Yorkshire Evening Post 19/8/06
Nicholls bullish about his return
by Phil Hay
Kevin Nicholls today promised to add punch to Leeds United's line-up on his return from injury, insisting: "I'll come back like a raging bull."
The 27-year-old midfielder is three weeks into a three-month programme of rehabilitation after suffering knee ligament damage during his first training session with Kevin Blackwell's squad, but he is already planning his first steps towards repaying the £700,000 fee invested in him last month.Nicholls was Blackwell's most expensive summer signing, arriving on a four-year deal from Luton, but he is unlikely to play any part in United's season until the end of October.His knee was injured during an accidental clash with Leeds captain Paul Butler, and Nicholls said: "It still hurts me massively because I want to be helping the club. It was a freak accident but these things happen and hopefully this is my injury out of the way."Everyone gets injured at some stage, but I still feel fit and I feel strong. I'm going to be a raging bull when I come back."
Times 18/8/06
Chelsea put Bates in dock over 'racist' comments
By Owen Slot Chief Sports Reporter
CHELSEA gave the last hours of countdown to the Barclays Premiership season a familiar feel yesterday by railing against the world, in this case by filing a complaint with the Football Association against Ken Bates and Leeds United for bringing the game into disrepute, in particular for Bates’s reference to the Chelsea directors as “a bunch of shysters from Siberia”.
Bates, the chairman of Leeds and former owner of Chelsea, did not exhibit much concern yesterday, responding: “When I first heard this, we all fell about laughing. It’s the funniest thing since Norman Wisdom. I shall look forward to discussing this racism issue in the High Court. Chelsea must be bloody desperate, but this should be fun. Whoever at Chelsea is responsible has been very badly advised. Nothing new there.”
Chelsea’s action is a counter-complaint to follow the one registered by Bates and Leeds against Chelsea. Bates’s complaint two weeks ago was over the alleged “tapping-up” of Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo, two 16-year-old Leeds United academy players, when he asked for Chelsea to have points deducted and for them to pay Leeds £24 million.
While the clash has a strong feel of big egos and hot air, it does touch upon two sensitive areas — the fight against racism and the need to protect football’s grass roots — so it cannot be dismissed lightly.
In their statement yesterday, Chelsea accused Bates of waging a “personal campaign” against his former club and said that “his actions cannot be allowed to masquerade erroneously as being in the interests of football as he claims”.
However, whether or not it was Bates’s intention, he has since become become something of a figurehead for the smaller clubs, who feel powerless in their attempts to protect their best young players from the attractions of clubs such as Chelsea.
The champions do not merely rule supreme in the transfer market at the top of the game. The Times reveals today
how they are also intent on taking boys as young as 10 from other clubs, so that they also are the market leaders from the bottom.
Bates is unlikely to be toppled from his unusual position of popularity by the charge. Chelsea yesterday named rules E3 and E4 in the FA rulebook as Bates’s breaches, the former covering “abusive, indecent or insulting words” and the latter discrimination.
To be called Siberian is unlikely to be viewed as abusive, indecent or insulting, albeit that Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, is from Volga in southern Russia and not Siberian at all, so the word “shyster” may become the subject of serious debate. Some dictionaries have it as a derivation of the German term “scheisser”, meaning literally “one who defecates”, although it is the anti-Semitic innuendo that could be seen as offensive. Both Abramovich and Eugene Tenenbaum, his right-hand man at Chelsea, are of Jewish descent.
Bates has touched on differences in attitudes before. In announcing his departure from Stamford Bridge in March 2004, he talked of “a clash of Eastern and Western cultures and Eastern and Western values”. Next up in the early-season sideshow is the FA, which will announce soon how it is to progress with Leeds’s “tapping-up” complaint. Chelsea were given a suspended three-point penalty for an illegal approach to Ashley Cole, the Arsenal left back. If a similar offence is proven, the points deduction would come into effect.
Bates mocks Chelsea after complaint
tribalfooball.com - August 17, 2006
Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has scoffed at Chelsea's decision to lodge a formal complaint against him.
A club spokesman said: "We are totally amused and look forward to receiving their (Chelsea Football Club's) detailed evidence to support their complaint." Meanwhile, Leeds chairman Ken Bates said: "I haven't laughed so much since Ma caught her tits in the mangle."
