Isaac newell: more than a name
Medway Council’s ‘Isaac Newell: more than a name’ exhibition was originally hosted at The Guildhall Museum in Rochester between 8 November and 5 December 2022, with a short presence at the Medway Sports Awards on Friday 16 December 2022. We celebrated the life and legacy of Isaac Newell who was an inspiration for football in Argentina.
The exhibition told the story of Isaac’s childhood in Medway, growing up around the time of Charles Dickens, his early life in Argentina, and how he established the Anglo Argentine Commercial School with his wife, Anna. Through education and sport, they changed the face of education in Argentina, and it was through the school that Isaac introduced Association Football to his students.
In November 1903, Isaac’s former students – led by his son Claudio – founded Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys, the name honouring the life and work of his father. The Argentine Primera Division Football Club has recently celebrated its 120-year anniversary and is one of the few historic clubs that has remained active since it was founded.
Visitors to the exhibition learned about the club’s history, the development of the club badge and kit, the high-quality facilities and sporting opportunities available to the community, and the famous faces (and boots!) that graced football pitches around the world because of Isaac Newell.
Never before had one of the finest 17th century buildings in Kent had the cheers and chants of football fans echoing around inside. The majestic Council Chamber, built in 1697 and home to numerous weddings throughout the year, featured a football pitch and goals; stadium crowd; football mannequins with current and replica shirts; and a replica bust of Isaac Newell (from one of just two bronze statues in Argentina).
Featured in Charles Dicken's 'Great Expectations', the Council Chamber was intrisically linked to Isaac Newell, as Isaac grew up in Medway when Charles Dickens lived at Gad's Hill Place. Isaac lived on the opposite side of the River Medway and would have walked along Rochester High Street, past the Museum, on many occasions.
The exhibition told the story of Isaac’s childhood in Medway, growing up around the time of Charles Dickens, his early life in Argentina, and how he established the Anglo Argentine Commercial School with his wife, Anna. Through education and sport, they changed the face of education in Argentina, and it was through the school that Isaac introduced Association Football to his students.
In November 1903, Isaac’s former students – led by his son Claudio – founded Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys, the name honouring the life and work of his father. The Argentine Primera Division Football Club has recently celebrated its 120-year anniversary and is one of the few historic clubs that has remained active since it was founded.
Visitors to the exhibition learned about the club’s history, the development of the club badge and kit, the high-quality facilities and sporting opportunities available to the community, and the famous faces (and boots!) that graced football pitches around the world because of Isaac Newell.
Never before had one of the finest 17th century buildings in Kent had the cheers and chants of football fans echoing around inside. The majestic Council Chamber, built in 1697 and home to numerous weddings throughout the year, featured a football pitch and goals; stadium crowd; football mannequins with current and replica shirts; and a replica bust of Isaac Newell (from one of just two bronze statues in Argentina).
Featured in Charles Dicken's 'Great Expectations', the Council Chamber was intrisically linked to Isaac Newell, as Isaac grew up in Medway when Charles Dickens lived at Gad's Hill Place. Isaac lived on the opposite side of the River Medway and would have walked along Rochester High Street, past the Museum, on many occasions.