The unnamed writer suggests that the former England striker could still command wages upwards of £50,000 per week, which is precisely where any Leeds United fan that has been around for the last seven years stopped reading and started rolling around on the floor in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

The worrying thing is that some Leeds United fans tend to buy into these nonsensical rumours and are currently setting themselves up for a huge fall when our starting line-up next season doesn’t feature the likes of Jermaine Beckford, Michael Owen and Joey Barton – all of these players are out of our price-range, and footballers seldom take pay-cuts to join what used to be a big (high-paying) club.

We’re a mid-table Championship club now with Ken Bates as our chairman – we need to keep things in perspective.

The problem is that these rumours quickly gain traction due to the incredible power of social media. The Yorkshire Post publish a ridiculously speculative piece, a few dozen tweet about it and within a couple of hours, it’s no a longer the “what if?” that the Yorkshire Post published, but a full scale rumour backed up by sightings of clandestine meetings allegedly held in highly public places.

What was initially “What if Leeds United gambled on a £50k-per-week injury-plagued former England striker” quickly becomes “Neil Warnock is chasing Michael Owen” and before you know it, someone has taken it upon themselves to start claiming that the deal will be completed by early next week. It’s Chinese whispers on speed.

Remember when I said I’d run around Elland Road naked if Patrick Viera signed? Well, if Michael Owen signs I’ll run the London marathon and donate every penny I make in sponsorship to Ken Bates. And just so you understand how serious I am, the only thing I hate more than unnecessary exercise is giving money to Ken Bates.

On a positive, and more importantly, realistic note, Neil Warnock has hinted at a move for Clint Hill should he decide to leave QPR when his current contract expires.

Football Blogging Awards 2012

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We’re also backing The Square Ball and Glory Glory Leeds in the best podcast category .

But, being a ‘live and let live’ kind of guy, I decided it best not to urinate on too many bonfires and keep my proverbial mouth shut.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer…

At this stage of the close season, our support is split between the ‘been there, done it, t-shirt already paid for’ variety whose perfectly honed defence mechanisms refuse to allow for optimism (that Ken Bates can later shatter) and their polar opposites – the perpetual optimists who will insist that “this time, it’s different…” (“..like last time?” The rest of us respond in unison…)

True, Neil Warnock made a strong start by snapping up Jason Pearce from doomed Portsmouth and if the rumour mill is to be believed, Joel Ward will follow suit. Both positive signings that should improve the squad.

Despite this, the alarm bells are already deafeningly loud. When Ken Bates isn’t telling us about every football agent in the entire world all going on holiday together at the same time, he’s explaining to us that we could have signed Jermaine Beckford but that would be a step-backwards – by which I can only assume he means, to a moderately successful team with a 30 goal per season hitman. Better make sure that Max Gradel doesn’t get any ideas about doing a u-turn as well then! Didn’t you just hate it when we knew how to win?

Every interview is littered with the same excuses we heard last season, so much so, that I was almost tempted to check back through The Square Ball archive to make sure Ken Bates wasn’t recycling his rants. Sure, Bradley Johnson’s name has been edited out and replaced with Adam Clayton and the East Stand project has become the West Stand project, but the rest is standard “lower your expectations” Bates.

There is some truth amongst the excuse-heavy rants, but it’s nothing to inspire the majority. For one thing, football players’ contracts always expire on June the 30th meaning the abundance of free agents Leeds United will be waiting to snap up are unlikely to arrive until early July.

Maybe the perpetually optimistic are right? I desperately hope they are, and it’s not totally unthinkable, is it? As the old saying goes, ‘even a broken clock is right twice a day’.

If only there was a sure-fire way to make us all believe that this time, it really is different. What if Leeds United managed to convince our key players that things are different this time? What if the likes of Robert Snodgrass signed a new contract that signalled his newly-discovered confidence in the clubs ambition? Preferably one without a get-out clause for when we fail (again).

It’s unlikely I know. After all, there’s the inevitable bid from Norwich City that our chairman will be unable to refuse, especially when Robert Snodgrass signals that he has no intentions of signing a new contract that is “the best the club can possibly offer”.

