Let's not forget Tony Barton

[Louzie0]

That's outrageous.  And kudos to everybody, as it said in the post, who did attend, made it work despite all efforts to the contrary and all the clubs who donated.

[Ray Graydon]

I knew that the testimonial was a shambles & poorly organised but I didn't know about all that.

A fucking disgraceful way to treat Tony's family & remember all he did for us not just as manager.

Another shameful episode in a long list during Doug's time at the club but let's be honest he really doesn't give a toss about anyone or anything but his own inflated sense of importance.

You can name all the stand's you want after yourself but at the end of the day you'll never be remembered by the fans with same respect or affection as Tony.

[Legion]

Read this

There's a tribute page to him on there, but I'm buggered if I can find it.

[Legion]

Still can't find it. Has that conning twat Steve Hooker deleted it?

[nigel]

Read this

There's a tribute page to him on there, but I'm buggered if I can find it.

Read with interest, thanks Legion.
This quote should be produced on a banner at the Holte End:
" What an atrocious way to treat a legend. H.D.Elliss OBE, you should hang your head in shame"
After reading these posts I have nothing but utter contempt for Ellis now.
Thanks to all for enlightening us.

[The Laughing Policeman]

Read this

There's a tribute page to him on there, but I'm buggered if I can find it.

Read with interest, thanks Legion.
This quote should be produced on a banner at the Holte End:
" What an atrocious way to treat a legend. H.D.Elliss OBE, you should hang your head in shame"
After reading these posts I have nothing but utter contempt for Ellis now.
Thanks to all for enlightening us.

What did you expect from a bitter, twisted man who couldn't accept that the club could be successful without him?
The way he treated some of the players in that squad when their playing careers came to an end is a scandal too.
I hope every time he looks at the Brian Moore quote on the Witton End it's like a knife being twisted in his soul.

[nigel]

Read with interest, thanks Legion.
This quote should be produced on a banner at the Holte End:
" What an atrocious way to treat a legend. H.D.Elliss OBE, you should hang your head in shame"
After reading these posts I have nothing but utter contempt for Ellis now.
Thanks to all for enlightening us.
[/quote]
What did you expect from a bitter, twisted man who couldn't accept that the club could be successful without him?
The way he treated some of the players in that squad when their playing careers came to an end is a scandal too.
I hope every time he looks at the Brian Moore quote on the Witton End it's like a knife being twisted in his soul.
[/quote]
I was pretty young when this happened so plenty went over my head. I knew he'd been treated pretty badly as my Dad (season ticket holder for years) refused to go while Ellis was there, and by the time Ellis went my Dad had been priced out of going.
I now know what really did go on and it sickens me to be honest.
I would love the Witton Lane stand (I'll never call it the DE stand again) to be renamed the Tony Barton Stand.

[Damo70]

Tony Barton as scout played his part in the likes of Spink, Evans, Bremner and Morley coming to the club. He then took over in difficult circumstances and along with winning the European Cup without conceding a goal in five games he steered us out of a relegation battle to mid table safety. The following year he won the Super Cup, finished sixth to qualify for Europe and got to the quarter finals of the FA and European cups. The next season after losing McNaught to Albion because Doug wouldn't cough up for a new contract and losing Cowans and Shaw to season long injuries he finished mid table and was robbed of a Milk Cup final spot by our future captain. Tony Barton - European and Super Cup winning manager and total gentleman who will always be fondly remembered. Doug Ellis, spiteful ex travel agent whose only chance to have a stand named after him was to do it himself.

[ez]

I remember at the time the witton lane stand was redeveloped people suggesting it be called the Tony Barton stand. A chance for Doug to redeem himself a bit. But no.

[jimmygreen]

What a shithouse HDE could be. And how easily we forget sometimes.

[john e]

i was also unaware of a lot of whats been posted on here regarding the way Barton was treated,

 its not made me change my mind on any of the individuals mentioned just reinforced them i suppose, non the less a very sad episode in Villa's history

[old man villa fan]

I was working overseas for most of the 90's and never knew about the disgrace regarding Tony Barton's testimonial.  This just reinforces my view of Ellis in that he has only ever thought about himself.  He just used the club to promote himself and inflate his ego.

[Pat McMahon]

Cheers for the link, Legion. I have to admit I was astonished by that article - I really had no idea of the depth of spite and absence of integrity at the highest levels of the club, ie the boardroom.

The years have mellowed my attitude towards Doug, and I wish no ill on an ageing man, but when he looks back on his involvement with the Villa he should really consider this his darkest hour.

[oldtimernow]

No way HDE should EVER be called Mr Aston Villa

[lordmcgrath5]

Thanks for posting that, Legion, but it really does make for depressing reading. My animosity towards Doug has almost faded away completely over the years, but that report ties in perfectly with what everyone felt while he was chairman - that it was ultimately all about HDE at the end of the day.

On a side note, interesting to read the praise for Bayern Munich. Fans of other clubs in Germany think of them in much the same way most non-ManU fans over here feel towards those lovely chaps from the Theatre of Dreams, but one thing I heard on numerous occasions when I lived in Germany was that Bayern are one club who can be relied on to do their bit for a good cause. Autographed shirts or other memorabilia, tickets to games or whatever - for all their arrogance, it's clearly something that's part of the club ethos to this day.