Bates Rubbishes Leeds Takeover Talk

Ken Bates was merely having lunch and a chit-chat with former Newcastle United chairman Freddie Sheppard, though his investment in the club would be nice.

Reports came out over the weekend that a meeting had taken place in Newcastle to discuss the possibility of Sheppard taking over at Elland Road (see New Twist in the Leeds United Saga?), with Ken Bates standing down having only re-purchased the club again this summer. However the former Chelsea owner hit back at the rumours, stating that he was in it 'for the long haul.'

Talking to Yorkshire Radio Bates said: 'This is inspired speculation because Freddy and I had lunch last week in Newcastle,'

'He's not about to swoop in a 'sensational deal' for Leeds and I'm not about to sell it either.

'Freddy is a good friend of mine and has been for years. Suzannah and I went up to see him, and we finished up having lunch.”

Bates then went on to add that whilst Sheppard won’t be attempting a takeover at Leeds United, the money he’s made from selling his families shares to Mike Ashley would be welcome at Elland Road:

'Inevitably the subject of football came out, and he's still a bit sore about what happened at Newcastle. He would like to get back in and I would like an investor, so the two fit in.”

Now for the bit I don’t like, the rumours, the stirring that Bates has become quite good at, doing nothing for his image amongst fellow Football League Chairmen: 'What didn't make the press last week is a phone call I had from a former manager of Boston United who claims to have been in China looking to raise the money to buy Newcastle from (Mike) Ashley,' the chairman revealed.

'He said he knew someone interested in buying Leeds. I said I wasn't interested in talking over the telephone to people I don't know, but I said 'who is it?' He said it's the chairman of Darlington.”

Why did you have to bring that up Ken, couldn’t you have just left it?

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