Yorkshire Post 6/5/07
Bates: I'll get Leeds back to the top
By Richard Sutcliffe
EXCLUSIVE:Ken Bates intends staying at Leeds United for the "long haul" after revealing the club are looking for investors and not buyers.
A dramatic turn of events last Friday saw the Elland Road outfit placed in administration amid debts of £35m only to then emerge minutes later in the hands of a newly-formed company called Leeds United Football Club Limited.Bates is listed as a director of the new firm along with United chief executive Shaun Harvey and director Mark Taylor, so, providing a creditors meeting at the end of this month approves the sale, it means Leeds will emerge with the same management team at the helm.
Dennis Wise's side finished bottom of the Championship after being deducted 10 points by the Football League for going into administration, but Bates remains in bullish mood about the club's prospects in 2007-08.
He said: "The bookies have made us 6-4 favourites to go up and 5-1 to win the league, and bookies are rarely wrong. There is no reason why we can't get back to the Premiership.
"I am here for the long-term, the long haul, to get Leeds back to where they belong. There is nothing else to do in life but football. I saved Chelsea, but this one has been harder. What is important is the legacy."
Although relegation was confirmed by the points deduction, United's fate had all but been sealed a week earlier when Alan Lee scored a late equaliser to earn Ipswich Town a draw at Elland Road. It left Leeds needing a bizarre set of results on the final day to stay up and Bates then revealed the club were seeking outside investment. It was not clear, however, whether this would involve a straight-forward cash injection or a full-blown takeover bid.
However, after the drama of last Friday when Leeds were placed in administration only to then emerge in the hands of a new company late in the afternoon there is no doubt in Bates's mind what the club need.
He said: "We are looking for investors, not buyers. We would welcome partners and investors. They would have to be the right kind of partners who are interested in the long-term future of Leeds United. The way you make money is to go in at the bottom of the cycle. That is where Leeds are. Small clubs have their day in the sun, but big clubs are always big."
Since taking charge at Elland Road in January 2005, Bates has been inundated with enquiries from parties claiming to be interested in investing in the club.Ray Ranson, who is believed to be competing with former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for control of Manchester City, is just one of many to have contacted Bates, who has adopted a consistent mantra throughout.
The Leeds chairman said: "I have always had two rules – proof of identity and proof of funds. But the moment we say that, we never hear from them again."
The few days leading up to United going into administration saw intense speculation over a possible takeover bid being launched with former United director Simon Morris understood to be interested along with Leeds United Supporters Trust (LUST).
However, Bates, who turned down the chance to buy Leeds in 2003 when approached by then chief executive Trevor Birch, said: "The people who were supposed to be interested did not come forward. We had Simon Morris, but we only read about him in the paper. Where were they?
"LUST rang up and said 'can we come and talk to you?' I asked them to put in writing what they wanted to do – we sent them the standard letter we have sent to everyone.
"They claimed to have a £100m backer. We said 'show us proof of funds and we can talk'. I have not had a reply.
"Since administration, we have had 10 people contact us and I have agreed to meet them all. But they have to show proof of funds."
How Wise 'was left to clean up mess'
By Richard Sutcliffe
EXCLUSIVE: Ken Bates tells Richard Sutcliffe why he strongly disputes United's former manager's claim that he would have kept the Elland Road club up.
KEN BATES has revealed for the first time the extent of the dressing room unrest Dennis Wise encountered on taking charge of Leeds United.
The former Millwall manager assumed control at Elland Road in October with United sitting 23rd in the Championship table after a dreadful run of five straight defeats that saw 18 goals conceded.
Rumours of a split dressing room were circulating at the time and one of Wise's first moves was to strip Paul Butler of the captaincy and appoint Kevin Nicholls in his place.
The switch did little to improve matters, however, with Nicholls having the captain's armband taken off him later in the season by Wise after requesting a return move to Luton Town.Bates believes former manager Kevin Blackwell, who was sacked in September with United second bottom in the table, had lost control of the dressing room.
