Sir Stanley Rous | |
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6th President of FIFA | |
In office 28 September 1961 – 8 May 1974 |
|
Preceded by | Arthur Drewry |
Succeeded by | João Havelange |
Personal details | |
Born |
Stanley Ford Rous 25 April 1895 Mutford, East Suffolk, England |
Died | 18 July 1986 Paddington, London, England |
(aged 91)
Nationality | English |
Spouse(s) | Adrienne Gacon (died 1950) |
Occupation | Referee and Football Administrator |
Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE (25 April 1895 – 18 July 1986) was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.
Rous was born in Mutford near Lowestoft in East Suffolk and attended Sir John Leman School in Beccles. He was the eldest son of a provision master but trained as a teacher in Beccles before serving in World War I as a non-commissioned officer in the 272nd brigade of the Royal Field Artillery (East Anglian) in France, Palestine, Egypt, and Lebanon.
After the war Rous attended St Luke's College in Exeter and then became a sports teacher at Watford Boys Grammar School.
Rous played football at amateur level as a goalkeeper and developed an interest in refereeing whilst watching Norwich City. He later qualified as a referee while studying at St Luke’s and became a football league referee in 1927. He officiated in his first international match, a 2–0 friendly win for Belgium against the Netherlands, in the Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, on 13 March in the same year. He eventually officiated in a total of 34 international matches.