On 17 May 1886, in a pub in the Scottish town of Motherwell, two works teams decided to become one. Motherwell turns 141 on 17 May 2027. And it wears a colour combination no other team in Scotland has.

Two works teams, one town

Glencairn and Alpha were works teams in the town. Their representatives met in a pub on Merry Street and agreed to form a club that would represent the whole of Motherwell.

The new team simply took the town's name. Its nickname, however, "The Steelmen", is a reminder that Motherwell was a steel town for decades. Fans also call it simply "the Well".

Before the claret and amber

In its early years Motherwell wore blue and white. When it turned professional in 1893 it appeared in maroon shirts and "satin knickerbockers", a description Historical Football Kits considers almost certainly embellished.

The maroon did not last long and was quickly replaced by light blue. The big change, though, came shortly before the First World War.

Claret and amber: a Scottish one-off

In 1913 the club adopted claret and amber, something unique in Scottish League history. Sources disagree about where the colours came from.

The most common version says the team copied English side Bradford City, who were enjoying success at the time in the same colours and similar shirts. Another version, which UEFA also follows, links them to the racing colours of Lord Hamilton of Dalzell's horses.

In 1928 came the design that became the club's signature: an amber shirt with a broad claret band across the chest. The current crest has been in use since 1982, and for the 125th anniversary in 2011 the team wore a commemorative Puma shirt.

The golden season of 1932 and the cups

Motherwell have only one league title, from 1931-32, and what a title it was. Willie MacFadyen scored 52 goals that season, a Scottish league record.

The first Scottish Cup came in 1952 with a 4-0 win over Dundee. The second, in 1991, was the so-called "family final": Motherwell beat Dundee United 4-3 after extra time, with managers Tommy and Jim McLean being brothers.

Club legends include Hughie Ferguson with 284 league goals, Bob Ferrier with 626 appearances and Ian St John, whose sale to Liverpool paid for work at the ground.

The trophy cabinet also holds a League Cup, from 1950-51. In Europe, its biggest win is an 8-1 against Albania's Flamurtari in 2009.

Fir Park, Phil and a date with Panathinaikos

Since the mid-1890s the team has played at Fir Park, on land originally leased from Lord Hamilton. In 2012 it hosted Panathinaikos there in the Champions League qualifiers, with the Greeks going through after 2-0 and 3-0 wins.

The most moving page in the club's history is Phil O'Donnell, a scorer in the 1991 final, who died on the pitch in 2007. The following season's shirts carried his embroidered signature, and the club honours him with the number 10.

Celebrate with us

From two works teams in a pub to Scotland's one and only claret and amber, Motherwell have always remained the team of the steel town. Happy 141st birthday, Steelmen!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Motherwell's Fir Park from the air – Lewismccabe, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.