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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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