Bates Denies Stadium Move

Last updated : 03 May 2007 By Kevin Markey
A report in a national newspaper claimed Bates is in talks with Leeds City Council about quitting Elland Road for the 2,500-seater stadium, which houses amateur rugby league club Hunslet Hawks.

Leeds have already sold Elland Road and their Thorp Arch training ground to cover previous cash shortfalls and the club's playing squad is short of valuable assets with a large percentage of players out of contract this summer.

However, the Leeds chairman is planning to sue over the article and said: "I want to reassure all Leeds fans that we have no intention of moving anywhere else at all and intend to stay at Elland Road, certainly as long as I am chairman.

"Another allegation made was that we would redevelop Elland Road for property, implying we would make a lot of money out of it. It's no secret that we want to redevelop around the edges to give us a seven-day-a-week, 52-weeks-a-year off-field income, and that's what we intend to do in due course."