Henry Norris (entrepreneur)
Sir Henry George Norris (born July 23, 1865 in Southwark, London , † July 30, 1934 Barnes, London) was an English football official , entrepreneur and politician .
Life
Norris initially earned his living with real estate and a construction company that built houses in London , the majority in the Fulham district . In 1918 Norris became mayor of the then independent city of Fulham, and from 1918 to 1922 he was represented in the British Parliament for the Conservatives . During the First World War he served as a recruiting officer . Because of his tireless efforts in World War I, he was knighted and awarded the rank of Colonel in the British Army. Norris was also known as a Freemason . He was a noted benefactor and had a good relationship with the then Archbishop of Canterbury .
An avid soccer fan, Norris became President of Fulham FC . He was instrumental in founding Chelsea FC . In 1910 he became chairman of Arsenal FC , then Woolwich Arsenal, after the club was in dire financial straits. Norris was the driving force behind Arsenal FC's relocation of the team from the old Manor Ground to Highbury . The stadium opened in 1913 and a year later the real Arsenal FC was born. Norris ended his career as chairman of the Gunners in 1929. The Briton was embroiled in a bribery scandal in 1927. Norris bribed then Sunderland player Charlie Buchan to join his club. This was a scandal because there was a cap on player spending at the time. Norris also took club money for his own use, which also earned him a lifelong ban from English football .
Norris died of a heart attack in 1934 at the age of 69 .
Web links
- Biographical information on pws.prserv.net (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b House of Commons: Constituencies Beginning with 'F' . Leigh Rayment. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Norris, Henry |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Norris, Henry George; Norris, Sir Henry George (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English entrepreneur, football official and politician (Conservative Party), member of the House of Commons |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 23, 1865 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Southwark, London |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 30, 1934 |
| Place of death | Barnes, London |