Leeds Rumours Archive October 04 2011

04 Oct 2011 08:48:08
I have just been on OS and seen that Bates and the club have made the Revie Stand a season ticket and members only stand how much more are we going to take from this CHELSEA B*****D BATES OUT NOW!!!!!!

As a season ticket holder I think this is great news. A real stand for real fans, not just those that come for the big cup games.

It's most likely been done to be seen as action taken after the Man U game. its not a bad idea really. putting away fans behind our fans in the west stand is a bad idea. plus if you want bates out make him an offer. in my opinion he has done a much better job than the last few owners. football is no longer a game at this level it is a business

Is that the Royal we, it's people like you who have caused this, can you just not enjoy your football?

You don't get rewarded for being a successful business in football. You get it for points in the league table. Bates has been getting away with spinning nonsense about "good business" for years now. Ask yourself - would you rather Leeds were the most profitable team in the league and finished mid-table, or won promotion?

The long and short of it is, any profits we make don't get re-invested into the club, they go into Ken's back pocket. As soon as idiot fans realise this, the better. The business with the North stand is simply the latest money making scam by Ken - he thinks people will pay £45 for his worthless memberships in order to sit there.

I've got news for you Ken. I'm just going to stop coming to games. {Ed001's Note -

I wrote this message and I would just like to say that i have been coming to Leeds for 24 years I was mascot for leeds in 1984 i love this club I cant afford a season ticket but come as much as i can and now my kids can not sit in the stand i tell them so much about because i refuse to pay an extra £120 for the membership and £62 for games so its not people like me who cause trouble im just getting a little p****d off with being charged more and more each time i go up to leeds

And no - I don't mean win promotion and go bust. I mean a bit of sensible investment in a couple of quality players who are going to win us promotion. With the highest turnover in the Championship, we could easily do this.

Ken has taught Leeds fans to think that its either grub around tight fistedly like we do, or liquidate. As a result, people champion Bates's fiscal policies. But comparing saying Bates has done well in comparison to Risdale is like saying that Saddam Hussein is a good leader because he was better than Hitler.

Look at attendances, memberships. The club is dying under Bates.

I might have read it wrong, but is it not just for the Cardiff game they are doing this?

If more clubs were in the shape we're in, then less teams would go under, players wouldn't be able to demand such ludicrous wages, and as such, the focus would be far more on what happens on the pitch instead of what happens off it. Bates may not be a likeable person, but he's done a job for us, and continues to. He's making it abundantly clear that players aren't more important than the club which is how it should be. And I agree, its a gopod thing to have a members/season ticket holders only area. If you wanna sit there, buy a season ticket!!

I maybe wrong here but im sure this is only for the Welsh game. Either way I don't care as I am a season ticket holder, have been for many years and I am as frustrated as many with the lack of transfer activity and goings on at the club, but we are a secure team. I sit in the kop and some of the chants are a disgrace. I have been in the Army for 13 years and have heard and seen everything in every aspect of life but to sing against the team when they need our support is wrong. I am a Yorkshireman born and bread, I travel up from the horrible south every week to watch my team and ive said before, make your points outside the ground, write Bates a letter but get behind the team for the 90 mins on the pitch.

MOT

Nick R

Responder number 4...u have ure opinion but sorry, shut the hell up, a lot of it make sense to me and may others. A season ticket holder has stated he agrees with it too but u didmissed that out of hand. Mid table u say? Win at Doncaster on Friday and were in the play of spots above Brighton (and incase u didnt realise, Pundits will tell u 10 games played represents the first real indicator of league form for the season) You should be ashamed of yourself IMO, not only are u attacking the club with your slander you are having a pop at your own fellow supporters. Im sick of Knee jerk reactions like yours, and as a life long Leeds fan of 28 years, i totally distance myself from so called whites fans as yourself. ******* MOT or Jog on.

So I am an person number 4. Case of pot calling kettle

Responder number 4 here. To responder 9 & 10, Paul Dews confirmed on Twitter its
for all future games.

I don't understand what the Bates supporters agree with.

Is it taking huge amounts of money from fans and not re-investing the cash in the club? Is it privatising the clubs media meaning only those who pay can see Leeds highlights and listen to commentary? Is it watching attendances fall and fall but putting the prices up? Is it bulding a totally useless hotel in one of the roughest areas of Leeds? Is it failing to re-purchase Elland Road and Thorp Arch despite 7 years of promising to do so? Is it filling the club's programmes full of bitter, racist, horrible opinions? Is it hiding the clubs ownership from fans for years, lying to them directly? Is it ensuring that the club have no young supporters by offering no concessions to U16s in most areas of the ground? Is it listing the asking price for the club at £90m despite an independent valuation of £45m, meaning it will never be sold?

This is what Bates is about. He is not in this for the club, he is in it for himself. Don't turn a blind eye and support him. He is killing the Leeds United, and the sooner everyone wakes up to this the better.

Go on then, just for the laugh.

"Is it taking huge amounts of money from fans and not re-investing the cash in the club?"

Cash has been re-invested into the club. Stadium is being added to and Simon himself confirmed he had a transfer budget he didn't use up.

"Is it privatising the clubs media meaning only those who pay can see Leeds highlights and listen to commentary?"

I see the Leeds United goals every Sunday on Sky Sports as well as most of the games popping up on YouTube and MegaVideo. Don't know what you are complaining about here.

"Is it watching attendances fall and fall but putting the prices up?"

So, shall we send Ken round with the first team squad to force people to come see Leeds play. People can't afford to come see games, but inflation in prices for things like electric, printing, wages for staff and players etc, mean the ticket prices have to go up no matter what.

