So Many People, So Little Noise At FuneralJan 5 2008 By Tam Cowan
WITH 40 minutes to go before the Requiem Mass, one of the stewards on duty took a quick glance at the crowds, shook his head and said: "They'll never get everyone in."
They'd arrived by the coachload - friends, family, team-mates and former colleagues - to pay their last respects to the man known simply to Motherwell fans as Uncle Phil.
Hundreds of mourners somehow squeezed into the church, with more standing directly outside, listening to the service on a public address system.
A full house for Phil O'Donnell's final performance.
Opposite the church, the punters started lining the street at 9.15am on what was surely the coldest day of winter so far.
For a good two hours before the service, a total hush descended on Cadzow Street, an eerie silence on what's normally one of the busiest roads in Hamilton.
Barely a word was spoken by the men, women and children who'd come to say goodbye to Uncle Phil and nobody managed much more than the odd new year greeting or a solemn: "Sad day, eh?"
It didn't seem possible that so many people could make so little noise.
Phil's large family arrived at 11.45am, by which time the Motherwell youth squad in club tracksuits had formed a guard of honour, and Cadzow Street was suddenly a sea of claret and amber - with quite a few Celtic, Rangers and Hamilton Accies tops thrown in for good measure.
It was the greatest display of Motherwell colours on the streets since May 1991 when a young Phil O'Donnell scored a goal and Motherwell paraded the Scottish Cup.
Back across the road, it was as if the whole of Scottish football, past and present, was filing into St Mary's and the message on the order of service said it all - Divided by teams... united in grief.
Priest Father Henry O'Brien played a blinder. "Motherwell's loss is heaven's gain," he said.
Between hymns, we heard the theme tune to Forrest Gump - Phil's nickname at Celtic because he could run and run all day.
Touchingly, the first reading had also been recited the day Phil married his childhood sweetheart Eileen.
It was a moving ceremony and Motherwell coach Chris McCart - a friend and former team-mate - deserved his round of applause for a speech that was both poignant and very funny.
He revealed Phil loved karaoke - particularly when he was belting out Forever In Blue Jeans with nephew and team-mate David Clarkson on backing vocals.
And the story about the 2005 CIS Cup final against Rangers was a cracker.
In the dressing room, Phil was kidding on he was sprinkling holy water on his legs and fellow midfield veteran Scott Leitch asked if he could have some.
Anyway, after 75 minutes of the match - by which time Motherwell were getting gubbed 5-1-Scott ran over to Phil and said: "So, when exactly does that stuff kick in?"
The Who's Who of Scottish football was led by the Motherwell management duo Mark McGhee and Scott Leitch, followed by the players who'd lost their friend and skipper just six days earlier.
The 1991 team were well represented by heroes including Stevie Kirk, Tom Boyd and Dougie Arnott and they were joined by other Fir Park favourites including Tommy Coyne, Andy Walker, Gary McAllister and Joe Wark.
Elsewhere, Gordon Strachan, John Reid and Peter Lawwell led a strong first-team contingent from Celtic including Paul Hartley, Stephen McManus and Scott McDonald.
Rangers were represented by, among others, Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch and Ally McCoist.
Other mourners included SPL bosses Craig Brewster, Jim Jefferies and Yogi Hughes.
Scotland hero James McFadden came fresh from his own personal tribute to Phil, when he scored for Everton on Wednesday night and pointed at his black armband.
There was also the entire Dundee United team.
They were last to arrive at the church, but they had been first on the scene - particularly Lee Wilkie and Noel Hunt - when Phil collapsed on the Fir Park turf last Saturday.
At the end of a lovely service, Phil's coffin was followed out of St Mary's by his wife and four kids.
Nephew David, just a few steps behind, was quite inconsolable.
Spontaneous, warm applause broke the silence as Phil's hearse purred into first gear and the fleet of family cars headed for Bent Cemetery for the final farewell.
It was a day the town of Hamilton, the people of Motherwell and the whole of Scottish football will never forget.
Rest in peace, Uncle Phil.
