O’Donnell Dies of Heart Failure

January 3, 2008

Phil O’Donnell, a veteran Motherwell captain at 35 and a father to four children, collapsed due to a heart failure during a Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United seconds before he was about to be substituted. The doctors tried to treat him on the pitch but to no avail. Five minutes after, he was taken through an ambulance to the Wishaw General Hospital.

During the match, O’Donnell was about to be replaced by Marc Fitzpatrick, but he momentarily fell to the ground prior to the substitution. The players in the field and the audience were in shock during the incident. Everybody thought that he merely fainted since he was unconscious on the floor, but the people never really expected that the game was going to be his last.

In connection, Wednesday’s Old Firm match amid Celtic and Rangers has been rescheduled as tribute and respect to the death of O’Donnell last weekend. The match is the third Scottish game supposedly to be held on Wednesday.

Motherwell boss Bill Dickie confirmed the death shortly after the match. He had a difficult time explaining what had happened over the last few hours and was clearly still in a state of shock. The fans, O’Donnell’s family and the club were grieved by what has happened.

Tributes from all around the world has been given and reported through the television and the net. His death has been compared to that of Antonio Puerta earlier this season.

The funeral service will be held at South Lanarkshire on Friday noon. The Funeral Mass at St Mary’s Church, Hamilton, will be followed by incarceration in the nearby Bent Cemetery. O’Donnell’s wife, Eileen, has requested that the church service be exclusively for friends and family. Directors, management and players of Motherwell FC, representatives from other football clubs and football organizations will be welcome.

Unfortunately for the fans, given the limited number of seats in the church, they will not be able to witness the service but will be given the chance to show their respect in the cemetery. After the internment, the family and friends will be having a reception at Fir Park.

In the middle of all these, it is still worth remembering how O’Donnell has been an asset to the football world. What he made of his career is truly remarkable. His 17 years in British football tells a story of solid achievement, loyalty, and talent. He has had injuries throughout most of his career, but it has been considered as a manifestation of his hard work and determination to be a better player despite knowing that he is less gifted than the others.

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