It could be the post-season depression sinking it, but it feels a lot more like deja vu. Club find it impossible to negotiate a new contract with a highly-rated midfielder – check. Excuse-ridden radio interviews with Mr. Chairman – check. Manager singing from same hymn sheet – check. More talk of building work than transfer targets – check. Club captain leaves after questioning the ambition of the club – halfway there… 

Chin up though, I’m sure Euro 2012 will give us something to cheer about…

Football Blogging Awards 2012: If you’ve enjoyed (or appreciated) the site this year, please vote for us in the 2012 FBA’s by clicking here. We’re also backing The Square Ball and Glory Glory Leeds in the best podcast category .

As part one of the latest round of blame-game, Simon Grayson has spoken publicly about his time at Leeds during BBC’s Late Kickoff:

A few things have come out since I left the football club that I wasn’t too pleased with because I’ve kept my silence and my dignity.

[....]

I think finishing 7th the previous year we over-achieved. We got ourselves by, just missing out on the play-offs, but then that summer came along and we wanted to invest in players that would take us to the next level, and we didn’t manage to do that, we didn’t get the players that I would’ve liked to have got to really have a go for it and then results dictate eventually what happened, but we weren’t in a bad position when we left.

[....]

Every manager would [like more money] and I think if you get to a certain position you would like to think that you can go on and take the club to the next level. You look at Southampton and Reading, two teams who are probably going to go up, and they have spent money in the summer with the likes of Jack Cork who went to Southampton and Gorkss who went to Reading, and these were the players who we were trying to sign in the summer but they went elsewhere. There are big expectancy levels at Leeds and sometimes the expectancy levels aren’t matched elsewhere.

Grayson might wish he hadn’t said:

We’ve got a group here who we feel can get promoted but it’s all about succeeding in that.

And following the announcement on Monday that Ben Parker and Mika Väyrynen had been released, Ken Bates said on Wednesday:

[Ben Parker]’s a lovely fella, we just wish him all the best. We really do. Although we’ve finished with him, he’s going to carry on training with us until the end of the season to make sure he’s fit for next season.

He continued:

Vay-ry-en… I can never get his name right, I don’t know why we signed him. Nice guy but a complete was of money. Made two starts and cost us half a million quid in fees and salary. I just don’t know why he was signed. And I’m sorry for him but even more sorry for us. It’s better that he goes and seeks the rest of his career somewhere else.

Bates’ comments didn’t go down well with Väyrynen (i’m told it’s pronounced vie-rye-nun) who was none too pleased, tweeting:

Obviously money can’t buy class!!!Comments from an old man who don’t even no my name.I wanted to play but wasn’t used.My bad!!!!

Thanks for your support,you guys have been great n deserve big things. #LUFCfans

Like Simon Grayson, Ken Bates must be wishing he had never said:

I think we might have unearthed another hidden jewel. He’s 28-29, played 31 times or thereabouts for Finland and he’s a tough midfielder which is something we have been lacking.

Similarly Shaun Harvey must be feeling a bit silly for saying this:

Some very good players are available on free transfers. Forssell and Vayrynen for example – international footballers without a club. Sometimes I think people would be happy for us to spend £1million on a sack of potatoes just to see us spend £1million.

One thing’s for sure: the blame-game hasn’t done either side any favours at all.

Perhaps we should end on a positive note. Two, in fact.

1) Simon Grayson identified last summer:

The money was there to go and sign players, whether it was loan deals or permanent deals we were trying to sign players to make us better and increase the competition.We know we are still a few bodies short but saying that we still have good players here, some of which were enquired about but we managed to keep hold of them, something which is obviously good news.

One of the key things for Grayson was holding onto key players. You might think that Snodgrass was one who was enquired about  given his recent comments. This season Neil Warnock has managed to find what would seem a cushy contract for skipper Snodgrass. In that article Grayson also bemoaned the way players’ moves depended on other players arriving at their club and how he was gazumped on the proposed Puncheon deal. Warnock divulged after the Blackpool game that one player has all but signed and is expected to be announced in the first week of May, with others following soon after.

