Patrick O'Connell (footballer) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patrick Joseph O'Connell | ||
| Date of birth | 8 March 1887 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 27 February 1959 (aged 71) | ||
| Place of death | St Pancras, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in | ||
| Playing position | Wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Frankfort | |||
| Stranville Rovers | |||
| Liffey Wanderers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1905–1909 | Belfast Celtic | ||
| 1909–1912 | Sheffield Wednesday | 18 | (0) |
| 1912–1914 | Hull City | 58 | (1) |
| 1914–1919 | Manchester United | 34 | (2) |
| 1915 | → Clapton Orient (guest) | ||
| 1918–1919 | → Rochdale (guest) | ||
| ? | → Chesterfield (guest) | ||
| 1919–1920 | Dumbarton | 31 | (0) |
| 1920–1922 | Ashington | 19 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1912–1919 | Ireland | 6 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1921–1922 | Ashington | ||
| 1922–1929 | Racing Santander | ||
| 1929–1931 | Real Oviedo | ||
| 1932–1935 | Real Betis | ||
| 1935–1940 | Barcelona | ||
| 1940–1942 | Real Betis | ||
| 1942–1945 | Sevilla | ||
| 1947–1949 | Racing Santander | ||
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Patrick Joseph O'Connell (born March 8, 1887 – died February 27, 1959) was an Irish football player and manager. People also knew him as Paddy O'Connell or Patricio O'Connell. He played as a defender, which means he helped protect his team's goal. He was famous for playing with clubs like Belfast Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City, and Manchester United. He was the first player from what is now the Republic of Ireland to play for and become captain of Manchester United.
As an international player, he was the captain for the Ireland national team. He was part of the team that won the 1914 British Home Championship in 1914, which was a tournament between the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Patrick O'Connell is probably best remembered for being a manager for several teams in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league. In 1935, he led Real Betis to win their first-ever La Liga title. During the Spanish Civil War, he took FC Barcelona on a special tour of North America to help the club financially. Even with these big successes, he sadly passed away in London in 1959 without much money. He was first buried in a grave without a headstone.
Contents
Early Life and First Clubs
Patrick O'Connell was born in Dublin, Ireland. When he was 14, he started working at a place called Boland's Mill. By the time he was 15, he was in charge of a group of workers there. He also played junior football for local clubs in Dublin, like Frankfort, Stranville Rovers, and Liffey Wanderers. Later, he joined Belfast Celtic. In March 1909, O'Connell and another player, Peter Warren, moved to Sheffield Wednesday. The two players were transferred for a total fee of £50, which means Sheffield Wednesday paid that amount to Belfast Celtic to get them.
Playing Career Highlights
Patrick O'Connell was a strong player in the middle of the defense. He helped protect his team's goal.
Playing for Sheffield Wednesday
O'Connell played his first game in the Football League First Division (England's top league at the time) for Sheffield Wednesday in 1909. However, he found it hard to become a regular player in the team because there were other good defenders. He played 21 games in total for Wednesday, including 18 league games and 3 FA Cup games. While playing for Sheffield Wednesday, he also played two of his six games for the Ireland national team.
Time with Hull City
In March 1912, O'Connell left Sheffield Wednesday and joined Hull City. He played 58 games in the Football League Second Division for Hull City during the 1912–13 and 1913–14 seasons. He also played three more games for Ireland while he was with Hull City.
Becoming Manchester United Captain
O'Connell's great performances for Ireland caught the eye of Manchester United. He signed with them in May 1914 for £1,000. During the 1914–15 season, he was the team captain for United. He played 34 games in the First Division and scored two goals. He also played one game in the FA Cup.
He played his first league game for United and scored his first goal on September 2, 1914. His second goal came on April 10, 1915. His last league game for the club was on April 26, 1915. Manchester United finished the season near the bottom of the First Division, just barely avoiding being moved down to a lower league.
During his time at United, a football scandal happened in 1915. On April 2, 1915, Manchester United played against Liverpool. It was later found out that a small group of players from both teams had secretly agreed on the game's outcome. This was because the First World War was happening, and the players thought there might not be a league season next year. They believed they would soon be out of work, so they made a plan to bet on United to win 2–0. This was the score when O'Connell took a penalty kick, but he missed the goal by a lot. Patrick O'Connell was not punished for this, but three of his teammates and four Liverpool players were banned from football for life by The Football Association. During the war, O'Connell remained a United player and also played as a guest for other clubs like Clapton Orient, Rochdale, and Chesterfield.
