Founder of Blackburn Roverg Football Club: Member of Mr.. John Lewis, the eminent Association Football legislator and vice-president of the English Football Association, died at his home at Blackburn on January 13 at the age of 72 years, He was a typical, downright Lancashire sportsman, honoured in controversy by friend and foe for his splendid straightness, For 50. years or thereabouts "he had devoted every moment that he could spare to the interests of sport.
Two days before, his last illness he was well and" active and ree presented the F. A. and the Foot ball League at the funeral of Mr.
"Jimmy" Forrest, the Blackbur Rovers' director and the Internas tional Cup Medallist, with whom he rubbed shoulders at the Rovers? utiles dinner ® few weeks pros views ly.
Mr. Lewis began his career as a player and when injury prevented him from taking any further part in the game he became a referee, In recent years he had distinguished, himself in the Couneit Chamber of the Football Association, and also had charge of the F. A. teams which toured South Africa and last year Australia, without encountering a tingle defeat on cither occasion, He was a member of the first Blackburn Rovers' eleven (which he was instrumental in founding 51 ears ago), that went through its first season without defeat. For over a quarter of a century he refereed in first-class fixtures with considerable success. Altoxether he had charge of some 1,000 contests: and was, never known to quail bes fore a fiery crowd, though he had the experience of being mobbed, stoned, and reviled,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.