Bates was never far from controversy, especially in the mid-’80s when he erected a 12ft 12-volt electric fence around Stamford Bridge to prevent pitch invasions – but was then refused permission by Greater London Council to switch it on, citing safety grounds.
In 1991, Chelsea were fined £105,000 for alleged illegal payments to players. Bates resigned from the Football League management committee.
He regarded one of his most significant achievements at Chelsea as securing Stamford Bridge as the club’s home before developing it into a luxury all-seater stadium with a 40,000-plus capacity.
It came after a long-running legal battle with property developers Marler Estates, which owned a substantial part of the stadium’s freehold. He then started the Chelsea Pitch Owners scheme, sharing out ownership of the land with fans, ensuring Stamford Bridge would not be in similar peril again.
This, in many respects, was as important as the success Chelsea eventually enjoyed during his tenure.
Bates was helped in his quest to bring the best players to Chelsea by the investment of Matthew Harding, who became a director in 1993 and eventually vice-chairman.
Glenn Hoddle was appointed player-manager in June 1993 as the club became increasingly fashionable, doing well enough to be appointed England manager two years later.
Harding was a lifelong Chelsea fan who yearned for a return of the club’s glory days, initially providing £5m for Stamford Bridge’s renovation, then more money for players, but often clashed with Bates over the direction and power base of the club, eventually being banned from the Chelsea boardroom in 1995.
Amid bitterness, the pair never reconciled before Harding’s death in a helicopter crash returning from a League Cup tie at Bolton Wanderers.
Bates sacked Gullit, who had won the FA Cup the previous season, in February 1998 after their relationship suffered a fracture – with claims that the manager learned of his sacking via Teletext.
Vialli replaced Gullit, bringing that European Cup Winners’ Cup success to Chelsea, as well as an FA Cup final victory against Aston Villa in 2000.
Bates wielded the axe ruthlessly after Chelsea won only one of their first five league games the following season, although the decision brought heavy criticism from Pierluigi Casiraghi, the Italian striker bought by Vialli whose career was ended by injury.
He said: “Ken Bates does not know the meaning of gratitude. He is arrogant and has made a mistake.”
Even Bates’ programme notes were required reading as he settled scores in print and used them to mount a fierce defence of either personal criticism or criticism of the club.
Claudio Ranieri was Bates’ final managerial appointment before selling to Abramovich, saying the deal would “take Chelsea to the next level” – which it duly did.
It turned out to be one of defining moments in Premier League history, as a succession of rich foreign owners bought in.
