Rest in peace Uncle Ken, you were just great and made to save the Blues.

On the afternoon promotion was won in 1984.

Thank You Ken. For saving our club.

R.I.P.

R I P Ken

Met him a few times. May 84 Grand Hotel Manchester. 250 invited to dinner after the game with City. Great meal and sing song until 2am.

83/84 reunion last year at the Bridge. In good form on stage with some great stories.

Saw him at Cardiff before game where it was difficult to get into seats due to an issue. Ken came over to talk with police and stewards to sort it out.

He was especially proud of our travelling support. The numbers and the noise we made making it a home game.

Great Man. He would certainly tell the current owners a few home truths!!

Back in the 80s, my Mum wrote to him saying that me, my Dad and my brother, all season ticket holders, were getting a ton of stick from West Ham fans as we lived in Essex. School was a nightmare, particularly in 86, when West Ham had their one decent year. Back in those days, there was only two Chelsea fans at my school, me and my younger brother.

Ken wrote back, thanking us for our support in foreign territory, and a few days later a thank you card arrived signed by all the players (Kerry, Pat, Speedie et al)……

I can only remember him as a man who made fun of the fact that Matthew Harding had died in a helicopter crash in the boardroom following our 3-1 over Spurs while grieving families were in attendance. Those saying he saved the club, ok, he took on debts, made a fortune, and the year he sold up to Roman, we were about to go under from a eurobond loan he had taken out to develop the ground. He genuinely wasnt a nice person imo.

Ken Bates RIP

He was certainly divisive and could be absolutely out of order on occasions. He actually replied in person to a letter I wrote to him and responded to every point I made in his own bullish style! I've still got it somewhere, I'll post it if I can find it.

Another thing.. despite all the excuses you here these days about the almost insurmountable difficulties in redeveloping the stadium, he got 3 sides ( West, North and Shed) all rebuilt without us having to leave, using temporary seating at times...

Well said, Franco.

I was trying to figure out what the writing says on his tie and I think it's "On Mission from God". I wouldn't have had him down for the religious type, but you never know.

Bates was the first Chelsea Chairman I can remember, and that late 90s period just before he sold up to RA, with Hoddle/Gullit/Vialli as managers and Zola, Vialli, Di Matteo (and Gullit, for a bit), etc. on the pitch, is still my favourite period as as Chelsea fan, even more so than the Mourinho years, despite not winning much (except for the FA cup in '97, which was the first major trophy we won in my lifetime, so will always have a special status to me).

8 minutes ago, bluedave said:

Well said, Franco.

I was trying to figure out what the writing says on his tie and I think it's "On Mission from God". I wouldn't have had him down for the religious type, but you never know.

Perhaps more likely to be a quote from the film "The Blue Brothers" ?

25 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Perhaps more likely to be a quote from the film "The Blue Brothers" ?

Right, I've not seen the film, but that does seem more likely.

48 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Ken Bates RIP

He was certainly divisive and could be absolutely out of order on occasions. He actually replied in person to a letter I wrote to him and responded to every point I made in his own bullish style! I've still got it somewhere, I'll post it if I can find it.

Another thing.. despite all the excuses you here these days about the almost insurmountable difficulties in redeveloping the stadium, he got 3 sides ( West, North and Shed) all rebuilt without us having to leave, using temporary seating at times...

Shed end temp seating was salubrious. Remember watching Coventry play with Peter Ndlovu upfront in the temp stand.
Ken Bates was also a lucky SOB... apparantly sold his heard of cows just before Mad cow disease was widely reported.

Anyhow...

19 minutes ago, bluedave said:

Right, I've not seen the film, but that does seem more likely.

Sorry that should have said The Blues Brothers ... cult music comedy with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. Not sure what happened to the "s" on Blues in the previous post. Think my geriatric keyboard is on the way out LOL. Well worth watching anyway ! The soundtrack is awesome.

4 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Sorry that should have said The Blues Brothers ... cult music comedy with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. Not sure what happened to the "s" on Blues in the previous post. Think my geriatric keyboard is on the way out LOL. Well worth watching anyway ! The soundtrack is awesome.

