Villa man seen stumbling out of spanish bar prior to game.

[LeeS]

If we get relegated this season people may look back on the days of mid table mediocrity with great fondness. We could then rename the other 3 stands after Doug.

[dave.woodhall]

Yet again greg disguises prejudiced opinion as fact. It's a fact that we sold a bit of land for a ridiculously large fee, the deal being announced well before anyone had even heard of Randy Lerner and while David O'Leary was still manager. It's a fact that directors have stated one of the main reasons why Randy bought us was the healthy state of the club's finances. It's my opinion that some people have an idea that our history is one of unbroken success without Doug and failure while he was in charge. Again, the facts are a bit different.

[Risso]

Our finances might have been "healthy" compared to others in the Premier League, but I think that Greg has a point.  Not having as a high a level of debt as others doesn't help when it comes to paying the day to day expenses of running a football club.  We were overdrawn, had a large wages to turnover ration, and the squad desperately needed rebuilding.  The amount of money Randy pumped in in the first year shows what was needed, and then even with Martin O'Neill we only finished 11th.  I certainly think that if Ellis had stayed we'd have been in for a huge struggle, both financially and on the pitch.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The way I see it is in an ideal world Doug would have not come back in 83. He deserves great credit for what he did first time round but held us back in his second term. I'd like to think somebody else could have come in and built on our European success but despite our position as Champions of Europe, nobody did and even if they had there was no guarantee they would have been any better, at least in the long term. Saying that, by the 90's it was obvious Doug was way past his sell by date and was holding us back. He needed us more than we needed him and it's no surprise he still goes to the games, he has no life outside Villa Park. He might have pocketed £30m from the sale but no idea how to spend it, other than buying petrol to watch the Villa. I almost feel sorry for him.

[ktvillan]

I also find the fawning over him nauseating to be honest. Sure he's doing well at 87 to still be going but it's hardly a chore to be  able to travel in luxury to sit in the best seats in the house, enjoy no doubt lavish hospitality and watch your favourite team play. I will remain ever cynical about the vain old goat's motivation and feel sure his continued attendance is as much about keeping himself in the public spotlight as any "dedication" to the club.  I always thought self publicity was his prime motivation for getting involved and remaining involved with Villa and he's never given me any reason to change that view. 

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest he would deliberately chuck himself down the stairs just to get a bit of media attention...but you never know.

And before any bleeding hearts get their knickers in a twist, that last bit is very much tongue-in-cheek.

[Chris Smith]

he has no life outside Villa Park

Remind me where this fall took place?

[DeKuip]

One thing I've never quite understood about a lot of football supporters is that they expect an owner of a club to fund the club from their own pockets, spend every waking hour running the club while not taking any kind of wage, and then sell it on in a healthy state without making any personal profit.

All this while forking out millions to purchase and pay young men who work a few hours a day, spend half their time injured, out the team or out of form - moan to the press when they're they're fined for turning up late or having to turn their phones off at work... and then move onto another employer when it suits them and receiving a nice payment when they do so.
And of course there's the money paid out to managers who receive big pay-offs for failing to do what they were employed to do.

In any walk of life the head of a business whose staff are becoming millionaires would do pretty well out of it themselves too.

[Brend'Watkins]

The way I see it is in an ideal world Doug would have not come back in 83. He deserves great credit for what he did first time round but held us back in his second term. I'd like to think somebody else could have come in and built on our European success but despite our position as Champions of Europe, nobody did and even if they had there was no guarantee they would have been any better, at least in the long term. Saying that, by the 90's it was obvious Doug was way past his sell by date and was holding us back. He needed us more than we needed him and it's no surprise he still goes to the games, he has no life outside Villa Park. He might have pocketed £30m from the sale but no idea how to spend it, other than buying petrol to watch the Villa. I almost feel sorry for him.

You're right Mark.  Doug Ellis of Aston Villa is what he's clinging on to.  Without the club and his association with it he's just Mr Ellis, elderly gentleman.  He can carry on as long as he like as far as I'm concerned as he's harming nobody now.  He even seems to be very popular with the young judging by the amount of times he had requests to have his picture taken with so many of them on his last Holte End visit.

