# Denis Follows

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Denis_Follows
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Denis_Follows.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Follows
> Source revision: 1340023173
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Sir Denis Follows**, [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) (13 April 1908 – 17 September 1983) was a British sports administrator. Between 1962 and 1973 he was Secretary of [the Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association) (FA) and was Chairman of the [British Olympic Association](/source/British_Olympic_Association) from 1977 to 1983 .[1]

## Early life and education

Born in Nottinghamshire, Follows moved to [Lincolnshire](/source/Lincolnshire) with his family in 1919, after his father got a job as the [station master](/source/Station_master) at [Lincoln St Marks railway station](/source/Lincoln_St_Marks_railway_station).[2]

Follows was educated at the universities of [London](/source/University_of_London) and [Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham), studying English at the latter.[3] He was Secretary and President of [University of Nottingham Students' Union](/source/University_of_Nottingham_Students'_Union) in 1929-30 and 1930-31, respectively. Follows became Vice-President of the [National Union of Students](/source/National_Union_of_Students_(United_Kingdom)) in 1930-31[4], followed by two terms as the union's president between 1931 and 1933.[5][6]

## Career

### Aviation

Due his visual impairment, Follows was excluded from the National Service during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). Despite this, he joined the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) as a teacher. After the war, Follows joined the [British Airline Pilots' Association](/source/British_Airline_Pilots'_Association) (BALPA), where he was general secretary from 1947 to 1966[6][7]. In this role, Follows advocated for the introduction of a national maximum hours of duty for pilots that would allow for adequate rest time and thus ensure passengers' safety.[8] Follows also acted as Captain [James Thain](/source/James_Thain)'s union representative when the pilot was blamed for causing the [Munich air disaster](/source/Munich_air_disaster). Thain's name was cleared in 1968.[6]

As secretary for BALPA, Follows was also credited for his contribution to the foundation of the [International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations](/source/International_Federation_of_Air_Line_Pilots'_Associations), where he also served as secretary for several years.[7][9]

### Sports administrator

In 1962, Follows was appointed secretary of [the Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association), having previously been the association's honorary treasurer and Council member for 14 years.[10] During his tenure at the FA, Follows oversaw the organisation of the [1966 FIFA World Cup](/source/1966_FIFA_World_Cup), where [England](/source/England_national_football_team) won its first champion title. Follows was also credited with the introduction of "World Cup Willie" as the mascot for the tournament, which was also the first ever [World Cup official mascot](/source/FIFA_World_Cup_official_mascots).[3]

In January 1970, while serving as the FA secretary, Follows wrote to the [Women's Football Association](/source/Women's_Football_Association) to inform them that the 1921 ban on women's football had been rescinded.[11][12] He continued to support women's football after his tenure at the FA. He presented the trophy at the [1982 WFA Cup final](/source/1982_WFA_Cup_final).[13]

Follows was chairman of the [British Olympic Association](/source/British_Olympic_Association) from 1977 to 1983. In this role, he was instrumental in ensuring that British competitors were able to choose whether or not to compete at the [1980 Moscow Olympics](/source/1980_Moscow_Olympics). The BOA had come under government pressure to withdraw the team [in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan](/source/1980_Summer_Olympics_boycott). Follows' argument against the boycott of the Olympics was that *“Sport help[ed] to bridge the gulf between nations, it is the most unifying thing in the world today”*.[14] Due to the government's opposition and funding cuts, Follows had to travel across the country to fundraise for Britain's delegation to the Olympics.[15][12] He later led the party to Moscow as Team Commandant.

## Honours and recognitions

Having been appointed [Member of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (MBE) in the [1950 Birthday Honours](/source/1950_Birthday_Honours) for his work as Secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association,[16] Follows was promoted to [Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (CBE) in the [1967 New Year Honours](/source/1967_New_Year_Honours),[17] and [knighted](/source/Knight_Bachelor) in the [1978 Birthday Honours](/source/1978_Birthday_Honours) for services to sport.[1][18]

In recognition of Follows' role in reversing the ban on women's football, the [Women's Football Association](/source/Women's_Football_Association) made him an honorary life vice president in 1973.[19][20]

Follows was awarded the [JL Manning](/source/J._L._Manning) Award for services to sport off the field of play by the [Sports Journalists' Association](/source/Sports_Journalists'_Association) at the association's annual Sports Awards in 1980.[21]

In 2020, [University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham) announced that it would induct Follows to its Sporting Hall of Fame.[20]

## Personal life

Follows was married to Betty Follows, who supported him in his duty as secretary of the FA, notably presenting the trophy at the [first ever WFA Cup final](/source/1971_WFA_Cup_final) to the winning team, [Southampton Women's F.C.](/source/Southampton_Women's_F.C.), in 1971.[22][23]

Follows' daughter, Margaret Ferris, also studied at the University of Nottingham. She was invited back to the university in 2022 for a ceremony to celebrate her father's posthumous induction to the institution's Sporting Hall of Fame.[12]

Follows passed away on 17 September 1983 at his home in [Chiswick](/source/Chiswick), [London](/source/London), aged 75.[24]

## References

1. "Sir Denis Follows. Notable services to sport". *The Times*. 19 September 1983. p. 16.

