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Known as the super-sub from Don Revie's team, Mick Bates was an
excellent midfielder who could have commanded a regular place in
just about any other team of the time, but he stayed at Leeds for
12 years. He didn't score many goals but one of the nine that he
did get was hugely important for the club. Having just come off the
bench in Turin, he scored a vital goal in the first leg of the
InterCity Fairs Cup Final. Leeds drew that game 2-2 and went on to
take the trophy on away goals.
In the 1973-74 championship season, he missed out on much of the
run-in after tearing his cartilage on an icy pitch at QPR. He
finally recovered and was back in the side halfway through the
1974-75 season, but damaged the same knee in a pre-match warm-up.
He played on through that game, but the damage had been done and he
was out for the rest of the season. The calamity kid was poised for
a comeback in a pre-season game that summer, but his knee went
again and he had a final op which revealed his carilage had been
split across the middle, so it was back to the physio to recover,
and he didn't return to the first team until March 1976, two years
after the original injury.
That was to be his final season at Leeds, and on his departure
he moved around several lower division clubs before retiring from
the game in 1981.
drooper says: He played for Worksop Town for a while in the 80's
didnt he??
Kevin Carrick says: Mick was born in Armthorpe near Doncaster
Yorkshire, same birthplace as Kevin Keegan I am loosely related to
him through my Father. Mick went to the same school as myself. I
have faint memories faint of Mick playing for the school. Mick once
turned up in the Plough Inn in Armthorpe during his early Leeds
years. Remembering having an orange juice and then leaving in his
new car. Havn't see Mick since that day but have followed
particularly his Leeds years. Where is he now?
Mick Bates says: Kevin - I do remember you from school. I am
retired now. I was looking at your site and I agree with all your
information but I was wondering where you got your information
about my appearances for Doncaster Rovers. Jabba says: most of the
post-war info comes from my old Rothmans yearbooks, programmes and
other reference books.
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