On 3 November 1903, in the courtyard of a school in Rosario, Argentina, a group of former pupils signed the founding act of a club that would become a legend. Newell's Old Boys turns 123 years old on 3 November 2026. And its story begins with a teacher, a leather ball and two flags.

The teacher from Kent

Isaac Newell was born in Kent, England, in 1853 and arrived in Rosario as a teenager, aged just 16. He first worked as a telegraphist, became an English teacher and in 1884 founded the Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino. It was one of the first schools in the city to put sport on the timetable, alongside the arts and sciences.

Soon afterwards, Newell came back from a trip to England with a leather ball and the rules of football. That is why he is regarded as one of the pioneers of the game in Argentina.

What "Old Boys" means

In 1903 his son, Claudio Newell, invited teachers, pupils and alumni to sign the founding act. The new club took the teacher's name, while "Old Boys" is the English term for a school's former pupils. In other words, the team was "Newell's boys" from day one.

Isaac himself enjoyed the club for only a few years, as he died in Rosario in October 1907.

Red for England, black for Germany

The colours come from the school's emblem, which was split into red and black. According to club tradition, the red refers to the flag of England, Isaac's homeland. The black comes from the flag of Germany, the country his wife, Anna Jockinsen, came from.

The classic shirt is split vertically down the middle, black on the left and red on the right, worn with black shorts. According to El Gráfico, the first kit was white with light blue stripes, but Newell eventually preferred red and black. That is also where the nickname "Rojinegro" comes from.

The "Lepers" and the Colossus of the Park

One of the strangest nicknames in Argentine football was born in the 1920s. According to the story told in Rosario, Newell's agreed to play a charity match for a leprosy hospital, while Rosario Central refused. So Newell's fans became the "Leprosos" and Central's the "Canallas", two insults that are now worn with pride.

The ground has stood in Parque Independencia since 1911 and is known as "El Coloso del Parque". Since 2009 it has carried the name of Marcelo Bielsa, a former player and coach of the club.

Titles and talent for the whole world

Newell's has won six Argentine league titles: 1974, 1987-88, 1990-91, the 1992 Clausura, the 2004 Apertura and 2013. The 1987-88 title came with a squad made up entirely of academy products. In the Copa Libertadores it reached the final twice, in 1988 and 1992, but never lifted the trophy.

Its academy is a real treasure chest. Lionel Messi, who left young for Barcelona, came through it, as did Gabriel Batistuta, Jorge Valdano, Walter Samuel, Mauricio Pochettino and Lionel Scaloni. In 1993 even Diego Maradona briefly wore the red and black shirt.

Celebrate with us

123 years after the signing in the school courtyard, Newell's remains the great school of Argentine football. Happy birthday to the "Lepers" of Rosario, and may the talent keep flowing!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Estadio Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario, 2017 – PitchdGroundhopping, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.