English High School AC

Alexander Watson Hutton

When the Scottish educationalist Alexander Watson Hutton became aware that the Saint Andrew's Scots School (Buenos Aires) of which he was director, had insufficient funds to promote sporting activities he resigned and established his own institution - The Buenos Aires English High School.
Watson Hutton was such a strong believer in the importance of sports in education that he even 'imported' a Scottish football coach- a certain William Watters of whom I can find no further information. The claim that Watters brought the first footballs to Argentina is spurious, as games were played as early as the 1860s.  

 In February 1893, Watson Hutton was responsible for the foundation of a second incarnation of The Argentine Association Football League.

English High School won its first title in 1900. That year also saw English High School awarded the Herald Trophy. This was an award by the Buenos Aires Herald newspaper based on a readers' vote for the most popular team in Buenos Aires.

The result was :

English High School AC - 6,942 votes
Quilmes - 3,467 votes
Belgrano Athletic - 3,358

In 1901 the Association rules were changed- it was stipulated that teams must not have the names of schools. Consequently the club members chose a new name- Alumni AC (alumni is Latin for former pupils).
Alumni dominated Argentinian club football for the following decade.