George Capwell - Emelec

Emelec

Capwell arrived in Guayaquil to work at Eléctrica on April 14, 1926. Soon after arriving, he founded a sports club, named for the first syllable of each word in the company's name: Emelec. He boxed and played basketball at the guard position; he organized basketball competitions at the company in 1927. He played the catcher's position in baseball games. Potential members of the boxing club had to perform well in a fight against one of the club's experienced boxers in order to gain membership.

He didn't care for association football, but a request from the employees lead him to found a team, particularly since the workers were not particularly enthusiastic about Emelec's other sports.

The football team, composed solely of Eléctrica workers, was founded on April 28, 1929. On September 17, 1929, the team—with Capwell on the field—defeated Vanguard 14-12 at a tournament in Guayaquil. It won its first title, a local league made up of business-backed teams in Guayaquil, in 1933.

Emelec became Ecuador's first national football champions in 1957, and as of 2010 they have 10 national titles.

Emelec currently plays in the George Capwell stadium, built in 1943 in Guayaquil. Capwell played in the first game staged in the stadium, a baseball match against Oriente.