Playing for Dumbarton
In August 1919, O'Connell moved to Dumbarton in Scotland. During the 1919–20 season, he played 31 league games and two games in the Scottish Cup. He made his debut in the Scottish Football League on August 16, 1919. He mostly played as a centre-half, which is a defensive midfield position. His last game for Dumbarton was on April 24, 1920.
Finishing with Ashington
O'Connell ended his playing career with Ashington. In his first season (1920–21), they played in the North Eastern League. For the 1921–22 season, O'Connell became a player-coach, meaning he played and also helped coach the team. Ashington joined the Football League Division Three North (a professional English league). Their home stadium was improved to hold 20,000 fans. O'Connell played in Ashington's first-ever game in the English League, which they won 1–0. Ashington finished the season in a good position. O'Connell played his last game for the club in a 2–2 draw against Southport.
International Games for Ireland
Between 1912 and 1919, O'Connell played 6 times for the Ireland national team. His first international game was on February 10, 1912, against England.
In 1914, O'Connell was part of the Irish team that won the 1914 British Home Championship. They beat Wales 2–1 and then surprised everyone by beating England 3–0. O'Connell was the captain of the team in the final match against Scotland. He even played with a broken arm! Ireland drew 1–1 in that game, which was enough to win the championship. He played his last game for Ireland in 1919.
Managerial Career
After his playing career, Patrick O'Connell became a successful football manager, especially in Spain.
Managing Racing de Santander
In 1922, O'Connell became the manager of Racing de Santander in Spain. He led the team to win five regional titles. In 1928, Racing de Santander became one of the first teams to join La Liga, Spain's top football league. He later returned to manage Racing de Santander for a second time between 1948 and 1949.
Leading Real Oviedo
From September 1929 to May 1931, O'Connell managed Real Oviedo in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division league.
Historic Win with Real Betis
Between 1931 and 1935, O'Connell managed Real Betis. He led them to win the Segunda División title in 1932, which meant they were promoted to La Liga. Then, in the 1934–35 season, he guided Real Betis to win their only La Liga title ever! They won the title on April 28, 1935, by beating O'Connell's old team, Racing de Santander, 5–0. Real Betis needed to win that game to pass their rivals, Real Madrid, in the league standings.
Time with FC Barcelona
O'Connell's success with Real Betis caught the attention of FC Barcelona. They hired him as their manager for the 1935–36 season. With O'Connell as manager, Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya and reached the final of the Copa de España (Spain's main cup competition). In the final, they played against Real Madrid.
During the 1936–37 season, La Liga was stopped because of the Spanish Civil War. However, clubs in the part of Spain controlled by the government (the Republican area) played in a league called the Mediterranean League. In early 1937, FC Barcelona received an offer to play a series of exhibition matches in Mexico and the United States. This tour was very important because it helped FC Barcelona earn money to pay off their debts and save the club.
O'Connell went on this tour with 16 players and other club staff. They played against teams in Mexico and the United States. After the tour, O'Connell returned to Spain with only four players because the others decided to stay in Mexico or France. Even with a much smaller team, O'Connell and FC Barcelona still managed to win the Lliga Catalana and the Campionat de Catalunya in the 1937–38 season.
Managing Sevilla FC
O'Connell later managed Sevilla FC between 1942 and 1945. In his first season, 1942–43, he led the club to finish second in La Liga.
Patrick O'Connell's Legacy
In 2017, a statue was put up at Real Betis's stadium, Estadio Benito Villamarín, to remember O'Connell's achievement of winning the league title with the club. This was organized by the Patrick O'Connell Memorial Fund. A documentary film about Patrick and the fund was released in May 2018. The fund also installed a new memorial for Patrick in April 2016.
It's interesting to note that the monument celebrating Real Betis's only La Liga title mentions their title-winning manager, but it spells O’Connell’s name incorrectly.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Ireland
- British Home Championship: 1914
As a Manager
Racing Santander
- Cantabrian Champions: 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1928–29
Real Betis
- La Liga: 1934–35
- Segunda División: 1931–32
FC Barcelona
- Mediterranean League: 1937
- Lliga Catalana: 1937–38
- Campionat de Catalunya: 1935–36, 1937–38
