Doug Ellis Stand

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Lore & Background

The stand bears the name of a man who owned 47 per cent of Aston Villa in 1996, reducing his shareholding to around 39% after the club floated on the stock market in May 1997 with a valuation of £126m. Ellis was nicknamed 'Deadly Doug' by football pundit Jimmy Greaves after sacking numerous managers; Aston Villa had 15 different permanent managers during his two spells, with only Ron Atkinson and Brian Little winning trophies (the Football League Cup in 1994 and 1996 respectively). Some fans blamed him for the club's decline after the European Cup victory in 1981–82, as within five years the club was relegated from the top flight and many of the European Cup-winning team were sold. However, Villa's longest-serving player Charlie Aitken said of Ellis: 'He has his critics, but he has always worked for Villa morning noon and night...His heart is in the right place.' Andy Gray stated that Ellis 'always allowed his managers to spend money and, contrary to public belief, never picked the team.'

In Their Own Story

From this southern vantage point, spectators watched Ellis navigate the club through the sale of European Cup-winning players and a relegation within five years of the 1982 triumph. In 2004, at the age of 80 and suffering from prostate cancer, Ellis agreed to relinquish some control by appointing Bruce Langham as chief executive, though Langham resigned in May 2005 after a reported disagreement. Ellis underwent a heart bypass operation in 2005 and returned to his role soon after the start of the 2005–06 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 £62.6 million. Ellis stood aside when the takeover was completed on 19 September 2006, becoming a President Emeritus (Life President) of the club.

Reader's Guide

The Doug Ellis Stand is one of the four stands at Villa Park. It was named after Ellis in 1994. The stand offers a view of the pitch from the southern side of the stadium. 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.

Did You Know?

• The stand was named after Doug Ellis in 1994, the same year he was appointed an OBE in the 2005 New Year Honours List.
• Ellis owned 47 per cent of Aston Villa in 1996, reducing his shareholding to around 39% after the club floated on the stock market in May 1997 with a valuation of £126m.
• Ellis was nicknamed 'Deadly Doug' by football pundit Jimmy Greaves after sacking numerous managers; Aston Villa had 15 different permanent managers during his two spells as chairman.
• Ellis was reported to be the first football club director to pay himself a salary, which in 2005 was £290,000 after a 12% increase from the previous year.
• Ellis sold the club to American billionaire Randy Lerner on 19 September 2006 for £62.6 million, becoming President Emeritus.