A black and white image of David Danskin. A clean-shaven man with short black hair is wearing a black bow-tie, white shirt and a black blazerImage source, Burntisland Heritage SCIO
Image caption,
David Danskin, the first captain and founder of Arsenal has ties to Coventry City FC
ByKevin Reide and Richard Williams, Reporting fromCoventry and Oprah Flash, West Midlands
Published
20 minutes ago
A hint of euphoria lingers in the air for Coventry City fans ahead of the teams' first match since their historic return to the Premier League.
As the Sky Blues prepare to go head-to-head with Arsenal on Friday, the two top-flight clubs share a remarkable, yet little-known historical connection.
The Victorian London Road Cemetery in Coventry is the final resting place of both David Danskin, who founded the Gunners, and Willie Stanley, the mastermind behind Coventry City.
"I'm hoping it brings the two fanbases together," said football historian, Lionel Bird.
Ian Woolley, a man in jean shorts and a grey graphic tshirt kneels next to a black gravestone which reads David Danskin 1863-1948
Image caption, Ian Woolley spotted the unmarked grave in 2007 and worked to gain a permanent tribute
Both sporting heroes, though celebrated for their passions, had their graves lie forlorn and forgotten for nearly 80 years.
"I was scrolling through the internet and came across the fact that the founder of Arsenal was buried in an unmarked grave," said Ian Woolley, of Friends of London Road Cemetery.
"I looked in my burial records and sure enough, there it was, David Danskin. As I walked around it, I was astounded."
In 2007, no headstone was in place to mark the resting place of the legend behind the Premier League giant, which went on to win 14 FA Cups.
Woolley continued: "Not everyone had the money in those days and David's family wouldn't have. I found that he was guarded by two Royal Field Artillery (RFA) graves which both had the insignia of a canon, the irony wasn't lost on me that he was guarded by two gunners."
A group of men and women are standing in a cemetery next to a grave that is covered in an Arsenal flag with a picture of David Danskin
Image caption, More than 70 years after his death, a headstone was unveiled for the Gunners' founder
Fife-born Danskin created the club in 1886 by rallying together 15 munitions workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich.
Seeking work, the team's first captain later headed to Coventry and ended up at the Standard Motor Company. He remained in the West Midlands until his death in 1948.
Spurred on by the lack of a permanent tribute, Sky Blues Fans set about fundraising and reaching out to Danskin's family.
In April 2019, following campaigns by Burntisland Heritage Trust and Arsenal Scotland Supporters' Club, Arsenal funded a headstone, with four generations of the founder's family travelling from as far as Australia and Canada to attend the unveiling.
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Bird added: "It provides an important connection between the two clubs and I hope that fans of the two clubs respect the fact that we're looking after their founder and we're looking after Willie Stanley."
Proud Sky Blues fans also worked to ensure Willie Stanley, who started the team in 1883, was honoured with a gravestone.
The historian told the BBC: "Similar to Danskin's grave, it was just a bare patch. I was sad because the founder of our football club was lying in an unmarked grave."
Lionel Bird in green and black football tshirt and dark jeans in standing in a cemetery next to a black gravestone with the words, in memory of Willie Stanley
Image caption, Historian, Lionel Bird, hopes the link will help to forge a bond between the two teams
Stanley's family originated in Wolverhampton, but relocated to Birmingham for work. In 1881, he came to Coventry and while working as a bicycle machinist at the Singer factory, the Singers FC were formed. They later earned the moniker Coventry City FC in 1898.
Ian Devoy, great-grandson of Willie Stanley, said: "What started as a bunch of lads who probably worked on the factory floor kicking a ball around as a bit of recreation, has become a FA Cup-winning huge club, it's an incredible story."
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