The Leeds chairman was, therefore, furious to read claims by Blackwell, now in charge of Luton, last week that had he remained in charge then the club's first relegation from the top two divisions would have been avoided.
Bates said: "I am not in the excuse-making business, unlike Mr Blackwell. But we would have been relegated in December if he had been still here. He had lost control of the dressing room. It was in disarray.
"The day Dennis Wise took over, he called (then captain) Paul Butler in. I had suggested to Blackwell to change his captain, but he said 'no'. I think he was frightened of him.
"Dennis called Butler in and said he was taking the captaincy off him. Dennis then asked 'do you want to stay?', to which Butler said yes.
"Dennis then said 'so why did you text another manager and say 'get me out of this club'. There was a silence and I think Butler denied it. But he had made a mistake because Dennis then said 'the text went to my best friend, that's why you are not captain any more'."
Leeds have endured a chaotic season with 44 players having appeared for the club, more than a third of which have been on loan. Relegation is certain to lead to a clearout with only nine senior first-team players being contracted beyond the summer, including the likes of David Healy and Richard Cresswell who are certain to be targeted by other clubs.
Bates said: "It is a clean sheet. Dennis knows already who is going. Some of them we don't want, some are at the end of their contracts and some do not want to play in League One. They do not have the heart for the fight. Dennis knows who falls into that category.
"We had a big meeting last Tuesday and there is another meeting planned for Tuesday this week. "Every player who comes in will be one Dennis wants. The players will then be brought back on July 2 for a proper pre-season.
"That was at the root of this season's problems. The number of injuries we have picked up this season show that. Dennis says you never make up your pre-season training if you do not do it."
This summer will see the burden of having to pay a host of ex-players finally come to an end, while the last remnant of the Peter Ridsdale era, Gary Kelly, is to retire after 16 seasons at Elland Road. This will ease the wage bill considerably as United prepare for a first season outside the top two divisions. Bates said: "Kelly costs us £2m a year."At the beginning of the season, (United chief executive) Shaun Harvey went to Gary Kelly and said 'can you help us by taking a cut? You have had five years of this'. His agent came back and said he would come down from the £4,000 appearance money he was on to £2,000. But if Leeds were promoted, we would have to give him the £2,000 per game back."
Ridsdale has tried to distance himself from the mess he left behind at Elland Road in March 2003, and Bates clearly has little time for the claims by the current Cardiff City chairman that United's predicament is the fault of others.
The Leeds chief said: "It is Ridsdale's fault that this club is in this state. He was the chairman who borrowed the money and wasted it. Now he is blaming (then manager) David O'Leary, but O'Leary did not sign the cheques.
"When he became chairman (of Cardiff), they were five points clear. Now they have not qualified for the play-offs. Maybe he should concentrate on his own performance."
Derby County 2 Leeds United 0
By Richard Sutcliffe
After nine tortuous months, one administration, 44 players, three managers – or four if you include Dave Geddis's stewardship of last October's Carling Cup defeat to Southend United – 17 loanees, eight captains and 26 league defeats, the worst season in Leeds United's history is finally over.
A future in League One now awaits and the United fans who held up a banner reading 'We don't deserve all this' at Pride Park yesterday will hope the 2007-08 campaign signals the club's re-birth.
