Phil O'Donnell

Where to start, a true Motherwell legend and more importantly husband to his wife Eileen and a father to four young children has left us. It was the worst I have ever felt at a football game in all my life as he collapsed comepletely out of the blue, the horrible errie quiet as everyone feared the worst but hoped for the best.

It should have been a match to remember for all the right reasons but will now only be remembered for the horrific consequences. I was in the pub after with friends and initial reports suggested he was conscious so still worried we alll had our fingers crossed and briefly enjoyed what had been a fabulous win. But we all were still trying to find out news via texts and so on from people listening to radios and what not at home and others in Centenery suite at Fir Park itself. Finally the news was heard that Phil had died, it wasn't official it came from someone we knew inside Fir Park, just a fan but in the hospitality section. He had said someone came in and told them, it was impossible to believe but almost as impossible that someone would make something like this up, a cloud really descended on the place as eventually other sources backed up the inital source. By the time it was reported on sky sports news we all knew, but there was no more hiding from the truth.

A dozen times I've felt tears well up at memories of Uncle Phil, how strange a nickname that still seems when I think of the fresh faced youngster I watched come through the ranks, but I've always managed to just about hold them back usually because I've been trying to talk to someone about it at the time. What his family must be feeling is incomparable, Phil O'Donnell the footballer holds a special place in my heart but I never knew the man personally and for that I'm glad because by all acocunts he was a thoroughly great guy and his loss is hard enough.

I could go on and on, but I've written about him elsewhere on messageboards, I laid a jersey outside Fir Park and left a few words in the books of condolence. Life goes on, and for us fans who will also never forget him it will be a far easier thing to get over than for his family. We don't have the right to wallow if grief, we pay our respects and remember him for that is all we can do.