Whatever we think of past mistakes, and whoever we blame for them, the future is looking bright if these are the quality players that Warnock’s been promising.

2) As Ken Bates mentioned in his radio address, Don Revie’s statue will be unveiled soon:

just to remind everybody of the great event on May 5 when the Don Revie statue will be unveiled at 11am. He’s going to stand opposite the new entrance to the East Stand so he’ll be looking across and keeping his eye on who goes in and who goes out. It’ll be a great day. It’s been well organised. There’s functions in the Pavilion and elsewhere. Billy’s Bar will be open and so will Howard’s. So May 5th, if you’re not going anywhere in particular, forget about your shopping or your… 11 o’clock, May 5th, Lowfields Road outside the East Stand is the place to be.

I am amazed it hasn’t been done before. And I think it’s a tribute to the fans that they’ve done it. The club hasn’t done it. This is a fans tribute to a great man and I understand from Duncan Revie that he’ll be there with a party of family and friends. So they’re coming up for it. This is going to be a great occasion.

“Luckily” for us however, Leeds United’s turbulent season has created the opportunity for an alternative poll. It’s not often that a “stable, progressive team” (to paraphrase Ken Bates) has three different men in charge over the course of 9 months, but Leeds United seldom conform to tradition.

So, without further ado, here are the nominations for Leeds United’s manager of the season.

Simon “Larry” Grayson

Some would argue that he was tactically clueless, bought badly and was deserving of his P45. Others would counteract that argument by pointing out the ridiculously low wage budget he had to play with, the distinct lack of transfer funds, the continuous sale of key players and the fact that Leeds United were only three points off the play-offs when Grayson was sacked, despite the assault course of season-ending obstacles planted in his way.

Neil “Redders” Redfearn

Most Leeds United fans would point to Neil Redfearn’s brief spell in charge of Leeds United as the final nail in our season’s coffin, but very few would hold him responsible for that fate. Redders took to the helm of an ill-fated ship and desperately tried to keep it on course for the illusive play-off spot The Whites so desperately craved, but alas, his sense of direction failed him and a complete u-turn was performed with Neil Redfearn ending up back where he started – the reserves.

Nevertheless, Redfearn carried himself with the utmost professionalism throughout his brief spell in charge and should be commended for his efforts in what was an impossible situation.

Neil “Colin” Warnock

Smoke and mirrors, or saviour of LUFC? Anti-football, or effective promotion winning football?

Whatever your opinion of Warnock, the simple fact is that his arrival hasn’t gone quite according to script. A total rebuilding job is required before we can judge say most, but others would point to deteriorating results since his arrival – worse than those of his predecessor so far.

It’s all standard Neil Warnock I guess. He’s not one to leave people feeling neutral, Warnock divides opinion like no other, but on results alone Warnock has the worst record of all three – all that really leaves is reassurances and fighting talk, something Warnock has brought by the bucket load. But are they enough for him to earn your vote as Leeds United manager of the season?

Our alternative end of season awards will continue later in the week with the most ridiculous transfer of the season (both in and out).

What was wrong? Well the obvious answer was of course that we weren’t progressing as a team. The message one would read onto both the timing of Grayson’s departure, immediately after the transfer window closed, and Shaun Harveys press release was that in their opinion Grayson wasn’t getting enough from the current squad. That they believed someone else could.

Step forward man-manager extraordinaire and promotion specialist Neil Warnock.

Following the script his mere presence at our home match versus Doncaster saw us overturn a 2 goal deficit and run out 3-2 winners.

Sure enough after this performance the thumbscrews tightened 0-0 at Portsmouth, a narrow defeat at home to Southampton, a match we utterly dominated, and then 0-0 at Hull. So the defence was fixed right? All that was missing was for McCormack and Becchio to rediscover their confidence and start scoring again? Sure thing, at Middlesbrough we held off the playoff contenders, kept a clean sheet – and banged in 2 well made goals. Phew.

But that’s as good as it’s got.

