I was sitting in the library of the wonderful football museum in Sao Paulo's Pacembu Stadium, when a local historian of the game approached me. He wanted to ask me about a man he called Hutchinson. In fact, I had no idea who or what he was talking about, at which point he might have given up but instead told me a story, one that he thought began in 1909 but actually started in 1907 and not with a Hutchinson but a Hamilton.
The Hamilton in question was John, known as Jock. Born in Ayr in 1869 he had been a centre-half, a Scottish centre-half, briefly playing for one of the two home-town clubs that would become Ayr United before in 1894 at the comparatively late age of twenty-five moving south, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English First Division
There he played just four games before suffering a serious leg injury. It seemed to put an end to his short career in the top-flight at least. He joined newly-elected Loughborough the following season in the Second Division and then moved between clubs in the lower part of league and the Southern League, four in all, until joining Fulham for the 1903-4 season, his last.
But he did not then leave Fulham. He simply moved into coaching. He was Assistant Trainer until 1908, as the club, having recruited
R.C. Hamilton from Rangers and playing
Jimmy Hogan
alongside him topped the Southern League, would in 1907 join the Second Division of the Football League, and then in full charge for two years more as it finished fourth, tenth and seventh.
However, for the summer of 1907 between the Southern and Football League seasons Hamilton had received an offer. How and via whom is unknown but from where and what is. It came from Brazil and Paulistano. The Sao Paulo club could afford it. It was team of the city's social and financial elite. And the appointment marked the beginning of a new era in the city's game. Although Hamilton would be there just three months, about half of the local football season, arriving on 23rd April, ten days before its start, and leaving on 9th July to be back at work in West London, he became the first professional trainer, i.e. coach, to be employed in the country's game. Not only that he would also have input to refereeing. Of the total of twelve league games played by all the clubs whilst he was there he was trusted with the whistle in five, including the first and one even involving his own team.
Hamilton's effect on Paulistano was rapid, probably not least on simple fitness. Having been league champions in 1905 Paulistano had fallen to third in 1906, no doubt a reason for his hiring. In 1907 it would lose its first match against Sao Paulo Athletic (SPAC), the British Club, founded by the bringer of football to Sao Paulo,
Charles Miller, with a father from Largs. Hamilton was refereeing. It would win its next, draw the one after that and finish second in the table. But, no doubt with the Scotsman's rasp still ringing in their ears even from 6,000 miles away, it would retake top spot the following year.
In finishing second in 1907 Paulistano would be defeated four times. Once would be to SPAC, the game where Hamilton was the man in the middle. Twice would be to Internacional, that year's champions, and lastly to league new boys, Americano. In 1908 Americano would be league runner-up to Paulistano, at which point it is said to have followed the latter's example and also turned to Britain for coaching in the form of Alex D. Hutchinson.
Hutchinson was said also to have been a Scot and to have had playing experience in the English First Division, possibly as a goalkeeper. His name first appears in the records of Brazilian matches in September 1909 but not in goal or even as a player but as a referee. He seems to have appeared out of nowhere half-way through the season, officiated at three games in a month, disappeared, then reemerged for one more game in November, disappeared once more only to be back not in May for the beginning of the next season but in June. As a pattern it would rule out returning to the UK for its football a la Hamilton but offers no obvious alternative.
And Alex D. Hutchinson is problematic in other ways. Firstly, if he had played football in England there is no obvious record of him at League level, at least. But then perhaps his experience was in lower leagues. Secondly, if he had played in Scotland again there seems to be no record. But then he might have been a junior player. Thirdly, if he coached in Brazil it did not seem to have any impact on Americano at least. It would do well but remain behind Paulistano. But that might have been because he wasn't as good a coach as Hamilton. Fourthly, he actually refereed Americano games. Hamilton admittedly had done the same for Paulistano but it is unusual. In fact the only teams he did not referee were International and SPAC, which suggests perhaps an affinity with either, with, as he was British, SPAC being the more likely. And, lastly, unlike Hamilton, although there is a record of his existence at least in footballing terms, there was simply no sign of him travelling anywhere in the direction of South America at that time or, indeed, any time; no arrival, no departure.
However, Hutchinson is an English name and in Portuguese "n"s become "m"s and in foreign words again said in Portuguese "n"s that are not there appear after vowels. Take the first 'n' out Hutchinson and what remains is Hutchison, a Scottish name. And there was a clue from a passenger list from the UK to Brazil in 1914 where a six-year-old, so born 1907/8, called Alexander Hutchinson with an “n”, travelled with 34-year-old Mary Hutchison, without ”n”. The surnames were slightly different but it seemed unlikely that she was not his mother.
