Stephen captained Northern Ireland as he won his 50th Cap for his country in a  1-0 win over Slovenia in Maribor tonight in a Euro 2010 qualifier, thanks to a goal from Corry Evans in the 70th minute.

This was his 48th cap as a Motherwell player, after winning two while at Partick Thistle, hopefully he will make 50 with Motherwell in the Euro Qualifiers in October. This would make him the first ever Well player to mark this milestone while with the club.

Before the game Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington praised the Motherwell skipper saying, “I have known Stephen for the last three years and what you get from him is a solid performance.

“He is always there. He is a terrific servant, a fantastic professional and great to have around the group.”

Motherwell skipper Stephen Craigan will captain Northern Ireland in Wednesday’s friendly against Montenegro in Podgorica.

Craigan captained Northern Ireland on the summer tour against Turkey and Chile and retains the armband because Aaron Hughes is again ruled out.

The 33-year-old will earn his 49th cap in Wednesday’s friendly.

Maik Taylor had also been in contention for the captaincy but manager Nigel Worthington has plumped for Craigan.

“Stephen is heading towards his 50th cap and with Aaron not being here it is nice to share the captaincy around,” said Worthington.

“Stephen has been the captain in the last two games and did very well in the role.

“I spoke to Maik and he had no issues with it at all. He is delighted for Stephen.”

Motherwell skipper Craigan is to be recognised by his home town after being given the honour of captaining his country on their recent Summer tour. Ards Borough Council have decided to mark this achievement for the Cromer born Craigan.

He will receive a letter of appreciation after captaining the international side during its recent tour of the US and Chile.

Councillor Simon Hamilton, who tabled the motion at council, said the people of Comber and the wider Ards area were “immensely proud” of him.

“His captaincy of the team in its recent games against Turkey and Chile is I believe a unique achievement for someone from our area and worthy of praise and recognition,” Mr Hamilton said

A selection of photos from Stephen Craigan’s Testimonial Dinner can now be viewed in the Photos section of the website.

http://www.stephencraigan.com/photos/

280 guests paid tribute to Motherwell skipper Stephen Craigan at Saturday’s Testimonial Dinner at the Strathclyde Hilton.

The guests were entertained by host Tam Cowan, BBC Pundit Chick Young and Comedian Gary Little. The three of them provided a belly full of laughs for those who attended.

Many then dug deep in their pockets for both the raffle and the auction. The highlight of the raffle was a signed, frame Scotland Goalkeeper’s top from Craig Gordon. As for the auction the highlight was the bidding for the Claret and Amber ribbons from the Scottish Cup win from 1991, these were sold for £1400. The total raised from the auction was £7300 - a big thank you to all who took part.

Stephen and his Testimonial Committee would like to thank everyone who attended and made the night an unforgettable one for Stephen and his family.

Saturday night’s Testimonial Dinner at the Strathclyde Hilton has proved to be very popular with all the tables available now SOLD OUT.

Details of more events will be posted here when available.

Comedian Gary Little will join Tam Cowan and Chick Young to provide the entertainment at Stephen Craigan’s Testimonial Dinner on Saturday 27th February.

Gary’s comedy career kicked off in 2003, since 2005, Gary has been recognised as an established headline act in clubs throughout Scotland, including The Stand, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

This year, he has progressed to regular gigs throughout the United Kingdom, including Jongleurs and other respected venues. He has also played this year’s Leicester Comedy Festival (Best of Scotland).

‘Gary Little is a very big man who is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects. Rib tickling if not quite touching’.

The Daily Record

‘ Punchy, perceptive and puerile’.

The List

The Testimonial Committee are pleased to announce the first of the speakers who will be at the Testimonial Dinner on Saturday 27th February 2010.

The evening will be compered by Motherwell fan and host of BBC Scotland’s Off The Ball Tam Cowan and he will be joined on the night by  BBC Pundit Chick Young.

The first speaker announced for the night is  BBC Pundit, and colleague of Craigan’s on BBC Sportsound, Chick Young. Young has had 30 years of experience covering the game in Scotland, breaking many exclusives in that time.

 He is a popular speaker on the after dinner circuit as he shares stories gathered on his travels covering the beautiful game in Scotland.

Tickets for the dinner at the Strathclyde Hilton, Bellshill are available from the Fir Park ticket office, priced at £50 per head or a table of ten for £500 or twelve for £600.

The first batch of photos from the Testimonial Golf Day at Carluke Golf Club have been added into the Photos section of the Website.

Have a look and see if your group has been included….

Motherwell’s popular skipper Stephen Craigan is in the middle of his Testimonial Year and his Testimonial Committee are pleased to announce first details of his Testimonial Dinner.

The Dinner will take place on Saturday 27^th February 2010 at the Strathclyde Hilton, Bellshill, and will be hosted by the ever popular Motherwell season ticket holder and host of BBC Radio Scotland’s “Off the Ball”, Tam Cowan.

The evening will also boast two more top speakers/comedians that are still to be announced. Stephen is putting up a selection of memorabilia he has collected throughout his career for action and as raffle prizes. There will also be the opportunity to get hold of items from clubs across the length and breadth of the country.

The cost of the evening is £50 per person, tables can be booked either for 10 at £500 per table or for 12 at £600 per table. Tickets can be obtained from Fir Park.