Arthur George
Sir Arthur Thomas George AO, born Athanasios Theodore Tzortzatos[1] (17 January 1915 – 4 September 2013),[2] was an Australian lawyer and association football administrator.[3]
Sir Arthur George | |
---|---|
Born | Athanasios Theodore Tzortzatos 17 January 1915 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Died | 4 September 2013 98) | (aged
Nationality | Australian |
Education | Sydney Boys High School |
Occupation | Lawyer |
Years active | 1938–1980 |
Spouse(s) | Renee Freeleagus (married 1939) |
Early life
George was born in Sydney, Australia to parents of Greek ancestry and was schooled at Kensington Public School.[4] He later attended Sydney Boys High School from 1928 to 1937 [5] before taking the Solicitors Admission Board test and being admitted as a solicitor in 1938.[3]
Soccer
George was President of the Australian Soccer Federation between 1969 and 1988. From 1978–1982 he was president of the Oceania Football Confederation.[6] He was appointed to the FIFA Executive Committee in 1980.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Honours
George was knighted in 1972 in recognition of service to the Australian/Greek community.[14] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1987 in recognition of service to the community and to education.[15] In 1994, FIFA awarded him the gold Order of Merit—the organisation's highest honour.[16] He was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for service to Australian society through law, education and sport.[17]
References
- Cockerill, Michael (27 July 1988). "Mr Soccer won more than he lost". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- "Former ASF president Arthur George dies at 98". The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
During much of his tenure at the ASF, he also served on the FIFA executive, the first Australian to do so.
- "SIR ARTHUR THOMAS GEORGE AO" (PDF). Order of Australia Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- Tamis, Anastasios M. (2005). The Greeks in Australia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54743-1.
- http://www.shsobu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/imperial-honours.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20091006064630/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofcorgcontent/history.ofcpc
- "Anniversary with nine FIFA Order of Merit Awards". FIFA. 9 August 1996. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
- Huxley, John (12 May 2006). "After 32 years on the sidelines it's back to the future for the Socceroos in Germany". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- "Pitching for Asia". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 March 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
- Cockerill, Michael (12 April 2003). "Can one man save soccer?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
- Dempsey, Charles. "History". Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- "Family Record - Arthur George". Burke's Peerage and Gentry. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- Murray, Les (16 July 2003). "With friends like Australia..." The World Game. SBS. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- "Knight Bachelor entry for GEORGE, Arthur Thomas". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 1972. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
In recognition of service to the Australian/Greek community
- "Officer of the Order of Australia entry for GEORGE, Arthur Thomas". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 8 June 1987. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
In recognition of service to the community and to education
- Key Australian soccer administrator Arthur George dies, aged 98, ABC News, 4 September 2013.
- "It's an Honour: Centenary Medal". Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2009.