General Manager of the ‘Well Society, Craig Hughes, has urged Motherwell supporters to back their fan ownership model before the club suffers another traumatic financial event.

The ‘Well Society are currently short of their target of 2000 adult members who are making a financial contribution, with 1358 currently pledging money towards the group as they near an agreement to take over the club from billionaire Les Hutchison.

With Hutchison stepping aside, Hughes is hoping that the removal of what may have been perceived as a wealthy benefactor for the club will motivate more Motherwell supporters who have yet to sign up to get involved, and help them to appreciate the stark realities of the club’s future if they don’t.

“I think before people might have been of the view that they don’t have to get involved because there was an owner there that was putting money into it,” Hughes said.

“I think Les said from the start that he wasn’t going to be here for the long-term, and now that he has said that his clear intention is to sell the club on to the society, people can see the urgency and see that they have to step up and support the club.

“We don’t have what people may have seen as that safety net anymore. Les is quite right to say that it’s now time for the fans to come on and play their part.

“We’re working hard to make sure that is a sustainable model that we’ve got, but it relies on fan ownership. If you want your say in running the club and the direction of the club, then you’ve got to put your money in.

“We can’t wait for a crisis, the fans have got to step up and show what the club means to them by getting involved in the ‘Well Society and making this work, because it could be a very positive thing to be the first Scottish Premiership team that is fully fan-owned.

“We could lead the way for a big change in Scottish football to the way it has got to be.

“A lot of fans, even those who are a little sceptical, are now seeing that there really isn’t any alternative. There aren’t businessmen queuing up to pump money into the club. If we want the club to be in safe hands, then it has to be in the hands of the fans.

“Since Les left we’ve had a positive reaction. I think some fans may wait until everything has gone through, but we need to keep pushing the message of the ‘Well Society and what we can do.”

The message of the ‘Well Society, Hughes admits, has not always been clearly stated. One of the main criticisms that have been levelled at the group is that it has failed in the past to effectively communicate not only with potential members, but with supporters who are already committed and parting with their hard-earned cash.

“I think the way the ‘Well Society started off, it was done quite urgently and without perhaps looking at a sustainable model moving forward,” Hughes conceded.

“It was maybe a bit short-sighted, and that’s why we’ve looked to make changes and get groups involved like Club Development Scotland and Supporters Direct, and we’ve looked to learn from other teams as well like the Foundation of Hearts, who have been a big help.

“Along the way we have made mistakes, but we are now building a proper structure that is sustainable for the future of the club.

“Communication is one thing we’ve definitely looked at, and now with the pathway to fan ownership being clear we can give a lot more access to the club and a lot more information, and let fans have a lot more of a say.

“Fan ownership isn’t just about putting your money in, it’s about feeling part of our club, and that’s what we want to do more of – encourage communication with the members.

“Hopefully fans will start to recognise that there are changes happening and we are now seeing a clear pathway to fan ownership, whereas before other clubs have had to fight tooth and nail to get it.

“We’re working hard to get things right throughout the club and build a sustainable future. It’s up to fans to buy into that.”

Motherwell, it goes without saying, is hardly one of Scotland’s most affluent areas. With a season ticket price increase announced late last week, it may simply be unfeasible for some supporters to dig any deeper into their pockets to financially support a football club.

While Hughes recognises this fact, he is hoping that enough people will see the benefits of contributing, even at the lower end of the scale, to ensure that the club has a sustainable future.

“It’s not massive amounts we’re looking for, if fans can contribute a fiver or a tenner a month then it’s all adding,” he said.

“I understand that people put money in through season tickets and strips, and it is all money coming into the club so it’s all important and it’s all valued, but we’re not asking for a lot extra.

“It’s a fiver or a tenner pledge a month, it’s not that much to ask in return for the security of your club.

“In return, we’ll be looking to give fans a bigger say in the way that the club is run, so we want the fans not to wait until there is a crisis.

“We want them to act now and make sure that Motherwell is in safe hands for the future.”