Taken from the end of LUTV’s interview with Leeds United’s current owner Ken Bates today…
Ken Bates: What I can tell you is, matters are progressing but it is not being helped by people who are trying to cause trouble for some reason. I’m particularly curious about a fellow called Duncan Castles. He’s a gentleman that lives in South Africa and all of a sudden he’s an expert in Arabic affairs and football affairs. I don’t know if this is the same Duncan Castles who has lost his job at about three national newspapers and I’m puzzled that somebody sitting in South Africa can be concentrating on Leeds United and a big Gulf financial institution 8,000 miles away. He seems to be obsessed. Almost a stalker. He’s asking the most peculiar questions. Actually, to use a technical term, he’s just making himself a pain in the arse. (camera cuts) It’s interesting that he has had to send an email apology to GFH and I’d like to read it to you in full. He sent it to David Haigh and he writes for a paper called The National in the Gulf which seems like the late News of the World without the class. He said: “David, I’d like to apologise for a retweet of an item on Twitter that may have cause offence. It was certainly not my intention to offend or dishonour Islam and I apologise to anyone who took offence to the item. Sincerely, Duncan Castles, Sports Journalist.” And when we look at that we see he does indeed live in South Africa so I think it puts his credibility where it belongs: it the bottom of the bin. (camera cuts) So if you do read anything about him or from him, whatever, take no notice because he’s discredited before he starts. It will inevitably be press and media interest about this transaction but we’re making progress. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, just ignore any rubbish in the newspapers written by people who have not checked their facts and who write speculation just to fill the newspapers. (KB turns to face the camera) If I’ve told you before, I keep telling you, if you want to know what’s going on… LUTV, Yorkshire Radio, and the internet. There’s nothing on those three things because there’s nothing to tell you. Simple as that. So, let’s forget Mr Castles and the takeover today. I’m happy to say some of the people from Gulf are my guests today. I need to get that in first because you see a picture of them in the papers either Sunday or Monday, so I’ll get in first today. They’re very welcome. I don’t quite think the weather was what they were expecting, coming from the Gulf but that’s another story 100C to minus 100C, but let’s concentrate on the game, let’s get our three points and let’s get into the play-offs.
If Mr Castles’ credibility is at the bottom of the bin, then it will be in good company with yours Ken.
Bahrain is actually only 3909 miles from Johannesburg and 5800 from Leeds. Why living abroad should bar anyone from having an interest in Leeds United is beyond me, and I should point out using Ken’s logic that Monaco is 910 miles from Leeds so why he’d want to have anything to do with us at all, never mind own the thing, beggars belief. But then again, Ken always does.
BATES’ LEGACY: – A penniless and talentless football club – Eight years of waste, under achievement, incompetance, lies and humiliation.
I’m sure everyone’s got their own horror stories, but here’s my top (bottom) five moments from 2005: -
19/02/05 Wigan 3 Leeds 0
05/04/05 Leeds 0 Sheff Utd 4
24/09/05 Leeds 0 Ipswich 2
13/09/05 Sheff Wed 1 Leeds 0
01/11/05 Crewe 1 Leeds 0
Here’s six of the best (worst) moments from 2006: -
21/05/06 Leeds 0 Watord 3 (Play-Off Final)
13/09/06 Leeds 0 Sunderland 3
14/10/06 Leeds 0 Stoke 4
21/10/06 Luton 5 Leeds 1
31/10/06 Preston 4 Leeds 1
18/11/06 Leeds 0 Southampton 3
Here’s my top (bottom) five moments from 2007: -
03/03/07 Leeds 2 Sheff Wed 3
06/05/07 Derby 2 Leeds 0 (goodbye Championship)
13/11/07 Leeds 1 Bury 2 (JPT North QF)
20/11/07 Leeds 0 Hereford 1 (FAC 1st Rnd Replay)
25/11/07 Cheltenham 1 Leeds 0
Here’s my super (sh*t) seven moments from 2008: -
19/01/08 Leeds 0 Doncaster 1
11/03/08 Leeds 1 Cheltenham 2
15/04/08 Huddersfield 1 Leeds 0
25/05/08 Leeds 0 Doncaster 1 (Play-Off final)
08/10/08 Rotherham 4 Leeds 2 (JPT)
15/11/08 Leeds 1 Huddersfield 2
30/11/08 Histon 1 Leeds 0 (FA Cup 2nd Rnd)
Here’s my top (bottom) five moments from 2009: -
10/01/09 Leeds 0 Carlisle 2
31/01/09 Walsall 1 Leeds 0
14/02/09 Huddersfield 1 Leeds 0
17/02/09 Hereford 2 Leeds 0 (We’re sh*t & we’re sick of it)
14/05/09 Leeds 1 Millwall 2 aggregate (Play-Off Semi)
Here’s my super (sh*t) seven moments from 2010: -
26/01/10 Swindon 3 Leeds 0 (Billy Paynter scores twice!)
16/02/10 Leeds 1 Walsall 2
22/03/10 Leeds 0 Millwall 2
03/04/10 Leeds 0 Swindon 3 (Billy Paynter scores twice – again!)
14/09/10 Barnsley 5 Leeds 2
28/09/10 Leeds 4 Preston 6 (chubby Jon Parkin scores 4!)
25/10/10 Leeds 0 Cardiff 4
Here’s my super (sh*t) seven moments from 2011: -
26/02/11 Swansea 3 Leeds 0
19/03/11 Sheff Utd 2 Leeds 0
06/08/11 Southampton 3 Leeds 1 (opening day misery)
20/09/11 Leeds 0 Man Utd Reserves 3 (Lge Cup)
02/11/11 Leeds 0 Blackpool 5
26/11/11 Leeds 1 Barnsley 2
31/12/11 Barnsley 4 Leeds 1
Here’s my top (bottom) five moments from 2012: -
31/01/12 Leeds 1 Birmingham 4 (Zigic scores 4)
20/03/12 Leeds 3 Notts Forest 7 (McClearey scores 4!)
31/03/12 Leeds 0 Watford 2
09/04/12 Leeds 0 Derby 2
10/11/12 Leeds 1 Watford 6
Parasite Bates hasn’t saved our club – he’s destroyed it. He may be leaving soon, with his pockets stuffed with millions, but hopefully he won’t live long to enjoy it.