Ken Bates and Olympia Looping: Difference between pages

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{{Orphan|date=November 2006}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox roller coaster
|name = Ken Bates
|name=Olympia Looping
|image =
|image=Muenchen-Oktoberfest-bjs2005-02.jpg <!--Use ONLY the filename, not a full [[Image:]] link-->
|image_size =
|caption =
|caption=
|location=Portable <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
|birth_name = Kenneth William Bates
|section= <!--Must not be linked.-->
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1931|12|4}}
|type=Steel <!--Must be "Steel" or "Wood", nothing else. Must not be linked.-->
|birth_place = [[Ealing]], [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
|type2= <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
|death_date =
|type3= <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
|death_place =
|status=
|death_cause =
|opened=
|resting_place =
|closed=
|resting_place_coordinates =
|manufacturer=Anton Schwarzkopf <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
|residence =
|designer=[[Werner Stengel]]
|nationality = [[British people|British]]
|model=
|other_names =
|track=
|known_for = chairman of [[Leeds United A.F.C.]]<br />former owner and chairman of [[Chelsea F.C.]]
|lift=[[Drive tire]] [[lift hill]]
|education =
|height=110 <!--Must be expressed in feet and may contain only numeric characters.-->
|alma_mater =
|drop=99 <!--Must be expressed in feet and may contain only numeric characters.-->
|employer =
|length=4101 <!--Must be expressed in feet and may contain only numeric characters.-->
|occupation = [[Businessman]]
|speed=52 <!--Must be expressed in miles per hour and may contain only numeric characters.-->
|home_town =
|inversions=5
|title =
|duration=1:45
|salary =
|angle=52 <!--Do not include "degrees", it is added automatically.-->
|networth =
|capacity=
|height =
|cost=
|weight =
|acceleration=
|term =
|gforce=5.2
|predecessor =
|restriction=45 <!--Must be expressed in inches and may contain only numeric characters.-->
|successor =
|rcdb_number= <!--The number in the URL of the coaster's RCDB page-->
|party =
|boards =
|religion =
|spouse =
|partner =
|children =
|parents =
|relations =
|signature =
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
}}
'''Olympia Looping''' is a [[Portable roller coaster|portable]] [[Steel roller coaster|steel]] [[roller coaster]] built by [[Anton Schwarzkopf]]. It is the largest portable roller coaster in the world, and the only one with 5 loops. It appears at many [[carnival]]s in [[Germany]], most notably the [[Oktoberfest]]. Olympia Looping is named for its 5 vertical loops, which resemble the [[Olympic rings]]. Although these loops are [[clothoid]]-shaped their shape is closer to circular than the loops on most other roller coasters so they exert unusually high [[g-force|''g''-forces]] on the passengers (up to 5.2 g<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympia-looping.de |title=Olympia Looping homepage (in German) |accessdate=2007-09-10}}</ref>). The entire structure weighs 875 [[ton]]s and requires a space 85 meters wide by 36 meters deep.
'''Kenneth William "Ken" Bates''' (born [[4 December]] [[1931]]) is a [[British people|British]] [[businessman]] and [[association football|football]] executive. The current chairman of [[Leeds United Football Club Limited]] and [[Leeds United A.F.C.]], Bates was previously chairman and major shareholder of [[Chelsea F.C.]] from 1982 until 2004. An outspoken character who relishes conflict,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/3528775.stm |title=Thoughts of chairman Ken |accessdate=2006-10-31 |date=[[21 January]] [[2005]] |work=Phil McNulty |publisher=BBC Sport}} </ref> he is one of the most controversial figures in [[football in England|English football]].


It was most notably ridden by Joseph Grigg on the eve of Saturday 20th September 2008.
==Biography==
Bates was born in Ealing in 1931. . His mother died shortly afterwards and his father absconded, so he was raised by his grandparents in a council flat. He grew up supporting [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] but was unsuccessful in pursuing a playing career in football. He made his personal fortune in the [[haulage]] industry and later moved into [[quarrying]], [[ready-mix concrete]] and [[dairy]] [[farming]]. He was involved with various other enterprises during the 1960s and 1970s, including a project on the [[British Virgin Islands]] and setting up the [[Irish Trust Bank]], which was completed in 1976, leaving thousands of investors [[Out-of-pocket expenses|out-of-pocket]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4385252-103,00.html |title=Interview with Ken Bates |accessdate=2006-08-25 |date=[[1 April]] [[2002]] |work=Roy Collins |publisher=Guardian Unlimited}} </ref> Twice married, he has five children. He spent five years as chairman of [[Oldham Athletic F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] during the 1970s and also had a spell at [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]].