The Times 17/8/06
Leeds hit Bates with racial discrimination claim
by times online and agencies
Chelsea have hit back in their battle with Ken Bates, their former chairman, by accusing the Leeds chief of racial discrimination.
The London club have lodged a formal complaint with the Football Association about the words used by Bates to describe the Blues board when he accused them of trying to poach three of his club’s Academy players.
In a statement released today, the Barclays Premiership champions also accuse Bates of waging a personal campaign against the club he sold to Roman Abramovich three years ago.
The FA have confirmed they have received the complaint today and are looking into it.
Chelsea’s statement said: “Chelsea today filed a complaint with the Football Association against Ken Bates and Leeds United for bringing the game into disrepute.
“This follows recent comments by Mr Bates arising out of the dispute between Chelsea FC and Leeds over Michael Woods, Tom Taiwo and Danny Rose.
“There are football procedures in place to deal with that specific dispute.
“Chelsea will comply with those, will not discuss the case publicly other than our previously stated position and will contest it vigorously.
“However there are also existing football rules (E3 and E4) that prohibit rude, insulting and inappropriate comments being made about other club owners, chairmen and personnel.
“In particular we are concerned by the implications of Mr Bates’ reference to the Chelsea directors... and the discriminatory nature of this in terms of race, nationality and religion (rule E4).
“Such comments have no place in football, a sport which is rightly committed to fighting racial intolerance and bigotry.
“Chelsea believe these comments are part of a personal campaign being waged by Mr Bates against our club and his actions cannot be allowed to masquerade erroneously as being in the interests of football as he claims.”
The FA and Premier League are currently investigating the complaint from Leeds that Chelsea made illegal approaches for teenage players Woods, Taiwo and Rose.
Woods and Taiwo, both 16, both moved to Chelsea last season but Rose decided to stay at Elland Road.
The FA rules E3 and E4, referred to in the statement from Chelsea, concern insulting words and behaviour, including racial and religious discrimination.
Rule E3 states: “A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”
Rule E4 states: “A participant shall not carry out any act which is discriminatory by reason of ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability.” A Leeds spokesman said: “We are totally amused and look forward to receiving their [Chelsea Football Club’s] detailed evidence to support their complaint.”
Nicholls bullish about his return
by Phil Hay
Kevin Nicholls today promised to add punch to Leeds United's line-up on his return from injury, insisting: "I'll come back like a raging bull."
The 27-year-old midfielder is three weeks into a three-month programme of rehabilitation after suffering knee ligament damage during his first training session with Kevin Blackwell's squad, but he is already planning his first steps towards repaying the £700,000 fee invested in him last month.Nicholls was Blackwell's most expensive summer signing, arriving on a four-year deal from Luton, but he is unlikely to play any part in United's season until the end of October.His knee was injured during an accidental clash with Leeds captain Paul Butler, and Nicholls said: "It still hurts me massively because I want to be helping the club. It was a freak accident but these things happen and hopefully this is my injury out of the way."Everyone gets injured at some stage, but I still feel fit and I feel strong. I'm going to be a raging bull when I come back."
Times 18/8/06
Chelsea put Bates in dock over 'racist' comments
By Owen Slot Chief Sports Reporter
CHELSEA gave the last hours of countdown to the Barclays Premiership season a familiar feel yesterday by railing against the world, in this case by filing a complaint with the Football Association against Ken Bates and Leeds United for bringing the game into disrepute, in particular for Bates’s reference to the Chelsea directors as “a bunch of shysters from Siberia”.
Bates, the chairman of Leeds and former owner of Chelsea, did not exhibit much concern yesterday, responding: “When I first heard this, we all fell about laughing. It’s the funniest thing since Norman Wisdom. I shall look forward to discussing this racism issue in the High Court. Chelsea must be bloody desperate, but this should be fun. Whoever at Chelsea is responsible has been very badly advised. Nothing new there.”
Chelsea’s action is a counter-complaint to follow the one registered by Bates and Leeds against Chelsea. Bates’s complaint two weeks ago was over the alleged “tapping-up” of Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo, two 16-year-old Leeds United academy players, when he asked for Chelsea to have points deducted and for them to pay Leeds £24 million.
While the clash has a strong feel of big egos and hot air, it does touch upon two sensitive areas — the fight against racism and the need to protect football’s grass roots — so it cannot be dismissed lightly.