Of the following 6 games we won one, drew one and lost four. And have conceded 14 goals. Grayson’s last 6 saw us lose 3, win 2, and draw one, and concede 12. Not a hell of a lot better but I know which I’d choose.

Many of us thought when Redfearns tortuous tenure ended that we’d written off any chance of the play offs throwing away 6 points, and as Simon Cowell might put it “you know what?…” we were right.

Warnock hasn’t made a blind bit of difference to the squad, so just what was the reason for firing our last manager? Are we now acknowledging that he was right? That we massively overachieved with a mediocre squad last year? That we sold what quality we did have, and were hoping by some miracle to go up on the cheap?

Our recent poll concerning the biggest mistakes of last year saw selling our best players come top of the poll, but closely followed by us not signing any good replacements.

The average fan (and 800 votes isn’t too bad for a random cross section ken before it’s dismissed) can see it – so why couldn’t the board? so how are either of those issues the manager’s fault?

Neil Warnock may well yet get us promoted next season, but the signs so far are not encouraging. A dreadful set of results, and unwillingness to accept any blame, and an immediate cap in hand for transfer funds. Now before anyone thinks this is Ken Bates writing under a nom de plume, it isn’t.

Why persist with players that it’s obvious aren’t going to get us anywhere? Why wait until now to try out Robbie Rogers, Ramon Nunez? Why even bother to bench Forssell, Paynter, Bruce – players you’ll probably sell in the summer? Why persist with Paul Connolly at right back after by his own admission his lack of discipline and poor performances?

Why not, (as many have suggested, myself included) try out some of our youth players? And see who can cut it next season?

Worst of all what the heck has happened to discipline generally? Connolly, Thomson and Brown three consecutive sendings off in three defeats. Discipline is totally the managers remit – and Pugh can count himself very very lucky too on that count.

Personally when I’ve had a bad day at the office I might well call it a bad one, and leave on the stroke of 5.30, but Warnock’s telling us he’s wishing it was May already? So are we officially giving up already? How on earth do you get players to play in that scenario?

Warnock’s already admitted he thinks the malaise is down to some players realising the games up, but whose fault is that – if not the managers? They might be bad players, but did Watford, Ipswich, Leicester, Cardiff give up when they went 6 points adrift? Of course not.

What worries me for point one is the total lack of direction here. Are we planning for next season, or are we on some kind of masochistic joyride to torture Leeds fans everywhere?

Lots of question marks on this page, and to be frank, just too many question marks generally over whats going on.

Warnock expects investment, but Ken wants a smaller squad. Warnock says he’ll walk if he doesn’t get what he wants, Kens put us £5m in hock to an unnamed (ahem) creditor for corporate boxes.

The signs are very ominous indeed.

Now Neil Warnock is one of the smartest cookies in football, part of me is saying that this is Warnock setting out his stall, he doesn’t want to `roll the dice’ on promotion. He knows the current squad needs to be moved on en masse. Perhaps he just couldn’t be doing with the play-offs this season, rather going out on a high with a top two finish next season. That the current squad needs to be shown to the board for what they are – useless. That whats needed is not consolidation and motivation, but termination and re-construction.

But this is too much supposition, I remain concerned

If the boards initial briefing was to use current resources to get us promoted, the brief seems to have changed wholesale. Rebuild for next season as the current squad wasn’t good enough. If Simon Grayson was refused this in December then it strikes you his biggest error was a 7^th placed finish last season, as opposed to a 15^th placed survival – perverse just doesn’t cover it.. It begs the question – just what does Ken Bates actually want? And does he actually want Promotion.

As the 2010-11 accounts of Championship clubs show, Leeds United spend a lower percentage of turnover on the playing squad than any other team in the division – around half of what UEFA suggest is a reasonable percentage to spend on the squad.

This could of course be considered fiscal responsibility, especially when you take into account that Leeds United are the only Championship club to post a profit for 2010-11. Considering how low this profit was, some fans could – and no doubt will – argue that we simply can’t afford to spend anything else on wages, but I think we can safely reject that argument based on the amount of funds Leeds United have spent on ground improvements over the past few seasons (circa £20m in all).

