Bates hits back at former Leeds director

Leeds chairman Ken Bates has blamed former director Melvyn Levi for the club’s failure to attract major new investors.

Bates, 75, stepped up his bitter war of words between the pair in response to Levi’s complaint to the Football League that the former Chelsea supremo was not “fit and proper” to run a club.

Bates said: “He has deliberately and consistently tried to frustrate Leeds United from getting fresh investment into the club.

“He has deliberately tried to undermine the future of Leeds United and it’s important that fact is not lost in the floss.

“If we fail it’s down to him.”

Levi, a member of the previous board at Elland Road which sold the club to Bates in January 2005, has also reported the Leeds chairman to the police.

Levi was furious his address was printed in Saturday’s match programme as part of an article by Bates in which he described the Leeds-based businessman as “an enemy within”.

Bates claimed Levi has reneged on the deal when he first purchased the club and his refusal to transfer shares “had deterred at least two would-be serious investors”.

Levi denies the allegations and said: “I have reported him to the police because he put my name and address in Saturday’s programme.

“It’s a ridiculous and dangerous thing to do. It’s tantamount to incitement to violence. You can’t be too sure in this day and age.

“And yesterday I wrote to the Football League to complain that Mr Bates is not a fit and proper person to be a director of a football club and that he had brought the game into disrepute.

“We will see whether or not the Football League take it seriously or not.

“Or do they consider it to be okay for club chairmen to behave in this way? If they do then I’m afraid English football is in a sorry state.

“I’m a respectable businessman in this city and don’t expect to be treated like that.”

Levi said he was still prepared to sit down and resolve the row, but did not think Bates was the right man to lift Leeds out of their current gloom.

Leeds remain rooted to the bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship after losing their last three matches and their bid to avoid relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history is being overshadowed by matters off the field.

Manager Dennis Wise revealed one of his players leaked team news to the opposition ahead of their recent match with Crystal Palace and announced after the weekend defeat to Sheffield Wednesday that skipper Kevin Nicholls wanted to quit the club and return to relegation rivals Luton.

Levi added: “I want to see Leeds United saved from this disaster.

“I want them in the Premiership, not League One, but we need someone with £30m or £40m. Without that we’ll get nowhere.

“You cannot run this club on a few million. I wish you could.”