Former Oldham Athletic player and coach, Willie Donachie, has had a Rolex watch stolen that was gifted to him by the club in the 1990s in a violent mugging in Ibiza.
The 70-year-old Latics star, who also played for Manchester City and Burnley throughout his lengthy career, was walking past a restaurant in San Antonio, Ibiza, on Saturday when two men grappled him to the ground.
It was only when he got up that he realised that the men had targeted his Rolex watch which is far heavier in sentimental value to the former club coach than its monetary value.
The watch was gifted to him more than three decades ago by the Oldham Athletic board in recognition of Willie's success in promoting the team to the Premier League in 1991.
Please help Twitter!
— Dan Donachie (@donachie_dan) June 26, 2022
My 70 year old Dad mugged in Ibiza for his watch.
Gifted by the @OfficialOAFC board when promoted in 1991.
This was his last remaining sentimental item.
It’s a Rolex inscribed with : “Thanks Willie for a memorable season”
Help if you can 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/RfjwJKik5y
Speaking to The Oldham Times, Willie's son Dan Donachie said: “It was the culmination of many years hard work and was a surprise gift from the board.
“It meant a lot to him because of what it represented.
“He doesn’t have anything else of value and material things mean very little to him.”
The Donachie family are now appealing for its safe return and are hoping to make the watch ‘too hot to handle’.
Fortunately, Willie wasn’t badly hurt in the mugging and even managed to chase after and catch one of his attackers, but the man he caught did not have it.
Dan added: “He is the most philosophical man you will ever meet and he seems ok.
“He is very strong and won’t admit to much pain, but I know how much the watch meant to him.
“They worked so hard to achieve promotion and it was an unexpected and kind gift from the board.
“I don’t expect he will get it back but I wanted to try and do something at least”.
Hope your dad is okay. Helped me out massively when at Everton with my GCSE PE. I wrote to him asking about training plans. Your dad wrote back with loads of info, but then also called me to invite me to an Everton training session. Even picked me up I oldham and drop me off.
— Matt Smith (@ohrogerpalmer) June 26, 2022
The watch itself is specially engraved with a message inside saying: ‘To Willie, thanks for a memorable season 1990-91 OAFC’.
In his appeal on Twitter, Dan has been inundated with well-wishes from loyal fans.
@ManCity @OfficialOAFC @ROLEX Anyone help this Ex Professional Footballer out.. Sentiment is all we have left aint it? get this watch back to him ... help him out over 300 games for City and over 150 games for Oldham .. #Getthewatchback ...! #MUFC
— Jim G (@Jimbob210712) June 26, 2022
Willie Donachie also played for Norwich City, Burnley and Portland Timbers during his football career between 1968 to 1990 as well as for his national team, Scotland, between 1972 and 1978.
In July 1984, Donachie joined OAFC where he became player-assistant manager to Joe Royle.
Good luck Dan in getting his watch back. I lived in Poynton in 78 and shared a lock in at the Miner’s arms with your Dad, Asa and Martin B 🏴 to wish them luck before they left for the World Cup. As a blue I followed Willies career from his City debut to leaving, loved the guy 💙
— David Ken - AKA Peps Jacket. 🐝💙 (@david_kennerley) June 27, 2022
Together, they saw the team progress from strength to strength, propelling the team into the prestigious Premier League in 1991.
Since the 1990s, Donachie has managed numerous teams including Millwall, Newcastle United Reserves and Montserrat.
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