Due to his Oxbridge background and "day job" as a teacher at a public school, Elleray has been described as "schoolmasterly"[3] and "posh" by the press.
Early in his teaching career, he was noted for controversially reintroducing in 1977 football (which had not been played there since 1927) at Harrow, a school better known for its rugby and cricket traditions.
[3][12] During his refereeing career, Elleray is remembered for a number of incidents, including awarding a dubious penalty kick to Manchester United in the 1994 FA Cup Final against Chelsea.
"[18] In 1999, Elleray received death threats from Manchester United supporters after Liverpool made a comeback which could have prevented their team winning the title.
He'd awarded Liverpool a dubious penalty and then sent Denis Irwin off for attempting a pass because the player ostensibly had not seen the official's flag.
The result however did not impact United's pole position, or their winning the title that season, with Arsenal losing at Leeds a few days later.
[2] One of the most recognisable figures in English football, Elleray's life featured in an award-winning documentary, The Man in Black, for Channel 4.