1919 Rous, Stanley
Biographical Text
Stanley Rous - later a top referee, secretary of the Football Association and president of FIFA - is reputed to have played in goal for Exeter City Reserves in 1919 whilst he was studying at St Luke's College.
Born in East Anglia, he played in goal for Lowestoft and Kirkley before a broken wrist ended his playing career. Qualifying as a referee during his time at St Luke's, and becoming a teacher in Watford, he officiated his first senior game in 1927 and went on to take charge of the 1934 FA Cup final.
He then retired from refereeing to become an administrator moving straight into the position of secretary of the FA in 1934, a position he held until 1962. He famously rewrote the Laws of the Game in 1938 and, becoming president of FIFA in 1961, he remained at the helm of world football until 1974 when he was replaced by João Havelange. By a quirk of history he was head of FIFA when England won the World Cup in 1966.
By now knighted, Sit Stanley Rous died in 1986, at the age of 91.
Deciding whether Stanley Rous actually represented Exeter City is another matter. Reports certainly exist of him appearing for St Luke's College against City's reserves on 29 November 1919. It's also the case that "S.F.Rous of Hemel Hempstead" refereed City on at least three occasions: at Gillingham early in 1929/30 home to Swindon, at Christmas 1932 and at Queens Park Rangers in 1933/34 during his final season of officiating.
However, with St Luke's training lasting two years at the time, the seasons that he could have played for the Grecians are 1919/20 and 1920/21 when none of the surviving match reports include his name and show Reg Loram to be the regular choice with a new goalkeeper - Isherwood from Bolton - also on the scene.
What can be established is that his fellow student George Reader - referee of the final match in the 1950 World Cup and later chairman of Southampton - appeared for City's first-team in a Southern League against fixture against the Saints on 1 January 1920 and that borh Rous and Reader had lined up against City's reserves the previous November.
Born in East Anglia, he played in goal for Lowestoft and Kirkley before a broken wrist ended his playing career. Qualifying as a referee during his time at St Luke's, and becoming a teacher in Watford, he officiated his first senior game in 1927 and went on to take charge of the 1934 FA Cup final.
He then retired from refereeing to become an administrator moving straight into the position of secretary of the FA in 1934, a position he held until 1962. He famously rewrote the Laws of the Game in 1938 and, becoming president of FIFA in 1961, he remained at the helm of world football until 1974 when he was replaced by João Havelange. By a quirk of history he was head of FIFA when England won the World Cup in 1966.
By now knighted, Sit Stanley Rous died in 1986, at the age of 91.
Deciding whether Stanley Rous actually represented Exeter City is another matter. Reports certainly exist of him appearing for St Luke's College against City's reserves on 29 November 1919. It's also the case that "S.F.Rous of Hemel Hempstead" refereed City on at least three occasions: at Gillingham early in 1929/30 home to Swindon, at Christmas 1932 and at Queens Park Rangers in 1933/34 during his final season of officiating.
However, with St Luke's training lasting two years at the time, the seasons that he could have played for the Grecians are 1919/20 and 1920/21 when none of the surviving match reports include his name and show Reg Loram to be the regular choice with a new goalkeeper - Isherwood from Bolton - also on the scene.
What can be established is that his fellow student George Reader - referee of the final match in the 1950 World Cup and later chairman of Southampton - appeared for City's first-team in a Southern League against fixture against the Saints on 1 January 1920 and that borh Rous and Reader had lined up against City's reserves the previous November.
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