Corruption in Football

Number // is the former home of Sir Henry Norris a working class boy from Kennington who became a builder, auctioneer and Conservative MP for Fulham. He built many of the streets in Fulham.

His daughter Mary was born in this house in 1902. The following year Norris attended a meeting that officially created Fulham Football and Athletic Club Co. Ltd, and made him the football club's first chairman.

He also had an indirect role in the foundation of Chelsea Football Club. As Fulham chairman he was offered Stamford Bridge as a potential stadium venue, but Norris baulked at the idea of the £1,500 annual rent for the grounds, so his business partner creaated his own team - Chelsea - to occupy the ground.

Norris' life was riddled with controversy. In 1906 Fulham club's Secretary killed himself (suicide was a crime). In 1910 Norris bent the rules and became the chairman of two football clubs at the same time (Fulham and Arsenal where he was the majority shareholder). When Arsenal's low attendance led to poor finances, Norris tried to merge the two fottball clubs. The Football League blocked the move. His next move was to move Arsenal to a new stadium in Highbury, north London, on the recreation ground of the Cambridge University's St John's College of Divinity. Many eyebrows were raised because of Norris' close relationship to the then Archbishop of Canterbury.

Suspicions were futher heightened when Arsenal were promoted from the Second Division to the First in 1919. They were promoted despite coming fifth in the previous season. Worse, this was at the expense of their London rivals Totenham Hotspur. There were allegations that Norris had bribed the voting members of the Football League.

In 1927 revelations in the Daily Mail were Norris' downfall. The newspaper alleged Norris had made under the counter payments to a Sunderland player to persuade him to join Arsenal. At the time financial incentives to players were strictly outlawed. The reports were followed by an investigation by the Football Association.

Look to the left of the house and you will see the white building which housed Norris' cars and housed his driver. The Football Association investigation uncovered that Norris had used Arsenal's expense account to pay for his private chauffeur. They also found Norris had pocketed £125 from the sale of the team bus.

Norris sued the Daily mail and the FA for libel, but the Lord Chief Justice found in favour of the FA.

He was subsequently banned for life from football.