Following my disgust at the Guardian’s ban from Elland Road – the reasoning for which still baffles me – I’m wondering if Bates has really thought this one through, or simply (as I somewhat suspect) dug himself into a bottomless pit?

In my original post, I suggested Bate’s move may backfire on him. It may well lead to David Conn, or other journalists at the Guardian kicking over a few rocks around Elland Road to see what lies beneath. Not so much out of revenge, but more curiosity. The more Bates tries to hide from the ownership issues at the club, the more suspicious it looks. Banning a well-respected national newspaper like The Guardian for reporting facts we already know, seems a little paranoid after all.

In the comments below the original post, you’ll see myself and TBG (from The Beaten Generation) discussing the lack of critisism aimed at the club from the Yorkshire Evening Post – even after the Thorp Arch disaster. The YEP are so carefully balancing themselves on the fence, that for me, they’ve lost all credibility. That said, I fully understand the predicament they’re in. Their affiliation with Leeds United will sell a lot of newspapers for them, so risking a Guardian-like ban could be suicidal – especially at a time when newspapers in general are struggling.

It seems that under Ken Bates, a lot of people have been left walking on egg-shells. The management, staff, ambassador-types (Gray, Lorimer) and much of the media seem to have avoided the obvious questions that the fans continue to ask. His rash decision making, which may leave you unemployed, banned from Elland Road or facing a court-case means the people close to the club are scared to say anything he may take offence to.

It seems Bates has successfully silenced the media so far, but in banning the Guardian he’s made himself look extremely paranoid. It looks more and more like he’s trying to hide something and this may well be the invitation for the media to start digging.

Although I remain worried about who the actual owners of the club are, and what repercussions we may face when they are revealed (another deduction for example), the curiosity is killing me. Whether this is the motivation that sets a dying breed of investigatorive journalists snooping remains to be seen, but Bates is starting to look and act like a man with something to hide – which is a major concern.