2002-2003 John Russell
Biographical Text
John Russell, the last of the shareholder/owner chairmen before the supporter/community-owned era at Exeter City, was at the helm of the club between 2002 and 2003. Not only did his time at St James' Park end with the club's relegation from the Football League but he was also found guilty of charges relating to his acquisition and control of the club.
Russell's purchase of Exeter City in 2002 came at the end of a seventeen-year period when Ivor Doble had been chair either side of an enforced gap between 1991 and 1993. With debts mounting, and the team achieving little, the 77-year-old Mr Doble was keen to sell the club and step back from daily involvement. Mr Russell, a former owner of Scarborough - and his associate Mike Lewis who had worked at Swansea City before leaving in unseemly circumstances - appeared to have the wherewithal to take on the project of resurrecting a stagnant Exeter City.
The problem was that neither man had the funds for the task at hand. Not only did they behave in a criminal manner to take control of City but each had behaved questionably at their previous clubs. Russell as chairman drew the greater attention and, ultimately, his actions were considered to involve greater criminality than those of Lewis. Indeed his past warned of danger from the outset.
Firstly, he had been found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on two counts of obtaining services by deception in a £180,000 hire-purchase fraud. This had resulted in a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty. Secondly, he had been the owner and chairman of Scarborough from March 1994 to 2000, a period that saw the club relegated from the Football League in 1999. On resigning a year later, the seaside club was insolvent to the extent of owing creditors £1.25m. Furthermore it hardly helped his cause that he was now in partnership with Mr Lewis who had been managing director at Swansea City when the owners handed him the loss-making club which he was forced to sell for £1 as losses approached £1.7m.
For whatever reason the two were hoping on getting back into football and reasoned that the best opportunity would be where the owners were desperate to sell. After trying Lincoln City, they turned to Exeter City and discovered that Ivor Doble had found himself in an unenviable position.
Taking control of the club in 2002 the criminality behind the venture took time to become apparent. What soon emerged was a succession of "celebrity endorsers" that included American performer Michael Jackson (1958-2009), Uri Geller (an illusionist, magician, television personality and self-proclaimed psychic whose son supported Exeter City) and magician, mentalist and endurance performer David Blaine. As the stunts increased, and the talk grew louder, suspicions arose amongst those who needed reassurance on the pitch.
This was not forthcoming. After finishing 16th in 2001/02 in challenging enough circumstances, manager John Cornforth failed to make the strong start he needed and was gone by October 2002. Eamonn Dolan stepped in on a caretaker basis before the arrival of Neil McNab who lasted until February 2003 to be replaced for the remainder of the season by Gary Peters who could not save the club from relegation to non-league football. Likewise there had been a constant turnover of players that featured a couple of 'big names' in Don Goodman (Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Wolves) and Lee Sharpe (Manchester United, Leeds and England).
Eventually John Russell and his associate departed as the good fortune prevailed of having the supporters' trust waiting in the wings and ultimately being able to overcome all manner of obstacles. By September 2003 the trust had secured ownership of the club even though the hard work had only just begun.
Over the next four years police investigations concluded that there was a case for prosecuting Russell and Lewis on the grounds of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception. In Russell's case the charge was that, when he took control, he "Dishonestly obtained for himself membership of the board of directors of Exeter City AFC by deception, namely by falsely representing that he had substantial funds to introduce to the club."
The pair were found guilty in 2007 by which time City were a year away from returning to the Football League. John Russell was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment for fraudulent trading; Mike Lewis to 200 hours community service on a lesser charge. City's accumulated £3.2m debt (some of it inherited) included amounts due to local and national businesses; the ambulance service; electricity, water and phone companies; almost £450,000 in tax and VAT and £66,066 owed to Exeter University. There was also £13,414.59 outstanding to Devon & Cornwall Police for match duties.
Russell's purchase of Exeter City in 2002 came at the end of a seventeen-year period when Ivor Doble had been chair either side of an enforced gap between 1991 and 1993. With debts mounting, and the team achieving little, the 77-year-old Mr Doble was keen to sell the club and step back from daily involvement. Mr Russell, a former owner of Scarborough - and his associate Mike Lewis who had worked at Swansea City before leaving in unseemly circumstances - appeared to have the wherewithal to take on the project of resurrecting a stagnant Exeter City.
The problem was that neither man had the funds for the task at hand. Not only did they behave in a criminal manner to take control of City but each had behaved questionably at their previous clubs. Russell as chairman drew the greater attention and, ultimately, his actions were considered to involve greater criminality than those of Lewis. Indeed his past warned of danger from the outset.
Firstly, he had been found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on two counts of obtaining services by deception in a £180,000 hire-purchase fraud. This had resulted in a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty. Secondly, he had been the owner and chairman of Scarborough from March 1994 to 2000, a period that saw the club relegated from the Football League in 1999. On resigning a year later, the seaside club was insolvent to the extent of owing creditors £1.25m. Furthermore it hardly helped his cause that he was now in partnership with Mr Lewis who had been managing director at Swansea City when the owners handed him the loss-making club which he was forced to sell for £1 as losses approached £1.7m.
For whatever reason the two were hoping on getting back into football and reasoned that the best opportunity would be where the owners were desperate to sell. After trying Lincoln City, they turned to Exeter City and discovered that Ivor Doble had found himself in an unenviable position.
Taking control of the club in 2002 the criminality behind the venture took time to become apparent. What soon emerged was a succession of "celebrity endorsers" that included American performer Michael Jackson (1958-2009), Uri Geller (an illusionist, magician, television personality and self-proclaimed psychic whose son supported Exeter City) and magician, mentalist and endurance performer David Blaine. As the stunts increased, and the talk grew louder, suspicions arose amongst those who needed reassurance on the pitch.
This was not forthcoming. After finishing 16th in 2001/02 in challenging enough circumstances, manager John Cornforth failed to make the strong start he needed and was gone by October 2002. Eamonn Dolan stepped in on a caretaker basis before the arrival of Neil McNab who lasted until February 2003 to be replaced for the remainder of the season by Gary Peters who could not save the club from relegation to non-league football. Likewise there had been a constant turnover of players that featured a couple of 'big names' in Don Goodman (Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Wolves) and Lee Sharpe (Manchester United, Leeds and England).
Eventually John Russell and his associate departed as the good fortune prevailed of having the supporters' trust waiting in the wings and ultimately being able to overcome all manner of obstacles. By September 2003 the trust had secured ownership of the club even though the hard work had only just begun.
Over the next four years police investigations concluded that there was a case for prosecuting Russell and Lewis on the grounds of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception. In Russell's case the charge was that, when he took control, he "Dishonestly obtained for himself membership of the board of directors of Exeter City AFC by deception, namely by falsely representing that he had substantial funds to introduce to the club."
The pair were found guilty in 2007 by which time City were a year away from returning to the Football League. John Russell was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment for fraudulent trading; Mike Lewis to 200 hours community service on a lesser charge. City's accumulated £3.2m debt (some of it inherited) included amounts due to local and national businesses; the ambulance service; electricity, water and phone companies; almost £450,000 in tax and VAT and £66,066 owed to Exeter University. There was also £13,414.59 outstanding to Devon & Cornwall Police for match duties.
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