Some football club owners prefer to watch their teams from a distance — not so Jeremy Peace.

For the past 11 years — after taking over as West Bromwich Albion’s chairman in 2002 and then becoming the majority shareholder in 2005 — he has been resolutely hands-on.

The 57-year-old former stockbroker has the final say in the day-to-day running of the club, which on his watch has established itself in the Premier League, despite his recent assertion that it is “massively over-performing”.

His hard-line approach was displayed recently when he sacked head coach Steve Clarke, the man who, last season, guided the club to eighth place, its highest ever position in the Premier League.

As Mr Peace told the Daily Mail, if a mistake is going to be made, “I’d rather make it myself”.