Brian Mears

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Joseph Brian Mears (25 April 1931 – 28 July 2009) was the chairman of Chelsea Football Club. He was the son of Joe Mears, also a chairman of Chelsea, and grandson of Joseph Mears, co-founder of the club. He was born in Richmond, Surrey, and educated at Malvern College. In 1950 he emigrated to Canada and began working life in a seed factory. He returned to the United Kingdom shortly afterwards and did his national service as a radio operator in the Royal Air Force.[1]

Brian Mears took over as chairman following the death of

Viscount Chelsea saw him removed with the club in a dire position both on and off the pitch, mainly a result of the disastrous attempt to redevelop Stamford Bridge during the 1970s.[1] He sold the club to Ken Bates a year later for a nominal sum of £1. Mears came under fire when his shares in the Stamford Bridge freehold were later sold to property developers Marler Estates; he insisted that it was his wife who controlled the shares.[2]

After leaving Chelsea, Mears relocated to the United States, where he was involved with several North American soccer teams and ran a car dealership in Long Beach, California.[2] He wrote several books on Chelsea. Despite befriending Chelsea director Matthew Harding and chairman Bruce Buck in later years, he never set foot in Stamford Bridge again.[3]

Mears married June Ware in 1955 and they had two children: a son, Christopher; and a daughter, Suzanne. Through Suzanne, Mears was the father-in-law to former footballer Steve Wicks and grandfather to Wicks' son Matt.

Mears died of heart failure on 28 July 2009.[4]

Sporting positions
Preceded by Chelsea chairman
1969–1981 		Succeeded by

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Obituary, The Telegraph, 6 August 2009.. Retrieved 10 January 2010
  2. ^ a b "Brian Mears: Chelsea Football Club chairman". The Times. London. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  3. ^ Tribute to Brian Mears : Lasting tribute.. Retrieved 20 April 2014
  4. ^ "Former Chairman Brian Mears Dies". Chelseafc.com. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2014.

References

External links


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