If that is to prove the case maybe it was fitting that the final chapter in the decline should be played out at Pride Park against a side containing a player whose £38,000-per-week wage was a symbol of the largesse that brought United down.Just to add insult to the almost fatal injury Peter Ridsdale's spending inflicted on Leeds, it was Seth Johnson who helped create the only goal for Derby in the 57th minute of a first half extended by a lengthy hold-up to stretcher injured referee Phil Crossley from the field.The former Leeds midfielder took advantage of Casper Ankergren's failure to cut out a deep cross from the right and diverted the ball into the path of Darren Currie to score from 10 yards out.United, with Richard Cresswell operating as a makeshift centre-half, rarely threatened a reply in the second half even though Alan Thompson, captain for the day in place of David Healy, did curl a free-kick over the wall that Stephen Bywater held at full stretch.A miserable season was capped when Robert Bayly, making his full debut, was sent off for an attempted headbutt on Craig Fagan before Tyrone Mears doubled the Rams' advantage four minutes from time.United assistant manager Gus Poyet said: "There is a lot of work to do and we have started already. There will be big changes in every department so we have to make sure the decisions we make are the right ones."
Derby County: Bywater; Mears, Nyatanga, Leacock, McEveley; Bisgaard (Currie 45), S Johnson, Pearson, Fagan; Howard (Macken 66), Peschisolido (Lupoli 81). Unused substitutes: M Johnson, Malcolm.
Leeds United: Ankergren; Marques, Foxe (T Elliott 46), R Elliott, Gray; Bayly, Blake (Delph 53), Thompson, Carole Howson 53); Cresswell, J Johnson. Unused substitutes: Stack,
Moore.Referee: P Crossley (Kent).
MATCH FOCUS HERO The 1,500 visiting fans: If only Leeds players could have matched the passion of those who have cheered them this season.
VILLAINS Robert Bayly: Needless sending-off that will rule him out at the start of next season.
KEY MOMENT 12th minute of first-half stoppage time: Casper Ankergren's failure to collect a right-wing cross sent Derby heading for the points.
REF WATCH Phil Crossley only lasted three minutes before being replaced due to a back injury by Carl Boyeson, who was average.
ENTERTAINMENT A boring end to a season which, for all the wrong reasons, has been anything but dull for Leeds.
VERDICT United will be glad to see the back of 2006-07.
WHO'S NEXT Unfortunately, for Leeds United, their next opponents in league football could be any one of the likes of Gillingham, Northampton or Cheltenham in League One.
Bates: I'll get Leeds back to the top
By Richard Sutcliffe
EXCLUSIVE:Ken Bates intends staying at Leeds United for the "long haul" after revealing the club are looking for investors and not buyers.
A dramatic turn of events last Friday saw the Elland Road outfit placed in administration amid debts of £35m only to then emerge minutes later in the hands of a newly-formed company called Leeds United Football Club Limited.Bates is listed as a director of the new firm along with United chief executive Shaun Harvey and director Mark Taylor, so, providing a creditors meeting at the end of this month approves the sale, it means Leeds will emerge with the same management team at the helm.
Dennis Wise's side finished bottom of the Championship after being deducted 10 points by the Football League for going into administration, but Bates remains in bullish mood about the club's prospects in 2007-08.
He said: "The bookies have made us 6-4 favourites to go up and 5-1 to win the league, and bookies are rarely wrong. There is no reason why we can't get back to the Premiership.
"I am here for the long-term, the long haul, to get Leeds back to where they belong. There is nothing else to do in life but football. I saved Chelsea, but this one has been harder. What is important is the legacy."
Although relegation was confirmed by the points deduction, United's fate had all but been sealed a week earlier when Alan Lee scored a late equaliser to earn Ipswich Town a draw at Elland Road. It left Leeds needing a bizarre set of results on the final day to stay up and Bates then revealed the club were seeking outside investment. It was not clear, however, whether this would involve a straight-forward cash injection or a full-blown takeover bid.
However, after the drama of last Friday when Leeds were placed in administration only to then emerge in the hands of a new company late in the afternoon there is no doubt in Bates's mind what the club need.
He said: "We are looking for investors, not buyers. We would welcome partners and investors. They would have to be the right kind of partners who are interested in the long-term future of Leeds United. The way you make money is to go in at the bottom of the cycle. That is where Leeds are. Small clubs have their day in the sun, but big clubs are always big."
