Doug Ellis
Encyclopedia
Herbert Douglas Ellis, OBE
(born 3 January 1924), is an entrepreneur
, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club
.
, he spent two years as a schoolboy with the club. Before he was 40, he had become a millionaire by pioneering package holiday
s to Spain.
Ellis returned as chairman in 1982 and remained there until selling to Randy Lerner
in 2006. Most fans blame him for the decline of the club after the European Cup
victory in 1981/2. Within five years the club was relegated from the top flight, with many of the European Cup-winning team being sold to other teams, although it can be argued that this was due to large debts built up during the previous regime.
In 1996 Doug Ellis owned 47 percent of Aston Villa. In May 1997 the club floated on the stock market with a valuation of £126m. Ellis sold a number of his shares at flotation, reducing his shareholding to around one-third of the total shares. It is reported that Ellis made £4m from this deal, although the flotation also raised funds to pay for the construction of the new Trinity Road Stand and for the £7m transfer of Stan Collymore from Liverpool, among others. Since the flotation, the club's share price had fallen by almost 90%.
Some Villa fans were disappointed with the destruction of the 1920s Trinity Road stand ("the St Pancras of football", as a Sunday Times reporter called it in 1960), which many believe should have been a listed building. The replacement, although state of the art, never had the grandeur of the original.
Ellis was reported to be the first football club director to pay himself a salary
(in 2005 it was £290,000 after a 12% increase from the previous year) when it was made legal by The Football Association
in the early 1980s. Along with this, his professed love of Aston Villa Football Club has been questioned in light of the fact that he has served on the Boards of Villa's arch-rivals Birmingham City
, Derby County
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
(as Chairman). In addition to his 'director's salary, being the majority shareholder through his time at the helm of Aston Villa, there were three instances when the dividend paid out was less than £1,000,000; in all other years figures as high as £12,000,000 were paid out, some of the largest dividends ever paid out by any British Football Club.
In 2004, at the age of 80 and suffering from prostate cancer
, Ellis agreed to relinquish some of his control of the club by appointing Bruce Langham as chief executive
. Langham resigned in May 2005, reportedly after a disagreement with Ellis.
In 2005 he was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List. Later that year he underwent a heart bypass operation and, after a three-month absence, returned to his role at Villa Park
soon after the start of the 2005/2006 season.
On 14 August 2006, it was announced that Ellis had agreed to sell the club to American
billionaire
, Randy Lerner
in a deal worth £63 million. Ellis stood aside when the takeover was completed on 19 September 2006, becoming a President Emeritus (Life President) of the club. Doug received an honorary degree from Aston University in July 2007 (the campus of which is located 2 miles south of Villa Park in the centre of Birmingham)
There were several supporter-led campaigns for Ellis to stand down from his position, and in his final years at the club a number of interested parties made unsuccessful attempts to buy his stake in the club.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 3 January 1924), is an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
Early life
Ellis began life in a poor family with a widowed mother. Ellis had brief glimpses of a football career at Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
, he spent two years as a schoolboy with the club. Before he was 40, he had become a millionaire by pioneering package holiday
Package holiday
A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided like a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country...
s to Spain.
Aston Villa
Ellis was a controversial chairman and major shareholder of Aston Villa for two separate spells; the first being from 1968 to 1975. Ellis was replaced as chairman and finally ousted from the board in 1979. During his absence Aston Villa enjoyed its greatest period of success in modern times, winning the Football League title in 1981 and the European Cup in 1982.Ellis returned as chairman in 1982 and remained there until selling to Randy Lerner
Randy Lerner
Randolph D. Lerner is an American entrepreneur and sports team owner.Lerner has been the owner of the American football team, the Cleveland Browns, of the National Football League since October 2002, and the Chairman of Aston Villa Football Club of the English Premier League since 2006...
in 2006. Most fans blame him for the decline of the club after the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
victory in 1981/2. Within five years the club was relegated from the top flight, with many of the European Cup-winning team being sold to other teams, although it can be argued that this was due to large debts built up during the previous regime.
In 1996 Doug Ellis owned 47 percent of Aston Villa. In May 1997 the club floated on the stock market with a valuation of £126m. Ellis sold a number of his shares at flotation, reducing his shareholding to around one-third of the total shares. It is reported that Ellis made £4m from this deal, although the flotation also raised funds to pay for the construction of the new Trinity Road Stand and for the £7m transfer of Stan Collymore from Liverpool, among others. Since the flotation, the club's share price had fallen by almost 90%.
Some Villa fans were disappointed with the destruction of the 1920s Trinity Road stand ("the St Pancras of football", as a Sunday Times reporter called it in 1960), which many believe should have been a listed building. The replacement, although state of the art, never had the grandeur of the original.
Ellis was reported to be the first football club director to pay himself a salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
(in 2005 it was £290,000 after a 12% increase from the previous year) when it was made legal by The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
in the early 1980s. Along with this, his professed love of Aston Villa Football Club has been questioned in light of the fact that he has served on the Boards of Villa's arch-rivals Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
(as Chairman). In addition to his 'director's salary, being the majority shareholder through his time at the helm of Aston Villa, there were three instances when the dividend paid out was less than £1,000,000; in all other years figures as high as £12,000,000 were paid out, some of the largest dividends ever paid out by any British Football Club.
In 2004, at the age of 80 and suffering from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, Ellis agreed to relinquish some of his control of the club by appointing Bruce Langham as chief executive
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
. Langham resigned in May 2005, reportedly after a disagreement with Ellis.
In 2005 he was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List. Later that year he underwent a heart bypass operation and, after a three-month absence, returned to his role at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
soon after the start of the 2005/2006 season.
On 14 August 2006, it was announced that Ellis had agreed to sell the club to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
billionaire
Billionaire
A billionaire, in countries that use the short scale number naming system, is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually the United States dollar, Euro, or Pound sterling. Forbes magazine updates a complete list of U.S. dollar billionaires around the...
, Randy Lerner
Randy Lerner
Randolph D. Lerner is an American entrepreneur and sports team owner.Lerner has been the owner of the American football team, the Cleveland Browns, of the National Football League since October 2002, and the Chairman of Aston Villa Football Club of the English Premier League since 2006...
in a deal worth £63 million. Ellis stood aside when the takeover was completed on 19 September 2006, becoming a President Emeritus (Life President) of the club. Doug received an honorary degree from Aston University in July 2007 (the campus of which is located 2 miles south of Villa Park in the centre of Birmingham)
Criticisms
Supporters and former club managers criticised Ellis's alleged lack of ambition, noting that the club often struggled to bring in top players. Ellis responded that his approach had always been one of financial prudence, helping to avoid the fate of big-borrowing clubs. Under John Gregory the club had been one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League, but Gregory always wanted 2-3 more players.There were several supporter-led campaigns for Ellis to stand down from his position, and in his final years at the club a number of interested parties made unsuccessful attempts to buy his stake in the club.