I will say one thing, I can't think of a better way than spending your dotage years following the club up and down the country.  I hope I'm fit and financially able to do the same when/if  I reach 87.

Anyway, aside from all of this, one time bouncer Mazrim hasn't been on here for a week or two, are we sure Doug just 'fell' down some stairs 

[Steve R]

Not too sure about the near hundred years of mediocrity. Taking 1900 as the end of our truly golden era, in the following 33 years/29 seasons we were only out of the top 6 on 9 occasions. We also bagged another chamionship, three FA cups and 6 second place finishes. This at a time when there were no European or League cups to fatten the trophy cabinet.

Villa's true age of mediocrity stated just before the second world war, 25 or 26 seasons pre-Ellis.

I'm not exactly sure what 'a good businessman' is, or what it qualifies you for. The guy that owns the local chip shop has a flash car and does very well for himself. I wouldn't put him in charge if ICI.

The Villa that Ellis took over in 68 probably suited his abilities down to the ground, small enough but still with a certain cachet. He did a very good job indeed, we should be grateful. The position we were in was every bit as bad as people here recall.

The club he returned to in 83 was probably too big for him, it soon downsized. Again, when the premier league really took off in every sense in the mid 90's the days of the limited success he was achieving were numbered. He really was out of his depth.

Gregnash isn't that far from the reality of the position we ended up in. We'd missed the boat, were in decline and the odds were that it would get a lot worse.

Say what you like about the old bugger, four years on and all he has to do is fall down the stairs and keyboards overheat in no time.

[Brend'Watkins]

I'm not exactly sure what 'a good businessman' is, or what it qualifies you for. The guy that owns the local chip shop has a flash car and does very well for himself. I wouldn't put him in charge if ICI.

You'd be right not to Steve, There's been no ICI since 2008.

[Steve R]

I'm not exactly sure what 'a good businessman' is, or what it qualifies you for. The guy that owns the local chip shop has a flash car and does very well for himself. I wouldn't put him in charge if ICI.

You'd be right not to Steve, There's been no ICI since 2008.

It's easier to type than AkzoNobel.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

he has no life outside Villa Park

Remind me where this fall took place?

You miss the point, Chris. Sure he was out at his place in Palma, probably due to his wife nagging him to go out there but he was still back for the Everton game. From what I've heard from a family member, he's Johnny No Mates, apart from a bit of salmon fishing, he has no life apart from the Villa, which explains why he was so reluctant for so many years to sell up, despite the wishes of his family.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If we get relegated this season people may look back on the days of mid table mediocrity with great fondness. We could then rename the other 3 stands after Doug.

Sorry, I don't buy that. The big difference between now and then was that under Ellis there was no hope. We were stagnant. Even if we were to go down this season, I'd fancy us to bounce straight back up and come back stronger. Everything about the club now is right except the results, fix that and we'll be fine.

[Risso]

If we get relegated this season people may look back on the days of mid table mediocrity with great fondness. We could then rename the other 3 stands after Doug.

Sorry, I don't buy that. The big difference between now and then was that under Ellis there was no hope. We were stagnant. Even if we were to go down this season, I'd fancy us to bounce straight back up and come back stronger. Everything about the club now is right except the results, fix that and we'll be fine.

I don't agree sorry Mark.  I think relegation would cripple us personally.  I certainly wouldn't count on Lerner to pick the right manager to get us straight back up.

[not3bad]

Yeah,i should imagine that being chauffuer driven to every game,never paying for a ticket,sitting in the best seats in the house every week,and knowing he's made a massive profit on his original investment must be hard on him

Fuck his commitment,i reckon my 300 mile round trip to a home game outdoes that old scroat

Let's see you do it when you're 87.

Ahhh bless you.
Is it because he's 87 or because your the self appointed "voice"of villa fans that makes you post that

Do you mind?  That Fear bloke is my spokesman thanks very much.