Deadly Doug was not all that deadly and his devotion to Villa was clear | Paul Wilson

11 October 2018 02:07
Aston Villa’s status as a big club, one even now seen as too sizeable to stay long in the Championship, can be attributed to the 35 years Ellis ‘worked his guts out’ for his beloved teamIt was never exactly a secret that the man known as Deadly Doug was not all that deadly, just an old-fashioned self-made millionaire and club owner who set very high standards for his beloved Aston Villa.Sir Doug Ellis had two spells as the chairman of Aston Villa, the second and longest running from 1982 to 2006 being the time he became synonymous with the club. He originally took over as the chairman and major shareholder in 1968, after making his fortune in the travel industry, but was forced off the board in 1979, meaning that in the three-year hiatus between terms he managed to miss Villa winning their only post-war title, under Ron Saunders in 1981, and going on to lift the European Cup the following year with victory over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam. Related: Doug Ellis, former Aston Villa chairman, dies aged 94 Continue readingreadfullarticle

Source: TheGuardian