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Descendants of Sky Blues founder are reunited; CEREMONY: About 40 relatives of the man who began Coventry City FC gather at his graveside.


Byline: By Helen Thomas

UP to 40 descendants DESCENDANTS. Those who have issued from an individual, and include his children, grandchildren, and their children to the remotest degree. Ambl. 327 2 Bro. C. C. 30; Id. 230 3 Bro. C. C. 367; 1 Rop. Leg. 115; 2 Bouv. n. 1956.
     2.
 of Sky Blues founder Willie Stanley were reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb.

Preceded by
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May 5 1979 Succeeded by
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 yesterday as they gathered to commemorate his grave.

After two years of extensive research, Sky Blues historian Lionel Bird managed to trace members of Willie's family, most of whom never knew they were linked with such an important name in Coventry sporting history.

Lionel first started his search after reading an old newspaper article about Willie's stepbrother George Bowers Bowers is a surname, and may refer to
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, who was a founder player of Singers FC, which later became Coventry City Football Club.

He started tracing Willie's family tree and the first person he traced was Ian Devoy, of Earlsdon, who has helped Lionel find more family members.

They also collected pounds 2,000 in donations for new headstones for Willie and George's formerly unmarked graves Unmarked Graves is a horror novel written by Shaun Hutson. Synopsis
When investigative telejournalist Nick Pearson is sent to Darworth in Hertfordshire, he finds a community divided.
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 cemetery, and these were unveiled and blessed yesterday by Father Bob Wright.

Lionel, who plans to write a book about his discoveries, said: "Today is the culmination of two years of work. I'd like to thank all those who have supported or contributed to the appeal. I'm delighted so many descendants of Willie Stanley are here today."

Ian, who is Willie's great-grandson, said he was very grateful for Lionel putting him in touch with his long lost relatives.

He said: "It's a remarkable thing and it's all down to Lionel's hard work and perseverance Perseverance
See also Determination.

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. Most of the people here have never met each other before.

"I've been a Coventry City fan all my life but I never knew I was related to Willie Stanley."

Willie's great-great-grandson Dom Walton, aged 40, and originally from Wolston, travelled all the way from his home in Paris, to attend the blessing.

He said: "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I couldn't believe it was true when I first heard. I just had to be here. I was a season ticket holder when I lived over here and I never knew I was related to the man who started it all."

Brian Stanley, aged 68, of Telfer Road, Radford, is the last in line of the Stanleys and is the son of Willie's fifth child from his second marriage.

He said: "I didn't know we were related to him. When I was young I used to go and watch the games at Highfield Road but my dad never said."

Anne Ford Anne Ford, or Ann Ford, after 1762 Mrs. Philip Ticknesse, (February 22, 1737 – January 20 1824) was an eighteenth-century English musician and singer. She was famous in her own era for the scandal that attended her struggle to perform in public, and her , aged 69, of the Forest of Dean, is Willie's granddaughter and her mother Edna was his youngest daughter.

She said: "This is all wonderful. I lived with my gran but she never said anything about him founding the club. I think it is marvellous."

Former Sky Blues chairman Joe Elliott was at the cemetery to welcome the family and said it was the perfect way to start the 125th anniversary celebration of the club.

He said: "It's a wonderful story that Lionel and Ian have been working on and it's brought this family together here in Coventry to celebrate someone who is incredibly important in the city."

The life of a sporting legend

Birmingham on February 12 1861.

He moved to Coventry in 1881 and started work as a bicycle machinist at the Singer factory, in Alma Street, Hillfields.

He formed the Singers Football Club on August 13, 1883 in a Hillfields pub and was the manager from 1883 to 1885 as well as occasionally playing centre forward for the club.

Willie and first wife Sarah Bailey had three children.

Sadly, Sarah died in 1895 and Willie then married Agnes Evans. The couple went on to have 11 children.

The Singers Football Club became Coventry City Football Club on August 12, 1898.

Willie died on June 13 1933.

His step-brother George Bowers was a fellow founder of the Singers Football Club and played as a right winger until 1888. He became a linesman the following year.

He was married to Harriet Preedy and the couple had no children. George died in 1951 aged 85.

CAPTION(S):

DJ040408WILL5 BLESSING... The descendants of Willie Stanley (inset) gather at his grave. Main picture: Joe Bailey; DJ040408WILL2 PROUD DAY... Thomas, eight, and William Peace, 10, the great-great-great-grandsons of Willie Stanley next to his gravestone.
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Publication:Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)
Date:Apr 5, 2008
Words:694
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