And it was at that point the layers began to peel away. In the period of interest Hutchisons not Hutchinsons travelled from the UK to Santos, Sao Paulo's port, the same port Jock Hamilton had travelled to and through, on a number of occasions. In 1910 there was a businessman, his wife and three sons giving their UK address as 1, Bothwell St, Glasgow, a stone's lob from Central Station. The sons were David, J.C. and A.D. The wife was Mary. The gentleman himself was Mr Alex.D.. Moreover in 1923 an Alex Hutchison, aged 46, therefore born in 1876/7, now described as a “Traffic Manager” so probably with the railways, travelled with his wife, again Mary, aged 44 so born 1878-9 and his son, Alexander, aged 16, therefore again born in 1906/7. This time his address is 5, Campbell St, Paisley. Then in 1928 and 1929 an Alex again travelled. In 1929 it was another Alex D., but just aged 21 therefore born in 1907/08 and giving an address again in Paisley at 70, White Haugh Avenue. In 1915 the same address had been given for David and James Hutchison travelling together aged 12 and 9, probably for school, born in 1902/3 and 1905/6 respectively.
At this point it would be good to have seen a Hutchison sailing to Brazil in 1909. There was none. But travelling that year to Santos and arriving in time to referee in Sao Paulo in September there was an A.D. Hutcheson. Alex Hutcheson, cum Hutchison, cum Hutchinson, aged thirty, it seems, had come to Sao Paulo alone in 1909, liked what he found, perhaps coached, certainly refereed, returned to Britain to collect his family and bring them back to Brazil in 1910 in time in June to referee once more. Moreover he was then to referee for two more games that same month, Americano-Ipiranga and Americano v Sao Paulo, two more in July, Sao Paulo-Germania and Paulistano-Americano, an abandoned game due to a red card for a Paulistano player, stepping back until a second Americano-Sao Paulo game in October. On the basis of teams he did not referee that suggests an interest not in Americano but in the other team in the league, Palmeiras, the club of which the man in the library, the man who had initiated all this, was anhistorian.
However, whatever the truth of the situation in 1911 and 1912 something seemed to change. In the first his name would not feature at all as a player or referee, except in May when he officiated a friendly in Sao Paulo between SPAC and Rio's Botafogo. He did no league games yet he did not seem to travel home because in 1912 it is was much the same, just a single game and this time as a player, for SPAC in defence in July, before at the end season the club left the league and the league split.
At that point some of SPAC's players went for the 1913 season to other teams, Mackenzie and Paulistano, still in the original league, the APEA, whilst others, including
Archie McLean, turned to Americano and then International in the the new Campionato Paulista, the CPL. And that is where Hutchinson then went too in June to mid-July and in September and October refereeing games involving all the teams. It suggested he had no affiliation in that league but there was the possibility of one with Mackenzie in the other. He never refereed in the CPL on a day when it had a game in the APEA, perhaps because he was in the dugout.
And that was how in 1914 it appeared to stay as the Hutchinson/Hutchison refereeing involvement reduced. He did it just once in July, a Mackenzie-Ipiranga game. However, his playing increased. Aged thirty-five, he was in goal for both Scottish Wanderers fixtures in June, both in July and their one game in September, five consecutive fixtures, all lost, Scottish Wanderers being Archie McLean's newly formed team. And then Alex D. was gone, just as in 1912 he also remained almost off the radar.In 1915 he seems only to have been referee for an inter-state friendly in SP between Palmeiras and Botafogo and nothing more, although it may have been that he returned home because of the war. Mary Hutchison had travelled in 1914 from the UK to Santos with her son, Alex, but no husband. Then in 1915 the two other boys travelled from the UK to Santos but did so alone. It may even have been that Alex D., the father, travelled with his wife and children to the UK after June 1914, stayed there, left his wife and one son to return home that same year alone, put his boys on the boat to travel back, also alone the following year and then followed on himself. Certainly in 1916, he was back and fully.
That season and starting in May he was the official for the first six games in the Sao Paulo Football League and practically all the matches after that until it ended in November. It seemed he had quite simply become the city's referee of choice, even officiating one game in September in the rival APEA league. Then in 1917 the two leagues merged, there was no mention of him as player or referee but there was finally not just as a coach, but as as the Scottish "technical director" of the youth team of Palestra Italia, present-day Palmeiras by another name, the self-same historian's club once more.
Alex Hutchison stayed in Palestra's youth job for a season and, although he is known to have remained in Brazil, then seems to have stepped back from all football involvement. It may have been because Palestra left the league, albeit temporarily, although there could have been other reasons. Nevertheless three questions remain. The first is, was he like Hamilton an imported, professional football coach? The answer seems to be that it is unlikely. More likely is that he was simply an enthusiast, who did a little coaching on the side because he could. The second is, did he have any background in football, specifically professional football, in Britain as a player? It is possible but again unlikely. He seems to have been more an amateur, who played a bit, who learned to referee and as such became trusted. And thirdly there is the question, who was he? And that is more easy to answer.