Since taking charge at Elland Road in January 2005, Bates has been inundated with enquiries from parties claiming to be interested in investing in the club.Ray Ranson, who is believed to be competing with former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for control of Manchester City, is just one of many to have contacted Bates, who has adopted a consistent mantra throughout.
The Leeds chairman said: "I have always had two rules – proof of identity and proof of funds. But the moment we say that, we never hear from them again."
The few days leading up to United going into administration saw intense speculation over a possible takeover bid being launched with former United director Simon Morris understood to be interested along with Leeds United Supporters Trust (LUST).
However, Bates, who turned down the chance to buy Leeds in 2003 when approached by then chief executive Trevor Birch, said: "The people who were supposed to be interested did not come forward. We had Simon Morris, but we only read about him in the paper. Where were they?
"LUST rang up and said 'can we come and talk to you?' I asked them to put in writing what they wanted to do – we sent them the standard letter we have sent to everyone.
"They claimed to have a £100m backer. We said 'show us proof of funds and we can talk'. I have not had a reply.
"Since administration, we have had 10 people contact us and I have agreed to meet them all. But they have to show proof of funds."
How Wise 'was left to clean up mess'
By Richard Sutcliffe
EXCLUSIVE: Ken Bates tells Richard Sutcliffe why he strongly disputes United's former manager's claim that he would have kept the Elland Road club up.
KEN BATES has revealed for the first time the extent of the dressing room unrest Dennis Wise encountered on taking charge of Leeds United.
The former Millwall manager assumed control at Elland Road in October with United sitting 23rd in the Championship table after a dreadful run of five straight defeats that saw 18 goals conceded.
Rumours of a split dressing room were circulating at the time and one of Wise's first moves was to strip Paul Butler of the captaincy and appoint Kevin Nicholls in his place.
The switch did little to improve matters, however, with Nicholls having the captain's armband taken off him later in the season by Wise after requesting a return move to Luton Town.Bates believes former manager Kevin Blackwell, who was sacked in September with United second bottom in the table, had lost control of the dressing room.
The Leeds chairman was, therefore, furious to read claims by Blackwell, now in charge of Luton, last week that had he remained in charge then the club's first relegation from the top two divisions would have been avoided.
Bates said: "I am not in the excuse-making business, unlike Mr Blackwell. But we would have been relegated in December if he had been still here. He had lost control of the dressing room. It was in disarray.
"The day Dennis Wise took over, he called (then captain) Paul Butler in. I had suggested to Blackwell to change his captain, but he said 'no'. I think he was frightened of him.
"Dennis called Butler in and said he was taking the captaincy off him. Dennis then asked 'do you want to stay?', to which Butler said yes.
"Dennis then said 'so why did you text another manager and say 'get me out of this club'. There was a silence and I think Butler denied it. But he had made a mistake because Dennis then said 'the text went to my best friend, that's why you are not captain any more'."
Leeds have endured a chaotic season with 44 players having appeared for the club, more than a third of which have been on loan. Relegation is certain to lead to a clearout with only nine senior first-team players being contracted beyond the summer, including the likes of David Healy and Richard Cresswell who are certain to be targeted by other clubs.
Bates said: "It is a clean sheet. Dennis knows already who is going. Some of them we don't want, some are at the end of their contracts and some do not want to play in League One. They do not have the heart for the fight. Dennis knows who falls into that category.
"We had a big meeting last Tuesday and there is another meeting planned for Tuesday this week. "Every player who comes in will be one Dennis wants. The players will then be brought back on July 2 for a proper pre-season.
"That was at the root of this season's problems. The number of injuries we have picked up this season show that. Dennis says you never make up your pre-season training if you do not do it."
