RIP Phil O' Donnell

[MonTheHoops]

Collapsed on the field for Motherwell today and taken to hospital. RIP.

[afeencalleddan]

Collapsed on the field for Motherwell today and taken to hospital. RIP.Are you sure he has died? Heard he collapsed alright.

Edit: looks almost certain alright. Shocking stuff.

http://boards.footymad.net/mboard/fmb.php?tno=377&fid=184&sty=1&act=1&mid=2131064478

[afeencalleddan]

I'm dragging a post I made in the Puerta thread into this one. I watched a programme on TG4 a few weeks ago called "Death on the pitch"...
Did anybody see Fíorsceal on TG4 there last week? The episode was entitled "Death on the pitch" and it looked into the use of analgesic painkillers and the possible link between them and the sudden death of sportsmen. Interesting stuff. The programme was shot in Denmark last year before Puerta's death and it showed testimony from doctors of how these painkillers that soccer players would take regularly to overcome joint pain could cause constriction of blood vessels and heart valves in people that would normally be perfectly healthy.

The drugs in question are Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and according to the programme seem to be commonly given to soccer players without prescription so they can declare themselves fit for games. If these drugs are being distributed as casually as this programme portrays then FIFA would want to intervene. It might be something the GAA would want to look into too given the deaths here in recent years.

[Rebelred]

RIP, it's becoming an increasingly familiar sight in recent years unfortunately

[aahjay]

Oh lordy.

We was never the same player when he left for Wednesday.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

[MonTheHoops]

Are you sure he has died? Heard he collapsed alright.

Edit: looks almost certain alright. Shocking stuff.

http://boards.footymad.net/mboard/fmb.php?tno=377&fid=184&sty=1&act=1&mid=2131064478

Yeah Dan a friend in Scotland knew about it before the papers. They held off announcing it until the family knew.

Died with the captain's armband on. 4 Kids. Terrible.

[bumble]

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 led the tributes.
Phil was not just a wonderful footballer, he was a great human being


Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith


"This is absolutely devastating news," he said.
"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.
"He's had some sort of collapse," he said at the time.
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


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 few of the boys got a fright."
A news conference has been called at Wishaw General Hospital, which will be addressed by chief executive Ian Stillie.
606: DEBATE
Phil, you were a great lad and a great player


TOTT


O'Donnell, who earned one cap for Scotland, was lauded as one of the country's brightest talents when he broke into the Motherwell first team as a teenager.
He moved on to Celtic for a club record £1.75m fee, but injury problems were to blight his time with the Glasgow club and his next club, Sheffield Wednesday.
O'Donnell returned to Motherwell in 2004 and became club captain, playing beside his nephew.
__________________

R.I.P.

[The Godfather]

shocking stuff...so common now unfortunately. that theory about the poainkilling drugs seems a likely cause

[afeencalleddan]

shocking stuff...so common now unfortunately. that theory about the poainkilling drugs seems a likely causeWell I'd say possible cause or possible contributrary factor rather than likely cause. I was posting on the betfair forum last night and people were kind of saying "ah sure he was just unlucky" and that it's probably a genetic pre-disposition. Others were saying that it's down to the demands of modern day sport but I'm not convinced. Up until about 5 or 6 years ago I had only ever heard about 1 player collapsing and dying on the pitch and that was a guy playing for York City in the early 90's.

[keanos dog]

Yeah Dan a friend in Scotland knew about it before the papers. They held off announcing it until the family knew.

Died with the captain's armband on. 4 Kids. Terrible.

aye. terrible. RIP.

[mushypea]

I'm dragging a post I made in the Puerta thread into this one. I watched a programme on TG4 a few weeks ago called "Death on the pitch"...

I saw that show on TG4- unreal stuff. I wonder were there any similarities ? had he been injured recently???
I know Ibuprofen was one of the drugs, can't remember what the other common one was.....

Poor lad...

[MonTheHoops]

I saw that show on TG4- unreal stuff. I wonder were there any similarities ? had he been injured recently???
I know Ibuprofen was one of the drugs, can't remember what the other common one was.....

Poor lad...

Cortisone?

You have to wonder. He was about to be taken off. Without getting too gorey on it, his heart was maybe racing for most of the game - pumped full of adrenaline and what have you. On seeing his number go up it might have been the first time he switched off.