one_luc_nijholt Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Wife of tragic football legend Phil O'Donnell reveals astonishing family tribute Mar 22 2009 By Charles Lavery FOOTBALL legend Phil O'Donnell's heart-broken widow yesterday revealed how an astonishing tribute will help poor children all over the world. Eileen, 36, was determined all the strips and scarves left in tribute to the Motherwell captain after his tragic death would not go to waste. And now, after months of washing and ironing, she and her four kids are preparing to send thousands of jerseys and scarves to the world's most deprived countries. In her first interview since Phil died in December 2007, Eileen said she had been living in a "bubble of grief". Her four children have pulled her through - along with the knowledge that Phil meant so much to so many people. She said: "It's sinking in now. It has come to that time where it's reality, whereas last year was like a total bubble of grief. "I have a strong faith but it was tested. "I couldn't have got through it without the help from all the people who laid scarves and strips with messages on them." Tens of thousands of scarves and jerseys were left at Fir Park and Celtic, where Phil was also a much-loved star. Eileen said yesterday she was determined to ensure those tributes were properly used in memory of Phil. He was just 35 when he collapsed on the pitch during a match against Dundee United. Her amazing decision to launder every item of clothing before teaming up with a charity to send them abroad came after Motherwell contacted her last August to ask what she wanted done with them. Someone at the club suggested they be destroyed. Eileen said: "It was like a prod to me. I knew I didn't want that - I had to find a way to honour all the people who had honoured Phil's memory." Now Eileen and children Megan, 13, Christopher, 11, Olivia, eight, and five-year-old Luc, are arranging for all the tributes to be sent to poor children in Bosnia, Malawi, Liberia and Guatemala Eileen said: "Motherwell were talking about incinerating them. "But I needed people to know how grateful we were. "There are letters and cards and stuff that I have looked at but can't remember because I was in such a state at the time. "There were really touching letters in there and I will go back when I'm stronger and go through them all again. "There was a Celtic strip that had been signed by Phil. We were unbelievably touched someone had brought a prized possession and left it for us. "That's when I thought there's no way I'm leaving all this stuff to be thrown out." Tommy Johnson, a friend of Phil's from his Celtic days, is now a coach at Notts County. He collected the strips and arranged to have them washed at the club. Most of the jerseys will go to Guatemala through the Education For The Children Foundation, with which Tommy has strong links. The scarves will got to Bosnia with charity Mary's Meals. Eileen said: "I haven't had a chance to go down and see the strips yet but I'm going soon. "Wegot the scarves collected, thousands of them, and aunties, cousins, me and my friends, everybody, have been washing them for months." The mission to reuse the tributes to Phil has dominated family life in recent months but Eileen admits the darkest days after his death still cast a long shadow. She said: "When Phil died I was shielded. They're still doing it - still shielding me from a lot of things. "My mum and my family have been wee stars, they really have. "I'm stronger to talk about it now and I want them to know I am so grateful for everything the public did. There were lots of things that we kept." Eileen's dad Benny died of a heart attack when she was just 18, by which time she and Phil were already deeply in love. Now she goes to Bent Cemetery in Hamilton with the children to remember a husband and a father. She said: "We go to Phil's grave all the time. I take the kids up. At Christmas we put a wee tree up and decorated it all. "It's just along from my dad's grave. When he died, that was a hard time for Phil and I as we were just weans ourselves. "Now I'm having to do it again but on my own." She added: "I could choose to be that person I was, living in a blur. Or I can get up in the morning and show my children that life needs to carry on. "When Phil died Chelsea had a minute's silence. It was on the telly and Christopher asked, 'That's for my dad?' "I said, 'They've all stopped for you and your dad' and he said, 'How does Michael Ballack know my dad?' "I explained the football world is one big family, and that includes all the supporters who left scarves and strips for us. "When you're blessed with four children, everything else takes a back seat. "I think that's why Phil's death affected so many people. They related easily to him because he was an ordinary family man who just happened to be a footballer." This Wednesday would have been Phil's 37th birthday, another difficult milestone for his family. Eileen said: "Whatever the kids want to do, it will be a spontaneous thing. "Last year we got a birthday cake and sat and ate it. I won't make them go to his grave but maybe they'll want to. "It's a place to remember him by but I don't think he's there. "Phil is still around me though, definitely. He's always around." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfcmainstand Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 the women sounds like a truely amazing women,cant believe someone at well was wanting to destroy everything that sums some of the club up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 the women sounds like a truely amazing women,cant believe someone at well was wanting to destroy everything that sums some of the club up. Though it doesn't state it I would hope that incineration would have been just one option offered to the O'Donnell family. Though it hasn't always turned out perhaps as hoped - I'm thinking of the Villareal game in particular here - it seems to me that everything the club done in aftermath of Phil's passing has been attempted with the best of intentions and in as sensitive a fashion as possible. I would like to think this would have been no different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 the women sounds like a truely amazing women,cant believe someone at well was wanting to destroy everything that sums some of the club up. Firstly, well done to Eileen O'Donnell - it sounds like a very worthy thing to do. I wouldn't be too critical of the club though. We don't know why this was said. My last recollection of the tributes, unfortunately, was that many were soaked with the rain we had at the time. I recall a fan asking "What on earth do we do with thousands of soaking garments?". I doubt if MFC would have the facilities to wash and dry them. As with life in general, there are sometimes practical considerations which many folk don't, understandably, appreciate. All credit to the folk who did launder them. Not an easy task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daver Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Motherwell must have pretty large laundry facilities for their own strips, certainly much better facilities than Eileen O'Donnell. I remember at the time people suugesting on here that the strips could go to Africa - I hope that MFC had other options rather than just incineration. A tremendous gesture by her and I'm sure that if she'd asked, there would have been shortage of volunteers to eack take a batch for laundering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Read the article earlier, really good read. Very strong women! It was also good to see a photo of some of the young kids in Africa all wearing 'Well tops, excellent gesture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 another very moving reminder. Good on Eileen though, she and her family/friends deserve great credit for doing something worthwhile with all the scarves/strips from all clubs that were left outside the 'Ark and the Bowl. Life has to go on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Brilliant stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelmen Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 a nice article and great to hear what is happening to all the stuff left outside the ground. We can only imagine what Eileen and her family have went through. what is very disappointing is a huge article about a man we all loved and all some people can pick out is one sentence and use it as a stick to beat the club. get a grip. as someone said the stuff outside the ground was in a terrible state and I am sure whoever suggested it just gave it as an option. Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well Up For It! Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Just read the article there... After all the heartache she has endured, she still comes across as so humble and grateful. My best wishes are with Phil's family always, and it's heart warming to read Eileen's words and how she continues to do what she feels Phil would have wanted and so unbelievable strength in face of adversity. The bit about the minutes silence sent a shiver down my spine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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