Face from the past

Tired Old Gull · Post by **Tired Old Gull** » 29 Jan 2017, 11:07

It was good to see Mr Mike Bateson at Plainmoor yesterday morning - he was coming out with the new owner? (I assume) as I was going into the office. He even stopped to chat with a few fans who recognised him, I wonder if the HE have latched onto this yet.

wivelgull · Post by **wivelgull** » 29 Jan 2017, 11:39

One great memory of Bateson is that when, after the 1-8 home defeat by Scunthorpe, he approached the pop. side fans, to be met with howls of protest. O'Riordan was hiding in the dressing rooms!

SenorDingDong · Post by **SenorDingDong** » 29 Jan 2017, 19:58

Bateson can't be the 'former director' that GI have been speaking to, can he? He's been to no matches since 2007, it's suspicious that he'd pop up now, but the logical side of me says he was thoroughly fed up of running the club and the fans were fed up of him (for right or wrong) so GI would be making more than a stumble to bring him back into the tent as anything other than an advisor. He's certainly not an appointment that could generate positive vibes amongst the fanbase and get them on GI's side.

S4fedr1ve · Post by **S4fedr1ve** » 29 Jan 2017, 21:34

Funny how we have different views on people. I for one would be very happy to see Mike Bateson involved again. I know it all fell apart in his final year and what a mistake he made with Roberts. But I always felt up to that point with him in charge we were very stable on and off the pitch. Wouldn't mind a bit if boring stability now.

nickbrod · Post by **nickbrod** » 29 Jan 2017, 21:38

Totally agree.

kevgull · Post by **kevgull** » 29 Jan 2017, 21:40

Only Chairman in the past 15 years who could balance the books. Look how far we have fallen since his departure and that's with at least an extra 5 million ploughed into the club.
Maybe we don't need his money however his business acumen speaks for itself.

If his Grandson gets a start, you know it's odds on he's coming back.

SenorDingDong · Post by **SenorDingDong** » 29 Jan 2017, 21:51

S4fedr1ve wrote: 29 Jan 2017, 21:34 Funny how we have different views on people. I for one would be very happy to see Mike Bateson involved again. I know it all fell apart in his final year and what a mistake he made with Roberts. But I always felt up to that point with him in charge we were very stable on and off the pitch. Wouldn't mind a bit if boring stability now.

That's why I said 'for right or wrong'. Bateson always did balance the books even if it meant a number of seasons of real struggle, lack of ambition and the annual exhibition of trial days with every Tom, Dick and Harry from France/Panama/god knows where appearing a few weeks before the start of the season. Even with decent funding through Thea Bristow, we did performed worse in getting relegated than 90% of the seasons under Bateson, so he definitely has some qualities.

Despite this I distinctly remember the last few years of Bateson's ownership, fans were visibly fed up of it, especially when if we'd only invested a 5th of the David Graham money we'd have stayed up in League One during our last spell there. When Chris Roberts bought the club many people were relieved...before the reality of Roberts emerged.

If GI want to bring fans back, reinvigorate the fanbase and make a statement about the future, Mike Bateson, for all his qualities, is not the man to do so. This being said, I highly doubt he is being tapped up for that role, they were probably just talking to him about his experiences and probing him for advice.

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 29 Jan 2017, 21:57

Bateson in my opinion did a good job. I can remember hI'm saying a owner could work hard and enjoy a humble salary of 30000 to 35000 grand a year. I was at Barnet in 2001 last game and can still picture him smoking his roll ups during the game...working class bloke who knew his business and not wastefull.

Owe him a lot for some good times and sorry how it has gone so wrong since

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 29 Jan 2017, 22:07

Mike Bateson was a top bloke. Apparently he didn't really like football but I met him in the away end of a relegation six pointer at Mansfield. He was just like any other fan really, living and breathing every minute of the game, and he had a lot of time for my two young sons I had with me.

I never thought I would see the day when he turned up at Plainmoor again. Great to see he was there.

arcadia · Post by **arcadia** » 29 Jan 2017, 22:15

If all what you say is right and Brucie I believe you as you talk how it is get him back as there are not many people like that about.

Modgull · Post by **Modgull** » 30 Jan 2017, 18:17

I remember a brief chat to Mike Bateson at the end of a season when we escaped relegation on the last game and was very impressed with his passion and commitment. I too would welcome the common-sense approach to financing a football club which he brought - OK we would always struggle to get out of the fourth tier but at least we didn't sink to where we are now on his watch.

Neal · Post by **Neal** » 30 Jan 2017, 19:19

Mike Bateson also contributed on here, until he got sick of the slagging off. He got a lot of abuse for a good number of years, no wonder he couldn't wait to get out of it. He said many times football was like no other business in that it just hemorrhaged money with no guarantee of anything.

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 30 Jan 2017, 19:57

I used to have some interesting conversations with him on here. Top bloke in my opinion. Anyone who could do what he did on a shoestring knows how to run a business. Unfortunately we've had a few since then who couldn't run the proverbial piss-up in a brewery.

Post by **Eirik** » 30 Jan 2017, 20:11

Aaaah. Good old Mike Bateson. It took four minutes from we sent a request of approval for founding Torquay United Supporters Norway (Norway Gulls) until we got the OK from him. A very good friend of us and a honorary member of the Norway Gulls.

KeithMalone · Post by **KeithMalone** » 30 Jan 2017, 20:12

Great to hear some respect for Mike, certainly a case of you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Makes me wonder how successful we could have been with his business acumen and Thea's money!

I remember people always criticized him for charging interest on the loan he had to the club. Those of us who know a thing or 2 about accounts will tell you it is standard practice as it ensures people within the business don't piss money up the wall (like they did with the Bristows in charge.) and whilst it harms the club, it is a cruel to be kind measure as it acts as a safety barrier with the owner recouping something on his/her investment and Batseon never let that amount get too large to the point of it being impossible for the club to repay!

He wasn't without his downsides (the sale to Roberts, but he made that right by buying the club back off him). I'd far rather have him in charge than any of the clowns of recent years so am pleased to hear he is around the club as it may be he ensures its survival on a shoestring like he did for many years before and whilst it wasn't always pretty (finishing bottom 3 years out of 5 or something like that) you always knew with Mike in charge the club was a going concern, something that you certainly cannot say with the likes of Phillips and co.

Torquay United Fans Forum