[1] Drewry held several civic roles in his native Grimsby, serving both as a borough councillor[clarification needed] and a Justice of the Peace.

[3] As chair of the FA Drewry once proposed awarding a point to league teams for every goal scored to encourage offensive football.

[5] Drewry played a significant role in the 1950 game between England and the United States in which the English lost 1–0 to the rank outsiders in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Belo Horizonte.

[11][12] In his capacity as chair of the FA, Drewry was one of six football officials sued by five Sunderland players who were suspended in 1957 for refusing to answer questions about possible illegal payments.

[14] Drewry oversaw the 1958 FIFA World Cup during his term in office, and ultimately served as president for five years before his death from a year-long illness in 1961.