PFAS72b A rare opportunity to secure this vintage 5.5" x 3" hand signed autograph book page of Arthur Elvin MBE former owner of Wembley Stadium and historic businessman and MBE and his amazing achievements for Wembley are listed below - It is hand signed by the MBE and entrepreneur and in very good condition.
Sir Arthur Elvin MBE (5 July 1899 in Norwich, England[1] – 4 February 1957) was a British businessman who was best known as the owner and operator of Wembley Stadium, London.
Elvin introduced ice hockey to the new Empire Pool in October 1934. There were two teams, the new Wembley Lions and the Wembley Canadians (later the Wembley Monarchs), who had previously, as the Grosvenor House Canadians, been connected with the rink at the Grosvenor House Hotel..
From 1929, Elvin began hosting the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley. It had previously been played in the North. It continues to be played in the new stadium today.
During the Second World War, Elvin offered free admission to servicemen and servicewomen, and helped war charities. He also encouraged mass PT events in the Empire Pool on Thursday evenings, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, and opened a gymnasium for cadets of the Middlesex Regiment.
Arthur Elvin supplied the Wembley site free of charge for the 1948 London Olympics. Some of the old British Empire Exhibition buildings were used, notably the Palace of Engineering, so no new venues were needed, though Olympic Way was built at a cost of £120,000.
Arthur Elvin was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1945 and received his knighthood from King George VI in 1947 for the efforts in staging the 1948 Olympic Games.