Sir DOUG RIP

[kippaxvilla2]

Good story from Keown!

I always felt that, deep down, Doug Ellis really wanted to be a footballer and owning a club was the next best thing.

He had a great love for and wanted to be involved in everything.

I was there when Graham Taylor slammed the dressing-room door on Doug’s fingers.

He would regularly come in before matches, even though Graham told him not to.

Once, Graham told me to sit with him and said: ‘When that door opens, I’m shutting it.’

Doug’s hand appeared and Graham trapped it in the door. The chairman didn’t come in so often after that!

Bringing Graham to the club was Doug’s shrewdest appointment. Villa had dropped out of the First Division and there was a fear that if we did not arrest the slide, the club could go through the divisions.

Aston Villa signed Martin Keown in 1986 and Ellis questioned whether he was worth the fee
Aston Villa signed Martin Keown in 1986 and Ellis questioned whether he was worth the fee
Winning promotion back to the top flight with Villa is the most satisfying thing I ever achieved in football.

Doug would do anything for the players, but he had a reputation for counting the pennies, too. I suppose that is what made him such a successful businessman.

As soon as we had won promotion, he told us he would show us his villa in Majorca and take us for a day on his boat to celebrate.

He arrived at the airport with a huge bag and beckoned me over to help him carry it. It weighed a ton. I asked him what was inside and he replied: ‘It’s all the meat for the barbecue.’ He’d got it from one of his butchers!

Doug Ellis (right) poses for a photo with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright in 2011
Doug Ellis (right) poses for a photo with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright in 2011
But there was one story he would always tell whenever I was in his company. It was about the car journey back from the tribunal which set my transfer fee when I joined Villa from Arsenal in 1986.

A £125,000 fee had been agreed and Doug was shaking his head. ‘We’ve spent too much money this summer,’ he said to Graham Turner, the manager. ‘We’d better be successful.’

Sitting in the back of the car, I tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘Sorry, Mr Chairman, I couldn’t help overhearing. I’m offended by what you have just said. This is the best £125,000 you’ll ever spend — and I’ll prove it.’

He replied: ‘You’d better!’ Years later, I would bump into him at England get-togethers when he was involved with the FA. Every time, he kept trying to get me back to Villa!

[villan from luton]

I'm pulling your leg VRL. Btw, what part of Luton are you from? I'm a Lea Manor boy. 

You fecker and I read your comment after lol. I am a posh boy born in Dudley Road and ended up in Chelmsley, but my old man was great mates with Peter Mcparland when they came over from Ireland and my late brother was a massive fan as well. Have lived in Luton for 30 years now, but still go lots of games and after you are bored of all that, I live in Bushmead. Lea Manor, the school has hanged its name I think to make it sound posher lol As i was a posh boy from Chelmsley surrounded by smelly people I can't talk much lol

[garyshawsknee]

Ha ha. Well I'm now living in Hove, so I'm defintely above my station!! My old dear is close to Bushmead, I was in The Boater watching the 8 -0 Chelsea game a few years back, could have done with some moral support !!

[villan from luton]

I think Luton is above my station lol. DM me and will arrange to meet for a game. I have been in the boater a few times

[JD]

Over the years I have wondered what my reaction would be to this news.
I have also mellowed over the years, to the extent that I accept that we are all flawed and no one is perfect.
I will put aside some of my previous groans and accept that even if he was wrong he probably always thought he had the best interests of Aston Villa at heart.
He had a long Journey and it is always sad when some one dies, so sleep well Doug, if you go to the right place maybe you can get in the Heaven first Eleven and dazzle them with your Bicycle kick.
Condolences to the family.

That's brilliantly put Steamer and I share the same sentiments.

RIP Deadly and condolences to the family. 

[pauliewalnuts]

Over the years I have wondered what my reaction would be to this news.
I have also mellowed over the years, to the extent that I accept that we are all flawed and no one is perfect.
I will put aside some of my previous groans and accept that even if he was wrong he probably always thought he had the best interests of Aston Villa at heart.
He had a long Journey and it is always sad when some one dies, so sleep well Doug, if you go to the right place maybe you can get in the Heaven first Eleven and dazzle them with your Bicycle kick.
Condolences to the family.

That's brilliantly put Steamer and I share the same sentiments.

RIP Deadly and condolences to the family. 

Me too.

[garyshawsknee]

I think Luton is above my station lol. DM me and will arrange to meet for a game. I have been in the boater a few times

Will do mate.

[kippaxvilla2]

I wrote to Doug twice you may recall during pug noses last Days in office especially when in an article he criticised the academy.  He replied to both letters within a day.  He was remarkably candid and virtually intimated the end for O’Leary was nigh despite not directly saying so. 

Sure enough in June three months after that letter he was gone.  Imagine a modern day owner responding like that these days.  The last of an era of owners who for all their faults and he had plenty cared about their club.  RIP.

[SoccerHQ]

I wrote to Doug twice you may recall during pug noses last Days in office especially when in an article he criticised the academy.  He replied to both letters within a day.  He was remarkably candid and virtually intimated the end for O’Leary was nigh despite not directly saying so. 

Sure enough in June three months after that letter he was gone.  Imagine a modern day owner responding like that these days.  The last of an era of owners who for all their faults and he had plenty cared about their club.  RIP.

Didn't he have his heart bypass op around that time? The surgeon pretty much ordered him to sell the club there and then otherwise he'd have probably clung on for a few more seasons until his health really declined.

[kippaxvilla2]

No I meant pug nose but yes it was around the same time for Doug as well.

[SoccerHQ]

Ha I know who Pug nose is. Should've put that term on that fickle banner.

[not3bad]

RIP Doug. Hope you're enjoying your rose garden now.

[OzVilla]

RIP Doug, a massive part of the club's history and an ever present in my Villa supporting life as a season ticket holder.

You did what you did for the good of the club and I respect that.  The amount of times I've thought ''Doug would never have put up with this etc'' over the last 10 years.

[David_Nab]

I'm pulling your leg VRL. Btw, what part of Luton are you from? I'm a Lea Manor boy. 

You fecker and I read your comment after lol. I am a posh boy born in Dudley Road and ended up in Chelmsley, but my old man was great mates with Peter Mcparland when they came over from Ireland and my late brother was a massive fan as well. Have lived in Luton for 30 years now, but still go lots of games and after you are bored of all that, I live in Bushmead. Lea Manor, the school has hanged its name I think to make it sound posher lol As i was a posh boy from Chelmsley surrounded by smelly people I can't talk much lol

Lea Manor High School Performing Arts College 

RIP Doug Started Following Villa in the 90's so no exposure to what happened with the EC winning Side and relegation.For me it came across as his penny pinching was holding us back ( we don't want to be another Leeds United , which Ironically we have ended up being) and I was glad he sold up thinking it would allow us to push on , instead his ownership in the 90's is now looked back on as a successful period.

Can imagine he ended up regretting choosing Lerner and watching us fall apart

[Broughty-Villian]

RIP Deadly.

I had travelled down from Aberdeen for Christmas with the family and the Boxing day game v Liverpool, with Dad. Got to VP and the game was called off, saw Deadly at the back of the North stand, and gently chided him that I was buggered to travel back down to VP from aberdeen for the re-arranged fixture. He took us into the players lounge, and sorted tickets in a box for my Dad and a pal for the re-arranged fixture.