If it was simply a case of Leeds United being unable to afford additional investment in the first team squad then no one would be complaining. As Ken Bates loves to remind us, Leeds United have gambled before and the result was absolutely devastating (ie. we ended up with Ken!)

But that’s not what anyone is asking for here, a club with our turnover doesn’t need to gamble. It’s always been a matter of misguided priorities that many – myself included – would cite as the ultimate problem. Take the £20m spent “improving” a stadium we don’t own for example. Had that money been invested in the squad over the last couple of seasons, we’d be one of the most financially competitive teams in the division, capable of matching the demands of the highest quality of players instead of losing out on Keith Andrews to the mighty Ipswich Town and seeing a whole host of key players walk away for pittance.

Take for example, the 2010/11 wages. Had Simon Grayson been given an additional £10m he would have had a £21.6m fighting fund, which is up there with the highest in this division. That budget would account for roughly 70% of our turnover, in-keeping with the wages cap UEFA have suggested and still a lower percentage of turnover than almost every other team in the Championship.

The trade-off would be no Pavillion, no East Stand executive boxes and no museum, but does anyone really go to Elland Road for any of that? I’m 100% certain that we all managed to get suitably drunk before Ken Bates came along, and I don’t recall anyone demanding a museum and more executive boxes – we couldn’t fill the ones we had!

That’s not to say these things are a particularly bad idea, they’re just poorly timed. Executive boxes for example are a status symbol for the overly wealthy who care little for Championship football – hence our inability to fill them. A museum will be well-visited initially, but the curator will struggle to keep people interested long term with only 93 years of history to work with and limited to the niche subject of Leeds United. The bars and restaurants meanwhile will always get some trade, but profit margins for these businesses will always be pennies in the grand scheme of things and they would be much more useful to a Premier League team than one that can’t even half-fill their ground most weeks.

You have to invest in the playing squad first, generate the success necessary for these facilities to be worthwhile, then use the additional funds to improve the stadium and add additional facilities.

Ticket sales account for the vast majority of Leeds United’s turnover, yet Leeds United’s expenditure doesn’t fairly reflect this. The supporters pay to see a team they can be proud of, they care not for executive boxes most could never dream of being able to afford, and even less for a Valentine’s day lunch at a football stadium – most of us would be in the bad books for weeks following a stunt like that!

There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes something along the lines of; “If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people”

If the grain is Peter Ridsdale’s approach, then Ken Bates’ approach is probably the trees. But growing people was never a big deal to either of them. Ridsdale failed to recognise the value of the players we already had and indulged in pointless transfers and an eye-watering wage bill. This ultimately led to Ken Bates, who refused the quick-fix approach and instead looked a little further ahead by diverting a huge percentage of the clubs resources into building work and ignoring the playing squad completely.

Neither of these two men tried the third option – the Norwich City, or even the Manchester United approach. These two teams recognised the value of the players they had, did everything they could to keep the team together as they rose to prominence and did so without spending recklessly on quick fixes and bodge jobs. It’s also worth noting that Manchester United didn’t build a 75,000 seater stadium and the accompanying facilities in anticipation of their success, they did so as a response to it. Leeds United meanwhile failed to nurture a team that was capable of achieving back-to-back promotions with a little investment, some long-term contracts and the right set of priorities.

This incredible epidemic of optimism, so uncharacteristic of Leeds United fans, had certainly lessened since 33,000 turned up to see us play West Ham United, but the majority of those that remained were still clinging on to hope.

Perhaps mercifully, the wake-up call came early. It didn’t take long for everyone inside Elland Road to realise that the players had given up hope and that the 2011/12 season was officially over.

For me, that realisation came the day Simon Grayson was sacked. It’s hard not to be cynical when no investment is forthcoming and your manager is sacked as the January transfer window closes, with no replacement in place despite the proverbial writing being chiselled into the wall weeks previous.

That doesn’t make it any easier to see hope sucked out of your fellow fans however. It’s like watching innocent people being tortured for repeating the same mistakes time and time again, never learning that the rules simply haven’t changed – there’s only one winner in this game.

