Alexander Watson Hutton

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Watson Hutton was born in the Gorbals in 1853. 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. In 1884 he founded Buenos Aires English High School.

In 1891 Alec Lamont, headteacher St Andrew's founded the "Argentine Association Football League" and Argentine league, which was won by a team of Scots from St Andrew's. The five team league only lasted one season and is not officially recognised. The Association and league only lasted one season. On February 21 1893 Watson Hutton restarted the "Argentine Association Football League", and formed the first officially recognised league outside the British Isles. In 1898 his school formed a football team which went on to become the most decorated team in the Amateur Era of Argentine football, in 1901 they were renamed Alumni Athletic Club. The club won ten league titles a record only ever surpassed by five teams (Racing Club, River Plate, Boca Juniors, Independiente and San Lorenzo). Alumni provided many players for the Argentina national football team inluding his son Arnold Watson Hutton.

In 1911 he retired and his club were dispanded, he died on March 9 1936 in Buenos Aires and is buried in Cementerio Británico. The AFA library is named in his honour.

External links

*findagrave|7832647
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