Bates denies Owls bid

Bates not buying: Chelsea chairman denies interest in Sheffield Wednesday

Chelsea chairman Ken Bates today denied that he is making a bid for Sheffield Wednesday.

A report on BBC Radio Sheffield claimed that Bates had met with Wednesday chairman Dave Allen recently to discuss the possibility of buying the debt-ridden Division Two team.

A club spokesman said: 'We received an informal inquiry three to four weeks ago and that's as far as it has gone.'

Bates is extremely close to the former Wednesday chairman Dave Richards, who is now the independent chairman of the Premier League. Bates said that Richards had asked him to look at the situation at Hillsborough as a favour and give advice on how to tackle the club's £24million debt.

Bates said: 'I said I would do that to help David and I spoke with the board.

'I was happy to give advice but before I could do that, I asked if I could see the books because I needed to know what the exact situation was at the club. When the figures did not arrive I was then told that they could not release them. I was not asked to put any offer in writing. That is just not true. I was asked to give advice, that was it. Just as Chelsea are linked with buying every player, so I am being linked with every club.'

Speculation has surrounded Bates's Chelsea future since the axing of his famous programme notes two weeks ago by the new regime at the club.

He has already been linked with moves for Millwall and QPR but new chief executive Peter Kenyon has publicly assured Bates he still as role to play at the club.

Although he remains chairman, Bates has no stake in the club after selling his shares to Roman Abramovich last summer for £17m. The club had debts of £80m.

If he were interested in buying another club, he would have to resign as Chelsea chairman. Under Premier League and Football Association rules he could not act as a director in one club with a major stake in another.

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