Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman is related to Gunners legend George Male

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Arsenal’s teenage sensation Max Dowman has a remarkable family connection to one of the club’s greatest legends, with genealogy research revealing he is distantly related to George Male – the first player to win six English top-flight titles.

The discovery was made by retired teacher Dave Male, who spotted 14-year-old Dowman playing for England Under-16s during a holiday in Spain two years ago. According to The Guardian, Male recognised the surname from his own family tree and traced the connection back through their shared ancestor.

“My grandmother was born Maria Maud Dowman and she was the mother of George Male, who captained Arsenal and England. So it turns out he is distantly related to Max through his great, great, great, great grandfather William Dowman,” Male explained.

A legendary lineage

George Male was a cornerstone of Arsenal’s dominant 1930s side, helping the Gunners win five league titles in eight seasons. The defender made over 300 appearances for the club and earned 19 England caps before becoming the first player to achieve six English top-flight titles at age 36 in 1948.

Male later became a youth coach and scout at Arsenal, notably discovering Charlie George, who starred in the club’s famous 1970-71 Double-winning team. He remains commemorated in two locations outside the Emirates Stadium.

The family connection traces back to 1800 when William Dowman was born in North Benfleet, Essex. George Male descended from Christopher Dowman, while Max comes from the line of Christopher’s younger brother, William Jr.

Following family footsteps

Dowman has already created his own piece of Arsenal history, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history with his stunning solo effort against Everton last month. The 16-year-old also holds the record as Arsenal’s youngest FA Cup player at 16 years and 66 days old.

The Dowman family has maintained strong footballing connections in Essex, with Max’s grandfather playing as a goalkeeper for Billericay Town’s youth team and his father Rob also representing the club in his youth. Rob later joined the consortium that took over Billericay Town in 2019.

Max was discovered by Arsenal scout Johnny Knight while playing for Billericay and spent five years in their youth system before joining the Hale End academy permanently. Mikel Arteta has described the teenager as “something special,” with some even suggesting he could feature in England’s World Cup squad.

Dave Male, who uncovered this remarkable family link through ancestry research, expressed his pride in the discovery. “Sport seems to run in the family. It’s quite thrilling for us really,” he said.

Dowman is expected to feature in Arsenal’s FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on Saturday as he continues building his own legacy at the club where his distant relative once captained the side to multiple titles.