Nottingham Forest owner Nigel Doughty found dead at home

Nottingham Forest owner Nigel Doughty has been found dead at his home.

Mr Doughty, who was brought up in Newark, and whose father still lives in the town, was discovered in the gym at his home in Lincolnshire.

Mr Doughty had recently stepped down as chairman of the Championship club which he had supported since a boy when his father Ted used to take him to matches.

"It is with enormous sadness that Nottingham Forest announce the death of the club's owner Nigel Doughty," the club said in a statement.

"Mr Doughty, who was 54, was found dead earlier today in his gym at his home in Skillington, Lincolnshire.

"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."

Mr Doughty, a former Magnus pupil, stepped down as chairman in October after a decade at the helm following the short tenure of the former England manager Steve McClaren.

He was replaced in the role by the former Forest player and manager Frank Clark.

Mr Doughty saved the Reds from administration when he bought the club for £11m in 1999, and invested almost £100m of his personal fortune in the club.

The Doughty family foundation gave £1m towards a new medical unit at Newark Hospital in memory of Nigel Doughty's mother, Mercia, who was a nurse at the hospital for many years.

Mr Doughty was co-chairman and co-founder of Doughty Hanson & Co, a European private equity firm based in London and with offices throughout Europe.

He was also assistant treasurer to the Labour party.

On Twitter, Forest forward Robbie Findley wrote: "RIP Nigel Doughty. My prayers are with his family."

Fellow forward Ishmael Miller tweeted: "RIP Nigel Doughty. May your soul rest in peace."