Sir Henry Norris
The remaining war years saw little first class football and at the end of the war, Sir Henry Norris (the Arsenal Chairman) achieved the unbelievable and gained Arsenal promotion back to the First Division! The 1919 season (the first since the 1914-15 season) saw the First Division increase the number of clubs from 20 to 22.
Previous extensions to the Division had seen the two lowest teams in the Division avoid relegation and the top two of the Second Division gain promotion. Had this practice been followed on this occasion, Spurs and Chelsea would have remained in the First Division and Derby and Preston would have gained promotion.
Instead, and there is no clear explanation as to just how Sir Henry achieved this, Chelsea remained in the First Division and Derby, Preston and Arsenal were promoted, with Spurs relegated to Second Division football.
Spurs, perhaps "spurred" on by the injustice of it all, achieved promotion back to the First Division with a record 70 points, 32 wins and 107 goals in their first season of Second Division football. Arsenal now hold the record for the longest unbroken spell of first division football (beating Sunderlands 68 year record in the 1986-87 season).
