Whites May Get Green Light

Last updated : 09 January 2004 By Kevin Markey

Former United director Allan Leighton is a close friend of the Monaco-based billionaire and if the consortium he's involved in could bring Green to Elland Road, it could represent a massive boost for the club.

Green owns the Bhs stores chain along with high street fashion brands like Top Shop, Wallis, Burton, Top Man and Dorothy Perkins and he recently paid himself £201m from his Bhs business.

If an offer cannot be put together by January 19th Leighton and the Leeds' chief executive Trevor Birch may plead for more time and ask the creditors to extend their deadline. Last night Leighton was attending a ball on board the new Queen Mary II cruise liner and could not be contacted for comment.

Other potential bids, including an attempt by the former Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie to bring a proposal backed by a Chinese industrialist to the table, do not seem to be forthcoming. Sheikh Abdul bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, a lifelong Leeds fan who was initially seen as the club's most likely saviour, has so far failed to raise the required funding. However, the Sheikh is in London this week as the deadline for bids approaches.