BACK PAGE: 1991

CHELSEA chairman Ken Bates made a hasty exit as a Football League hearing into irregular payments to players descended into farce.

Bates was being grilled by a commission, but, by 7pm, he had had enough and slipped out of the Manchester hotel to catch a flight to London, leaving the panel forced to delay the result of the hearing. Bates was questioned over payments to Graham Roberts and Kerry Dixon.