Published: Friday, 5th September, 2008 09:15
Shocked Pars pay tribute to former star Jamie Dolan
By Simon Harris
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Jamie Dolan in action for the Pars during the 1999-2000 season.
Pic by: Dunfermline Press
SHOCKED Pars defender Greg Shields was struggling to come to terms with the death of former team mate Jamie Dolan this week.
Midfielder Dolan was believed to have been out jogging near his home in Bathgate on Sunday night when he suffered a heart attack.
He was just 39.
Having made his name with Motherwell and Dundee United, Dolan joined the Pars in February 1999 at the same time as Jason Dair as boss Dick Campbell battled to keep the Pars in the SPL.
The pair made their debut in a 1-1 draw at Motherwell but were unable to help save the Pars, who were relegated at the end of that season.
Dolan went on to help the Pars bounce straight back up the following season and played 33 games for Dunfermline, without scoring, before being signed by Jim Leishman for Livingston, who he helped win the first division title in his first season.
Shields and Scott Thomson were both team mates of Dolan at the Pars and, ironically, were together when they heard the grim news.
“We were on the bikes at the gym in Rosyth when we saw it on Sky Sports News,” Shields told Press Sport.
“We said, ‘No way’. We could not believe it. He was a lovely guy, Jamie Dolan, I liked him.
"He was one of those guys who did a lot of work for the team and went unnoticed but then when he went out of the team, that was when you missed him.
“He was a hardy type of player but he was always good with the boys and a great laugh. I just cannot believe it.
“I never travelled in with him or anything but he was one of the guys I got on great with at the club at that time. We had a good team spirit under Dick Campbell.
“When you play with people you never know what’s going to happen. I’m shocked, I really am shocked.
"Obviously, you think about the people it will affect the most and that’s his wife and family.”
After spells with Forfar and Partick Thistle, Dolan’s senior career came to an end but he was player manager of junior side Broxburn Athletic up until the end of last season and retained an involvement with first club Motherwell, being active in the Steelmen’s former players’ club and helping out with charity and sponsors’ events.
It’s the second tragedy to hit Motherwell in eight months following the shocking death of captain Phil O’Donnell in December, an incident that led to calls for players to be monitored for heart problems.
Asked to comment on monitoring, Shields said, “The only time I’ve really had my heart monitored was when I was younger at Rangers and we were taken to a hospital in Glasgow and they looked at our hearts and checked all the arteries.
“It was around the time Kanu had a heart defect at Ajax. I’ve had chest scans since but not in as much depth.
"Everyone thinks footballers are the fittest people but you never know.”
Pars director of football Jim Leishman was also saddened by the news, having signed Dolan from the Pars.
“When he came to Livingston we won the championship that year. He was a winner and he was dedicated to what he was doing on the park,” he said.
“At that age it’s terrible and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Pars fans have been leaving messages of sympathy on the fans’ website, dafc.net, with one fan posting, “Very upset to hear this, I really liked him as a player and tragic for that to happen at his age with such a young family as well.”
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