Who knows, perhaps change will take place this summer? Maybe the thousands upon thousands of fans that are now refusing to play the game – by not turning up to Elland Road – have forced the hand of the controlling powers? Maybe Neil Warnock is a new variable – one that can force  the rule changes we so badly need to see this club successful (ie. investment).

Personally, I’m not convinced. I’ve become far too cynical of Ken Bates and his ulterior motives over his painful 7 year reign that I simply refuse to play again until I’ve seen evidence of change.

I’ve seen an extremely capable League One squad stripped apart and sold to the first bidder, or simply cast aside as their value increases and their wage demands become (allegedly) unaffordable for a club with the fifth highest ticket prices in the country.

I’ve seen different managers all confronted with the same problems, I’ve seen ticket prices rise and a whole host of absolutely pointless building work erected around Elland Road. I’ve heard excuse after excuse after excuse, yet seven years later the reality is, this is the worst Leeds United side I’ve ever seen.

And that’s not really surprising when the entire squad was assembled for peanuts and our wage bill stands at around one third of our turnover – less than any other side in the division.

It’s not that this side is totally devoid of quality, but I strongly suspect that the truly gifted players will follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and head elsewhere (probably Norwich). Meanwhile, we’ll be given the same excuses we hear every time – that they want Premier League football and are unwillingly to show patience. And who can blame them? We’re not making any progress, and they don’t believe a team constantly selling key players and replacing with frees will get promoted any more than I do.

We’re stood still and the rules haven’t changed. The players are going through the motions, the fans have now given up hope completely and Neil Warnock is already demanding investment as he starts to come to terms with the grim reality of the situation. Warnock has already set out his stall. Bates will either offer the investment this club has desperately needed for the last seven years, or our new manager will walk. He’s not about to become another excuse for Ken Bates’ failures.

What’s more worrying than Warnock walking away is that Snodgrass, McCormack, Becchio et al and another 4,000 fans – myself included – will follow. No one wants to play this game any more, we want to take part in one that we have a chance of winning.

Until I see evidence that we’re being given a fair shot at success, I doubt I’ll be returning to Elland Road. I didn’t renew for next season for various reasons, but one of the biggest was that I simply don’t enjoy it any more. That’s never been the case before – even when relegated, it was part of the “ups and downs” and the defiant nature of our support spurred me on.

On Saturday, I was at the bar after 30 minutes of the first half and paid very little attention to the second, eventually leaving early because it was absolutely dismal. I was bored to tears. Football is supposed to be entertaining, not a weekly ritual I take part in out of habit.

Ken Bates is right that supporters aren’t investors in Leeds United, we’re customers that pay to be entertained. Soul-destroying hoof-ball is not what I had in mind. I’m not being entertained any more, and I can no longer stare at the pointless vanity projects money is being wasted on whilst the quality of football on display continues to deteriorate. It angers me, and I’m far too young to be wasting my life getting wound up by this nonsense. It’s irrational – I’m paying ridiculous sums of money for something I very rarely get any joy out of these days.

I made the decision in January that it’d be away games only next season, but after completing a round-trip from London to Leeds to witness the woeful display we put on against Watford, I’ve decided to bring that forwards and am seriously reconsidering whether I’ll bother with any games at all next season. For now, instead of wasting my bank holiday weekend at the Majeski and then travelling to Leeds for the Derby match, I’m going to jump on a plane to Italy with my girlfriend and have some fun, whilst also saving myself the pain of watching our massively underfunded team be humiliated.

I just can’t waste any more time, effort and money on a hobby that I no longer enjoy. MOT

As an aside – If any season ticket holder is interested in writing home match reports for The Scratching Shed next season (and the remainder of this one) please email me. 

However, journalist Andrew Haigh (The Sun) did a little digging and found a direct quote from Ken Bates taken from one of his Yorkshire Radio interviews (dated 23/03/2011) where his figures appear to be a little different;

“Everything is looking good so thanks to the fans, the season tickets we have now sold 11,200 for next year, compared with 13,000 this year. So we are obviously going to beat that figure.”

