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Seo ceist spòrs dhuibh. Cò ‘athair’ ball-coise Argentina? Tha mi a’ ciallachadh le sin – cò am fear a chuir lìog ball-coise air dòigh – no air chois – ann an Argentina? Chan eil fhios a’m a bheil muinntir na h-Alba eòlach air, ach ʼs e Albannach a bh’ ann. Steidhich Albannach lìog ball-coise Argentina – an dùthaich a thug dhuinn Lionel Messi agus Diego Maradona, dithis de na cluicheadairean a b’ fheàrr a bh’ ann riamh.

ʼS e an t-ainm a bh’ air an duine Alexander Watson Hutton. Rugadh e ann an Glaschu ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad ʼs a trì (1853). Fhuair e foghlam ann an Dùn Èideann. Rinn e eilthireachd do dh’Argentina ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad ʼs a dhà (1882) a chionn ʼs gun d’ fhuair e obair an sin mar cheannard sgoile. Bha sin ann an Sgoil Albannach Naoimh Anndra ann am Buenos Aires – an sgoil Bhreatannach as sine ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas.

Bha Watson Hutton uabhasach dèidheil air spòrs. Chan ann a-mhàin mar chur-seachad ach mar bhunait do dh’fhoghlam. Dh’obraich e ann an Sgoil Naoimh Anndra airson dà bhliadhna. Ach dh’fhalbh e a chionn ʼs nach robh airgead gu leòr aig an sgoil airson goireasan spòrs a thogail. 

Chuir Watson Hutton sgoil ùr air chois – Àrd-sgoil Shasannach Bhuenos Aires. Chuir e ball-coise air a’ chlàr-theagaisg agus thug e fear Albannach – Uilleam Watters – a-null mar neach-trèanaidh. Thug Watters buill-choise leis – ʼs dòcha a’ chiad fheadhainn a nochd ann an Argentina.

Bha e annasach mar a thachair, ge-tà. Ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad ʼs a h-aon (1891) chaidh lìog ball-coise a chur air dòigh. Agus cò chuir air dòigh i? Uill, fear Alasdair MacLaomainn – Alex Lamont – ceannard Sgoil Albannach Naoimh Anndra! 

Cha robh ach còig clubaichean anns an lìog. Agus cha do mhair an lìog ach bliadhna. Ach b’ e sin a’ chiad lìog ball-coise anns an t-saoghal taobh a-muigh Bhreatainn is Èirinn. Agus thàinig Sgoil Naoimh Anndra am bàrr.

Cha robh lìog sam bith ann fad bliadhna. An uair sin, chaidh lìog ùr a chruthachadh a th’ ann am bith fhathast – Comann Ball-coise Argentina mar a th’ ac’ oirre an-diugh. Bha Watson Hutton an sàs innte gu mòr agus tha e air aithneachadh air sgàth sin mar ‘athair ball-coise Argentina’. Agus bha sgioba na sgoile aige na bu shoirbheachaile na sgioba sam bith eile aig an àm sin. Bhuannaich iad an lìog nàiseanta deich tursan ann an aon bhliadhn’ deug.

Feumaidh mi innse dhuibh mu Watson Hutton eile. B’ esan Arnold Watson Hutton – an gille aig Alexander. Chluich e airson sgioba na sgoile agus cuideachd airson sgioba nàiseanta Argentina. Bha an aon fheallsanachd aige a thaobh spòrs ʼs a bh’ aig athair. Riochdaich e Argentina aig ìre nàiseanta ann an criogaid, teanas agus polo-uisge, a bharrachd air ball-coise.

Nach math a rinn Alexander Watson Hutton le bhith a’ tòiseachadh lìog ball-coise ann an Argentina. An-diugh tha dà mhillean gu leth cluicheadair clàraichte anns an dùthaich. Tha naoinear às gach deichnear a’ toirt taic do sgioba ball-coise ionadail. Bhuannaich Argentina Cupa na Cruinne dà thuras. Saoil dè bh’ air tachairt an seo nan robh Alexander Watson Hutton air a bheatha a chur seachad ann an Alba?!

Faclan na Litreach: rugadh: was born; foghlam: education; riochdaich e: he represented.

Abairtean na Litreach: athair ball-coise Argentina: the father of Argentinian football; cò am fear a chuir lìog ball-coise air dòigh – no air chois?: who is the man who established a football league?; an dùthaich a thug dhuinn: the country that gave us; dithis de na cluicheadairean a b’ fheàrr a bh’ ann riamh: two of the best ever players; rinn e eilthireachd: he emigrated; Sgoil Albannach Naoimh Anndra: St Andrew’s Scots School; an sgoil Bhreatannach as sine ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas: the oldest British school in South America; uabhasach dèidheil air spòrs: very keen on sport; chan ann a-mhàin mar chur-seachad ach mar bhunait do dh’fhoghlam: not only as a pastime but as a foundation of education; dh’fhalbh e a chionn ʼs nach robh airgead gu leòr aig an sgoil airson goireasan spòrs a thogail: he left because the school did not have enough money to build sports facilities; thug e fear Albannach a-null mar neach-trèanaidh: he took a Scotsman over as a trainer; thàinig X am bàrr: X came top; na bu shoirbheachaile na sgioba sam bith eile: more successful than any other team; an gille aig X: X’s son; bha an aon fheallsanachd aige a thaobh spòrs ʼs a bh’ aig athair: he had the same philosophy with regard to sport as his father; tha dà mhillean gu leth cluicheadair clàraichte anns an dùthaich: there are two and a half million players registered in the country; tha naoinear às gach deichnear a’ toirt taic do sgioba ball-coise ionadail: nine out ten people support a local football team; bhuannaich Argentina Cupa na Cruinne dà thuras: Argentina [have] won the World Cup twice; saoil dè bh’ air tachairt an seo nan robh Alexander Watson Hutton air a bheatha a chur seachad ann an Alba?: what do you reckon would have happened if Alexander Watson Hutton had spent his life in Scotland?

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Cha robh ach còig clubaichean anns an lìog: there were only five clubs in the league. Remember that this another way of saying ‘bha dìreach còig clubaichean anns an lìog’. You see it again in cha do mhair an lìog ach bliadhna ‘the league only lasted a year’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha e annasach mar a thachair, ge-tà: it was strange as [how] it happened, however.