An exerpt from a Guardian Review of a TV channel devoted to M*nch*st*r, and a programme about Bates' time at Oldham.
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/columnists/story/0,,2142420,00.html "From Sidebottom it is but a short hop to another vaguely preposterous figure still plying his trade on the outer fringes of his business. The History of Football in Manchester covered Ken Bates's first foray into the sport, when he bought an ambitious Oldham Athletic, arriving as chairman in December 1965, establishing his unique style. "In the following February he decided he wanted to change the secretary of the club," recalled the former assistant secretary Bernard Halford. "He walked in on a match-day morning at 10 to nine in his long black coat with a big bunch of keys. He threw them across the office, and said, 'There you are, Bernard, it's all yours now.' It was the first I had heard about it." The former player and manager Jimmy Frizzell offered further insights into the Bates modus operandi: "He called me into his office and said, 'You know that five-pound loyalty bonus I wouldn't give you. Well, I think you've had an excellent season,' and he handed me an envelope with 50 weeks at a fiver in it, cash. So I really liked him as a chairman. "He did many things people never gave him credit for and I'm sure that's the same thing where he is now," a statement that may evince a wry smile from Leeds United fans, especially those who suggested they put up an electrified fence to keep Ken Bates out. "He fell out with the Oldham public," said Halford (Ken Bates? Surely not.) "He brought out a newspaper called the Boundary Bulletin and then put sixpence on the admission price, and everybody coming into the ground was given one of the papers." The game was finally up for Bates, said Frizzell, when he wrote an article in the Oldham Chronicle, calling the fans "the lambs of Sheepfoot Lane". "They never forgave him for that," said Frizzell. "That's why he decided to get out, because he was never going to win any friends here again."" _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist Join The Leeds United Supporters Trust at www.lufctrust.org
