With 7 years to judge Ken Bates capability as Chairman lets review his progress... League Position: No progress 2005 - Mid Table Championship club 2012 - Mid Table Championship club Elland Road Ownership: No progress 2005 - Owned by third party (Manchester businessman Jacob Adler) 2012 - Owned by unknown third party based in British Virgin Islands Thorpe Arch Training Ground: No progress 2005 - Owned by third party (With right to buy back) 2012 - Owned by third party (right to buy has expired) Player Transfers: Homegrown Talent Cashed In: Aaron Lennon Jonny Howson Danny Rose Fabian Delph Matt Kilgallon Players Not Tied To Contracts: David Healy Jermaine Beckford Bradley Johnson Frazer Richardson Signings costing over 1m Rob Hulse (Sold on) Ground Develeopments 2005 - Capacity 40,000 (West Stand falling apart) 2012 - Capacity 37,600 (Increased corporate boxes - West Stand still falling apart) Summary: Under Ken Bates we achieved our lowest ever league position, we have sold all our homegrown players without seeing any re-investment in the squad. Whilst we have spent money developing the newest parts of the stadium, Ken has continued neglecting the potentially Asbestos filled crumbling West Stand. Nor has he secured ownership on Elland Road to protect the clubs heritage and reduce our needless outgoings on rent. We are now exactly where we were 7 years ago, only without the player to get us anywhere... Overall performance rating 2005 - 2012: Seriously failing to meet expectations
Good question. No one has a full answer as things are not exactly clear on the clubs finances / ownership / risk at the moment. Do we have to bail out Yorkshire Radio, how much is the East Stand re-development costing and have we paid up front? Who really owns Elland Road and who is taking the rent? Yes the debt must be lower, but whilst we were under heavy debt's in 2005, but these were lower than 2003 following the sale of Elland Road & the playing squad. We were destined for administration before Bates & co stepping in, but that is what happened so I personally don't think he can claim credit for cutting the debts in this way.
it's pretty clear to me and anyone with half a brain that ken bates owns the ground through anonymous ownership of an offshore company. It's not a coincidence that every organisation involved with Leeds United is shrouded in anonymity and mystery and tax havens, where any other club doesn't bother with that crap. bates has paid his own legal expenses using club money, bailed out yorkshire radio using club money, developed a stand not owned by the club using club money, and basically used club money to pay for anything that isn't the club.
But don't forget - he saved our club you know. He was the only one who came to the rescue and without him there wouldn't be a Leeds United. That's what he told us so it must be true..........
It makes me vomit the number of things we've been told that he's welshed on, then still expects us to believe anything out of his mouth.
Twice! The first time he saved us in 2005 for going into administration. The second time he saved us from...well after HE put us into administration, he bought us back under some very, very strange circumstances. And then we find out that he didn't actually own us from 2007 to 2011, making the 2nd time he saved us wrong, and the work of the unknown (not even by Bates!) shareholders to an offshore company. What I hate about Ken Bates the most, is that you can tear apart his arguments just by using things he said.
