Football club boss died of natural causes

Nottingham Forest owner Nigel Doughty died of natural causes, a coroner has ruled.

The 54-year-old father of four was found collapsed in the gym at his home in Lincolnshire on the afternoon of 4 February.

An earlier inquest was opened and adjourned for further tests after a post-mortem examination failed to provide a definitive cause of death. Yesterday, Paul Smith, the assistant deputy coroner for Central Lincolnshire, recorded a verdict of death from natural causes.

The dead man’s wife Lucy and daughter Helen were at the inquest, where the coroner heard Mr Doughty had told family members he was going to work out in the gym at about noon on the day he died. His family had no concerns for his welfare as he was thought to be fit and well.

However, Mr Doughty, who saved Nottingham Forest from administration when he bought the club for £11 million in 1999, was found “collapsed and lifeless” just over an hour later.