Doug Ellis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Ellis
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Doug Ellis, in 2014.
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| Chairman of Aston Villa F.C. | |
| In office 1982–2006 |
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| Preceded by | Ron Bendall |
| Succeeded by | Randy Lerner |
| In office 1968–1975 |
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| Preceded by | Norman Smith |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Dugdale, Bt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Herbert Douglas Ellis
3 January 1924 Hooton, England |
| Died | 11 October 2018 (aged 94) |
| Spouses |
Audrey Slater
(m. 1946, divorced)Heidi Marie Kroeger
(m. 1963) |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | President Emeritus (Life President) of Aston Villa |
Sir Herbert Douglas Ellis (born January 3, 1924 – died October 11, 2018) was an English businessman. He was most famous for being the chairman of Aston Villa Football Club. He held this important role for two separate periods: first from 1968 to 1975, and then again from 1982 until 2006. Sir Doug was also recognized for his generous charity work. He was made a knight in 2012.
Contents
Early Life and Business Career
Doug Ellis's Childhood
Doug Ellis was born on January 3, 1924, in Hooton, England. When he was only three years old, his father passed away. His mother, Jane, worked hard to support him and his younger sister. She made sure he could attend secondary school in Chester.
Starting in Business
As a child, Doug Ellis tried out for a football career with Tranmere Rovers. However, he decided to focus on business instead of football. During World War II, he served in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. He was stationed in Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka.
His first trip abroad inspired him greatly. He wanted to offer affordable foreign holidays to people like himself. Before he turned 40, he became a millionaire. He did this by creating package holidays to Spain with his company, Sunflight.
Family Life
Doug Ellis met his first wife, Audrey Slater, in Ceylon in 1946. They had one son together before they divorced. In 1963, he married his second wife, Heidi Kroeger. They had two sons. He met Heidi in Benidorm, Spain, where she worked for a rival company. He convinced her to join his business.
His Time in Sport
Leading Aston Villa
Doug Ellis was the chairman and a major owner of Aston Villa. He led the club during two different times. The first period was from 1968 to 1975. He was replaced as chairman and left the board in 1979.
While he was away, Aston Villa had a very successful time. They won the Football League title in 1981. They also won the European Cup in 1982. In June 1982, Ellis also became chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers. He noted that the club was very close to going out of business.
Return to Aston Villa
Ellis returned to Aston Villa as chairman in 1982. He stayed in this role until he sold the club to Randy Lerner in 2006. Some fans felt that the club declined after the European Cup win. Many players from the winning team were sold. This might have been due to large debts from the previous leaders.
The "Deadly Doug" Nickname
Football expert Jimmy Greaves gave Ellis the nickname "Deadly Doug." This was because he often fired managers during his time as chairman. Aston Villa had 13 different managers while he was in charge. Only two of them won trophies for the team. These were Ron Atkinson and Brian Little. They both won the Football League Cup in 1994 and 1996.
Club Ownership and Salary
In 1996, Doug Ellis owned 47 percent of Aston Villa. In May 1997, the club's shares were offered on the stock market. The club was valued at £126 million. Ellis sold some of his shares, reducing his ownership to about 39%.
Ellis was one of the first football club directors to pay himself a salary. This became legal in the early 1980s. In 2005, his salary was £290,000. He also served on the boards of other football clubs.
Later Years as Chairman
In 2004, at age 80, Ellis was dealing with prostate cancer. He agreed to give up some control of the club. He appointed Bruce Langham as chief executive. Langham later resigned in 2005.
In 2005, Ellis had a heart bypass operation. After three months away, he returned to his role at Villa Park. By this time, some fans and former managers felt he lacked ambition. They noted that the club often struggled to sign top players.
On August 14, 2006, it was announced that Ellis would sell the club. He sold it to American billionaire, Randy Lerner, for £62.6 million. Ellis stepped down on September 19, 2006. He became a President Emeritus (Life President) of the club.
Honours and Later Life
Recognitions and Awards
In 1994, a stand at Villa Park was named after Doug Ellis. In 2005, he was awarded an OBE for his services.
Ellis received an honorary degree from Aston University in July 2007. In January 2012, the Doug Ellis Learning Hub opened at the University of Birmingham Medical School. Ellis donated £416,000 to this project.
In April 2013, the newly renovated Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre at Aston University opened. It features a new sports hall and squash courts. This work was partly funded by Ellis. Also in 2012, Ellis gave £10,000 to help build a new school gymnasium. This was for Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls.
Knighthood and Passing
On March 4, 2012, Doug Ellis was made a knight for his charity work. He passed away on October 11, 2018, at the age of 94.
