Bates predicts doomsday for football finance

By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent Leeds chairman Ken Bates has predicted a doomsday scenario for football in 2012 and thinks that banks will finally stop supporting financially-crippled clubs. GettyImagesKen Bates: Back at Leeds. Bates, 80, has owned Oldham, Wigan, Chelsea and now Leeds, as well as serving on various Football League committees and acting as a major force behind the scenes within the FA and Premier League. There have long been forecasts of doom and gloom for the financial side of the game and Bates, whose club take on Arsenal in Monday's big FA Cup tie on ESPN, is certain that it will come to a head this year. "The s**t is about to hit the proverbial fan in football this year, mark my words,''