Nottingham Forest owner found dead in his home

Maryland Leader (ANI) Sunday 5th February, 2012

The owner of Championship football side Nottingham Forest, Nigel Doughty has been found dead in a gymnasium at his home in Lincolnshire.

He is believed to have died from natural causes and police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

"The club would like to appeal for the privacy of Mr Doughty's family to be observed at this sad time. The club will be making no further comment," a Nottingham Forest statement said.

Doughty also was the co-founder of London-based private equity firm Doughty Hanson and Co and an assistant treasurer of the Labour Party.

"On behalf of Dick Hanson and all the management and staff of Doughty Hanson, we are tremendously sorry to learn of the death of Nigel Doughty at home this afternoon. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time," The Daily Mail quoted a company spokesperson, as saying.

Meanwhile, tributes poured in for Doughty with Ed Miliband describing him as a 'kind and generous man with a deep desire to make the world a better place'.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls tweeted: 'What terrible, tragic news: the untimely death of Nigel Doughty - Labour supporting, Notts Forest owning, visionary business leader.'

Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown said: 'Nigel Doughty will be remembered as a gentle giant, a good soft spoken man with a deep commitment to public service who, from his great success in business, became one of our country's most generous benefactors.

"For all his life he was loyal to all the causes that he had grown up with - his love for his team Nottingham Forest, the Labour Party, of which he was a life long supporter, and charitable causes that benefited from his generosity," he added. (ANI)