a frequent critic of the football authorities, lord relished the role of the outsider. in his autobiography he asked rhetorically "who was the butcher's boy to be telling the big shots how to run their mismanaged business?" he regularly made complaints to the football league, to the point where the minutes of a league meeting stated that "it was decided unanimously that the committee could not tolerate the irresponsible comments of mr lord." among the positions he took on governance issues were support for the professional footballers' association (pfa) campaign to end the maximum wage, and calls for an end to the ban on paid directors and the introduction of professional referees. despite his clashes with authority lord sought to become part of the football establishment. he was admitted to the football league's committee in 1967, nine years after his first attempt. while on the committee, lord was a strong opponent of matches being played on sundays, an idea first proposed during the three-day week fuel shortages of 1974. he attempted to become league president twice. in the 1972 contest he had to withdraw through illness; in 1974 he lost to lord westwood by 41 votes to 6. lord was made president of the alliance premier league (now the football conference) upon its creation in 1979, and had a non-league cup competition, the bob lord trophy named after him. following the resignation of lord westwood in march 1981, lord became acting president of the football league. however, ill health forced him to relinquish the position three months later. his chairmanship of burnley ended in september 1981 when he sold most of his shares in the club. though lord was still a burnley director, by this time he was seriously ill, and died of cancer in december 1981.