.

But with young talent coming through the ranks McLean can look forward with a degree of optimism.

The enthusiasm of the three mentioned saved what could have been a total bore on Saturday.

Motherwell provided the entertainment that was going, while a jaded-looking Hearts side did little more than go through the motions.

Once again, however, the Fir Park failure to convert chances denied them what would have been a deserved victory.

They looked to have the game won after an O'Neill penalty goal early in the second half, but paid the price for bad finishing when Neil Berry headed a fine equaliser with 12 minutes left.

MOTHERWELL -- Maxwell, Wishart, Boyd, Paterson, McAdam, McCart, Russell, O'Neill, Arnott, Kirk, Gahagan.

Substitutes -- Dolan, Mair.

HEARTS -- Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, Levein, Berry, McPherson, Moore, Galloway, Colquhoun, Black, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Crabbe, Jardine.

Referee -- D Hope (Erskine).

Taken from the Herald