In September 1902 an Alexander Downie Hutchison, Mr A.D. Hutchison, married a Mary Crawford in Paisley, Scotland. He was from the southern suburbs of Glasgow, near Queen's Park, and she from Paisley itself, which would explain addresses given when they or their children travelled home. Now he may have something to do with football in the city but on their marriage certificate both he and she sold fruit. Both were said to be 26 so born in 1876, which ties up with the age of the Alex D. travelling in 1923. Women's ages tend to be more flexible. As they get older they tend to lose years, which might explain why there are a couple of years difference between her age in 1902 and her recorded age in 1923. And there is an Alex Downie Hutchison born in 1876 with a father called David, the name also of the Brazilian Hutchison's eldest son, and a mother called Elizabeth, nee Downie, the same parents names as recorded on the marriage certificate. The place of birth was actually 1, Waverley Place, not in Glasgow but in Edinburgh. Yet by 1881 he had moved to Milton by Lesmahagow, recorded as Hutcheson, in 1891 he is in St. Rollox in Glasgow and a Hutchison and in 1901 he is in Dennistoun, Glasgow. There is also a Mary Crawford born in Paisley and she was there still in 1881, 1891 and 1901. Her father was James, the name of her and Alex's second son. In Scots fashion the couple's first son had been named after his grandfather on one side, their second after the grandfather on the the other and their third son was simply named after his father.
The birth of young Alex in 1907/8 on top of two elder brothers and the resultant financial demands may have been the reason for the move to Brazil but from where? It appears that in spite of their first son, David, probably being born in 1903 just a year after Alex and Mary's marriage the birth was not in Scotland. Nor, it seems were either of his brothers. Where it was is a mystery but it seems to be outwith the UK. Moreover what happened to the boys and their father and mother after the First World War is also unclear, with the exception perhaps of James C.
David disappears from travelling from Santos in 1914 but travelled to Rio in 1926. Alex junior can be seen travelling as a Hutchinson-Hutchison from Britain in 1914 to Santos, in 1923 and again 1928. Alex senior disappears from the same British travel records after 1932, Mary travelling with him that same year. He would then have been 56. It suggests that after their children were grown by 1925 they either did not leave Brazil again or they left Brazil for good. The former seems more probable. If Alex senior was in fact working for the railways he would have more than likely been had been on a standard British contact. He would have returned home every four years and retired at 60. On that basis he and Mary might be expected to travel back and out not just in 1922/23 as known but also in 1926/7, 1930/1, again as known, and possibly 1934/5 and finally just back to Britain in 1936. Yet there is no record just as there is no death recorded or either Alexander or Mary in Scotland or even in the United Kingdom. It suggests they remained in Brazil. Meanwhile James C., when travelling describing himself as Brazilian, disappears from the travel records from Santos after 1929. Yet that is not the end of the matter. A James C. Hutchison said to be born in 1905 appears to have remained in Brazil, dying there as a British subject between 1961 and 1965. Indeed he may even have moved to Rio because a James C. Hutchison travelled to there from the UK in 1945.
At this point, however, let us wind the clock back a little. The years between the turn of the century and the First World War had seen the arrival in Sao Paulo not just of Alex Hutchison, of the Scotts and of Archie McLean but the arrival and the departure of not only one Hamilton but two. The first was Jock. The second's name first appeared for the first match played by Americano in the 1910 season and at inside-right. He was at centre-forward again for Americano for the next against SPAC. Charles Miller was in the SPAC goal. Alex Hutchison was referee. And it was this second Hamilton who lead the Americano line for the rest of the season but not the next. He still led the line but at SPAC; from the first game to the last, including one in July, where Alex Hutchison filled in at left-back, and two of the last three with Archie McLean on the right-wing. Yet he was not there in 1913. He was still in Sao Paulo and playing football but with SPAC having withdrawn first he was back at Americano, joined by McLean, before he joined International and there he stayed as they finished second in the league. The only problem was that Americano topped the table.
And then Hamilton was gone. His name would not be seen on a team-sheet until 1921, when twice in September and once in October it was there again at inside-right, this time for Sao Bento. Whether it was the same Hamilton as eight years earlier is impossible to know but it begs the question, just as had been the case with Alex Hutchison, who was he or, indeed, they?
Of the 1921 Hamilton nothing more is known. Of the 1910 version there is a little. His initials were J.G. He was a Scot, a young clerk, who seems to have arrived in late in 1909 as the Sao Paulo football season ended and was there for the beginning of the next, where he began slowly. He did not score until the fifth game, but moved from inside-right to centre-forward it was a brace. He scored again in the next game and once more in the next and the next and finally in the last, ten games, six goals. 1911 was equally fruitful; eight games, five goals now at inside-right or centre-forward for SPAC and it was there he remained for the next season but with markedly less success. SPAC struggled in the year it gave up football. Hamilton played ten of eleven games and scored just three times. And again there would be some turmoil. In the first game of the new season he would be at inside-right and scoring for Americano. Archie McLean would be his partner on the right-wing. A month later its was all change. Maclean was on the left wing and scoring a brace. Hamilton made no appearance. In fact it would not be for another seven weeks that he reappeared, at inside-left for international, staying there until the rest of the season but adding only a single goal. And that was it. Whilst Jock Hamilton had died in Keynsham between Bath and Bristol in 1931, having been between 1910 and 1915 the reserve team trainer of Bristol City and then its manager until 1919, J.G. Hamilton disappeared, perhaps as a single, four-year contract came to an end, an as yet untraceable passer-through.