'Uncle Phil' would have loved this moving tribute

May 29 2008 By John Rowbotham

NO fewer than 60,000 fans packed Celtic Park on Sunday in honour of Phil O’Donnell.

Motherwell’s Scottish Cup-winning side of 1991 were pitted against members of the Celtic team who lifted the title in 1998.

It was a fitting tribute to Phil who played in both sides.

Phil, a former Holy Cross pupil who lived in Hamilton, collapsed and later died while playing for Motherwell against Dundee United in December. He was aged 35.

Members of Phil’s family attended the testimonial. They included his father Bernard, wife Eileen, and children Olivia, aged six, 12-year-old Megan, Christopher (10), and Luc, who is four.

Ten of Motherwell’s Scottish Cup-winning outfit lined up against a Celtic team that included Henrik Larsson.

The Fir Parkers’ squad also included a selection of players who had turned out for the club as they qualified for Europe in the 90s.

Missing from the Cup final team were Ally Maxwell who was replaced in goal by Stevie Woods.

Tom Boyd started the match in the hoops of Celtic with Rab McKinnon taking his place in the side.

Phil O’Donnell’s number 10 shirt was filled by his nephew David Clarkson, who has just been called into the Scotland squad, and James McFadden wore the number 11 jersey of the late Davie Cooper.

The players from the ’Well side of 91 were in varying states of fitness and had trouble against a younger and fitter Celtic side.

Celtic used this to their advantage and raced into a four-goal lead.

They opened the scoring with a 20-yard shot from Morten Wieghorst, before a Larssen scissor kick made it two.

Jim Paterson then made a return to the Motherwell line up as did Stevie Kirk, Sieb Dykstra and John Philliben. This didn’t prevent Harald Brattbakk bagging a double from close range.

With 18 minutes left, Motherwell pulled one back through David Clarkson who ran on to a through ball from Scott Leitch before rounding the keeper and walking the ball into the empty net.

Darren Jackson’s diving header left Woods helpless in the final minute, and completed a 5-1 victory for Celts.

After the game, both sides took part in an emotional lap of honour as the PA system blasted out a song in tribute to Phil O’Donnell followed by his favourite karaoke offering, “Forever in Blue Jeans” by Neil Diamond.

Half the proceeds of the match will go to the O’Donnell Family Trust with the rest going to charities nominated be Celtic FC.

’WELL STARTING ELEVEN: Woods, Griffin, McCart, Paterson, McKinnon, Angus, Nijholt, Clarkson, McFadden, Arnott, Ferguson. Subs: Dykstra, Martin, Stephen O’Donnell, Wishart, Philliben, Jim Paterson, Kirk, McGrillen, Russell, Coyne, Leitch, and Balmer.

CELTIC: Gould (Kerr 41, Marshall 62); Boyd (McNamara 62), Reiper (MacKay 36), Annoni (Reiper 51, McLaughlin 56), Johnson (McKinlay 46); McNamara (Donnelly 36, Brattbakk 75), Burley, Lambert (McKenna 67, Johnson 82), Weighorst; Larsson (McKenna 7), Brattbakk (Jackson 36).