Leeds wait for League approval

Leeds are still hoping to launch their pre-season fixture schedule at York tomorrow as they wait anxiously to see if the Football League will approve chairman Ken Bates’ buy-back deal.

Football League chiefs are meeting today to decide whether to hand Leeds back their ’golden share’ which will enable Dennis Wise’s side to kick-off the 2007/8 season in Coca-Cola League One.

Bates placed Leeds in administration on May 4 with debts of £35m and after months of uncertainty won the race to buy back the club yesterday and regain control at Elland Road.

But administrators KPMG’s decision to sell the club to Bates for an undisclosed sum in preference to other interested parties without the need for a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) does not sit favourably with the Football League.

Competition rules stipulate that once in administration the Football League will only hand back its share if a CVA had been agreed by the majority of the club’s creditors.

League chiefs will determine at their meeting today whether to invoke an “exceptional circumstances” ruling and so allow Bates to lead the club into the new season.

Meanwhile, the club have applied to the Football Association for permission to play friendlies ahead of the opening day of the season in just over four weeks.

Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey said in a statement released on the club’s official website: “In simplistic terms what happened on Wednesday is that we bought Leeds United and are now able to do everything a professional football club usually does other than actually play professional football (other than friendlies) until we have the shares transferred to us by both the Football League and the Football Association.

“They are now considering our applications which we will need to be approved so we can start the new season.

“In terms of friendly fixtures we are expecting the Football Association to confirm that all the scheduled fixtures can go ahead prior to the share being transferred once they have considered the information we have supplied them, starting with the fixture at York tomorrow.

“We are not able to sign any new players until we get the shares back but are able to transfer them.

“During the 2007/08 season, we will have to operate inside a budget for players wages which will be agreed with the League based on turnover/ profitability but will not limit the number of players Dennis can sign.”

An FA Spokesman told PA Sport: “Leeds need to satisfy us that a team can be fielded without breaching FA rules. Discussions are on-going.”