All in, Leeds ended up with 12,924 season ticket holders this season, failing to beat the 13,000 figure from 2010/11.

That means 27.4% of current Leeds United season ticket holders have yet to renew, but more worrying for the club will be the 16.3% drop in early renewals which is unlikely to be recovered in the summer by supporters paying full price for the 5th highest season tickets in the country.

With average attendances down and a drop in season ticket revenue looking a certainty, does this mean that key players like Robert Snodgrass and Ross McCormack could follow Jonny Howson and Max Gradel out of the door as Leeds try and balance the books?

Things started off with the horrible Flavio Briatore as chairman of QPR and the similarities to Ken Bates were hard to miss. He involved himself too much in the team, couldn’t help but stick his nose into every individual matter, often providing unprofessional soundbites for the press and his all round arrogance, highlighted by such quotes as “I saved your club, how dare you boo me?” (sound familiar?) and an inability to accept his way may not be in the best interests of the football club was all too clear to see.

After Briatore had hired and fired a series of managers leaving Rangers in a relegation battle, the fans of QPR started vicious protests against his leadership and Flavio was replaced as Chairman by Amit Bhatia.

To describe the two as polar opposites wouldn’t do their differences justice. Out went a chairman whose old fashioned ways included hurling abuse at players and staff, and in came a man whose calm and controlled manner instantly settled those around him. From walking on eggshells, afraid of a trademark dressing down from the Italian, the QPR players and staff were now given the freedom to express themselves. Concerns and issues were raised and debated sensibly, and the chairman did everything in his power to ensure the people beneath him were happy and felt comfortable at the club.

In short, one led by fear, the other by respect.

The differences were staggering but the result was nonetheless predictable. Bhatia understood rule one of business, that the most important thing is to keep your customers and staff happy. Briatore meanwhile was from the same “my way or the highway” school as Ken Bates, and his reign was doomed to failure from the outset.

Ken Bates could learn a lot from Amit Bhatia. Bates’ view that Leeds United fans have no right to express an opinion is from a bygone era that has no place in the 21st century. Modern consumers simply won’t accept it, and Bhatia knew this.

As Chairman of QPR, Bhatia went to great lengths to listen to and address the concerns of fans. The feeling of unrest and exclusion dissipated, attendances roses and the positive atmosphere resulted in improved performances on the pitch and ultimately, promotion to the English Premier League.

Ken Bates meanwhile refuses to treat fans with the same respect. He doesn’t believe they have any right to express an opinion, and what’s even more worryingly, is that there seems to be a small minority of fans that agree with him and help reinforce this theory.

Successful businesses don’t care whether their customers complaints are accurate or justified, they’ll go to great lengths to resolve them either way. Where I work, we have an entire office full of staff whose sole duty is to respond to customer queries and ensure we keep them happy. Whether that involves an explanation of where we acquire stock, what we spend money on or how we justify prices is largely irrelevant, we’re here to serve the general public and if knowing such information is important to them, then we’ll hand it over without hesitation.

In fact, if we’d reached the stage Ken Bates has at Elland Road, I’m almost certain that our directors would deliver information to you personally, bow-tied and handed over whilst on one knee begging for mercy. All successful companies understand that you answer to your customers, because without them, you don’t exist. It’s clichéd, but the customer is the boss.

The reason for this is simple. Happy customers spend more money and, more importantly, they keep coming back. Failing to understand this results in a similar situation to what we have at Elland Road, whereby thousands of fans stay away every week refusing to give Ken Bates their money and thousands more refuse to spend money on products around the stadium, all because Ken Bates doesn’t treat his customers with the same respect that Amit Bhatia and the company I work for does. Bates’ approach is from a bygone era, it’s commercial suicide nowadays.

The documentary started with the statistic that Premier League teams have an average income of £108m. That’s £81m more than Leeds United’s last reported figures. Is it really so hard for Ken Bates to change his ways with such an incredible amount of money at stake?

There has been a movement recently for fans to boycott games and cut Ken Bates off financially. Some fans have argued that this is the endgame for those of us opposed to Ken Bates leadership, and that it’s the only card we have left to play that could realistically bring his reign to an end.