I didn't even notice the mistake. I know it's well-regarded and has a kind of cult status, it's just one of many popular "essential" films I've never sat down to watch. I'll get round to it eventually...

RIP Ken Bates.

CFC supporters will always have a lot to thank him for. Didn't always agree with him but you had to respect the man.

No Bates, no Chelsea

Being younger than some on here I only ever saw the "good" side of Bates during the late-90s, and some of the stories you all have told over the years on this forum are truly hair-raising (electric fence pun intended). He was clearly a person who was disliked but respected.

I don't know if I ever got the feeling he had the same emotional connection as say Roman Abramovich did, but he did a lot of things that set standards and expectations (as did Abramovich).

Also he nearly sent Leeds to oblivion, which should also be up there with his crowning glories.

Statement by the board of Chelsea Pitch Owners:

We are greatly saddened by the news that Ken Bates has passed away and send our condolences to Suzannah and all his family. Without Ken, the club we love might well have been lost. Without him, there would be no CPO. Turning fans into pitch owners is a unique legacy and a vision that we will continue to deliver

From fb - Chelsea rewind and liked this comment,

'I took my nephew Aedan to his first game. He was ten or eleven. He got a couple of autographs. Ken was standing there. So I told Aedan who he was. Aedan awestruck said “ you own Chelsea!?” . Ken smiled and said “ I’m only looking after it , until you’re old enough to take over “. Aedan beamed… 🥹"

RIP Ken

I see people floating the idea on X of renaming the West Stand the Ken Bates stand.

I think it's a great idea, and while they are at it they can change the east stand to the Mears Stand.

On 12/07/2026 at 09:50, Chris Gundleton said:

Back in the 80s, my Mum wrote to him saying that me, my Dad and my brother, all season ticket holders, were getting a ton of stick from West Ham fans as we lived in Essex. School was a nightmare, particularly in 86, when West Ham had their one decent year. Back in those days, there was only two Chelsea fans at my school, me and my younger brother.

Ken wrote back, thanking us for our support in foreign territory, and a few days later a thank you card arrived signed by all the players (Kerry, Pat, Speedie et al)……

I got similar back in 1970 from Dave Sexton. My Mum wrote to the club and they sent me a load of goodies and a letter signed by Dave, The club was very much close to the fans in those days.

Funny how the spelling of words is different across the pond. Like ‘mum’ and ‘mom’. Not sure I like mum, but I definitely don’t like the overuse of the word ‘whilst’ by you guys that we NEVER use in the US. Sounds too stilted for my tastes. Just use ‘while ’ - sounds much less pompous. Rant over !!!

7 hours ago, Phillip said:

Funny how the spelling of words is different across the pond. Like ‘mum’ and ‘mom’. Not sure I like mum, but I definitely don’t like the overuse of the word ‘whilst’ by you guys that we NEVER use in the US. Sounds too stilted for my tastes. Just use ‘while ’ - sounds much less pompous. Rant over !!!

We invented your language pal, you'll say it however we tell you.....

😅

7 hours ago, Phillip said:

Funny how the spelling of words is different across the pond. Like ‘mum’ and ‘mom’. Not sure I like mum, but I definitely don’t like the overuse of the word ‘whilst’ by you guys that we NEVER use in the US. Sounds too stilted for my tastes. Just use ‘while ’ - sounds much less pompous. Rant over !!!

I dunno @Phillip , I can imagine you dressed up in suit and tie and using 'whilst' every other sentence. You have that charming sophisticated vibe 🤔

13 hours ago, Scott said:

I see people floating the idea on X of renaming the West Stand the Ken Bates stand.

I think it's a great idea, and while they are at it they can change the east stand to the Mears Stand.

On top of that, we already have the Matthew Harding Stand, nobody would want to change the name of the Shed End or Stamford Bridge, so that leaves Cobham for Roman Abramovich 🤔

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by Valerie

9 hours ago, dkw said:

We invented your language pal, you'll say it however we tell you.....

😅

All right. From now on, I will say Pro-cess, not Prah-cess. But I cannot say whist, or they will think I am a la-de-dah pooftah (can I still say that?).

1 hour ago, Phillip said:

(can I still say that?).

No.