Isaac Newell (24 April 1853 – 16 October 1907) was an English teacher who pioneered football in Argentina. He was the founder of both the Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino and the football club Newell's Old Boys, which is named in his honour.

Leaving England

Isaac Newell was born on 24 April 1853 in

Strood Strood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in Kent, South East England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham and Rainham. It lies on the northwest bank of the River Medway at its lowes ...

, Kent, England to Joseph Newell and Mary Goodger. Growing up, he had an adventurous spirit and a passion for sporting activities, especially

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

. At the age of 16 he boarded a ship to Argentina with some friends of his father. When he arrived in the city of

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...

he presented a letter of recommendation from his father to

William Wheelwright William Wheelwright (March 18, 1798 – September 26, 1873) was a businessman who played an essential role in the development of steamboat and train transportation in Chile and other parts of South America. In 1838, with help from the Chilean ...

, the administrator of the British-owned Central Argentine Railway. Wheelwright gave him a job as a

telegraphist A telegraphist (British English), telegrapher (American English), or telegraph operator is an operator who uses a telegraph key to send and receive the Morse code in order to communicate by land lines or radio. During the Great War the Royal ...

. In 1876 he married his wife Anna Jockinsen, and in 1876 his first son Claudio was born, followed later by Liliana, Fortinato and Margarita.

Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino

Newell acquired a property and in 1884 he founded the ''Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino'' with a distinctive red and black colour scheme with emblem. The colours were a mixture from the flags of England and the

flag of the German Empire The Flag of the German Empire, or Imperial Flag, Realm Flag, (German: ''Reichsflagge)'' is a combination between the flag of Prussia and the flag of the Hanseatic League. The flag was first used as the flag of the North German Confederation whic ...

, Anna's nationality. It was in 1884 that the first football and set of rules arrived in Argentina. Newell decided to alternate study at the college with sporting activity. Over the years the sport gained in popularity at the college. In 1900 Newell made his son Claudio and his daughter-in-law, Katie Cowell, directors of the school.

Newell's Old Boys

Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys was founded on 3 November 1903. Claudio Newell was one of the principal founders. The club was founded for teachers, students and alumni of the college, and was named in homage to Newell's life and achievements. The club's emblem and their kit take their colours from the Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino.Glorioso Newell's website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newell, Isaac 1853 births 1907 deaths People from Strood Schoolteachers from Kent English emigrants to Argentina Newell's Old Boys Argentine schoolteachers