Leeds United Supporters Trust: Our Response to Ken Bates’ Update
Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 6:03PM Leeds United Supporters Trust welcome yesterdays comments from Ken Bates, in which he indicated that negotiations with the bidders are progressing positively, and that all involved are working to bring the situation to a conclusion as soon as possible. We are optimistic that this is a sign that the good news for which Leeds fans have been waiting patiently for four months will soon be forthcoming.
We were not impressed, however, by a number of other points Mr Bates made in his statement.
After a long summer during which little has been heard from the club or Ken Bates, an update on the takeover negotiations from the chairman himself was bound to attract a lot of attention from Leeds fans. Indeed, the statement was hyped up in advance by Yorkshire Radio through its various Twitter accounts, leading to a lot of speculation on Twitter and internet forums about what Mr Bates would say, at a time when most fans were looking forward to our game with Nottingham Forest.
While Mr Bates’s comments did include news about the takeover, we think it was unfortunate that fans anxious to hear this update were first forced to listen while Ken aimed disconnected and inaccurate criticism at ourselves, our members, local journalists and supporters on the Elland Road Kop.
Having been accused of directing personal abuse at Ken Bates, which, as anyone who has read our statements and comments during the takeover process knows, we have not done, we find it amazing for the L.U.S.T. board to be described in the next breath as “idiots,” “illiterate,” and “a waste of space.” While our board members are well used by now to this wearying treatment, we are not willing to allow Mr Bates to widen his ad hominem attacks to include our more than 8,000 members - branded by Ken as “silly people that follow” L.U.S.T. All Leeds fans are entitled to an opinion, and entitled to express that opinion, whether or not Ken Bates likes what they say.
We are also extremely disappointed by his comments regarding the Kop’s support for Neil Warnock’s team. Neil himself has had nothing but praise for the fans since joining Leeds, and indeed has said that our support has been a key factor keeping him at the club, when he has at times been tempted to walk away due to events behind the scenes. Last Tuesday night against Hull, the plummeting attendances - and income - which have characterised Ken Bates’s tenure at Leeds resulted in a sub-20,000 crowd, but the Kop was still full: those 7,000 loyal fans made up almost half of the overall attendance. We do not think that the lifelong fans who have stuck by this club through thick and thin need or deserve lectures from Ken Bates on how to support their team.
In our Vision Statement, one of the changes we call for is that the club should change the way it communicates with fans, to create an inclusive atmosphere at Elland Road which will bring supporters flocking back to the ground. We do not see that branding thousands of our fans as “idiots” who do not back the team helps this in any way.
Another one of our ambitions is for the club to enjoy good relations with local media, something which Ken Bates’s comments about Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post will not have helped. Mr Bates referred to Phil’s articles about the financial situation at Leeds United, suggesting he should not try to be a financial expert. Of course, Phil has not tried to be any such thing, but instead reported the opinions of sport finance expert Rob Wilson of Hallam University - who Ken Bates himself has previously cited as providing intelligent commentary on the club’s finances, and who has also helped L.U.S.T. to analyse the accounts. Phil Hay has been as proactive as possible this summer about bringing takeover news to the fans, and we are sure that Leeds fans have appreciated his efforts.
This is a role that L.U.S.T. have also tried to play, in the absence of any news from the club about what could be the most important events Leeds United have seen for many years. Contrary to Mr Bates’s claims that our statements “are all inaccurate,” and his implication that we have jeopardised the confidentiality of the bidders, all the information we have shared with Leeds fans has been based on solid information, cross-checked with several sources with knowledge of the negotiations. This includes contacts on the potential buyers’ side, from whom we have had no suggestions that our public comments have caused any of the problems Ken Bates claims. At all times this summer we have respected the confidentiality of the negotiations, and have done what we can to placate the supporters’ anxiety about the slow progress. We have balanced this with our belief that the fans deserve to know what is going on at their club, and will continue to share important information with our members and with all Leeds fans whenever possible.
Reader Comments (33)
keep up the good work
Here, here , well said
The whole interview seemed to be an attack on everyone and anyone !!
This is a typical response from someone who is unprofessional and clearly has no love for Leeds United
Bates OUT
Fantastic, well-balanced and measured response. Good work yet again by LUST. As for Ken resorting to ad hominem attacks on LUST, Phil Hay, the Kop and the whole of twitter - this just proves that he's losing it!
Keep up the good work guys. The fans appreciate all you're doing on our behalf and lets face it, if Ken wasn't having a go at you that would just mean you weren't getting it right!
In LUST we trust.
Bates Out (soon!)
Well said LUST, it's times like these us fans should be pulling together to get a better future for our club, and during this delicate time in the takeover talks can do without Ken Bates trying to put the blame on the followers/members of LUST who are also 7000-8000 loyal fans of Leeds United, who buy there season tickets and game tickets to watch LUFC play football, when infact the reason the Takeover as taken so long is down to Bates himself stalling on the deal to try and get more out of it, the reason the potential buyers nearly walked away was reported to be because of Bates, He isn't needed at our club and is definiatly not wanted and the sooner he goes the better the club will be
Typical Bates, always deflecting the blame on to someone else, plus ca change. Keep putting the message out there LUST, there are still far too many Leeds fans out there who hang on his every word and believe what he says.
