Lord Triesman was the general secretary of the Association of University Teachers, and the general secretary of the Labour Party, before he joined the government as a member of the Lords.
When Labour went into opposition in 2010, he became shadow minister for foreign affairs.
A passionate Spurs fan, Lord Triesman was the first independent chair of the FA.
He stood down from the role – as well as chair of England’s 2018 World Cup bid – in May 2010 following a tabloid newspaper sting in which he was recorded accusing rival bidders of bribery. Lord Triesman said the remarks were part of a private conversation and “never intended to be taken seriously”.
He later suggested that football’s ruling body Fifa needed a culture change to tackle corruption allegations it faced at the time.
In a statement, the Labour Party said Lord Triesman died on Friday night “peacefully and at home”.
The prime minister said on X he was “saddened” to hear of the death.
Sir Tony said he was “passionate about the cause, whether the Labour Party or football, he was deeply committed to making change to improve people’s lives.”
“He was a gentle, genuine, good guy who put others before himself naturally and without hesitation,” he added in a statement.
Leader of the House of Lords, Labour peer Baroness Angela Smith said Lord Triesman was “respected and loved by his colleagues for his courtesy, kindness, wisdom, loyalty and generosity of spirit”.
Lord Triesman leaves behind his wife, Lucy, and their daughter, Ilona.
