Following the memorable 150th anniversary celebration with Blackburn Rovers earlier this year—where QEGS Old Boys were rightly recognised for their instrumental role in the club’s formation—we continue to celebrate the school’s remarkable footballing heritage.

Today, we highlight another distinguished Old Boy: Daniel Burley Woolfall, the second President of FIFA and a pivotal figure in the development of international football.

Woolfall played a crucial role in shaping the early global game. He was instrumental in organising the first international football tournament at the 1908 London Olympic Games, a landmark moment in establishing football as a worldwide sport. His influence extended far beyond his tenure, helping to lay the foundation for international competition.

Notably, Woolfall had a profound impact on Jules Rimet, who would later go on to establish the first World Football Competition in Uruguay in 1930—what we now know as the FIFA World Cup.

From Blackburn Rovers’ origins to the birth of global football competition, the legacy of QEGS Old Boys continues to resonate across the sporting world.

And the rest, as they say, is history…