Grave of Irish football legend who saved Barcelona beautifully marked after campaign

Great things happen when people put their minds to it.

Patrick O'Connell is the greatest Irish footballer you may never have heard of. The Dubliner was the very first Irishman to ever captain Manchester United, and followed that honour by managing Barcelona during the Spanish Civil war. He is widely credited as the man who 'saved' the great Catalan club by organising a tour of Mexico during 1936-37, which raised so much money the club then were debt free at its conclusion. O'Connell last year was inducted into the Barcelona hall of Fame, but one key part of recognising this almost forgotten hero of Irish football remained. https://twitter.com/A_RoyoMarine/status/682301038376960001 Despite all his fame, and success, O'Connell fell on hard times, and died in poverty in 1959 and received a pauper’s burial in London. However, thanks to the work of the Don Patricio fund, and the dedication of its members, Tuesday marked an end to months of work on marking the final resting place of the first international hero of Irish football. O'Connell was buried in St Mary's cemetery in Kilburn, London, but today his grave has been properly marked for the first time in almost 60 years. https://twitter.com/Beticismo/status/727415004522287104 https://twitter.com/PatricioFund/status/727425751637700610 Ther campaign to get funds to restore the grave has been a long one, with several top Irish and international football figures, including the late Johan Cruyff and Roy Keane, lending their support. https://twitter.com/PatricioFund/status/713121735621668865 https://twitter.com/CelticBelfast/status/713031095135166465