Bates

[whitestomper45]

Could he be the front runner for Chelsea? The hero returns home type of story?

The only way Bates will return there, is if he can again buy them for £ 1 like last time

[WTF11]

They were mostly mid table fodder before the Oligarch took over, he has been pumping in on average £ 75M per season estimated at £ 1.5 Billion, financial doping at it's best, helping to drive up transfer fees and wages as he uses the club for money laundering.

A vague statement about writing off his loans and donating proceeds to those victims of war, a charitable trust whose spokeswoman deflected questions on how the club is being run.

I hesitated to refer back to a time when many who share that view (mid table fodder), weren't even glints in their parents eyes, but Bremner v Osgood wasn't a duel experienced when either team would deserve that description.

And are you suggesting that had Abramovich decided LUFC was more attractive than CFC, you'd have been campaigning not to have him spend that £75m per season at ER?

We've all bitched about owners coming in and ripping off the club for its name, history etc, but none would have objected if it was Abramovich and not Bates who had bought us (and brought us) back from oblivion. Not saying the view now doesn't change that, just that things were different back then.

[klix]

Chelsea had a good history before RA...
Without looking it up I think they won the league in 1956....
Couple of cups in the 60s
Fa cup 70
And in the 90s they won more trophies than Liverpool

[whitestomper45]

Klix, Wow no league title since the 50s, the champions of champions eh

WTF..I said they have been "mostly" mid table fodder, the Russian got them their first league title in 50 years, so hardly the table topping club you think they've always been, getting relegated 6 times from the top tier too.

I don't like him and its irrelevant to the original topic about how much he might have spent if at Leeds. We've had a long list of poor owners, particularly in 6ts and 7ts when they wouldn't spend on keeping the club in it's pomp

If the rules had been applied properly Abramovitch wouldn't have been allowed to basically loan himself money

Think about this: Bates is worth £ 15M, Abramovich £ 10 BN, Saudi Public Investment Fund £ 320BN... Newcastle are regular "relegation fodder" but about to change,

[WTF11]

Klix, Wow no league title since the 50s, the champions of champions eh

WTF..I said they have been "mostly" mid table fodder, the Russian got them their first league title in 50 years, so hardly the table topping club you think they've always been, getting relegated 6 times from the top tier too.

I don't like him and its irrelevant to the original topic about how much he might have spent if at Leeds. We've had a long list of poor owners, particularly in 6ts and 7ts when they wouldn't spend on keeping the club in it's pomp

If the rules had been applied properly Abramovitch wouldn't have been allowed to basically loan himself money

Think about this: Bates is worth £ 15M, Abramovich £ 10 BN, Saudi Public Investment Fund £ 320BN... Newcastle are regular "relegation fodder" but about to change,

Reverting to type, already. Where in the posts on this subject did I say that Chelsea were "the table topping club you think they've always been"? I simply suggested that describing them as "mid tabl fodder" was not quite reflecting the actuality over the last two decades, and my own personal recollection of their performances started back in the 70's, so spanning nearly half a century. (And wouldn't you wish we could swap our record for theirs over that same period, because I DO!)

And please can we stop this "if the rules were applied properly" whinging nonesense. We KNOW that they never will be "properly applied" just as the use of VAR is favouring the top 6, just like the FA punishments for transgression seem to "waver" depending on what club you talk about. Is there anything we can do about any of that, no. Does it help when we constantly trot out the "we were badly done to" mantra? No.

And btw, I also said I don't like Chelsea, and I certainly don't like Abramovich, nor do I believe in his pronouncements regarding the proceeds of the sale, so why are you picking an argument that doesn't exist? Oh, I know, it's because I posted something, FFS!

My original comment was that describing Chelsea as "mid table fodder" isn't anywhere near the reality, and if it dwas, what the f00k would that mean we should be described as?

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I think the points were being made partly in jest.

Chelsea pre RA were never going to get remotely close to the success under his ownership and looked as if they were about to collapse more spectacularly under Bates than we did - I think their debts were over 100m.

The irony being that not only did RA save Chelsea but saved Bates and allowed him to buy out club.

I think the Saudi fund is worth closer to 650B and the account for over 85% of the wrestle of all owners of PL clubs combined.

Welcome to the era of the Barcodes

[joellufcprice]

I dislike Chelsea as much as anyone, believe me, but describing them as "mid table fodder" risks making yourself look a tad "out of touch with reality". Since 2000, I wish LUFC had a record like theirs;

League titles

First Division / Premier League
Winners : 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17

FA Cup
Winners : 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18

Football League Cup / EFL Cup
Winners : 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15

FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield[nb 4]
Winners : 2000, 2005, 2009

European competitions

UEFA Champions League
Winners : 2011–12, 2020–21

UEFA Europa League
Winners : 2012–13, 2018–19

Hardly the record (and spanning two decades) of a "mid table fodder" club. We underestimate any club at our peril.

Ah right, and which of those did they win without Abarmovichs money exactly?

Best they'd done before that was 3rd, rest of it they were 6th or lower, if you're such a great lover of their rich history and buying success please feel free to bugger off and support them or maybe City, sure you've a big love for their rich history

[joellufcprice]

What I've got from this thread is Klix and WTF really love Chelsea, never seen two Leeds fans jump so quick to defend Chelseas record and their owner.

Embarassing.

[WTF11]

What I've got from this thread is Klix and WTF really love Chelsea, never seen two Leeds fans jump so quick to defend Chelseas record and their owner.

Embarassing.

Well Joel, having suggested that one of the most successful clubs in the last 50 years (not just the 20 or so mentioned in my earlier post) is worthy of being described as "mid table fodder", I'd suggest that you're the one who is an embarrassment.

Underestimating what Chelsea have done is dangerous, especially as they did reasonably well (and a f00king sight better than LUFC at that time) before they became Chelski (2003)

FA Cup Winners in1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–2000

Football League Cup / EFL Cup Winners, 1964–65, 1997–98

FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield winners, 2000

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winners, 1970–71, 1997–98

Doubles

League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup, 1997–98

You would prefer the LUFC record to Chelseas over that period, not to mention since the Russian came over the hill? "Defend Chelseas record"? No, simply point out what that record was, and in doing so show your statement to be complete hogwash.

All you can do is claim those who point out the ridiculousness of your statement are somehow in love with Chelsea, as opposed to simply knowing what they achieved (you can do it yourself, takes about 5 minutes on Google/Wikipedia). Sad really.

I have no intention of taking your suggestion to "bugger off and support them", (I have had plenty of opportunities to jump ship to support another team and to do so with a damned sight more motive than an invite from you), I'm just a tad more mature in appreciating that we face opposition in their case and others that aren't in any way shape or form, "mid table fodder".

[klix]

What I've got from this thread is Klix and WTF really love Chelsea, never seen two Leeds fans jump so quick to defend Chelseas record and their owner.

Embarassing.

Didn't you know,
I'm a season ticket holder at Chelsea

That is why I will be at Leicester watching Leeds tommorow,

By the way, I doubt you are old enough to remember, Dennis Wise is a Chelsea legend.
He was once a manager of Leeds
His first game in charge was Southend home we won 2 0.....
At 2.55 the stadium gave Dennis wise a standing ovation, at that point I just bent down and tied my shoe lace.....
To me that was embarrassing, Leeds fans giving a Chelsea legend a standing ovation, and you won't remember, Chelsea winning at our gaff 3 2 and Dennis wise sticking 2 fingers up to us in the kop..

Before you call anybody embarrassing, seriously think before you post........