Lifelong Aston Villa fan gets Doug Ellis' car parking space

Nov 8 2010 by Jonny Greatrex, Sunday Mercury

A LIFELONG Aston Villa fan has landed the honour of being given the parking space of legendary club chairman Doug Ellis – right outside the stadium reception.

Disabled Ivor Price, 79, bought his first claret and blue season ticket with his late wife Gladys in 1952.

In those days the football-mad couple would battle their way through the turnstiles to stand on the bulging terraces.

But now the pensioner, from Erdington, Birmingham, needs a carer to meet him at the Villa Park car park with a wheelchair because he suffers from painful arthritis in his knees.

When he told staff the spot he had been allocated was too small for his helper to get the wheelchair up to, the club moved him.

And to Ivor’s delight it turned out to be the same space where long-serving ex-chairman Doug Ellis used to leave his famous Rolls Royce, registration AV 1.