Alexander Watson Hutton
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{short description|Scottish teacher and sportsman}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alexander Watson Hutton
| image = Wattson-hutton young.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption = Photo of Watson Hutton, c. 1880.
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 10 June 1853
| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1936|03|09|1853|06|10}}
| death_place = Buenos Aires, Argentina
| other_names =
| occupation =
| known_for = Founder of:
}}
File:Watson hutton graveyard.jpg of Buenos Aires.]]
Alexander Watson Hutton (10 June 1853 – 9 March 1936) was a Scottish teacher and sportsman who is considered "The Father of Argentine football".{{Cite web|url=https://www.afa.com.ar/|title=Sitio Oficial de la Asociación del Fútbol Argentino|website=Sitio Oficial de la Asociación del Fútbol Argentino}} In 1893 he founded the "Argentine Association Football League" (current Argentine Football Association). He also founded the Buenos Aires English High School and football club Alumni, which was the most successful Argentine team with 22 titles won until its dissolution in 1911.Alumni, Cuna de Campeones y Escuela de Hidalguía by Ernesto Escobar Bavio, Editorial Difusión - Buenos Aires (Published 1953)Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina by Jorge Iwanczuk. Publisher: Autores Editores (1992) – {{ISBN|9504343848}}
Biography
Watson Hutton was born in the Gorbals, in Glasgow, in 1853. He was educated at Daniel Stewart's School (now Stewart's Melville College) in Edinburgh and following this he graduated from Edinburgh University and emigrated to Argentina in 1882. He worked at St Andrew's Scots School for two years. He was a keen sportsman and believed that sports were of fundamental importance in education. On 4 February 1884[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/alumni.html "Alumni Athletic Club"] on RSSSF he founded the Buenos Aires English High School, where he continued to instruct the pupils in the game.{{Cite web|url=https://baehs.com.ar/|title=BUENOS AIRES ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL|website=baehs.com.ar}} In 1891 the Association Argentine Football League was established by Alex Lamont of St. Andrew's Scots School, being the first football league outside of the British Isles.[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/jun/04/worldcup2006.football3 "Salvation army" on The Guardian], 4 June 2006 Five clubs competed but only one season was ever played.
In 1891 Alec Lamont, headteacher St Andrew's founded the "Argentine Association Football League" the first Argentine league, which was won by a team of Scots from St Andrew's.[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arg1891.html Argentina 1891] on RSSSF The five team league only lasted one season but it is officially recognised by the Argentine Association as the first football league in the country.[http://www.afa.org.ar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18842:campeones-de-la-primera-division-del-futbol-argentino-amateurismo-1891-1934&catid=110:torneos-superiores&Itemid=78 Campeones de la Primera División: 1891–1934] on AFA website
On 21 February 1893 Watson Hutton, along with representatives from Quilmes, Old Caledonian's, St. Andrew's, BA English High School, Lomas and Flores clubs, established the "Argentine Association Football League",[http://edant.clarin.com/suplementos/especiales/2003/02/21/l-520200.htm "La historia de una casa poderosa"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413203638/http://edant.clarin.com/suplementos/especiales/2003/02/21/l-520200.htm |date=13 April 2015 }}, Clarín, 21 February 2003[http://edant.clarin.com/diario/2000/12/22/d-07801.htm "Alumni es la guía"], Clarín, 22 December 2000 and restarted the organization of tournaments after the 1892 hiatus. In 1898 his school formed a football team which went on to become the most decorated team of Argentine football by then, winning a total of 22 titles (15 domestic and 7 international championships) until its dissolution in 1911. The club, originally named the same as the school, changed to "Alumni Athletic Club" due to new rules by the Association. Alumni also provided many players for the Argentina national football team including his son Arnold Watson Hutton and captain Juan Brown.
In 1911 he retired and his club was disbanded. Watson Hutton died on 9 March 1936 in Buenos Aires and is buried in Cementerio Británico.{{Cite web|url=http://biblioteca.afa.org.ar/libros/libro_13/|title=Libros AFA|website=biblioteca.afa.org.ar}} The AFA library is named in his honour.
See also
{{Portal|Biography}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons cat}}
- {{Find a Grave|7832647|access-date=3 September 2010}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070330041109/http://www.gedboy.com/watsonhutton.html English language profile]
{{Alumni Athletic Club}}
{{Football in Argentina}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson Hutton, Alexander}}
Category:History of football in Argentina
Category:Sportspeople from Glasgow
Category:Scottish emigrants to Argentina
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:19th-century Scottish people
Category:Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery