Background
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.
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Brian Mears
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Career
In 1950 he emigrated to Canada where he 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. He remained in the position until 1981, when a boardroom coup d"etat led by 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.
He sold the club to Ken Bates a year later for a nominal sum of £1.
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. 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
Mears is an uncle of former football player Matt Wicks. Suzanne emigrated to the United States of America thirty years ago where she spent time with Brian when he was living and working in Los Angeles during the 80s.
Mears died of heart failure on 28 July 2009.
