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Leeds United Supporters Trust blast back at Bates’ morons rap
The Leeds United Supporters Trust has described as “unacceptable” comments from United chairman Ken Bates branding a section of the club’s fans “morons”, writes PHIL HAY.
The Trust hit out at Bates after the 79-year-old published a forthright response to protests against his running of Leeds in Tuesday night’s matchday programme.
A group of fans held a demonstration at Elland Road before last weekend’s defeat to Middlesbrough, voicing their anger over a perceived lack of investment in the playing squad at Leeds.
Writing ahead of United’s 4-1 win over Hull, Bates said: “I am unimpressed by the demonstrations of a few morons and ain’t going anywhere soon.”
In a statement, the Supporters Trust said: “We would like to point out that, for the benefit of anyone not present at the demonstration, the number of people demonstrating was significantly more than ‘a few’.
“In addition to this we do not feel it is acceptable to refer to Leeds United fans as ‘morons’, in the same way it is not acceptable to refer to Leeds United fans as ‘dissidents’ and ‘sickpots’.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 17 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
thirkers
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 10:47 AMDoes this paint a picture of anyone connected to Leeds United? Dictatorship: A despotic system ruled by a dictator possessing absolute power and absolute authority. Dictatorship: 1, The office or tenure of a dictator 2. A state or government (club) under dictatorial rule 3. Absolute or despotic control or power Dictatorship: A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator, not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition. Every dog has it's day.
thirkers
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 10:01 AMWhat chance do the demonstrators (or Bates called morons) have when other so called fans are are also calling them morons. Surely any fan has the right to protest against a Dictator. Yes, that's how I see it. Somewhere along the line dictators come to grief, they can only go so far.
OzTyke
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 05:16 AMEmails to damian.collins.mp@parliament.uk He can smell a rat too, and is in a position to flush it out into the open, and trap it.
FreePint
Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 07:49 PMAs usual, this season, the support for the team shown by the fans has been terrific. Yet again we're the best supported team outside the Premiership home & away (we put a few Premier League clubs to shame). The support for Grayson & the players has been total. The anti-Bates chants are something completely different & are not a sign of a lack of support or respect for the team. The 'protesters' are genuine fans who are concerned about the cronic lack of investment in the team over the last 6 years. Anyone who reads Bates' programme notes or listens to his regular interviews (if you can call them that) on Yorkshire Radio will know that Bates has nothing but contempt for any fan who questions his methods, plans or ideals. Bates is not a Leeds fan (nothing wrong with that) but i can see no evidence that he's particularly interested in where Leeds Utd will be in 5 or 10 years from now. It is the duty of all supporters (of all clubs) to question how their club is being run &, if neccessary, speak out against incompetence, injustice & corruption. Protesting & supporting are not opposites - they are essential requirements of being a football fan. Blind faith in owner(s) is unacceptable. Bates hates us so let's hate him. Otherwise he gets the easy ride he's looking for, whilst stuffing his pockets with our hard earned money. Anti Bates chants may not change anything but there no excuse for not trying to at least expose this horrible little man to the rest of the football world. There’s a generation of football fans out there who hardly know who Leeds Utd are & i want them to understand what’s going on at the club i love. If you are happy to live in the wilderness then keep your mouths shut & take Uncle Kens medicine like the good little girls & boys you are. Me? I’ll never give up SUPPORTING my team. Love Leeds, Hate Bates – it’s all we can do.
Patrick Kelly
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 11:31 AMWhy not print the full statement? The YEP has, at best, been indifferent to the abuses LUFC have suffered under Bates, at worst they've been complicit, so it's good to see them finally run news stories, rather than the endless propaganda pieces commissioned by the club. I just wish they'd do it properly.
leeds1965
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 01:18 PMits not only because of the lack of investment, that i want bates out. every thing he does and says looks bad on our club. nobody knows what money we have, ok bates says he now owns the club, but ithink he always did. who owns E.R and T.A. if not the club or bates why is he spending 7 million on the ground. i dont trust him and i dont like him. and as for him saving us twice when nobody else wanted to i seem to think the 2nd time he made sure nobody else could with is if you dont do it my way i'll liquidise the club. i just cannot believe any one wants this man running our club. MOT
Rosedale Raider
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 12:53 PMPending Moderation
whitevanman1
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 12:18 PMI agree with the bates lovers. He should be able to do exactly what he wants, say what he wants, and waste club funds on building projects and legal challenges...oh, he already does that. Just don't go frittering away our Transfer Warchest (kept, I suspect, in a 1L Ice cream tub under bates desk) on things like players or wages. We don't want to fall into the trap that so many other football clubs have and actually pay for players. Shudder. Every time the subject of transfers crops up, bates trots out the same Risdale crap. PR was bad for the club, but does bates seriously think that being the exact opposite is any better? There is a wide gap between both chairmen, and there is a level of spending that is valid and sustainable. Bates just has no interest in looking for it.
Picks
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 12:16 PMFinally some sensible comments on this board, I agree that the chants, protests etc. are pathetic. Have you nothing better to do at a Leeds match than sing "bates out", why not sing songs supporting your team?? It certainly is in the minority - a massive minority protested and then a few more joined in the chanting inside the ground but it certainly wasn't a majority. The picture of the protest in the YEP has "moron" written all over it. Get over yourselves, Bates is staying put so lets get behind the lads instead of wasting your energy chanting for bates out. MOT
Rosedale Raider
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 11:51 AMI stood back and watched the so-called demonstrations at first near the Bremner statue and then outside the West Stand. If there were more than 400 or so I'd be surprised. The kind of language being chanted is precisely what stops me bringing my wife and grandkids to games. Morons is about right.
4everwhite
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 11:04 AMjesus wept...... after all the abuse he's had??? .... pick up your toys, put them back in the pram and learrn to play nicely.... unless any 'moron' has won the euromillions jackpot rollover i'm afraid its put up or shut up?
kingbilly
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 10:50 AMCan anyone confirm the report that he was singing Chelsea songs in howards restaurant at the ground
1leeds_lad
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 09:40 AMBATES OUT !! It would be a big mistake to assume that the only supporters who want Bates out of our club where at the protest. .... Perhaps the YEP should run a "pole" to clarify this matter for Bates !! In addition, even if Bates genuinely believes he is running the club for the benefit of the fans ( which is clearly not the case), his ignorant attitude continually alienates people with no benefit to himself or the club. This has not only angered supporters, but also football authorities, investors, Leeds City Council, the courts, etc. How can this benefit anyone ?
throughthickandthin
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 09:32 AMYou can support the team and want bates out. Lets encourage him to sell.
sandyd
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 08:42 AMWe went to the game on Saturday, so did 27,000 others, the protest was about 400, maybe 500 anti Bates. So I agree, it was only a few of the capacity of the Elland Road stadium. They are wasting their time and should be supporting the team and not upsetting the moral of the players. We need everyone behind the team before and during a game,
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