"Is it bulding a totally useless hotel in one of the roughest areas of Leeds?"

Which will provide us with income throught the year. Every year Jehovas Witnesses use Elland Road for their 2 day seminar, a lot of them travel from all over. I know loads of them would love the hotel to be there. That's just one of the groups who would use it. More money in out pocket.

"Is it failing to re-purchase Elland Road and Thorp Arch despite 7 years of promising to do so?"

The one point I agree with.

"Is it filling the club's programmes full of bitter, racist, horrible opinions?"

Opinions are subjective. I've never seen anything like this in their, so you must have taken something from it I didn't.

"Is it hiding the clubs ownership from fans for years, lying to them directly?"

Hiding what? Just because you don't understand how we are set up, doesn't mean he lied.

"Is it ensuring that the club have no young supporters by offering no concessions to U16s in most areas of the ground?"

My kids school is full of Leeds fans, as are most schools in Leeds. Any Leeds fan bringing their kid up will make sure they support Leeds.

"Is it listing the asking price for the club at £90m despite an independent valuation of £45m, meaning it will never be sold?"

We are worth more than £90m.

See, works two ways chappy.

Totally agree with last comment, future supporters are the lifeblood of any club and to not offer incentives to get them attending on a regular basis and to savour the unique atmosphere at ER is wrong. I agree that running the club on a sensible footing is part of running a business but you have to think of your future customers not drive away existing customers which is sad with so may people i know stopping coming to games due to high costs involved in current economic climate. You need to speculate to accumalate and lets not forget Papa "Customer is King, Customer makes pay day possible !" We are not Morons but people who live in a free country entitled to voice an opinion , some of who also run successful businesses too ! Think on Old Boy !

I totally agree it is over priced. I would let all kids in for free with every paying adult.

Nick R

I would let kids who are members in for a fiver.

I also think it's complete bollox but get into your head, he OWNS the club - he's going nowhere unless someone buys us from HIM!

Whether people like it or not, football is a business, not a charity and Ken Bates happens to be a good businessman. maybe people would like us to be like Bradford City where they sell season tickets for around £100 and let kids in for a fiver a game. However, this generates an atmosphere but no revenue and look where they are- the best supported club in the division but 3rd bottom. i know where I would rather be.

"Is it taking huge amounts of money from fans and not re-investing the cash in the club?"

Cash has been re-invested into the club. Stadium is being added to and Simon himself confirmed he had a transfer budget he didn't use up.

A: He didn't use it up because we don't pay Championship wages and therefore can't get the better players in.



"Is it privatising the clubs media meaning only those who pay can see Leeds highlights and listen to commentary?"

I see the Leeds United goals every Sunday on Sky Sports as well as most of the games popping up on YouTube and MegaVideo. Don't know what you are complaining about here.

A: What about those who want to listen live, to independent opinion? Where's the transparency? Ken has frozen the BBC and the Guardian out of reporting about Leeds. Its effectively censoring those who rightly question him. Its not what anybody would want for their club.



"Is it watching attendances fall and fall but putting the prices up?"

So, shall we send Ken round with the first team squad to force people to come see Leeds play. People can't afford to come see games, but inflation in prices for things like electric, printing, wages for staff and players etc, mean the ticket prices have to go up no matter what.

A: Rubbish. If you knew anything about business, you'd know competitive pricing drives volume. When you've got the volume, you can increase the price and make more money in a situation where there is the demand to make it feasible. Look at our prices compared to others in the Championship. We're being ripped off!



"Is it bulding a totally useless hotel in one of the roughest areas of Leeds?"

Which will provide us with income throught the year. Every year Jehovas Witnesses use Elland Road for their 2 day seminar, a lot of them travel from all over. I know loads of them would love the hotel to be there. That's just one of the groups who would use it. More money in out pocket.

A: Excellent, that's 2 nights of custom. Who's going to be in that hotel, competing with the Leeds Centre hotels, the other 363 nights a year? As a hotel you generally need about 60% occupancy to break even. It will make a loss, I can assure you, as it has at Chelsea. Wake up! Its not like Leeds needs another hotel.



"Is it filling the club's programmes full of bitter, racist, horrible opinions?"

Opinions are subjective. I've never seen anything like this in their, so you must have taken something from it I didn't.

A: So you condone his remarks about single mothers, the Chinese, cutting off aid to the 3rd World etc - wow, you must be a nice guy. And besides - I got to Leeds to watch football, not read Ken's geriatric, senile and totally irrelevant views on whatever takes his fancy.


"Is it hiding the clubs ownership from fans for years, lying to them directly?"

Hiding what? Just because you don't understand how we are set up, doesn't mean he lied.

A: I understand perfectly how we're set up, and you will too, when the Inside Out documentary is on in a couple of weeks. Its barely legal, we may end up with a points penalty, and Ken directly said on numerous occasions that he had no idea who owned the club. Have some respect for yourself mate, you've been lied to.


"Is it ensuring that the club have no young supporters by offering no concessions to U16s in most areas of the ground?"

My kids school is full of Leeds fans, as are most schools in Leeds. Any Leeds fan bringing their kid up will make sure they support Leeds.

A: Surely fans that go to games are better? Why not offer a cheap concsession for a tenner than lose their biz completely? What stops those fans deciding to support Scum instead, where they'll get a cheaper ticket for a vastly superior quality of football? Young people are fickle.



"Is it listing the asking price for the club at £90m despite an independent valuation of £45m, meaning it will never be sold?"

We are worth more than £90m.

A: Again, you're wrong. We have no assets other than players. We're scarcely worth the £45m.