Alfonso del Castillo
Alfonso del Castillo | |
|---|---|
| 1st president of Sevilla Balompié | |
| In office14 September 1914 – December 1914 | |
| Preceded by | Juan del Castillo Ochoa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alfonso del Castillo Ochoa1887 |
| Died | 19 December 1962(1962-12-19) (aged 74–75) |
Alfonso del Castillo Ochoa (1887 – 19 December 1962) was a Spanish footballer who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the amateur beginnings of Real Betis, being one of its first founders in 1907, and then serving the club as its first president from 1907 until 1909.[1][2] His younger brother Juan was also president of Betis.[1]
Early life and education
Alfonso del Castillo Ochoa was born in 1887 in Seville, into a family with a long military ancestry, including his father, Pedro Del Castillo Zuloeta, a lieutenant colonel of the Artillery Weapon, who lived in Seville at 29 Alfonso XII Street.[1][3][4] He completed his studied in Seville, earning a degree in mining engineering.[3]
Sporting career
In 1907, the del Castillo brothers belonged to a group of young locals who was studying at the Polytechnic Academy of Seville, where some of them were pursuing careers such as topography or drafting while others were preparing to enter military academies, and they decided to found Sevilla Balompié, which was only the second football team in the city after Sevilla FC.[3][4][5] A board of directors was subsequently elected, with Alfonso being appointed as the club's first president,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] a position that he held for two years, until 1909, when he was replaced by his brother Juan.[2]
Later life and death
When his father was assigned to Cartagena, Spain in 1909, del Castillo decided to go with him, and while there, he met his future wife Caridad Martínez Delgado, daughter of Enrique Martínez Muñoz, who had co-founded the first graduate schools in Spain, and the couple had eight children, two boys and six girls, as well as many grandchildren.[3][4] As a result, several Cartagena residents are direct descendants of Alfonso del Castillo, such as his grandson Emilio Cerezuela Del Castillo, a well-known Cartagena lawyer who received a commemorative medal on the occasion of Betis' 50th anniversary.[3]
Del Castillo died in Cartagena, on 19 December 1962, at the age of 75.[8]
Legacy
On the occasion of the club's centenary, Betis called numerous of his relatives in Cartagena to inquire about photos and information for the "Centenary Book", which was published a couple of years later.[3]
References
- ^ abcd"Alfonso Del Castillo Ochoa, presidente". www.manquepierda.com (in Spanish). 16 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ abc"Presidentes del Real Betis Balompié" [Presidents of Real Betis Balompié]. www.estadiodeportivo.com (in Spanish). 27 December 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ abcdefg"El fundador del Betis, Alfonso Del Castillo, fue un cartagenero de adopción" [The founder of Betis, Alfonso Del Castillo, was a Cartagena native by adoption]. sportcartagena.opennemas.com (in Spanish). 24 September 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ abcd"La historia une a Betis y Cartagena" [History unites Betis and Cartagena]. www.eldesmarque.com (in Spanish). 23 September 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ ab"Historial del Real Betis Balompié" [History of Real Betis Balompié]. lafutbolteca.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^"La Historia" [The History]. www.realbetisbalompie.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^"Los orígenes del Real Betis Balompié" [The origins of Real Betis Balompié]. www.cuadernosdefutbol.com (in Spanish). CIHEFE. 16 November 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^"Hoy hace 60 años: Fallece Alfonso Del Castillo" [Sixty years ago today, Alfonso Del Castillo passed away]. www.manquepierda.com (in Spanish). 19 December 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
