Bates wants old club punished for ‘stealing’ Leeds starlets

LEEDS chairman Ken Bates has accused his former club of “stealing” academy youngsters Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo and has urged the game’s ruling bodies to put an end to Chelsea’s “continual flouting of the rules”.

The 74-year-old, who made a £17million profit when he sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, feels financial punishments are a waste of time and has called for the Barclays Premiership champions to be suspended from the Champions League.

Chelsea insist they did not make illegal approaches for England Under-16 internationals Woods and Taiwo. A third Leeds youth player courted by the Londoners, Daniel Rose, opted to remain at Elland Road.