[4] Fir Park did not get off to a convincing start, with low attendances leading to rumours that Hibernian were ready to take over the stadium, something that didn't materialise.

[4] Only routine work was needed to keep the ground within the legislation, but it reduced capacity from 35,000 to 22,500 (including 3,500 seats in the Main Stand and two open terraces behind each goal).

[4] Construction of the stand stopped 20 yards short of the south end, however, because a local resident successfully objected to a full-length structure because it would have restricted light to the garden and reduced the value of the property.

[4][6] By the time the property owner had decided to sell, Motherwell did not have the funds or will to complete a full-length main stand, leaving a section of the frame intact but unused to this day.

[4] Floodlight lamps were built on its roof and that of the main stand to host floodlit matches, and the first of these, against Preston North End, was played in 1956.

[4] To meet the Taylor Report requirements, it was converted to seating and re-cladded in the early 1990s, the £750,000 work financed partly by the club's Scottish Cup win in 1991.

The Scottish Health Council slogan "Keep cigarettes away from the match" adorned the roof for many years,[4] but this was replaced by a Cash Converters advertisement in 2011.

[4] In 2016, the East Enclosure was renamed in honour of John Hunter, manager of the club's only Scottish Football League title-winning team in 1931–32.

[10] Further refurbishments, including the replacement of all seats, took place in early 2021, following the recent club record sale of David Turnbull, and with supporters unable to attend the stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.

[13][14] The upper deck offers a panoramic view, beyond the centre of Motherwell to the distant Ochil Hills and Ben Lomond.

[13] When the South Stand was first opened, Motherwell offered £20 debentures guaranteeing tickets for the games played by the relevant visiting team at Fir Park.

[13] Motherwell were refused planning permission to construct a two tier structure, of similar design as the South Stand, at that end.

The slope causes issues with drainage and turf quality, as does the shadow over the grass for most of each sunny day created by the looming South Stand.

The pitch and the consequent fixture congestion forced Gretna, who were ground-sharing with Motherwell in the 2007–08 season, to play one of their league games at Almondvale Stadium in Livingston.

In the 2008–09 season, a Motherwell game against Hearts was called off due to the pitch being frozen, which prompted media criticism as the required under-soil heating should have prevented this.

[22] The drastic change in the playing surface came after considerable investment including the purchase of several lighting rigs to encourage turf growth, the cessation of all activities other than first team matches – preserving its condition and promoting an idea of grandeur and exclusivity among the youth squads hoping to play on it – and expert refurbishment led by head groundskeeper Paul Matthew who joined the club in 2014.

[36] In November 2019, with the club almost free of debt, chief executive Alan Burrows stated that the possibility of leaving Fir Park for a new ground "probably has to be a debate and a question that is put on the agenda quite high in the not too distant future" due to the age and standard of some of the facilities;[37] however in early 2021, extensive refurbishments were carried out on the John Hunter Stand, with Burrows indicating work would also be carried out on the other stands.