The Irishman who saved FC Barcelona: ‘Don Patricio’

tiki_taka 9 years ago

Barcelona, France 367 9768

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On Wednesday in the Camp Nou, Patrick O'Connell’s contribution to FCB was formally recognised with induction into the club’s Hall of Fame.

The extraordinary legacy of Don Patricio was secured on Dec 30th 2015 on the day when Barcelona beat Real Betis Balompie 4-0 in the Camp Nou. It was a significant fixture to remember a Dubliner who saved FC Barcelona from extinction during the Spanish Civil War and led Betis to their only la Liga title in history.

O’Connell, who also captained Manchester United during his football career, died in poverty in London and lies in an unmarked grave in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kilburn, London.

This incredible story was largely forgotten in the U.K. and Ireland and may have been lost forever had the wife of O’Connell’s grandson not researched the remarkable life of her husband’s grandfather.

"She discovered that between 1920 and 1950 his was the most famous name in Spanish football", Michael told the BBC.

"He managed Betis the only time they ever won La Liga and he managed Barcelona for the three years of the Spanish Civil War."

That Betis victory came at the expense of Real Madrid who they pipped by a single point in 1935, and he saved Barça from bankruptcy by organising a lucrative tour of Mexico that kept the club afloat.

O’Connell had a reputation for hard-living and left an enigmatic trail from a time before the ever-present media coverage of today:

“There are differing opinions on Patrick O'Connell, the man. They vary from rogue to visionary, from maverick to genius. But one thing is certain, his extraordinary life deserves to be remembered”, says the biography on the official page.

Michael O’Connell tells a story about the dawning realisation of just how important his grandfather was while in Sevilla:

"The barman said 'are you on holiday?' and I said 'no we're researching my grandfather who used to manage Real Betis'," he said.

"He said 'wait a minute', ran upstairs in the bar and came back down with a painting of my grandfather as big as himself that he had on his wall downstairs.

"He was as famous as that."

The Patrick O'Connell Memorial Fund enlisted the help of Barca stars such as Andres Iniesta and Patrick Kluivert, and the story was eventually picked up by media outlets including the BBC, the Guardian and the Irish Independent.

In August, a mural was unveiled in west Belfast in honour of O'Connell, and on Wednesday 30th December, years of work by the Patrick O’Connell fund culminated in an official ceremony with FC Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu to immortalise this remarkable life in the Barça Hall of Fame.

From AS.com

Heroes aren't often under the spotlight, a single Irish guy impacted the History of Barça for ever