Former Chelsea and Leeds owner Ken Bates dies at 94
Why it matters: Bates bought Chelsea for £1 in 1982, helped keep Stamford Bridge under club control and later sold the team in 2003.
Ken Bates, the former owner and chairman of Chelsea and later principal owner of Leeds United, has died at 94. Bates became one of English soccer's most divisive and influential executives after buying Chelsea for £1 in 1982, when the club was deep in debt and facing serious decline. During more than two decades at Stamford Bridge, he oversaw the club's survival, redevelopment of the stadium and a rise back into domestic and European contention before selling Chelsea to Roman Abramovich in 2003. Bates later took control at Leeds in 2005 and remained there until 2013. He was also involved in the Football Association and the Wembley Stadium project, while his time in the game was repeatedly marked by public feuds and controversy.