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Forward With Ken
EXCLUSIVE
By PAUL DEWS
FORMER chairman Trevor Birch today branded new Leeds United chief Ken Bates as the man to take the club forward.
Birch, who stepped down last March when Gerald Krasner's consortium took over at Elland Road, knows Bates well after the pairing worked together at Chelsea.
And the popular ex-United chairman reckons his old Stamford Bridge boss is the man to drive Leeds forward again.
"I think Ken will be a good man for Leeds United," said Birch, pictured left. "He's a successful man and he hasn't come to Leeds to fail.
"He will be giving it 120 per cent to get the club back into the Premier League.
"I think this will have taken 20 years off him – he'll have renewed energy at the age of 73 – and you won't find anyone with as much enthusiasm about the game."
Birch is still regarded as a hero by many United followers after his determined efforts to keep the club alive.
It was Birch who amazingly persuaded the creditors to keep them out of administration for a full three months before passing the baton on to Krasner's consortium and their rescue package.
Birch had a short spell with Everton after leaving Leeds and was also linked with the chief executive's job at the Football Association.
But he has maintained interest in United and is delighted to see them stay out of administration for a second time.
"What's happened shouldn't be underestimated," said Birch.
"The club has had a lot of problems and it's lucky not to have gone into administration. Once Leeds were relegated it was always going to be a big struggle.
"The board have done well because despite making some unpalatable decisions they have kept things going.
"Ken will now be looking to bring some stability back to the club and start building."
Birch is being linked with a return to Elland Road, but he recently took up the Leeds-based post as head of reorganisation services for professional services firm Deloitte in the north-east.

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