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Move to Highbury (1910–25)

Norris was acutely aware of the problems associated with Woolwich Arsenal's location, and was desperate to improve the club's income. First, Norris tried to merge Woolwich Arsenal with Fulham (he was a director of both clubs at the time). When that was blocked by the Football League, Norris abandoned the merger and looked to move Arsenal elsewhere. In 1913, the same year as the club finished bottom and were relegated back to the Second Division, Woolwich Arsenal moved from south east London to Arsenal Stadium (often referred to as "Highbury") in north London. Despite objections both from Woolwich-based fans and residents of Highbury, Norris tenaciously saw the move through, reportedly spending £125,000 (a huge sum for the time) on building the new stadium. Arsenal's move away from south east London led nearby Charlton Athletic to turn professional.

Now known as "The Arsenal", having dropped the "Woolwich" from their name in 1914, the club rejoined the First Division in 1919, despite only finishing fifth in 1914-15, the last season of competitive football before the First World War had intervened. The First Division was being expanded from 20 teams to 22, and the two new entrants were elected at an AGM of the Football League. One of the extra places was given to Chelsea, who had finished 19th in the First Division and thus had been already relegated. The other spot could have gone to 20th-placed Tottenham Hotspur (also relegated), or to Barnsley or Wolves, who had finished third and fourth in the Second Division respectively.

Instead, the League decided instead to promote fifth-placed Arsenal, for reasons of history over merit, much to the chagrin and longstanding enmity of Tottenham, Arsenal's local rivals. It has been alleged that this was due to backroom deals or even outright bribery by Sir Henry Norris, colluding with his friend John McKenna, chairman of Liverpool and the Football League. No firm proof has ever come to light; as a footnote, Norris left the club in 1929 having been found guilty by the FA of financial irregularities, for which he was banned from football for life, though these were not related to the promotion controversy. Arsenal have remained in the top division since then, and as a result hold the English record for the longest unbroken stretch of top-flight football.

Although the move to Highbury brought about much larger crowds and finally warded off the spectre of financial ruin, Arsenal's return to the First Division was not immediately successful. Under Leslie Knighton, the club never finished better than ninth, and in 1923-24 came dangerously close to going down again, finishing 19th and only a point clear of the relegation zone. Arsenal did no better the following season, finishing 20th (although paradoxically the club were a lot safer this time, being seven points clear of the drop), which was the last straw for Norris; he fired Knighton in May 1925, and appointed the Huddersfield Town manager, Herbert Chapman in his place.