1. Middleton, Alan (April 2016). ["Lincolnshire’s sports heroes"](https://www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk/heritage/lincolnshires-sports-heroes/). *Lincolnshire Life*. Retrieved 2026-02-20.

1. Nanrah, Gurjeet (2020-03-08). ["University of Nottingham graduate who lifted ban on women’s football 'slept with World Cup trophy under his bed'"](https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/university-nottingham-graduate-who-lifted-3917385). *Nottingham Post*. Retrieved 2026-02-20.

1. University of Nottingham Sport (2022-06-07). [*Hall of Fame | Sir Dennis Follows (2022)*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUAeCooRZHs). Retrieved 2026-02-20. – via YouTube.

1. Lee Elliot Major (6 March 2002). ["Leading the protest"](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/mar/06/students.studentpolitics). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 8 December 2009.

1. Wrack, Suzanne (2020-04-10). ["Sir Denis Follows: the man who ended the ban on women playing football"](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/10/sir-denis-follows-the-man-who-ended-the-ban-on-women-playing-football). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 2026-02-20.

1. Bullock, Mark (2020-03-05). ["Sir Denis Follows - University of Nottingham Sport Hall of Fame"](https://mediaspace.nottingham.ac.uk/media/Sir+Denis+Follows+-+University+of+Nottingham+Sport+Hall+of+Fame/1_w1xy8hrt/17871861). *[University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham)*. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. Feiner, Natasha (2020). "Pilot fatigue and the regulation of airline schedules in post-war Britain". *Balancing the self*. Jackson, Mark & Moore, Martin D. (eds.). [Manchester University Press](/source/Manchester_University_Press). [doi:10.7765/9781526132123.00015](https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526132123.00015). ISBN 9781526132123.

1. O'Neal, Captain Brendan (2018). ["Founding MAs: BALPA"](https://www.talpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/InterPilot-2018-Issue-4.pdf). *InterPilot*. pp. 34–35. Retrieved 2026-02-20.

1. ["The History of The FA"](http://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/who-we-are/history). *[The Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association)*. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. Lopez 1997, p. 57

1. ["Sir Denis Follows CBE inducted into the University of Nottingham Sport Hall of Fame"](https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/news/news/news/sir-denis-follows-cbe-inducted-into-the-university-of-nottingham-sport-hall-of-fame.aspx). *[University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham)*. 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. ["Match: Lowestoft 2–0 Cleveland, 1 May 1982, Loftus Road"](https://womensfootballarchive.org/2014/10/26/match-lowestoft-2-0-cleveland-1-may-1982-loftus-road/). *Women's Football Archive*. 2014-10-26. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. Bull, Andy (2020-03-28). ["Coe and Ovett's Olympic debt to bureaucrat who defied Thatcher"](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/mar/28/coe-and-ovetts-olympic-debt-to-bureaucrat-who-defied-thatcher). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. Apple, R. W. Jr (1980-03-26). ["British Olympic Committee, Rejecting Mrs. Thatcher's Pleas, Votes to Go to Moscow Games; 'Interests of Competitors' Cited"](https://www.nytimes.com/1980/03/26/archives/british-olympic-committee-rejecting-mrs-thatchers-pleas-votes-to-go.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. British Empire: No. 38929. 2 June 1950. p. 2791.

1. United Kingdom list: No. 44210. 30 December 1966. p. 10.

1. UK list:No. 47549. 2 June 1978. p. 6229.

1. ["Officers of the WFA and WFA Limited"](https://wfahistory.wordpress.com/wfa-development/officers/). *History of the Women's Football Association*. 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. ["The man behind the letter"](https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/follows-football). *[University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham)*. 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. ["Past winners of the SJA British Sports Awards"](https://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sja-sport-awards/past-winners-of-the-sja-sports-awards/). *[Sports Journalists' Association](/source/Sports_Journalists'_Association)*. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. ["The WFA Cup"](https://wfahistory.wordpress.com/wfa-cup/). *History of the Women's Football Association*. 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. Garry, Tom (2021-12-04). ["Fran Kirby and Lesley Lloyd, first Women's FA Cup-winning captain, recall 50 years of the famous trophy"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/12/04/fran-kirby-lesley-lloyd-first-womens-fa-cup-winning-captain/). *[The Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. [ISSN 0307-1235](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0307-1235). Retrieved 2026-02-21.

1. ["A true Olympian"](https://canoeingresults.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1983-33-Canoe-Focus-No-33.pdf). *Canoe Focus*. No. 33. 1983. Retrieved 2026-02-20.

## Bibliography

- Lopez, Sue (1997). *Women on the Ball: A Guide to Women's Football*. London, England: Scarlet Press. ISBN 1857270169.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Denis Follows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Follows) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Follows?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.