Phil O'donnell

[dboy]

Today at the motherwell v Dundee united game.Well captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed and was taken to hospital where sadly he died.

my thoughts are with his family at this terrible time

[mrtoad]

Terrible, terrible news. I'm sure that all footbal fans thoughts will be with the family. It such a sad event when someone so young dies in circumstances like this. RIP on the soccer pitch in the sky.

Motherwell captain O'Donnell dies

Source: BBC

Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell has died after collapsing towards the end of his side's Scottish Premier League game against Dundee United.

The 35-year-old midfielder fell to the ground just as he was about to be replaced with Marc Fitzpatrick near the end of Motherwell's 5-3 victory.

O'Donnell was treated for around five minutes on the field before being taken to a waiting ambulance.

But his death was later confirmed by Well chairman Bill Dickie.

Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith said: "This is absolutely devastating news.

"Phil was not just a wonderful footballer, he was a great human being.

"My thoughts are with his family at this tragic time."

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee had spoken briefly to the press after the game before going to hospital to find out how the skipper was.

PHIL O'DONNELL'S CAREER

1972 - born in Hamilton

1991 - joins Motherwell

1991 - scores in Scottish Cup final victory over Dundee United

1993 - earns only Scotland cap against Switzerland

1994 - sold to Celtic for a club record £1.75m

1999 - signs for Sheffield Wednesday

2003 - released after injury-hit spell at Wednesday

2004 - returns to Motherwell, becoming club captain

"He's had some sort of collapse," he said at the time.

McGhee said O'Donnell's substitution had been "an absolute coincidence" before his sudden seizure.

"We just felt we would save him a bit for Wednesday," said the manager.

O'Donnell's nephew, David Clarkson, was substituted moments later after scoring two goals in the Scottish Premier League match.

McGhee said: "We took Clarkson off because he got a fright from the nature of the collapse.

A news conference has been called at Wishaw General Hospital, which will be addressed by chief executive Ian Stillie

[game4shame]

very very sad news indeed.

I used to follow celtic quite closely when I was younger and o'donnell was a hoops player at that time.

RIP phil o'donnell.

Edited December 29, 2007 by game4shame

[Jockstar]

So sad. RIP.

[Spit the Dog]

I remember when O'Donnell first burst on to the scene with Motherwell in the early 90's, many people thought that he was destined for a great career. Unfortunately he suffered from terrible injuries and never really fulfilled his potential.

RIP Phil O'Donnell

[Sunderland]

Tragic news, especially for his family over the festive season. Always had a soft spot for Motherwell as my grandfather was a fan.

RIP

[mrbojangles]

Terrible news, thoughts are with his wife, kids and family.

RIP

[scousemouse]

I remember a few of my cousins who are Sheff Wed fans going on about him and how good he was.

RIP Phil O'Donnell.

[Mossfinn]

I remember O'Donnell when he left Celtic with a colleague, whose name escapes me and both signed for Wednesday.

Tragic, Rest in Peace.

Moss

[marshbags]

I remember O'Donnell when he left Celtic with a colleague, whose name escapes me and both signed for Wednesday.

Tragic, Rest in Peace.

Moss

Simon Donnell M.F.

Both players were unfortunately injury plagued and were unable to play to their potential.

How sad that Phill O`Donnell has lost his life at such a young age.

We remember him well at Hillsborough and there was plenty of saddened Wednesdayites at the game on Sunday against Hull.

The result of which, along with our present position come secondary to this, for me.

There was a minutes applause for him and how much better this is, IMPO than a minutes silence.

After all the players associate applause to appreciation, while on the other hand silence usually means the opposite.

I applaud Phill O`Donnell in appreciation of his contributions not only to our club but to football during his playing career.

Rest In Peace, P. O.

marshbags

P.S.

When you consider the comparisons of a certain player in another thread who,s talent is abused by his behaviour, i cannot help but think of the injustice of the scenario,s and the same thought i often think these days, WHY

How very, very, saddened this makes me feel.

No further comment on this will keep the threads objectives on topic, sorry, i felt i had to make this comment on this one rather than the other thread as it was my immediate thought after the initial reactions and as a way of complimenting P.O.,s attributes and contributions to the game.

Edited December 31, 2007 by marshbags

[mrtoad]

Well said Marshbags.

[mrbojangles]

Well said Marshbags.

I concur

[Mossfinn]

Simon Donnell M.F.

That's right, thanks very much, although I think it is Donnelly.

Moss

[marshbags]

Simon Donnell M.F.

That's right, thanks very much, although I think it is Donnelly.

Moss

Correct, i got the last part of the surnames mixed up while composing

Apologies for the Y being left off.

Unfortunately we didn,t see to much of them during their stay, playing wise, due to horrendous injury problems.

Possibly due to the physical demands of English football at the time.

I even saw them from time to time having physio during my visits under the south stand.

Thanks for pointing it out M. F.

marshbags

Edited January 1, 2008 by marshbags

[Mossfinn]

Apologies for the Y being left off.

