View a gallery of the Isaac Newell story
His early life
Isaac Newell was born on 24 April 1853 and baptised at St Nicholas Church, Strood on 15 May that same year.
The family lived in Taylor’s Lane, near Strood High Street.
Family life
Isaac was the youngest of 3 sons born to Joseph and Mary Newell.
Joseph’s father was a mariner on board the HMS Genoa which, after undergoing repairs at Chatham Dockyard between 1816 and 1818, served as a guard ship in Chatham in 1821.
Local life
Isaac and his family lived in Taylor’s Lane.
This lane does not look the same today, but it is still a small access road off the high street by the Prince of Wales pub.
Argentinian adventures
At the age of 16, Isaac sailed to Argentina in a cargo passenger ship in 1869.
He reportedly travelled with some of his father’s friends, against his mother’s wishes.
Isaac arrived alone in Rosario, at William Wheelwright’s house, with a letter of introduction from his father.
William Wheelwright was a highly successful businessman in the world of ships and trains.
Wheelwright gave Isaac a job as an apprentice telegraphist at the Central Argentine Railway and allowed Isaac to live in 1 of his own houses.
Isaac met Anna Margaret Jockinsen and they married in 1876.
They had their first child called Claudio Lorenza Newell in 1878.
Both Anna and Isaac graduated as English teachers in 1878 and in 1884.
Isaac and Anna founded the Anglo Argentine Commercial College.
Isaac and Anna's school was open to the diverse groups in the local area and unusually, allowed people who could pay the fee and those who could not.
Isaac commissioned a leather ball from an importer George Burton, and his students soon enjoyed playing football as part of the sporting life of the college.
The enthusiasm for the sport meant that it quickly outgrew the courtyard where they kicked about.
The land next to the college was bought to play football on instead.
A sports organisation was founded, called Club Atletico Newell’s School, which had its playing field located behind the school.
Registered matches included:
- 17 July 1897 vs another School
- 6 May 1899 vs Central Argentine Railway Athletic Club (later to be known as Rosario Central, Newell’s Old Boys main rivals)
- 10 June 1899 also vs Central Argentine Railway Athletic Club.
In 1900 Isaac, who was already ill, delegated the leadership of the school to his eldest son, Claudio, and his wife, Katie.
Isaac Newell died on the 16 October 1907 in Rosario, Argentina.
The formation of Club Atletico Newell School
Only school students were allowed to be a part of the Club Atletico Newell’s School teams.
On the 3 November 1903, Isaac's former students led by his son Claudio founded Club Atletico Newell's Old Boys, the name honouring the life and work of his father.
For the first 8 years after the club’s foundation in 1903, Newell’s Old Boys played on pitches in the north west of Rosario and in the west of the city while Claudio Newell tried to secure a permanent home for the club.
In 1911, the club moved to a new stadium in the Parque Independencia, where they have been located ever since.
The stadium was originally built with wooden terraces, as they were popular in English stadiums at the time.
In recognition of being the club’s most successful manager, and responsible for the development of so many players, the stadium was renamed to the “Estadio Marcelo A. Bielsa” in December 2009.
Today’s Club Atletico Newell's Old Boys
Club Atletico Newell's Old Boys is a club of recognised national and international prestige.
To give an idea of the club's importance, it is enough to say that it has produced stars such as:
- Diego Maradona
- Lionel Messi
- Gerardo Martino
- Gabriel Batistuta
- Mauricio Pochettino
- Jorge Valdano
- Marcelo Bielsa
- Lionel Scaloni
- Maxi Rodrìguez.
Gallery
1- Image of Strood High Street 2- Photo of Lionel Messi 3 - Photo of Isaac Newell 4 - Photo of The Athletico Newell School 5 - Photo of Atletico Newell Old Boys Club 6 - Photo of Isaac Newell Statue, Argentina 7 - Atletico Newell Club today