Mention FC Barcelona to any football fan around the world and they will probably be able to name some of the most important figures in the clubs history. Johan Cryuff, Pep Guardiola, and of course Lionel Messi. However, you are less likely to hear the name Patrick ‘Paddy’ O’Connell, or Don Patricio as he was affectionally nicknamed in Spain. His name may not be as well known, but if it weren’t for him, FC Barcelona may not be as big a name as they are now, and Lionel Messi may have made his name elsewhere.
Don Patricio’s story is one of success, failure, mystery, and tragedy. Born in 1887 in Dublin, Ireland, Paddy began playing with many local amateur sides before signing a professional contract with Belfast Celtic in 1909. His performances here as an imposing defender caught the eye of Sheffield Wednesday and it wasn’t long before he made the trip across the Irish Sea. He found it difficult at Sheffield Wednesday, with appearances limited and his confidence low.
He moved on to Hull City where things improved, but it was his performances for the Irish national team at the British Home Championship in 1914 that made people realise his ability. Ireland secured their one and only Home Championship title with a 1-1 draw with Scotland, a game that Paddy played with a broken arm and was followed up by an offer from Manchester United. Paddy signed for a record $1,000 pounds and his career seemed ready to take flight.
Things didn’t go to plan, however. 3 months after moving, the first world war broke out. Paddy was amongst a host of players accused of match-fixing before the war. The players realised that the war would mean no football, and no football would mean no income.
Post-war, Paddy played briefly at Ashinton FC in the North-East of England, before taking over as coach. It was around this time that his wife and 4 children in Dublin found it harder and harder to contact him, until one day Paddy seemed to disappear. His whereabouts were unknown for quite some time until they began to receive letters from Santander. This is where Paddy’s long and influential association with Spain and Spanish football begings.
In 1922 he took over as coach of Racing Santander, guiding them to 5 regional titles in 7 years before becoming one of the founding members of La Liga. He then moved to Real Oviedo and then to Real Betis, where he won the Segunda Division before winning Betis’ first and only La Liga title in 1935, beating Real Madrid by 1 points on the last day of the season.
O’Connell had now made a name for himself as an incredible professional with a great tactical mind, and a warm and charismatic nature that charmed any player to work for him. Shortly before the Spanish Civil War, Don Patricio was approached by FC Barcelona President Josep Sunyol to manage the team.
For the second time in his life, O’Connell’s career was derailed by war. FC Barcelona struggled, as foreign players were allowed return home to escape the war and the club had barely a penny to their name, unable to pay Paddy and their players. In 1936, Sunyol (a well known Catalan activist) was killed by pro-Franco forces. Paddy was on holiday in Ireland at the time and the club sent him a message saying they would understand if he did not want to return.
Don Patricio had other ideas however, staying in Barcelona for free, determined to restore the club to their former glory and help them survive through the Civil War. In 1937, a Catalan businessman living in Mexico provided a lifeline. Manuel Mas Soriano arranged a tour of Mexico and New York for a fee of $15,000 with all expenses covered.
Paddy led a team of 20 to Mexico by boat to play 6 games in Mexico and 4 more in New York. This was enough to lift the club out of debt and regain some much needed stability, although they returned to Barcelona with only 4 players as many took refuge from the war in Mexico or elsewhere in Europe on the return journey.
Post-War Paddy continued in Spain, returning to Betis and Santander, with a spell at Seville inbetween. He never returned to Ireland, instead meeting his new wife in Seville, a city he grew to love. Reportedly referring to it as the city ‘where people live as if they were to die tonight’.
Don Patricio however did not die in Seville, but in London. Flaws that had been present throughout his life such as gambling left him penniless and on the streets. He eventually moved in with his brother in but died lonely, in poverty, and with only his brother attending his funeral in 1959. He was buried at an unmarked grave in the St Mary’s Cemetery, Kensal Green.
In recent years, the Patrick O’Connell Memorial Fund has actioned jerseys signed by the likes of Johan Cryuff, Andrea Pirlo, Paolo Maldini and more to raise funds for a more fitting tribute to Don Patricio and in 2017 a bust celebrating his league title with Real Betis was unveiled at the Estadio Benito Villamarin. In 2015 he was inducted into FC Barcelona’s hall of fame.