If the former Fulham and Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris had been allowed his way in 1910, London derbies between us and the Cottagers wouldn’t be possible.

In the early years of the 20th century, the self-made Norris was a wealthy and influential figure. Born in 1865, he’d accumulated a fortune through the property market, and his company, Allen & Norris, was responsible for transforming Fulham into a bustling, upwardly mobile district of London.

In the process of constructing, renovating and selling hundreds of houses, he’d built a formidable network of contacts in the construction and banking professions. Norris, who was also the Mayor of Fulham, was a keen football fan and anxious to make his mark on a sport still very much in its infancy.

In 1903, he bought out Fulham FC, becoming director and chairman, and under his watchful gaze they made rapid strides, winning the Southern League in 1906 and winning election to the Football League’s Second Division a year later. 

But Norris had already been involved in a decision which would have far-reaching consequences for football in the capital. Having acquired the Stamford Bridge Athletics Ground, the Mears brothers – Gus and Joe...