In their statement yesterday, Chelsea accused Bates of waging a “personal campaign” against his former club and said that “his actions cannot be allowed to masquerade erroneously as being in the interests of football as he claims”.
However, whether or not it was Bates’s intention, he has since become become something of a figurehead for the smaller clubs, who feel powerless in their attempts to protect their best young players from the attractions of clubs such as Chelsea.
The champions do not merely rule supreme in the transfer market at the top of the game. The Times reveals today
how they are also intent on taking boys as young as 10 from other clubs, so that they also are the market leaders from the bottom.Bates is unlikely to be toppled from his unusual position of popularity by the charge. Chelsea yesterday named rules E3 and E4 in the FA rulebook as Bates’s breaches, the former covering “abusive, indecent or insulting words” and the latter discrimination.
To be called Siberian is unlikely to be viewed as abusive, indecent or insulting, albeit that Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, is from Volga in southern Russia and not Siberian at all, so the word “shyster” may become the subject of serious debate. Some dictionaries have it as a derivation of the German term “scheisser”, meaning literally “one who defecates”, although it is the anti-Semitic innuendo that could be seen as offensive. Both Abramovich and Eugene Tenenbaum, his right-hand man at Chelsea, are of Jewish descent.
Bates has touched on differences in attitudes before. In announcing his departure from Stamford Bridge in March 2004, he talked of “a clash of Eastern and Western cultures and Eastern and Western values”. Next up in the early-season sideshow is the FA, which will announce soon how it is to progress with Leeds’s “tapping-up” complaint. Chelsea were given a suspended three-point penalty for an illegal approach to Ashley Cole, the Arsenal left back. If a similar offence is proven, the points deduction would come into effect.
Bates mocks Chelsea after complaint
tribalfooball.com - August 17, 2006
Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has scoffed at Chelsea's decision to lodge a formal complaint against him.
A club spokesman said: "We are totally amused and look forward to receiving their (Chelsea Football Club's) detailed evidence to support their complaint." Meanwhile, Leeds chairman Ken Bates said: "I haven't laughed so much since Ma caught her tits in the mangle."
The Times 17/8/06
Leeds hit Bates with racial discrimination claim
by times online and agencies
Chelsea have hit back in their battle with Ken Bates, their former chairman, by accusing the Leeds chief of racial discrimination.
The London club have lodged a formal complaint with the Football Association about the words used by Bates to describe the Blues board when he accused them of trying to poach three of his club’s Academy players.
In a statement released today, the Barclays Premiership champions also accuse Bates of waging a personal campaign against the club he sold to Roman Abramovich three years ago.
The FA have confirmed they have received the complaint today and are looking into it.
Chelsea’s statement said: “Chelsea today filed a complaint with the Football Association against Ken Bates and Leeds United for bringing the game into disrepute.
“This follows recent comments by Mr Bates arising out of the dispute between Chelsea FC and Leeds over Michael Woods, Tom Taiwo and Danny Rose.
“There are football procedures in place to deal with that specific dispute.
“Chelsea will comply with those, will not discuss the case publicly other than our previously stated position and will contest it vigorously.
“However there are also existing football rules (E3 and E4) that prohibit rude, insulting and inappropriate comments being made about other club owners, chairmen and personnel.
“In particular we are concerned by the implications of Mr Bates’ reference to the Chelsea directors... and the discriminatory nature of this in terms of race, nationality and religion (rule E4).
“Such comments have no place in football, a sport which is rightly committed to fighting racial intolerance and bigotry.
“Chelsea believe these comments are part of a personal campaign being waged by Mr Bates against our club and his actions cannot be allowed to masquerade erroneously as being in the interests of football as he claims.”
The FA and Premier League are currently investigating the complaint from Leeds that Chelsea made illegal approaches for teenage players Woods, Taiwo and Rose.
Woods and Taiwo, both 16, both moved to Chelsea last season but Rose decided to stay at Elland Road.
The FA rules E3 and E4, referred to in the statement from Chelsea, concern insulting words and behaviour, including racial and religious discrimination.
Rule E3 states: “A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”
Rule E4 states: “A participant shall not carry out any act which is discriminatory by reason of ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability.” A Leeds spokesman said: “We are totally amused and look forward to receiving their [Chelsea Football Club’s] detailed evidence to support their complaint.”