Tragic death of 35 year old Motherwell football club captain following on pitch collapse

[Gunnerbean]

Such a tragic and very sad story.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/motherwell/7164150.stm

It's very sad, apparently his nephew was also playing at the same game.

Very sad story.
A great player it's hard to imagine that someone so fit and so young (35) could die so suddenly

A friend's 30-something son died in the same circs three years ago, leaving a wife and children. It's very hard to take it in because it seems so unnatural and unimagineable and wrong.

It's very sad and there's been rather too much of it this year.

His poor family.

I often get saddened by the sectarianism and hatred that goes in some aspects of scottish Football, but seeing pictures like this here of other teams fans laying tributes shows that football fans can pull together, even if it is in such awful circumstances.

An old friend of mine (who is now pretty famous in her own right)had this happen to her dad at a similar age. Tragic news

Gosh popsycal are we talking an actress here?

it is tragic - our friends were at the match they said an eerie silence just went round the whole stadium when he collapsed - people knew V quickly there was something seriously wrong.
my thoughts are with his family
RIP

Terribly sad - I remember when something similar happened to Davie Cooper - tragic loss...

This is just so sad - I can't stop thinking about his wife and 4 children .

Davie Coopers sudden death was eerily similar to O' Connells.

dunmbledores...yes we are....

its keeps coming back to me
so so sad

Indeed popsycal. I remember it well.

Guardian Motherwell says post-mortem confirmed heart failure.

I have left ventricular failure but when I have become down about it in teh past my doctors have reminded me that I am lucky it is diagnosed because this is what happens when it isn't Mine was discovered when I was being trweated for something else and I was told I was high risk for sudden collapse!I am maintained on medication though thank god.His poor family

i have avoided this thread as even though its a different type of cardiomyopthy, the concesquences are the same with dh old heart problem. i suuport SAD's screening belief.

much love and prayers to the o'donnells at this terrible time.

CM sucks. i hate it. i really do hate it. how many more lives must be taken?

his funeral will be later this week.

how tragic and shocking.

Scares me misdee. dd is at risk of sudden death during exertion because of her oddly routed coronary.

Hope you had a lovely Christmas with Peter and the girls.