Fans mourning death of Jamie

Sep 4 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

FOOTBALL fans are in mourning after a former Livingston star died suddenly while out jogging in Bathgate on Sunday afternoon.

Jamie Dolan (39), part of the Lions First Division title winning side of 2001, suffered a suspected heart attack while out running.

The midfielder’s sudden death has devastated his family and the football community.

His tragic death comes just a few months after former team-mate Phil O’Donnell collapsed and died of heart failure on the pitch.

Jim Leishman who bossed Jamie while with Livingston has admitted his thoughts are with his widow Elaine and teenage son Dean.

He said: “Jamie was a player and a man who gave his whole heart to every club he was with and it is very sad. He was certainly a competitor at anything he did. It didn’t matter whether it was football or golf he always wanted to win.

“That was one of the great things about him and one of the reasons Jamie was so popular.”

Jamie, who also enjoyed a spell as Broxburn United player manager, also made nearly 200 appearances for the Motherwell between 1987 and 1997, before moving to Scottish Premier League rivals Dundee United.

In the latter stages of his career he earned a hat-trick of promotions in successive seasons with Dunfermline, Livingston and Partick.

Jamie was scheduled to play in the forthcoming testimonial for his former teammate, Dougie Arnott on September 11.

Dougie said: “This has come as a terrible shock to me. Jamie was a very good friend and a hugely popular part of the Motherwell squad during the nineties.

“His son and my daughter are the same age and attended Christmas parties together at Fir Park.

“I had a drink with Jamie after Phil’s game in May and we had a great chat about football and golf.

“To lose not only two great players, but two great men, in such a short period of time, is very hard.

“As a player Jamie did a tremendous job for Motherwell. He was a constant in the team during the early nineties and was a fantastic ball-winning midfielder. He a player who could have been classed as an ‘unsung hero’.”

Dolan is the third player from Motherwell’s 1991 Scottish Cup winning midfield to die suddenly, following on from Davie Cooper in 1995 and O’Phil Donnell.

Jamie’s funeral has been confirmed for Sacred Heart RC Church in Salsburgh on Saturday at 10am.