The predicted outcome of this move is one I would welcome and celebrate. Since day one I have been strongly opposed to Ken Bates because the situation we currently find ourselves in was all too predictable. While ever Ken Bates is in charge, the fans will have no input into the club whatsoever and anyone that raises objections will be shot down in an embarrassing rant that reflects badly on the club we love. Our owner loves the attention this role brings more than he will ever love the club itself.

Moreover, Ken Bates’ history is not as successful as he likes to pretend. The Chelsea Village project he’s trying to emulate at Elland Road was a disaster for the football club, leaving fans expressing the same concerns we are now. Ultimately, the project made very little money, was tied up in offshore holding companies and had only a negative effect on Chelsea FC. Football was only ever a sideshow to fund Ken Bates’ side-projects.

When Ken Bates instructed Peter Kenyon to find him a new investor (which resulted in Roman Abramovich’s buy out) Chelsea were crippled by £80m worth of debts and on the verge of bankruptcy. A decade ago I used to laugh at my Chelsea supporting Dad for his club’s troubles as he spent every waking minute complaining about Ken Bates’ misguided priorities, secrecy, lack of respect for fans, refusal to accept an alternative opinion and extortionate pricing policies. Sound familiar?

Anyway, I digress…

The issue here is suggested boycotts of Leeds United fixtures, an argument that has been made by plenty of individual fans and a couple of the other Leeds United bloggers, most notably Michael Green on Clarke One Nil.

I appreciate that everyone has a right to express their own opinion, but things seem to have reached an entirely new level. People are no longer telling me their opinions, but are instead, telling me what to do. I’m not a particularly stubborn person, I’m not opposed to the idea of boycotts per se and I’m not arguing for arguments sake, but what gives anyone the right to tell others how to support their club?

I hope this doesn’t come across as season ticket arrogance, but I happen to know for a fact that at least two of the people that have demanded I and other fans boycott matches do not hold season tickets themselves, and I’d be willing to bet good money that the majority of those calling for boycotts are in the same position. This isn’t a pissing contest, I’m not trying to suggest anyone is a “bigger fan” than anyone else, but the differing situations we’re all in should be taken into consideration.

Not turning up and paying thirty odd quid isn’t a particularly difficult choice for anyone to make, but refusing to use a season ticket I’ve already paid money for is a different thing entirely.

It’s also pointless! If the ultimate goal is to cut Ken Bates off financially then it’s far too late. And if the goal is a unified show of defiance, then that’s pointless too. Bates couldn’t care less, people have been protesting against him for decades.

But none of this really bothers me too much, what bothers me is that fans are being hassled by others into making decisions.

When fans point blank refuse to give up their trips to Elland Road, they’re insulted and belittled, their support for the club and even their own intelligence is questioned. And this is exactly what Ken Bates wants, divide and conquer is how he’s ruled all along. You’re just pawns in his little games.

An individual crusade will only serve to alienate people further. Like me, fans will become annoyed by their own fans. I’m not going to be told how to support my club by anyone, I have the ability to make such decisions myself and won’t be swayed by people telling me that I’m to blame for Ken Bates’ continued reign because I continue to support him financially (which incidentally, I don’t. I haven’t renewed but that’s beside the point).

I strongly believe change is needed at Elland Road, but I’m not arrogant enough to think I can speak on behalf of every single supporter that shares that belief. I don’t have all the answers, I’m just one individual watching fans tear lumps out of each other (metaphorically speaking) week in, week out because they want the same thing as I do, but can’t agree on the best course of action.

This is why democracy is necessary. It’s why we need an organisation that can collect the ideas and thoughts of individuals, and turn them into a collective stance for us all. I joined Leeds United Supporters Trust for that very reason, and would urge you all to stop this unproductive squabbling and air your views in a collective forum of your peers. Take the pettiness away from the messageboards and terraces, share your thoughts at the regular meetings and then stand side-by-side with your fellow fans campaigning for change through the means determined by the majority.

We need unity. People running around shouting at each other will get us nowhere.