Motherwell “very reluctantly” accepted the resignation of manager Stuart Kettlewell after “personal abuse” from a section of fans forced his family away from matches.
Motherwell sit fifth in the William Hill Premiership but some fans had turned against Kettlewell, particularly in the wake of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup defeat by St Johnstone on January 18.
After another defeat in Perth on Saturday, this time in the league, the former Ross County manager decided he has had enough of the criticism.
We can confirm the Club Board of Directors have very reluctantly accepted the resignation of Stuart Kettlewell.
— Motherwell FC (@MotherwellFC) January 27, 2025
Motherwell confirmed their board of directors had “very reluctantly” accepted the 40-year-old’s resignation.
A statement added: “Stuart approached chief executive Brian Caldwell on Monday morning to explain why he wished to resign. Stuart explained that some of the personal abuse was now affecting his family, to the point where they didn’t wish to attend games.
“As a result, he felt it would be best if he tendered his resignation.”
Caldwell said: “It’s really sad that Stuart felt that the time was right to move on. He had an exceptional record and has generated an impressive amount of transfer income for the club.
“He has been a critical factor in the development of Motherwell academy graduates, as well as developing young loan players during his tenure.
“When Stuart approached me, I was very disappointed to learn the effect this was having on his family and how he was feeling. No manager, player, or club employee, every one of whom gives their all for the club, should feel this way.
“We therefore had no option but to reluctantly accept his resignation in the best interests of Stuart and his family. As a fan-owned, community-driven football club, we will always look after our own.”
The statement continued: “The club wishes to thank Stuart for his hard work and total dedication during his time at the club. We wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”
Assistant manager Stephen Frail will take charge for Sunday’s visit of Celtic, assisted by Jon Obika and Richard Foster.
Kettlewell departs almost exactly two years after taking over, initially on a caretaker basis, from Steven Hammell.
He guided a struggling side to seventh in the Premiership and finished ninth last season, taking a top-six push to the wire both times.
Motherwell reached the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals this season and Kettlewell leaves them in mid-table despite being hit with a spate of significant injuries throughout the season.
Losing ball-playing midfielders such as Callum Slattery, Sam Nicholson, Lennon Miller, Harry Paton, Ross Callachan and Jack Vale for long spells hindered the team’s creativity but much of the criticism towards Kettlewell was based on the style of play and entertainment levels.
Kettlewell has excelled in other areas, notably developing players. The sale of Kevin van Veen, Theo Bair and Max Johnston has brought in about £2million and the expectation is that Miller will move for a club-record fee after establishing himself as a key player under Kettlewell.
The board of the fan-owned club now face the difficult prospect of finding a permanent manager who can continue that important work while also getting results.
As the club themselves stated: “Stuart has managed 92 games overall, boasting a win percentage of 41.3 per cent, the highest of any Motherwell manager since Stuart McCall.”
