Did you know that Wells is home to the last resting place of an Argentine football legend?

Lionel Walter Newell, affectionately known as "Nelo", was part of the Newell family, pioneers of South American football.

His father, Isaac Newell, who emigrated from Kent to Argentina at the tender age of 16, laid the foundation for what is now one of Argentina's most esteemed football clubs outside Buenos Aires - Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys.

Established on 3 November 1903, the club pays tribute to the life of Isaac Newell. Its inaugural players were graduates of the school Isaac had established - the Colegio Comercial Anglicano Argentino.

Today, Newell's Old Boys is a wellspring of football talent. Notably, the club has produced eminent football personalities such as Lionel Messi, Lionel Scaloni, Walter Samuel, Marcelo Bielsa, Mauricio Pochettino, Gabriel Batista, and Maxi Rodriguez.

Nelo inherited his father's passion for football. He made a name for himself as an agile player in the early days of football and was part of Newell's Old Boys team that won the Pinasco Cup in 1906, along with his brother Claudio and glories such as Manuel Paulino González, José "Pinoto" Viale and Faustino González.

Colourised photograph of Lionel 'Nelo' Newell

Tragically, Nelo fell seriously ill in 1908, and he travelled to England in search of treatment, settling in Wells.

Sadly, his condition didn't improve, and he passed away at the young age of 24.

He was laid to rest in plot 6B13 - a section of the graveyard reserved for people with limited resources - in the cemetary at Portway. His family were informed of the sad news when they received a photograph of his tomb, and Nelo's grave remained largely unnoticed until a group of Newell's Old Boy fans in 2019 came to the city on a mission to find him.

Since the rediscovery of his grave, a handful of football fans have headed to the cemetry, to pay their respects and mark Nelo's life and football contributions.

It serves as a testament to the far-reaching influence of football and the story of how a small city in Somerset is linked to the bustling football stadiums of Argentina.