MOTHERWELL majority shareholder Les Hutchison has insisted there would be no cutting of the cloth if the Fir Park side were relegated this season.

The Barbados-based businessman, whose shares will eventually be sold to the Well Society, remains confident that the Lanarkshire side will escape the drop but feels the business plan is in place to see them return to the top flight if the worst came to the worst. The Lanarkshire side are currently three points adrift in the battle to avoid the play-offs.

"My nerves are absolutely fine, though I can't speak for my daughter's, who attends all the matches," Hutchison told radio station Clyde 1. "If we had the same results for the full year that we have had since Ian Baraclough took over then we would be sitting third in the league.

"I am pleased to say that there is a parachute payment which would allow us to do what we are doing," he added. "So from day to day, a players' point of view, coaching staff, there won't be any changes. There is no intention to cut the cloth at all. I have every confidence we will be in the Premiership going forward but it is not hypercritical for the business. We are in a longer-term programme and if we did go down I think we would bounce straight back. I am very confident though, based on statistics, that we will survive."

While some players will leave the club regardless this summer, that will be natural wastage and thinning of a squad which grew markedly in January. A number of players who are currently on-loan are also likely to return to their parent clubs.

"We have already signed a significant number of players, ones that we see as part of the strategy we are trying to develop. We have a large squad at the moment so there will be some changes but nothing forced."

With two games remaining the Fir Park club currently trail Ross County and Kilmarnock by three points and have an inferior goal difference to both, but Hutchinson said he was encouraged by the support the club was receiving from the fans and re-iterated the fact he would not earn a penny out of the deal. The Barbados-based Scot bought out John Boyle's 70% stake after putting up an interest-free loan to the Premiership club.

"We only measure the home fans and there has been a very encouraging trend in the last few months," said Hutchison. "Particularly on Saturday in home games we have done particularly well. It is well documented that I don't make any money out of it. My involvement is purely philanthropic. It goes back to my early days. My success is partly due to the work I did here in the early days so I owe this community something big."