Bates told to pay libel damages

[NS Herald]

Some justice at last - from the BBC

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has been ordered to pay £50,000 libel damages to a former club director who alleged he had been "persecuted".

Businessman Melvyn Levi, 65, brought an action at London's High Court over a letter and articles in club programmes.

Mr Levi said he had been accused of trying to blackmail the club and of being unscrupulous and dishonourable.

Mr Bates, 78, had denied libel, pleading fair comment.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I thought Mr Bates was such as nice man , these High Court judges are a law unto themselves.

 

[Mtoto]

O happy day.

Bates has been using the threat of libel actions to stifle criticism for 30 years, and he frequently gets paid off too, because the newspapers just don't want the hassle of hiring QCs etc when the law is completely skewed against them anyway.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It's very odd that Bates can't use the phrase "unscrupulous and dishonourable" properly.

I would have thought that these were concepts that were so familiar to him that he would NEVER misuse the words.

 

[Starry]

those weren't the words he used, lord b just a paraphrase he actuall called levi a shyster, referred to him as the enemy within and said that he was trying to blackmail those who were within the club and trying to buy the club. then bates published melvin's home address and such. until then he had the upper hand.

wouldn't be preseason without the annual court battle. the qc roadshow is rumbling over to jersey next. one nil to bates so far over £1.4m of leeds' money.

 

[itszamora]

Lovely club, Leeds United...

BBC NEWS | England | West Yorkshire | Bates told to pay libel damages

Ken Bates slandering someone? Never!

 

[theonesmith]

Give us an F!

 

[grummitts gloves]

Couldn't happen to a nicer fella. Shame the FA can't dock points for it as well. Cock.

 

[Tooting Gull]

A lot of people who have been on the wrong end of Bates' own bullying legal tactics to stifle legitimate criticism will be having a good laugh about this one today.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Here's a Grauniad view of it all.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2009/jul/10/ken-bates-libel-trial-defeat-leeds-united-full-story

 

[Starry]

relatively good article that though it doesn't say anything new. the next instalment of this little tit for tat might do melvyn more harm than he realised. poisoning players and barricading people in their homes is small fry. unfortunately for him, or for bates, depending on whose side of the fence you sit some of those involved both back then, over the admin and more recently over money into the club are ready to squeal like stuck pigs.

levi put NONE of his own money into the club, not a single penny. he was aggrieved when his little gravy train ground to a halt upon bates arrival. bates' fault was not being able to keep his trap shut, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks! i wasn't bothered about my £1.4m, yeah right you miserable twat.

 

[crasher]

relatively good article that though it doesn't say anything new. the next instalment of this little tit for tat might do melvyn more harm than he realised. poisoning players and barricading people in their homes is small fry. unfortunately for him, or for bates, depending on whose side of the fence you sit some of those involved both back then, over the admin and more recently over money into the club are ready to squeal like stuck pigs.

levi put NONE of his own money into the club, not a single penny. he was aggrieved when his little gravy train ground to a halt upon bates arrival. bates' fault was not being able to keep his trap shut, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks! i wasn't bothered about my £1.4m, yeah right you miserable twat.

Well you're the expert on Leeds obviously, but reading David Conn's article - I understood that Levi and others either did, or tried to, put money into Leeds.

Either way - Bates is a loathsome buffoon and the living embodiment of why both capitalism and general and football in particular need regulating to keep attention-seeking scumbags like Bates out. Stopping opaque offshore trusts from taking control of companies in the UK would be an obvious first step.

I hope Bates does appeal and loses another £1m or so.

 

[The Large One]

relatively good article that though it doesn't say anything new. the next instalment of this little tit for tat might do melvyn more harm than he realised. poisoning players and barricading people in their homes is small fry. unfortunately for him, or for bates, depending on whose side of the fence you sit some of those involved both back then, over the admin and more recently over money into the club are ready to squeal like stuck pigs.

levi put NONE of his own money into the club, not a single penny. he was aggrieved when his little gravy train ground to a halt upon bates arrival. bates' fault was not being able to keep his trap shut, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks! i wasn't bothered about my £1.4m, yeah right you miserable twat.

On the face of it, it doesn't matter exactly whose money it was, it was the fact that Bates tried to steal it, then tell lies about it.

 

[Starry]

quite, but the face of it is never the whole story.

 

[NS Herald]

quite, but the face of it is never the whole story.

It may not be the whole story but it does seem clear the bloke is a menace to your club and the sooner you are rid of him the better. In fact the sooner he has nothing to do with football the better for all of us

 

[Starry]

preaching to the choir. i voted against him and have seen nothing since that would make me want to have changed my vote. shame.

 

[Simster]

preaching to the choir. i voted against him and have seen nothing since that would make me want to have changed my vote. shame.

Funny. I remember you cosying up to the fat tosser back in the days when he was happy to fleece local businesses and the likes of St Johns Ambulance, but refused to accept his punishment in order to make his assets more valueable. You were right with him then, so don't come on here preaching your "I'm with the common football supporter" bollocks. You were as much of a prick as he was.