Alumni Athletic Club, or simply Alumni, was an Argentine football team active during the first years of the sport in that country. Although officially founded in 1898, the team had been formed in 1893 when a group of students from the Buenos Aires English High School joined Alexander Watson Hutton (considered the "father" of Argentine football)"Lomas marcó el rumbo", Clarín, 2001-07-15 to form a team in order to participate in the championship organized by the Argentine Association Football League (then Argentine Football Association, which had been created that year).
The squad was active until 1911 and was disbanded in 1913 due to internal problems. During the years Alumni was active, the team won a total of 22 titles, including 15 domestic titles (10 Primera División championships and 5 national cups). At international level, Alumni won 7 titles, becoming one of the most important clubs in the history of Argentine football."Alumni: en el nombre del fútbol" on Clarín, 2003-04-21
History
The Buenos Aires English High School
On 25 February 1882, Scottish Professor Alexander Watson Hutton arrived to Buenos Aires. Hutton, considered "the father" of Argentine football, had been hired as Director of Saint Andrew's Scots School but resigned a short time later because the institution did not have funds to acquire sports facilities, which were considered by Hutton as an essential component of his teaching methods.
Watson Hutton then created the Buenos Aires English High School (BAEHS) to put in practise his ideas about education, with a special predilection for football. The BAEHS opened on 1 February 1884. To start with the practise of football in Argentina, Watson Hutton brought William Watters from Scotland, to work as a trainer. It was Watters who brought the first footballs from the United Kingdom."Orígenes: el fútbol, una pasión argentina" at AFA website
First official match
By 1890 football in Buenos Aires had yet to be regulated by any federation although there were many institutions where the game was practised, such as Buenos Aires English High School, St. Andrew's Scots School, Flores Collegiate, Flores English College, Old Caledonians Football Club, Saint John's Football Club, Scotch Club and Buenos Aires Football Club.
In 1891 the Argentine Football Association League, the first football association outside United Kingdom, was established with the purpose of organising a championship, giving birth to the Primera División, the oldest football competition in South America. The following teams were registered: St. Andrew's Scots School, Old Caledonians, Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway, Belgrano Football Club (a predecessor of current Belgrano Athletic Club) and Buenos Aires Football Club. Nevertheless, this new tournament was badly criticized and was boycotted by most of the clubs. The title was won by St. Andrew's, considered today as the first Primera División champion ever, being recognised even by the AFA although the Association organised its first championship in 1893."Campeones de Primera División" at AFA website
The AAFL was dissolved after the 1891 season. As a result, in 1892 no championship was held. On 21 February 1893, Watson Hutton created a new football league with the same name (current Argentine Football Association), with himself appointed as president.
The first championship organised by the new Association was the 1893 tournament, with five teams taking part: Lomas AC (which would be the champion), Flores, Quilmes Rowers, Buenos Aires al Rosario Railway and Buenos Aires English High School making its debut."Argentina 1893" at RSSSF by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi
The BAEHS decided not to take part in the 1894 championship, which caused many of its players to move to other teams such as Lobos AC and Lanús Athletic Club.
Creation of an Athletic Club
The BAEHS team returned to Primera División for the 1895 championship, won by Lomas. The team made a poor campaign, finishing in the last position. The BAESH would not take part in a Primera División tournament until 1900. As they had done in 1894, the students of the school played for other teams during this period.
In 1898 the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction ruled that teaching of physical exercises would be obligatory for all the national schools programs. Furthermore, it was required that each school had to create a sports club formed by their current and former students. As a result, on 3 October 1898, "English High School Athletic Club" was founded. The school bought its first facility in the Coghlan district of Buenos Aires, near the train station, with the purpose of practicing physical activities as it was requiredDaniel Pallarola: "Positivismo, normalismo y Educación Física en Argentina", Revista Digital #52 – September 2002
In 1899 the Argentine Football Association created the second division, where the club registered a team. The championship was won by Banfield; English High School A.C. was the runner up. In 1900 the club decided to compete at the Primera División tournaments again, so some of its players returned to the team. Walter Buchanan, Juan McKechnie and Guillermo and Heriberto Jordán came from Lobos A.C. while brothers Tomás, Carlos and Jorge Brown came from Lanús A.C.
The long success
English High School won its first title in 1900, totaling 11 points in 6 games played."Argentina 1900" by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi at RSSSF It began the long series of titles (10 over 11 seasons played) won by the team during its short existence in Argentine football.
At the end of the season, the Buenos Aires Herald newspaper decided to award a trophy (named "Herald Trophy") to the most popular team of Argentina. To establish this, the Herald made a survey among its readers, who had to send a voucher indicating their favorite team. The survey finished on 31 July 1900, and the English High School AC was awarded as "the most popular team" with 6.942 votes, followed by Quilmes (3.467 votes) and Belgrano Athletic (3.358).
