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Henry Norris

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{{for|the Elizabethan nobleman|Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys}} '''Sir Henry Norris''' (1865 – 30 July 1934) was an England English businessman, politician and football (soccer) football club director, most famous for his chairmanship of Arsenal F.C. Arsenal. Norris made his fortune in the property development trade, building houses in south and west London, and Fulham in particular. He later became Mayor of Fulham, and served as Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Member of Parliament MP for Fulham East from 1918 to 1922. In 1917, he was knighted and given the honorary rank of colonel, for services to his country during World War I; he had worked as a recruitment officer (armed forces) officer for the British Army. He was also a prominent Freemason, rising to become Grand Deacon of the United Grand Lodge of England, and a well-known local philanthropy philanthropist with close connections to the Church of England; he counted the Archbishop of Canterbury, Randall Thomas Davidson as a personal friend. A keen football fan, Norris first became a director of Fulham F.C. Fulham, during which the time when the Cottagers won promotion from the Southern Football League Southern League to the Football League. Then, in 1910 he became chairman and majority shareholder of the ailing Woolwich Arsenal (after the club had gone into voluntary liquidation) while still retaining his post on the Fulham board. With Arsenal's low attendances and poor financial performance, Norris tried to create a London superclub by merging the two clubs, but this was blocked by the Football League. Undeterred, he turned his attention to moving Arsenal to a new stadium; he eventually settled on a site in Highbury, north London, on the site of the recreation ground of Highbury#Arsenal's move to Highbury St John's College of Divinity; his close relationship with Randall Davidson helped, and the Archbishop personally signed the ground's title deed. The Arsenal Stadium opened in 1913, and the club dropped the "Woolwich" from its name the following year. Norris's most infamous contribution to Arsenal's history was his role in the club's promotion from the Football League Second Division Second Division to the Football League First Division First in 1919; Arsenal were elected to the top flight in spite of only finishing fifth the previous season (1914-15 in English football 1914-15, as competition had been suspended for most of World War I). This promotion came at the expense of other clubs, including Arsenal's arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur. It has been alleged that Norris either bribed or influenced the voting members of the Football League, in particular the league chairman and owner of Liverpool F.C. Liverpool, John McKenna [http://www.emiratesstadium.info/serv01.htm]; at the League's Annual general meeting AGM, McKenna made a speech recommending Arsenal's promotion ahead of Spurs thanks to the former's longer spell in the League (Arsenal joined in 1893, Spurs in 1908). Although no firm proof has ever been offered, Norris's other activities, including the scandal that led to his downfall, are often cited as supporting evidence. Norris made one other lasting contribution to Arsenal's history. In 1925, after acrimoniously firing manager Leslie Knighton, Norris hired Huddersfield Town A.F.C. Huddersfield Town's Herbert Chapman as his replacement. After Norris's departure, Chapman fulfilled the chairman's ambition and turned Arsenal into the dominant side in Football in England English football in the 1930s, although strangely, Norris later cited Knighton's sacking as the only decision he ever regretted. However, Norris was not in charge by the time Arsenal had come to dominate English football. In 1927, the ''Daily Mail'' published the findings of a secret Football Association inquiry, which reported that Norris had made under-the-counter payments to Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland's Charlie Buchan as an incentive for him to join Arsenal in 1925; this was in an era of the League's maximum wage, and any additional financial incentives to players were strictly outlawed, although many clubs at the time broke the rules. Further investigations found that Norris had also used Arsenal's expense accounts for personal use, and had pocketed the proceeds (£125) from the sale of the team bus. Norris sued the FA for libel, but in February 1929 the Lord Chief Justice found in favour of the FA, and they banned Norris for life from football. He largely left public life after his enforced departure from football. He died aged 69 in 1934 of a massive heart attack.

References
* {{cite web | url=http://www.emiratesstadium.info/serv01.htm | title= How Arsenal got promoted in 1919 }} * {{cite book | author=Mortimer, David | title=Classic Football Clangers | pages=18-20 | id=ISBN 186105744X }} * {{cite book | author=Soar, Phil & Tyler, Martin | title=The Official Illustrated History of Arsenal | publisher=Hamlyn | year=2005| id=ISBN 0600613445}} * {{cite book | author=Spurling, Jon | title=Rebels for the Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal Football Club | publisher=Mainstream| year=2004| id=ISBN 0575400153}} {{start box}} {{succession box | title=Arsenal F.C. Arsenal chairman | before= ''Unknown'' | after= Samuel Hill-Wood Sir Samuel Hill-Wood | years=1910–1929}} {{end box}} Category:1865 births Norris, Henry Category:1934 deaths Norris, Henry Category:Arsenal F.C. directors and chairmen Norris, Henry Category:UK Conservative Party politicians Norris, Henry Category:Fulham F.C. Norris, Henry Category:Freemasons Norris, Henry Category:British knights Norris, Henry

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