• Bates says he 'did it in the best interest of the club'
• Cost of jet thought to be £500,000 over three years
• Abrupt exit brings to an end five controversial decades
Ken Bates says he was abruptly sacked from his tenure as the Leeds United president by the new owners, GFH, after he entered the club into a contract with the private airplane company 247 Jet that could be used to fly him to Leeds from his Monaco home.
The
cost of this contract to which Bates committed the Championship club,
which is under financial strain, is thought to be £500,000 over three
years.
Previously Bates has been flown by private jet. The costs
of use of a private jet to the club is understood from sources who have
seen the Leeds accounts to be around £120,000 a year. He told the Observer
that his expenses had not changed for the eight years he was Leeds
chairman, and that GFH were well aware of them when they bought the club
in December. He declined to cover the details of precisely what they
covered.
A key sticking point with GFH is that Bates did not gain
the approval of the board for the new, three-year private jet contract.
Bates argues he was not able to do so, and he was advised in June that
as a director of the club, he was able to bind the club into the
contract.
"I saved the club money, because this was a sterling
contract, rather than euros," Bates said. "I did it in the best
interests of the club."
Currently on holiday in Italy with his
wife Suzannah, Bates said he received a hand-delivered letter last
Wednesday from GFH, raising concerns. He expected to deal with it on his
return from holiday, but instead: "Two days later, they told me I was
sacked."
Describing his treatment as "despicable," Bates said he
is considering suing. GFH said there were confidentiality agreements in
place, and declined to comment.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk