Ellis and Charidee

[walsall villain]

Bit lacking on the personal humility front. If you give your time to others less fortunate and give money to charity then great but telling the world about it? Generalising here but never comfortable when publicity is sought.

[dave.woodhall]

Bit lacking on the personal humility front. If you give your time to others less fortunate and give money to charity then great but telling the world about it? Generalising here but never comfortable when publicity is sought.

That's the whole thing about Doug. Yes, the donations are good and I don't suppose the charities could care less whether or not the world know what he's done, but it all seems, in the words of Sir Graham, "by Doug Ellis, for the benefit of Doug Ellis."

[PeterWithesShin]

To expand this thread, I wonder how history will judge HDE in years to come? He was our pantomime villains for years, but looking at how things are today, perhaps we were all too hard on him.

I don't see us in the third division today, neither do I see anyone taking £40 million out of the club while hounding the manager of our greatest triumph to the grave and beyond.

Hounding him to the grave and beyond? Slightly hysterical and maybe libellous.

Not if you know what went on back then.

Tony Barton, never forgotten.
Doug Ellis, never forgiven.

[atticus snood]

To expand this thread, I wonder how history will judge HDE in years to come? He was our pantomime villains for years, but looking at how things are today, perhaps we were all too hard on him.

I don't see us in the third division today, neither do I see anyone taking £40 million out of the club while hounding the manager of our greatest triumph to the grave and beyond.

Hounding him to the grave and beyond? Slightly hysterical and maybe libellous.

The truth isn't libellous. Would you care to know the facts?

Don't worry... I get it... Doug bad... Randy good.

I'd be more than willing to repeat, for example, the tale of the benefit match which has been told on here before.

Okay.. can I grab a quick drink before you do?

[PeterWithesShin]

It says it all that Barry Fry and small heath showed more respect to the manager of our greatest moment than the Chairman of Aston Villa did. Any time I think i'm mellowing towards Ellis I think back to Barton and all the hate comes back.

[walsall villain]

Bit lacking on the personal humility front. If you give your time to others less fortunate and give money to charity then great but telling the world about it? Generalising here but never comfortable when publicity is sought.

That's the whole thing about Doug. Yes, the donations are good and I don't suppose the charities could care less whether or not the world know what he's done, but it all seems, in the words of Sir Graham, "by Doug Ellis, for the benefit of Doug Ellis."

y

Exactly, that is Mr Ellis

[atticus snood]

Well Doug is Doug... but at least he still attends games... home and away. It's a pity our current Saviour doesn't afford us the same affection

[PeterWithesShin]

Well Doug is Doug... but at least he still attends games... home and away. It's a pity our current Saviour doesn't afford us the same affection

Forget he treated Tony Barton and his family like shit and treated them with less respect than small heath did, that he still goes to matches as he has fuck all else in his life is all that matters.

[Dave]

Well Doug is Doug... but at least he still attends games... home and away. It's a pity our current Saviour doesn't afford us the same affection

I think I'm right in saying that Joe Lewis barely turns up at Spurs whereas Ken Bates tends not to miss a match (when he's allowed to own football clubs).

I think I know which one is the better owner.

[walsall villain]

Well Doug is Doug... but at least he still attends games... home and away. It's a pity our current Saviour doesn't afford us the same affection

Doesn't live in Sutton though does he?

[atticus snood]

See below

[atticus snood]

Well Doug is Doug... but at least he still attends games... home and away. It's a pity our current Saviour doesn't afford us the same affection

Doesn't live in Sutton though does he?

Er.. that's exactly my point.

[dave.woodhall]

Well, for a start the game was due to be played against the Stripeys, not a massive attraction but we hadn't played them for years and they'd have brought a few supporters. Except for some reason it was moved to the following night, when they couldn't make it. And for some other reason the game 'had' to be a couple of weeks before Christmas, with all that implies for a lower gate.

In the run-up to the match the company I worked for agreed to handle the PR. Their media officer said he had never come across anyone so unhelpful in arranging photo shoots and such things. Mrs Barton and her son arrived at Villa Park to see Brian Little, as arranged, just as Doug was driving away. The receptionist then had a phone call of the "Yes Mr Chairman, of course Mr Chairman" variety and informed the Bartons that Brian was in meetings all afternoon so couldn't be disturbed (This being at the time when Leicester were suing him). To his credit John Gregory then turned up, spoke to Mrs B and ran up to Brian's office. Brian then spoke to them, having no meetings scheduled for that afternoon.

On the night before the match there was a dinner at the ICC. And very nice it was too, with representatives from many clubs and a full turnout of Villa players, on a three line whip from the manager, God bless him. There were no club staff there though, although that wasn't surprising as a memo had been sent telling them they were not to attend. Also in non-attendance was the Lord Mayor, who had cancelled that afternoon for some reason. There was an auction which went well, with items donated from many clubs, including Bayern Munich who sent an autographed football together with apologies that they couldn't attend. The auction might have raised even more money had the Villa donated anything.

Onto the night of the match. The club had agreed that a plaque commemorating Tony's achievements could be hung in reception. Duly engraved, the family arrived with it and were told that it couldn't be put there anymore. The European Cup team played a curtain-raiser to the main event. They had to change in what is now the Academy and walk over the North Stand car park to get onto the pitch. We were prevented from holding a collection amongst boxholders who had got in free. Mrs Barton and the chairman of the organising committee weren't allowed into the boardroom, where Doug was entertaining his guests. The items which had arrived too late for the previous night's auction were auctioned after the game. Villa's contribution obviously got lost in the post. The bill for guests' food, including the boardroom no-one was allowed into, was deducted from the match receipts. The manager of the European Cup team asked if he could get a taxi. He was told there was a pay phone in the North Stand and did he know where that was? He refrained from saying that the stand in question was the main reason he wasn't still the club 's manager. The plaque was eventually placed in the directors' wives room. Legend has it that it was rescued from a skip when the stand was demolished. 

No, I can't understand why Doug gets so much stick either.

[walsall villain]

That needed saying Dave before history gets re-written

[saunders_heroes]

What's all this got to do with a hefty donation to charity though?