Ken Bates dies aged 94 as Chelsea pay tribute to legendary owner

Former Chelsea chairman and Leeds United owner Ken Bates has died aged 94.

Bates famously purchased Chelsea for £1 in 1982 before taking up the role of chairman and owner until Roman Abramovich took control of the club in 2003.

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The Blues were a second-tier club and deep in financial jeopardy at the time of his arrival.

Bates put measures in place to improve the squad and develop Stamford Bridge, underpinning the club’s future success.

A Chelsea statement read: “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the loss of Ken Bates, former owner and chairman of Chelsea Football Club. 

“The club sends our heartfelt condolences to Ken’s wife Suzannah, the rest of his family and his friends.

“Ken’s determination to fight for Chelsea when times were tough, and drive the team on to winning trophies will never be forgotten.”

During his time at Stamford Bridge, Bates oversaw promotion to the top flight.

Further success followed with two FA Cup wins before the Blues triumphed on the European stage winning the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

A statement from the Chelsea Supporters’ trust read: “The trust is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Chelsea owner and chairman Ken Bates.

“His impact on Chelsea will be remembered for generations, and his place in the club’s history is assured.”

Bates held a somewhat fractious relationship with Chelsea supporters during his early days at the helm.

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In a bid to combat the ongoing hooligan issues at the club, Bates threatened to install electric fences around in the stadium.

Therefore, any fans intending to reach the pitch would be electrocuted.

The idea did not come to fruition however it showed that Bates was not afraid to put the best interests of the club first in the face of the threat of hooliganism.

Bates played a crucial role in Chelsea remaining at their spiritual home of Stamford Bridge.

In the 1980s, affluent property developers pinpointed the stadium for redevelopment of houses in a move that would have seen the club pushed out.

In response, Bates helped set up the Chelsea Pitch Owners Association effectively allowing the club to remain at Stamford Bridge.

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That meant anybody who wanted to move the club out of the area would need the agreement of the Chelsea Pitch Association members.

Bates sold the club to Russian billionaire Abramovich for £140million in 2003 before moving onto other sporting projects.

He made his grand return to club football two years later when he bought a 50 per cent stake in Leeds United.

However, his time at Elland Road failed to live up to his groundbreaking stint at Chelsea and the club fell into administration in 2007, with Bates subsequently selling the club.

Former Blues striker Carlton Cole played for the club during the Bates era and paid a heartfelt tribute to him live on talkSPORT.

“Listen, what can I say about that man? He was very, very, very good for me and my life and my career, my family’s life and what I got to achieve and what I got out of the game. He was a type of person that took me under his wing.

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“I remember when he had the office over at Stamford Bridge and he used to invite me there just to come and sit down and just read magazines and his wife was there, Suzannah and she was a lovely person as well.

“They took me under their wing and I’m forever indebted to him and what he’s given to me through football.

“And I don’t know, it’s a bit of a shock for me. There’s nothing I can really say or do to make this even better but he lived a very fruitful and long life.

“And he was with Matthew Harding as well, that came on board as well and helped him with Chelsea and obviously we tragically lost Matthew Harding in a helicopter accident.

“So, he took the mantle at Chelsea and he was such a top, top person and cared about the club.”