Henry Lesur

Henry Lesur (8 September 1875 – 5 July 1955) was a French football pioneer who was the founding president of RC Roubaix in 1895.

Early and personal life Henry Lesur was born in Lille on 8 September 1875, as the son of Caroline Marie-Henriette Bernard (1847–1901) and Henry Lesur (1845–1903), a judge in Saint-Omer, Public Prosecutor in Montreuil-sur-Mer.

On 2 March 1903, the 27-year-old Lesur married Paule Froment (1882–1975) in Haute-Garonne, and the couple had six children, Jean Marie (1904–1966), Michel (1906–1957), Françoise (1907–1926), André Marie (1911–1996), Roger Marie (1913–1971), and Guy Lesur (1921–2004).

The founders' ambition was to create an "all-sports" club and so, just a few weeks after this founding meeting, the directors decided to purchase the equipment needed to practice shot putting, then to form a boxing section, in 1895 a tug-of-war team, and in 1897 they formed sections for pole vaulting and tennis. Under Lesur's presidency, Roubaix became arguably the best team in the country at the start of the 20th century, with Léon Dubly, the team's captain, leading the club to a three-peat of French national championships between 1902 and 1904. In the 1902 final, Roubaix fielded two of his younger brothers, Ernest and Émile, who helped their club to an epic 4–3 win over Racing Club de France. Following the 1903 final, in which Roubaix again defeated RC France , Lesur, then vice president of the Nord committee, congratulated his winning players. And finally, in the 1904 final, Roubaix claimed a 4–2 win over . This proposal was voted, but a mistake was made, the automatic relegation of 2 clubs, and to repair it, it was decided that no changes would be made.

In 1914, a local newspaper described him as "a northerner of the good school who defends ideas and not interests".

Later life and death During the First World War, Lesur was a General of Infantry.

Lesur died in Versailles, Yvelines on 5 July 1955, at the age of 79.