Sir Denis Follows, CBE (13 April 1908 – 17 September 1983) was a British sports administrator. Between 1962 and 1973 he was Secretary of

the Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...

(FA) and from 1977 was Chairman of the

British Olympic Association The British Olympic Association (BOA; ) is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. It represents the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), but also incorporate represen ...

. During his tenure as BOA Chairman, he was instrumental in ensuring that British competitors were able to choose whether or not to compete at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The BOA had come under government pressure to withdraw the team in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Follows led the party to Moscow as Team Commandant. Follows was educated at the universities of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

, and was President of the National Union of Students between 1931 and 1933. Having been appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the 1950 Birthday Honours for his work as Secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association, Follows was promoted to

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the 1967 New Year Honours, and knighted in the 1978 Birthday Honours for services to sport.UK list: In January 1970, while serving as the FA secretary, Follows wrote to the Women's Football Association (WFA) to inform them that the 1921 ban on women's football had been rescinded. He was later appointed an honorary life vice president of the WFA.

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Bibliography

* 1908 births 1983 deaths Presidents of the National Union of Students (United Kingdom) Alumni of the University of London Alumni of the University of Nottingham The Football Association Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor Sportspeople awarded knighthoods Association football people awarded knighthoods {{England-footy-bio-stub