1931 Born 4 December in Ealing, west London. Makes his personal fortune from a ready-mix concrete business and dairy farming and was briefly chairman of Oldham in the 1960s, as well as buying control of Wigan in 1981. 1982
 | | Stamford Bridge |
Buys Chelsea Football Club for £1, albeit taking on significant debts in the process. 1985 The Football Association and the Greater London Council reject his proposals for electrified fencing to deter hooligans. 1986 Joins Football League management committee and submits planning application to rebuild Stamford Bridge as a new stadium, rather than an opposing bid to build flats. 1991 Chelsea fined £105,000 for alleged illegal payments to players. Bates resigns from the Football League management committee. 1992 Forms Chelsea Village Ltd after winning his battle for control of Stamford Bridge. Under Bates, the transformation of the ground begins and a hotel is built backing on to the stadium. 1993
 | | Glenn Hoddle |
Appoints Glenn Hoddle as manager, the decision which sparks Chelsea's recovery and they reach the FA Cup final in 1994 only to lose to Manchester United. 1994 Matthew Harding appointed to the Chelsea board after Bates called for new investors. 1996 Harding, having been elevated to chairman of Chelsea Village plc, dies in helicopter crash. 1997 Bates joins the board of Wembley National Stadium Limited. His vision for Wembley is later scaled down by the Football Association. Chelsea win the FA Cup under Ruud Gullit. 1998 Bates sacks Gullit. Chelsea win the European Cup Winners' Cup and Coca-Cola Cup under new boss Gianluca Vialli. 2000 Chelsea reach the Champions League quarter-finals only to lose to Barcelona. Vialli is sacked four months after leading Chelsea to FA Cup success. Claudio Ranieri is appointed in his place. 2001
 | | Roman Abramovich |
Bates resign from the board of WNSL. 2003 In July, Bates sells his controlling stake in Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £17m. Bates remains as club chairman. 2004 Thursday 4 March - Bates announces his decision to step down as Chelsea Football Club chairman, having already been replaced as chairman of the Chelsea Village parent company. Thursday 25 March - Announces his willingness to invest upwards of £10million in Sheffield Wednesday if given access to the club's financial records. But the interest is resisted by chairman Dave Allen. 2005 Friday 21 January - Leeds United confirm that Ken Bates has completed a £10m takeover of the club. | 
