Until the last few years, Manchester United’s first Irish captain had lain in an unmarked grave in an English cemetery for nearly half a century.. While former Ireland and Manchester United captain, Roy Keane, rightly deserves the plaudits for being one of the greatest captains in the club’s history, there is another whose contribution was widely forgotten. Patrick O’Connell was a footballer whose on-field skills took him from Ireland to England and the Manchester United captaincy.. Patrick O’Connell was born in Dublin on March 8, 1887. From the age of 14 he worked in a mill while also playing junior football with local clubs, going on to play for Belfast Celtic. In 1909, O’Connell’s talents were spotted and he transferred to the English game with Sheffield Wednesday at the heart of the club’s defence.. READ MORE: Britain’s last hangman’s Manchester day job and famous Coronation Street granddaughter. It was at Sheffield Wednesday that O’Connell made six international appearances for Ireland. The talented defender joined Hull City in 1909, making more appearances with Ireland, before joining Manchester United for a fee of £1,000 in 1914 – a huge sum at the time – becoming the first ever Irish captain of the club.. But it was while a player at United, O’Connell became embroiled in a betting scandal that rocked English football. By now the First World War had taken hold but the Football League season continued to a conclusion with United at the wrong end of the table and facing the drop.. Former Manchester United captain, Patrick O’Connell. The uncertainty around the prospect of football, and therefore wages, being stopped due to the War provided the backdrop for the scandal during an April game with mid-table Liverpool. United needed a win and they got it, prevailing 2-0.. But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of one of the most controversial games in English football history. Spectators were convinced something was afoot and after the game bookies reported large amounts of money waged on a 2-0 United win at odds of 7-1.. The Football Association investigated and ruled that seven players had conspired to fix the result. O’Connell was not among them, but he was called to London as part of the inquiry.. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.. He’d blazed a penalty so far wide at 1-0 that he couldn’t possibly be exempt from examination. Whether he missed on purpose, knowing what was to come, or if the spot kick failure was just a woeful effort that suggests his innocence, remains unknown. What is certain is that he avoided punishment.. After the end of the First World War, O’Connell moved to play in the Scottish league with Dumbarton, then later Ashington. But after hanging up his boots a few years later, he made the move into management, in Spain.. Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and, Breaking News group by clicking this link. In 1922 he became manager of Racing Santander, guiding them to five regional titles, where they became one of the founding teams in La Liga. A stint followed at Real Oviedo, before becoming manager of Real Betis in 1931.. And it was during O’Connell’s time in Spain that more controversy followed. Having left his wife and children while playing for Ashington in England, the former United captain had found a new wife in Spain while still married to his first.. Real Betis celebrate winning their only La Liga title in 1935 with Patrick O’Connell far left on the back row. But his football acumen was never in doubt, as O’Connell lead lowly Real Betis to their first, and only, La Liga title in 1935 – an astonishing achievement for a side whose stadium could hold just 1,500 supporters. Dubbed ‘Don Patricio’, O’Connell was ahead of his time as a manager – from banning his players from smoking to developing game plans to stop the opposing teams scoring.. Join our Greater Manchester history, memories and people Facebook group here.. But the giants of Barcelona circled, poaching O’Connell to manage their club, which he lead to the Catalonia championship in his first season in charge in 1935. After taking a deserved summer holiday back in Dublin, he received a telegram from the club. It was bad news. Spain was in the midst of a civil war.. Barcelona would suffer more than most and club president Josep Sunyol was arrested and murdered by one of Franco’s soldiers. But O’Connell did not think twice about going back – the true essence of Mes Que un Club (more than a club).. With the league suspended, Barcelona were saved from bankruptcy only by touring foreign shores for money, Harlem Globetrotters style. The squad sailed to Mexico and then New York for exhibition games and the revenue preserved Barca. His name is etched in Nou Camp history, just as it is in Betis where a bronze bust of ‘Don Patricio’ graces the club’s museum.. A bronze bust of ‘Don Patricio’ which is now in Betis’ club museum. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News in 2023, Sue O’Connell, wife of Patrick’s grandson Mike and author of the book The Man Who Saved FC Barcelona, said: “At Betis, what he did was really special. They remember him to this day because that is the only time they have ever won La Liga.. “We went to Seville and my husband was in a bar. His Spanish is not particularly good and the bar man was asking if we were tourists. Mike said we were there for a particular reason, because of Patrick.. “The bloke who ran the bar stopped, ran upstairs and came down with a picture of Patrick! Because he won La Liga he was so big there. It was a big thing for them and it was a big thing for us to see that they had a picture of him in the bar.”. Love Greater Manchester’s past? Sign up to our new nostalgia newsletter and never miss a thing.. O’Connell spent 35 years in Spain before being reunited with his brother, Larry, in London. He died of pneumonia in 1959 and was buried in an unmarked grave.. A headstone for Patrick O’Connell was finally placed at his North London grave in May 2016 – nearly 50 years after his death. A complex and controversial figure, he captained Manchester United, managed Real Betis to their only La Liga title, and helped save FC Barcelona from bankruptcy, but lay for nearly 50-years in an English cemetery without a memorial. Thankfully, this changed in May 2016, when – after a long fundraising campaign – a headstone bearing Patrick O’Connell’s name was placed on his grave at St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in North London.
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