All Bates interview did was make the man look a bigger tw@t than he really is. Sooner we see the back of him the better it will be for Leeds United. Bates out & good ridence to bad rubbish.
My hearing is a little poor so with him mumbling yesterday, I couldn`t tell what he was saying. I went on his body language. He couldn`t look at the interviewer or camara. He was a shambles. Blundering along in his world of solitude. Conclusion = The last act of a desperate man
Glad you've issued this statement,wondered if you would. Why don't LUST challenge Ken Bates to identify anything that has been said by LUST that is, in any way, incorrect or misleading.The guy specialises in bluster but rarely backs his assertions up with facts, perhaps it's time for him to put up or shut up.
since when did Bates become a financial expert?
he made his money from muck shifting
I'm all for standing up at the next home game in true Spartacus style announcing 'I'm an idiot'
Great work. Hope all the members of LUST and Leeds fans in general let our new prospective owners know what or whom they consider to be the reason for the clubs sickness. LUST MOT
Ditto
keep getting at him LUST, we will have the parasite out sooner or later
Bates is another cretin (am I allowed to call him that?) in the game, who's contempt for football supporters is, quite frankly, both arrogant, misguided and downright offensive. Hoping you see the back of him very soon, best of luck for the rest of the season from a Manchester City fan.
Good response. Agreed.
Can I suggest though that to refute Bates' accusations of being illiterate, you actually include the possessive apostrophe in the opening sentence I.e. "yesterday's" not "yesterdays".
Furthermore, whilst I fully support argument and think you've behaved and performed well over recent months.... I think the time may be to keep quiet for a few weeks... I think Bates will only go if it looks like he's making the decision to go, rather than listening to fans and LUST - he's too stubborn to allow you guys the public victory.
Hold your nerve, keep quiet, and allow Bates to "rescue the investment he feels is needed".
Once he's gone, come out and set the record straight.
Rob.
A very dignified, reasonable response to what was Bates at his absolute worst.
Incidentally, although LUST havent abused Bates I have to say that his diction and choice of language yesterday was poor even by his barrow-boy standings.
Carry on carrying on LUST. Leeds fans throughout the world are with you and we are grateful that you have stood firm on our behalf against the cancer that is the Elland Road board.
Great to see Ken mentioning a proper supporters club who truely love the club . I live in Ireland and cant get to many games as i like to but i always bought home and away jerseys but wont buy anything until this evil man goes
''Bates has to go! He's a liar how many fairy tails has he told...Only for LUST! There would be no chance of take-over I say take-over because that's what I! Want, no rubbish off 50/50 bull,and Bates staying as adviser!'' When I heard about him been a adviser'' I tought it was joke...
I've lost count of how many who want to buy/invest/(take-over) and how many people who wants to do one or the other...What I want and all Leeds Fans too I'm sure, who wants to take-over LUFC! Because with Bates staying at LUFC! All the hard work that LUST! Have done will be history...
''I'll end by saying dont forget how bad names Bates has called all Leeds Fans''...How many chairmen have you heard the fan been called names by their CM...I've so much more I want to say but right now I'm so Angry!''...
Great response from the voice of the fans but how dare the supportes have an opinion on their club!
BOYCOTT !
By giving him money you support his view of us as morons and idiots.
.
I commend your work LUST but it's time to step back - 3rd party influence is not going to get this deal done any sooner. Although crass, Bates' comments were words of a man who still holds the cards. MOT.
- Respect!
i am amused that this idiot who chooses to live in tax exile in Monaco to avoid paying tax as he is morally and legally bound would have the gall to criticise decent people who only want what is best for Leeds United.
Once more he shows himself little more than a hypocrite, and if the FA can pass him as a fit & proper person to run a football club maybe LUST should be addressing that as an issue also
Mr Bates you have yet again proved yourself a clown, go away and leave Leeds before you wreck the club
"all the information we have shared with Leeds fans has been based on solid information, cross-checked with several sources with knowledge of the negotiations."
Except you clearly stated that the deal was off at a time when it was still on and negotiations were "ongoing" and "moving slowly". These were the words of response from the LUFC to your dramatic headlines. At that time and as it stands right now, the deal is still on and negotiations are ongoing, albeit slowly.
I don't share the same degree of confidence that you do in your "sources". I think it was a case of people wanted news and you gave them news - just like the Telegraph and the Dailymail give us "news".
Keep up the good work though.
I think Rob talks a lot of sense. Any reasonable-minded fan has to applaud LUSTs restrained response to the rantings of Mr Bates. Responding to him in a similarly hysterical fashion would only lose LUST crediblity (Ken lost his before he even joined Leeds). Bates's days are surely numbered so let's tolerate the abuse thrown at all and sundry and write it off as the rantings of an embittered old man. Our day will come and truth will out.
What a vile man Bates is.
Get out of our club now. We detest you as much as you detest us.
Sorry it may appear childish but if i put what I felt I'm sure it would be deleted.