MOTHERWELL chairman Brian McCafferty has urged fans to stump up £10 a month to keep their fan ownership dream alive.

Last month a deal was completed that saw Lanarkshire businessman Les Hutchison take over at Fir Park after loaning £650,000 to the club.

It was a move that was part of the Well Society's bid to own the the Lanarkshire outfit, with Mr Hutchison's shares being transferred over to the supporters group within five years once his cash injection has been repaid.

The loan is scheduled to be paid back by the club at regular intervals, with the Society stepping in to make up any shortfall.

However, Mr McCafferty, who was chair of the Society and now the club, has explained that 1000 extra supporters must join the cause if the scheme is to stay on track.

And he has called on fans who are already members to follow the example of Hearts fans and set up a standing order to make sure they have enough funds.

He said: "If both the club and the Well Society are unable to repay Les Hutchison's loan he will ultimately have to sell the club to recoup his loan.

"However, no suitable buyer emerged in several years after John Boyle put the club up for sale and the only other option in recent months was a foreign consortium. We run the risk of the club falling into the wrong hands or, in the worst-case scenario, Les would have the option of triggering an insolvency event to recoup his money.

"Currently, the society does not have enough reserves to be able to guarantee that it can always provide sufficient cash when the club might need it over the period of the loan.

"To ensure that it is able to cover any shortfalls the society needs to raise more than twice as much cash as it has thus far. To safeguard the club the society must recruit an additional 1,000 new adult members."

Mr McCafferty added: "As Chairman of your club and also Chairman of the Well Society, whose mission is to help the club financially through thick and thin, I am appealing to every Motherwell fan to support the club by joining the 'Well Society. By paying the equivalent of one cup of coffee a week you and I, together, will be able to avoid the worst case scenario.

"In a similar way that fans in the Foundation of Hearts are paying Ann Budge for her shares, Motherwell fans can repay Les Hutchison's loan by paying regular monthly payments by direct debit to the Well Society.

"Hearts fans pay on average nearly £20 per month by direct debit to save their club. I am appealing to all Motherwell fans to pay at least £10 or more by direct debit to save Motherwell FC and place it in the hands of those who care for it most."