Phil O Donnell

Phil O Donnell RIP

8 years today we had the sad passing of Phil O'Donnell 29/12/2007

 

RIP Phil

 

9 years ago today

 

R.I.P.

Mad to think it was 9 years ago.

 

TODAY, Thursday, December 29, marks the ninth anniversary of Phil O’Donnell´s tragic and untimely death at the age of just 35. The midfielder was captaining Motherwell during their match with Dundee United at Fir Park in 2007 when he collapsed on the pitch and died. His death sparked a huge outpouring of grief among the whole of Scottish football.

At the end of the 2007/08 season, over 60,000 supporters turned out at Celtic Park for a tribute match between the Celtic team that ‘stopped-the-10’ and the Motherwell side which lifted the Scottish Cup in 1991.

Phil, of course, made a significant contribution to those successes at both clubs. He began his playing career with Motherwell, and at the age of just 19, he helped the club win the Scottish Cup in 1991, scoring in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Dundee United in the final at Hampden.

In September 1994, Tommy Burns signed Phil for Celtic, and at the time he was the club’s record signing. And he got off to a great start with the Hoops, scoring both goals in the 2-1 victory over Partick Thistle at Firhill on September 10.

He went on to lift the Scottish Cup with Celtic at the end of that season as Tommy Burns’ side beat Airdrie 1-0 in the final. And he was also an important part of the squad when Celtic ‘stopped the 10’ in 1998, winning their first league title in a decade.

During five years at Celtic between 1994-99, Phil made a total of 121 games for Celtic, scoring 20 goals.

From Celtic, he moved south to Sheffield Wednesday, remaining there until 2003. After returning to Scotland, he rejoined Motherwell in 2004, and was an important part of the team over the next three years as captain of the club.

His sad and untimely death at the age of just 35 robbed football of a fine player and a great role model. Much more importantly, it robbed a family of a loving husband and father, and our thoughts and prayers remain, as always, with his wife Eileen and their four children.

 

R.I.P Phil hard to believe its been 9 years

 

As the 10th anniversary of footballer Phil O'Donnell's death approaches, his daughter Megan pays an emotional tribute.

In her own words she describes how the family have coped and reveals a memorial fundraiser in his name.

TEN years is a long time. If someone were to ask you to recall a memory you have from 2007, you'd probably struggle.

That year, the world was thrown into a financial crisis - a crisis that we are still recovering from. The final Harry Potter book took its place on our bookshelves, and Apple launched its first iPhone.

It was a year of change, a year which shaped the world we live in today.

It was also the year I witnessed the death of my father; Celtic, Motherwell and Scotland footballer, Phil O'Donnell.

He died on the pitch in front of a crowded stadium on December 29. A day I'll remember for the rest of my life. I was 12-years-old.

The age of 12 marks the beginning of a turbulent transition period. For most young girls, being 12 marks the start of high school and kick-starts a few long years of following the crowd before discovering your own likes and interests. It marks making friends, changing your appearance and trying to be “grown-up”. Little did I know that at 12-years-old, my family life would be completely turned upside down.

The first few months after my dad’s passing are a blur, all I remember is the house being full of people and flowers – with all the visitors stopping by to pay their respects, I learned how to make a perfect cup of tea. I also learned that family is so important, and in tragic times everyone rallies round to help one another.

In my eyes, my mum is superwoman. She survived becoming a widow at the age of 35 and she survived having to bring up four children all by herself. I know my dad will be beaming with pride at the amazing job she has done.

To say that I miss my dad is a fairly obvious statement to make.

I miss the car journeys to school every morning, belting out Queen’s greatest hits and singing songs from the Forrest Gump soundtrack.

I miss playing football in the hallway, with him as the goalie in the door frame whilst my brother and I chase the ball in our pyjamas and I miss his shockingly bad karaoke renditions of Neil Diamond’s Forever in Blue Jeans. But I don’t think that missing him has been the saddest part of the past 10 years. I often think about the fact that I will never truly know him.

At 12, your parents are your parents and that is that – they know best, they make the rules and you do as you are told.

However, as the years go by the line between parent and friend starts to blur. I am now at an age where I can class my mum as one of my best friends and it hurts my heart to think of what could have been with my dad. I can only rely on fading childhood memories, and stories being passed down from relatives and friends to grasp an idea of what he was like outside of his role as father.

Aside from the fact that this year marks a decade since his death, 2017 marks poignant year in my own life as I prepare to graduate from university and fly the nest – two of the most important moments of my life that my dad won't be here to see.

Unlike my siblings, I was lucky to have my dad present for my first day of high school – my youngest brother, Luc, didn’t even have a father to see him on his first day of primary school.

But I wasn’t able to share my excitement of getting into university with my dad, and I know that when I graduate I will miss him more than ever.

The saying goes “it’s who you look for in a crowded room”, and I know that when I collect my degree next week, I’ll not only be looking for my mum and my grandma in the crowd, I’ll also be looking for a sign that he is with me.

To mark my dad’s 10th anniversary this year, I mentioned to my mum that I wanted to organise a big fundraiser for him.

We got together with my dad’s close friend and old teammate, Simon Donnelly, to brainstorm ideas and agreed on joining forces with Jordan Moore in completing the West Highland Way and Ben Nevis.

Ex-Dundee United player, Jordan, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2014 at a mere 19 years of age. He has now made a full recovery and will be taking part in the challenge alongside his old Dundee United coaches - Jackie McNamara, Simon Donnelly and Darren Jackson. In teaming up with Jordan, two football communities have fused together, thus creating Football Unites.


The challenge begins today at Milngavie and will finish at the top of Ben Nevis. The money raised will be split between Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and the Teenage Cancer Trust – two charities close to the hearts of both my family and Jordan’s.

In the decade that we have been without my dad, I’ve learned that death is a funny thing. When it happens unexpectedly, it’s so difficult to imagine everything being normal again. People tell you that “time is the best healer”, and it is true. Although the grief doesn’t fully go away – time allows you to adjust and helps turn the shock into your new normal. So although we are now approaching 10 years since the passing of my dad, Football Unites hopes to keep his memory alive.

Though time may pass and the pain of losing someone becomes easier to deal with, we should never forget and Football Unites hopes to keep my dad’s memory alive as well as raising money to make a difference over the next ten years.

 

Yeah, it's an extremely touching read, poor girl.

 

Phil signed for Celtic on this day in 1994
https://mobile.twitter.com/CelticLisboa/status/906291111534190593/video/1

 

Was at the game against Thistle, he was absolutely superb and I thought offt here we go. But he was hampered terribly by injuries which was sad as he was a fine footballer.

 

My pals brother loved Phil had his number on his top and everything.

 

Wee guy I work with his uncle plays for Motherwell and says Phil was an absolute gem of a guy, he is a hun aswell but won't hear a bad word said about him. I suppose I'm wrong and they aren't all that bad.

 

Don't think anyone had a bad word to say about him.

 

Aye, good honest pro that played for the club he loved and the other club in his life Motherwell. But to lose your life at that age doing the thing you loved, honestly * me it's a cruel world.

 

Must have hard for his family to be at the game that day he died.

 

Aye mate must have been horrible, and to think that mob bring up us cancelling a game over it. That shows you their warped views over certain stuff.

 

My dad said the same thing a few years back to me.