Thanks for the info, I wasn't, as you seem to appreciate being pedantic, just clearing up the spelling.

Thanks for getting the name to me, it was driving me a little mad in trying to remember.

Moss

[Mosha]

http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=7132216

Heart failure.

[Tatler]

I'm gutted by the sad passing of Phil O'donnell at the young age of 35, my thoughts are with his family. Again the problems was heart failure in a fit young man, what can be done to stop this happening again?? any thoughts or idea's??

[Neeranam]

Very sad to hear - I was born in Lanark and used to support Motherwell.

[Jockstar]

Football figures gather for O'Donnell funeral

Leading figures from the world of Scottish football will gather on Friday to remember Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell at his funeral in Hamilton.

Every top-flight club is expected to be represented at St Mary's Church in his hometown for the noon service.

O'Donnell collapsed from heart failure during his side's 5-3 victory over Dundee United on Saturday.

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee described O'Donnell, who was 35, as a 'man among boys' because of the way his younger team-mates, including nephew David Clarkson, looked up to him.

The club's players and staff will be joined at the church by their opponents from that tragic day as every member of the United first team plans to attend after being hit hard by the tragedy.

United were unsuccessful in a request to have Wednesday's game against Hearts postponed out of respect to O'Donnell and their goalscorers in a 4-1 win, Barry Robson and Noel Hunt, both dedicated their goals to the tragic star.

Tannadice manager Craig Levein said: 'The first-team squad and the coaching staff will be going to Phil's funeral to pay our respects.

'The lads have been really close together since it happened and we all want to be there.'

O'Donnell's former Motherwell club-mate Fraser Wishart, the chief executive of PFA Scotland, believes the former Sheffield Wednesday player was one of the most likeable people in the game.

Wishart told Sky Sports: 'Phil O'Donnell was one of these guys who didn't have a bad word to say about anyone else.

'Football is a ruthless business, we all have people who don't like us, but I can genuinely say there is not one person in Scottish football who has a bad word to say about Phil O'Donnell.

'I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and his worries were about other people, about young players who leave the game, about the pressures being placed on referees.'

Thousands of fans of Motherwell, his former team Celtic and those from other clubs are expected to line the streets outside the church as the funeral cortege makes its way to Bent Cemetery.

The car park in front of Fir Park has been covered in tributes to the player including shirts, scarves, banners, candles and flowers.

Old Firm skippers Barry Ferguson and Stephen McManus, both friends of O'Donnell and fellow Lanarkshire men, visited the stadium together earlier this week to pay tribute.

Neil Lennon and Gordon Strachan also visited along with a series of former Motherwell players such as Scott McDonald, Richie Foran, Lee McCulloch, Joe Wark and Dougie Arnott.

O'Donnell's widow, Eileen also visited the temporary shrine along with members of her family, and the couple's four children left their own emotional farewell to their father.

O'Donnell made his Motherwell debut in late 1990 and scored his first goal in their 4-3 Scottish Cup final win over Dundee United at the end of that season.

The box-to-box midfielder moved to Celtic for £1.75million in September 1994 after winning his only Scotland cap against Switzerland.

He scored twice on his debut against Partick Thistle but injuries hampered his Parkhead career. However, he was an integral part of the team that stopped Rangers winning 10 titles in a row in 1998.

And after more bad luck with injuries ruined his four-year spell at Sheffield Wednesday, he cemented his hero status at Motherwell after his return in 2003 by going on to skipper the club until his tragic death.

[Jockstar]

Motherwell rename stand in honour of O'Donnell

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Motherwell are re-naming the main stand at their Fir Park ground after their captain Phil O'Donnell who died after collapsing during a Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United last month.

In a statement on their website club owner John Boyle confirmed the Main Stand would be re-named the Phil O'Donnell Stand from the start of next season.

Boyle said: 'Since Phil's death there has been a heartfelt desire by everyone associated with Motherwell and throughout the football world to create a lasting memorial to Phil at Fir Park.

'The club and our supporters believe the renaming of the main stand as the Phil O'Donnell Stand is entirely fitting in view of the outstanding contribution Phil made to the club over many years.'

O'Donnell's father, Bernard, said: 'The family regards the naming of the stand after him as a great honour and we will always appreciate this in the years to come.'

O'Donnell, 35, collapsed near the end of the home match against Dundee United on Dec. 29 which Motherwell 5-3.

Motherwell postponed two of their games following O'Donnell's death as a mark of respect.

Their players will wear a special shirt for the rest of the season with O'Donnell's autograph embroidered on the front.

The players asked for the signature to be woven into their shirts as a tribute to their former skipper and the new shirt will be worn for the first time when they play Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle on Saturday.

[paddyinthailand]

As another Wednesdayite who saw unfortunately far too little of him as a player, I am very sorry to hear of his untimely death but also heartened that he was able to rebuild his career again in Scotland and is remembered so fondly.

RIP