Africa-Press – Uganda. After a ragtag USA shocked England 1-0 at the 1950 World Cup, Arthur Drewry exclaimed: “Unbelievable!” 100 per cent guilty of sparing his best player Stanley Matthews for “tougher” games.
But that cannot overshadow Drewry’s contribution to the beautiful game. He was elected Fifa president on June 7, 1955, in Lisbon, Portugal, succeeding Rodolphe William Seeldrayers, who had died just after a year in office.
His Fifa tenure – 1955 to 1961 – coincided with his chairmanship of the English Football Association.
Prior, the man from Grimsby Town had played a key role in returning England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland into Fifa after decades of isolation, and paving the way for England’s first entry into the 1950 World Cup.
His ability to speak French, a language he learnt as a captive in Turkey during World War I, helped him become vice-president under the legendary Jules Rimet.
Drewry failed to convince Fifa to award a team bonus points for every goal scored, an idea former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger often resurrected.
But his suggestion of introducing substitutes succeeded in 1958, although it took 10 years to be adopted across the football world.
As Fifa president, he organised the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, where a 17-year-old Pele stormed the global stage with a sensational performance in the final that gave Brazil their first World Cup trophy.
Drewry handed the “worthy winners” their gong.
But in the same year he faced serious political questions when China left Fifa because of the international dispute over the sovereignty status Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Drewry helped England win the right to host the 1966 World Cup. Unfortunately, he died in 1961, five years before his nation’s greatest conquest – winning the 1966 World Cup.
AT A GLANCE
Born: March 3, 1891
Died: March 25, 1961
Nationality: English
Fifa presidency: 1955 – 1961
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