In 1901 the Association forbade football teams to use names of Schools so BAEHS had to register a new name to play at football tournaments. One of club's members and former student Carlos Rowers, came up with the name "Alumni" which was immediately approved, therefore the team changed to "Alumni Athletic Club".
Under its new name, Alumni would win 3 consecutive championships (1901, 1902 and 1903). The 1901 team won all its games, scoring 12 goals and only receiving 1 in 6 matches played. Alumni also won its first international competition, the Tie Cup where teams from Buenos Aires, Rosario and Montevideo took part. The squad defeated Rosario Athletic by 2–1 at the final.
In 1902 Alumni finished unbeaten again, winning 7 of 8 games, scoring 24 goals (an average of 3 per game). The 1903 team won 9 of 10 games, with only one defeat to Belgrano AC by 1–0. Alumni scored 40 goals in the tournament (an average of 4 per game), with large victories over Lomas (3–0, 4–2), Flores AC (6–0, 10–0), Quilmes (4–0, 3–0) and Barracas AC (4–0). The 1903 team also won its second Tie Cup, defeating Rosario Athletic by 3–2.
In 1904 Alumni finished second to Belgrano Athletic, winning only 5 of 10 matches with 2 losses. The next year Alumni won another championship, with the adding of goalkeeper José Buruca Laforia and forward Carlos Lett (who would be the topscorer of the tournament with 12 goals). Alumni won 10 of 12 matches having lost only one and scoring 43 goals. The squad also achieved some highlights such two thrashing victories against Lomas (7–1 and 11–1), and a devastating 14–0 to Reformer AC."Argentina 1905" by Osvaldo Georgazzi at RSSSF Alumni also won the first edition of the domestic Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires that same year, defeating Quilmes 1–0 at the final.
In 1905 Alumni also won its first domestic cup, the Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires, where the team eliminated Estudiantes (BA) and Belgrano AC before defeating Quilmes 1–0 at the final, with a goal scored during extra time.Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires 1905 at RSSSF
For the 1906 season, the Argentine tournament changed its format, with all its teams divided into two separated groups. The teams finishing first of each group played a final match in order to proclaim a champion. Alumni and Lomas won their respective zones, playing the final game that was won by Alumni 4–0. During the regular season, Alumni achieved largest victories to Belgrano AC (3–0, 4–0) and Quilmes (4–0). Alumni not only won its 6th. Primera División title, but its second consecutive Copa de Honor Municipalidad de Buenos Aires to Estudiantes (BA) by 3–1, the Tie Cup (demolishing Belgrano AC by 10–1), and the Copa de Honor Cousenier (against Uruguayan team Nacional). To sum up, Alumni won all the tournaments contested that year.
On 24 June, Alumni played the South African national team at Sociedad Sportiva Argentina stadium (where current Campo Argentino de Polo is located). The South Africa team had reaffiliated to The Football Association and was formed exclusively by white players, with seven of them born in South Africa and 8 originated from England and Scotland.Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937, page 4 At least 12,000 spectators attended the match, with the president of Argentina, José Figueroa Alcorta among them. The game finished 1–0 with a goal scored by Alfredo Brown in the 51st minute.
The victory was largely celebrated by the media for being the first time an Argentine squad defeated a British team. Local newspaper La Nación wrote: "For our national football, the Alumni v South Africa match was a great triumph that will be remembered for a long time in everyone's memory, serving as example and stimulus for the future", while British-origin newspaper The Standard wrote "it was a glorious victory and what happened in La Sportiva is promising for Argentine football".A cien años de un triunfazo on Clarín, 24 June 2006
Nevertheless, Alfredo Brown, who scored the only goal of the match, admitted the superiority of the British team when he said:
Alumni won another title the following season, the 1907 championship. The squad finished unbeaten, totaling 37 points with 17 wins. Alumni achieved a large number of thrashing victories over some rivals, such as San Martín AC (7–0), Reformer (7–0 and 4–0), Quilmes (7–2), Barracas AC and San Isidro (5–0 both), Lomas (4–0 and 5–0), Argentino de Quilmes (5–1 both times), and Belgrano AC (4–0). Due to that outstanding performance on the field, the team reached a record of 76 goals scored in 20 matches (3,8 goals per game). That year Alumni won another domestic cup, the Copa de Competencia Jockey Club defeating Belgrano AC at the final, and its 4th Tie Cup championship, defeating CURCC at Ferro Carril Oeste stadium.
Although Alumni did not win a Primera División title in 1908 (where finished 2nd to Belgrano AC), the team got its third consecutive Copa Jockey Club title, easily defeating Argentino de Quilmes by 5–0 in the final. Internationally, Alumni also won another edition of Tie Cup, easily beating Montevideo Wanderers by 4–0 in Buenos Aires.