Doug interview on Sky now

[tomd2103]

Not disagreeing with Doug's sentiments but it would have been nice for him to have this wisdom when he was chairman in '86.

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

Seemed in decent health and spirits though. 

[Toronto Villa]

Doug has had the year we were relegated conveniently lobotomized out of his brain.

[Chris Harte]

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

The club also bounced back to the top division under Ellis too. How confident are we of that happening this time around?

[tomd2103]

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

The club also bounced back to the top division under Ellis too. How confident are we of that happening this time around?

I would argue that Graham Taylor had more to do with our return to the top flight than Doug Ellis.  I would also argue that Doug didn't have the foresight, vision and ambition to really take the club forward when the opportunities arose after that.

Anyway, all in the past now and it seems slightly uncharitable to be having a go at a man in his nineties.

[Toronto Villa]

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

The club also bounced back to the top division under Ellis too. How confident are we of that happening this time around?

No idea, but I assume you (we all) felt much as you do now in April/May 1987. It felt every bit as shit back then as it does now.

[saunders_heroes]

Doug has had the year we were relegated conveniently lobotomized out of his brain.

Maybe so, but the fact that we bounced straight back up the next season seems to have been lobotomised out of the brains of many Villa fans as well. He also gave us the longest unbroken spell in the top flight for decades too.

[PeterWithesShin]

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

The club also bounced back to the top division under Ellis too. How confident are we of that happening this time around?

More confident than I was back then when it looked like Dave sodding Bassett would be our manager until SGT was sent gift wrapped to Ellis.

[Chris Harte]

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

The club also bounced back to the top division under Ellis too. How confident are we of that happening this time around?

More confident than I was back then when it looked like Dave sodding Bassett would be our manager until SGT was sent gift wrapped to Ellis.

I'm not sure it matters whether Sir Graham was "sent giftwrapped" or not. Ellis made the appointment and the rest is in the history books for all to see.

[PeterWithesShin]

It certainly doesn't matter to some. It matters to me though as I have a sneaky feeling things would have been a lot different if SGT hadn't been sent gift wrapped and we were in Division 2 with Dave Bassett as manager.

[Villa in Denmark]

Doug has had the year we were relegated conveniently lobotomized out of his brain.

Maybe so, but the fact that we bounced straight back up the next season seems to have been lobotomised out of the brains of many Villa fans as well. He also gave us the longest unbroken spell in the top flight for decades too.

As pointed out elsewhere, from Doug's perspective it was pure dumb luck that Graham Taylor was looking for a bigger club on his way to the England job. If hadn't been for a chance conversation we'd have ended up with 'Arry Basset and probably still be swimming in the Championship.

[Toronto Villa]

Doug has had the year we were relegated conveniently lobotomized out of his brain.

Maybe so, but the fact that we bounced straight back up the next season seems to have been lobotomised out of the brains of many Villa fans as well. He also gave us the longest unbroken spell in the top flight for decades too.

How much of that was Doug and how much was the bloke he luckily hired? And even after he hired him he was sticking his nose in it. And it's not like Doug recognizing his part in the relegation of the club lavished Sir Graham with a lot of money to get us back up.

[supertom]

I think the thing about Doug was he obviously in his eternal arrogance, thought he could maintain the success we had on a lower budget. The fall was pretty quick and disastrous. We'd had a couple of mid-table finishes and a bottom half, only to then finish bottom the following year. In fairness he did then turn things around quite quickly (well, okay, Taylor was predominantly responsible for that).

What I find particularly unforgivable about Randy is the fact we've been playing silly fuckers on the tightrope for 5 straight years. We've been lucky so far but our luck ran out spectacularly this season, and we've been left with the most repugnantly unlikeable and lacklustre squad we've ever had. It's not a simple case of just having a bunch of no hopers either, the worst part has been the lack of effort in too many games. It just doesn't seem to matter to 90% of our squad.
Whilst I'm no Ellis fan by any stretch, at least he was at the games to take the pelters. He does actually have a genuine affection for the club. He surely must do to actually come and sit through this tripe when he's long retired. Randy's total apathy is shocking. He's had ample time to realise where we're heading and do something about it, but he's perpetually ignored it.

As shite as we were in 87 when we went down, we won 8 games. We won't get anywhere near that this time. We've taken shiteness to whole new levels.

Have we ever been as bad over such a long period before? We did spend 8 years out of the top flight once, and we could easily break that record. Breaking records is our speciality at the moment. Unfortunately they're the wrong kind.

[saunders_heroes]

It certainly doesn't matter to some. It matters to me though as I have a sneaky feeling things would have been a lot different if SGT hadn't been sent gift wrapped and we were in Division 2 with Dave Bassett as manager.

Yeah I remember the link with Dave Bassett and what a horrifying thought that was. Thank god we employed Taylor. And look if you're gonna blame Ellis for relegating us in '87 you can't just not give him credit for our promotion a year later.

[Toronto Villa]

Yep. Hard to have a go at a man in his nineties, but in the piece I saw, there was no mention that he had also managed to get Villa relegated and from a position of even greater strength.

The club also bounced back to the top division under Ellis too. How confident are we of that happening this time around?

More confident than I was back then when it looked like Dave sodding Bassett would be our manager until SGT was sent gift wrapped to Ellis.

I'm not sure it matters whether Sir Graham was "sent giftwrapped" or not. Ellis made the appointment and the rest is in the history books for all to see.

So by the same token if we go down, manage to retain Garde and we come straight back up, will the same be said about the last 5 Lerner years? Because it rivals anything Doug did 1983-1987. Worse I would say.

[saunders_heroes]

Doug has had the year we were relegated conveniently lobotomized out of his brain.

Maybe so, but the fact that we bounced straight back up the next season seems to have been lobotomised out of the brains of many Villa fans as well. He also gave us the longest unbroken spell in the top flight for decades too.

How much of that was Doug and how much was the bloke he luckily hired? And even after he hired him he was sticking his nose in it. And it's not like Doug recognizing his part in the relegation of the club lavished Sir Graham with a lot of money to get us back up.

Wether you like it or not, Ellis employed Taylor and the rest is history.