This summer will see the burden of having to pay a host of ex-players finally come to an end, while the last remnant of the Peter Ridsdale era, Gary Kelly, is to retire after 16 seasons at Elland Road. This will ease the wage bill considerably as United prepare for a first season outside the top two divisions. Bates said: "Kelly costs us £2m a year."At the beginning of the season, (United chief executive) Shaun Harvey went to Gary Kelly and said 'can you help us by taking a cut? You have had five years of this'. His agent came back and said he would come down from the £4,000 appearance money he was on to £2,000. But if Leeds were promoted, we would have to give him the £2,000 per game back."
Ridsdale has tried to distance himself from the mess he left behind at Elland Road in March 2003, and Bates clearly has little time for the claims by the current Cardiff City chairman that United's predicament is the fault of others.
The Leeds chief said: "It is Ridsdale's fault that this club is in this state. He was the chairman who borrowed the money and wasted it. Now he is blaming (then manager) David O'Leary, but O'Leary did not sign the cheques.
"When he became chairman (of Cardiff), they were five points clear. Now they have not qualified for the play-offs. Maybe he should concentrate on his own performance."
Derby County 2 Leeds United 0
By Richard Sutcliffe
After nine tortuous months, one administration, 44 players, three managers – or four if you include Dave Geddis's stewardship of last October's Carling Cup defeat to Southend United – 17 loanees, eight captains and 26 league defeats, the worst season in Leeds United's history is finally over.
A future in League One now awaits and the United fans who held up a banner reading 'We don't deserve all this' at Pride Park yesterday will hope the 2007-08 campaign signals the club's re-birth.
If that is to prove the case maybe it was fitting that the final chapter in the decline should be played out at Pride Park against a side containing a player whose £38,000-per-week wage was a symbol of the largesse that brought United down.Just to add insult to the almost fatal injury Peter Ridsdale's spending inflicted on Leeds, it was Seth Johnson who helped create the only goal for Derby in the 57th minute of a first half extended by a lengthy hold-up to stretcher injured referee Phil Crossley from the field.The former Leeds midfielder took advantage of Casper Ankergren's failure to cut out a deep cross from the right and diverted the ball into the path of Darren Currie to score from 10 yards out.United, with Richard Cresswell operating as a makeshift centre-half, rarely threatened a reply in the second half even though Alan Thompson, captain for the day in place of David Healy, did curl a free-kick over the wall that Stephen Bywater held at full stretch.A miserable season was capped when Robert Bayly, making his full debut, was sent off for an attempted headbutt on Craig Fagan before Tyrone Mears doubled the Rams' advantage four minutes from time.United assistant manager Gus Poyet said: "There is a lot of work to do and we have started already. There will be big changes in every department so we have to make sure the decisions we make are the right ones."
Derby County: Bywater; Mears, Nyatanga, Leacock, McEveley; Bisgaard (Currie 45), S Johnson, Pearson, Fagan; Howard (Macken 66), Peschisolido (Lupoli 81). Unused substitutes: M Johnson, Malcolm.
Leeds United: Ankergren; Marques, Foxe (T Elliott 46), R Elliott, Gray; Bayly, Blake (Delph 53), Thompson, Carole Howson 53); Cresswell, J Johnson. Unused substitutes: Stack,
Moore.Referee: P Crossley (Kent).
MATCH FOCUS HERO The 1,500 visiting fans: If only Leeds players could have matched the passion of those who have cheered them this season.
VILLAINS Robert Bayly: Needless sending-off that will rule him out at the start of next season.
KEY MOMENT 12th minute of first-half stoppage time: Casper Ankergren's failure to collect a right-wing cross sent Derby heading for the points.
REF WATCH Phil Crossley only lasted three minutes before being replaced due to a back injury by Carl Boyeson, who was average.
ENTERTAINMENT A boring end to a season which, for all the wrong reasons, has been anything but dull for Leeds.
VERDICT United will be glad to see the back of 2006-07.
WHO'S NEXT Unfortunately, for Leeds United, their next opponents in league football could be any one of the likes of Gillingham, Northampton or Cheltenham in League One.