Mike Bateson
Encyclopedia
Mike Bateson is an English
businessman and former chairman of Torquay United Football Club
.
Bateson was brought up in Blackpool
and after a spell in the Scots Guards
made his fortune selling double glazing in the South-West of England
. In May 1990, after selling his windows company, he became chairman of Torquay United and saw the side promoted to Football League Third Division
at the end of the next season, Torquay beating Blackpool
on penalties in the Football League Fourth Division
play-off
final at Wembley Stadium
, in doing so becoming the first Football League team to win promotion on penalties. However, they lasted just one season at this level before being relegated, and did not win promotion for 12 years. During those 12 years, they came close to being relegated to the Conference
on no less than three occasions (once finishing bottom of the league and only retaining their status because the Conference champions did not meet the Football League requirements for stadium capacity), though on a more positive note they did qualify for the playoffs once (in 1998), losing to Colchester United
.
In July 2002, he sparked controversy when deciding that the club's assistant manager had to be registered as a player, meaning that David Preece had to leave the club as he was retiring as a player, though Bateson admitted that the club could not afford to keep Preece on their payroll anyway. This sparked the resignation of manager Roy McFarland
soon afterwards.
Promotion from the league's basement division was at long last achieved in 2004, but relegation took place after just one season and the following year they narrowly avoided a second successive relegation.
On October 12, 2006 Bateson sold his stake in the club to a consortium headed by Chris Roberts
, ending 16 years at the club which had seen two promotions, two relegations and numerous scrapes with relegation from the Football League to the Conference
. With the deal to be completed over a four year period, Bateston retained his position as majority shareholder, though stepped away from the club.
However, Roberts resigned on February 21, 2007 amid growing criticism from all quarters. Local hotel owner Keith Richardson took over as chairman, but on March 7, 2007 it was announced that Bateson had returned as chairman. He immediately restored his wife Sue to a Director's post, promoted his daughter Debbie, wife of former Torquay player, groundsman and coach Richard Hancox
, to managing director and reappointed three locally based directors who had resigned as a protest over Roberts' handling of the club.
In May 2007, after Torquay's relegation to the Conference National
, Bateson stood down as chairman of Torquay United, with Mervyn Benney taking over. Later that month he agreed to sell his stake in the club to a consortium headed by Cris Boyce, son of former Torquay United chairman, Tony Boyce.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
businessman and former chairman of Torquay United Football Club
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
.
Bateson was brought up in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
and after a spell in the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
made his fortune selling double glazing in the South-West of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In May 1990, after selling his windows company, he became chairman of Torquay United and saw the side promoted to Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
at the end of the next season, Torquay beating Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on penalties in the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
play-off
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
final at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, in doing so becoming the first Football League team to win promotion on penalties. However, they lasted just one season at this level before being relegated, and did not win promotion for 12 years. During those 12 years, they came close to being relegated to the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
on no less than three occasions (once finishing bottom of the league and only retaining their status because the Conference champions did not meet the Football League requirements for stadium capacity), though on a more positive note they did qualify for the playoffs once (in 1998), losing to Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
.
In July 2002, he sparked controversy when deciding that the club's assistant manager had to be registered as a player, meaning that David Preece had to leave the club as he was retiring as a player, though Bateson admitted that the club could not afford to keep Preece on their payroll anyway. This sparked the resignation of manager Roy McFarland
Roy McFarland
Roy Leslie McFarland is an English football manager who was also a player, notably at Derby County where he played 434 league games helping him to earn 28 caps for England.-Playing career:...
soon afterwards.
Promotion from the league's basement division was at long last achieved in 2004, but relegation took place after just one season and the following year they narrowly avoided a second successive relegation.
On October 12, 2006 Bateson sold his stake in the club to a consortium headed by Chris Roberts
Chris Roberts (chairman)
Chris Roberts is an English businessman, who served as chairman of Torquay United Football Club between October 2006 and February 2007.-Torquay United chairmanship:...
, ending 16 years at the club which had seen two promotions, two relegations and numerous scrapes with relegation from the Football League to the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. With the deal to be completed over a four year period, Bateston retained his position as majority shareholder, though stepped away from the club.
However, Roberts resigned on February 21, 2007 amid growing criticism from all quarters. Local hotel owner Keith Richardson took over as chairman, but on March 7, 2007 it was announced that Bateson had returned as chairman. He immediately restored his wife Sue to a Director's post, promoted his daughter Debbie, wife of former Torquay player, groundsman and coach Richard Hancox
Richard Hancox
Richard Hancox is an English former professional footballer, and is married to the daughter of former Torquay United chairman Mike Bateson. He currently coaches at Plymouth Argyle. He has held various roles at Torquay United in his career.-Career:Hancox was born in Stourbridge and first joined...
, to managing director and reappointed three locally based directors who had resigned as a protest over Roberts' handling of the club.
In May 2007, after Torquay's relegation to the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, Bateson stood down as chairman of Torquay United, with Mervyn Benney taking over. Later that month he agreed to sell his stake in the club to a consortium headed by Cris Boyce, son of former Torquay United chairman, Tony Boyce.