He currently resides in [[Monaco]] as a [[tax exile]]. He is however, under [[UK law]], allowed to visit the country for a maximum of 90 days in a calendar year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/faqs_general.htm#3nr |title=HM Revenue & Customs: Non-Residents: Frequently Asked Questions |accessdate=2007-07-05 |publisher=[[HMRC]]}} </ref>

===Chelsea F.C.===
Bates purchased Chelsea F.C. in 1982 for £1. When he purchased the club they were in serious financial trouble, and threatened with [[relegation]] to the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]], as well being tarnished by a notorious [[hooligan]] element among their support. He fought (and, through sheer persistence, eventually won) a long-running legal battle with [[Real estate developer|property developers]], Marler Estates, who had purchased a substantial portion of the [[Fee simple|freehold]] of [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]], Chelsea's home ground. He re-united the freehold with the club (and thus secured its future) after Marler's [[bankruptcy]] following a market crash, which allowed him to do a deal with their banks and create the [[Chelsea Pitch Owners]], an organisation set-up to stave off future developers. He also did much to rid the club of its hooligan problem, made a public show of support for [[Paul Canoville]] who, as Chelsea's first black player, had been targeted for racist abuse by a section of the support, and attempted to make the club more financially viable.

Bates' time at Chelsea was nothing if not controversial. Nine managers came and went, several of whom were sacked in contentious circumstances.<ref>{{cite news |
date=[[1998-02-13]] |
url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1998/02/13/sfnche13.html |
title=Gullit consigned to history |
publisher=The Telegraph |
accessdate=2007-02-05 |
author=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |
date=[[2000-09-12]] |
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/922110.stm |
title=Vialli sacked as Chelsea boss |
publisher=BBC |
accessdate=2007-02-05 |
author=}}</ref> He alienated many of the club's supporters by proposing that [[electric fence]]s be used to keep them off the pitch - though in the event his planning application was rejected by the [[Greater London Council|GLC]] on the grounds of [[health and safety]] - and then by banning several members of Chelsea's successful 1970s side, such as [[Ron Harris (footballer)|Ron Harris]] and [[Peter Osgood]], for perceived criticism of his methods. His match-day programme notes, in which he often attacked various individuals, were also controversial. In 2002 he was sued for [[libel]] by Chelsea supporter David Johnstone after describing fans' group, the ''Chelsea Independent Supporters Association'', as parasites; Bates eventually settled out of court.<ref>{{cite book | author=Glanvill, Rick | title=Chelsea FC: The Official Biography - The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years| publisher=Headline Book Publishing Ltd| year=2006| id=ISBN 0-7553-1466-2}}, p. 108</ref>

During the 1990s, he was involved in a bitter dispute with Chelsea benefactor and vice-chairman, [[Matthew Harding]], over the club's future direction, which led to Harding being banned from the Chelsea boardroom. The dispute was ultimately only ended by Harding's death in a [[helicopter]] crash in 1996. Bates sparked further controversy by later describing Harding as an "evil man".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1997/10/20/sfnche20.html |title=Fans upset over Bates' comments |accessdate=2006-08-18 |date=[[20 October]] [[1997]] |work=John Ley |publisher=The Daily Telegraph}} </ref> In January 2000, following a 5th Round [[FA Cup]] tie defeat by Chelsea for his [[Leicester City]] side, [[Martin O'Neill]] voiced the thoughts of many in a press room outburst. O'Neill said: 'On top of everything, you get footballing cretins like Ken Bates writing in his programme notes that we would come along and play for penalties.' Bates' response was it "takes one to know one."

By the end of his chairmanship Stamford Bridge had been substantially refurbished and modernised, while he had become (at the time) Chelsea's most successful chairman. The club had won several major trophies and were consistently finishing in the top six of the [[FA Premier League|Premiership]], with a top-class playing squad containing the likes of [[Gianfranco Zola]] and [[Marcel Desailly]]. However, its future was threatened by an estimated debt burden of £80 million. In 2003 he sold the club to [[Russia]]n oil billionaire [[Roman Abramovich]], making a £17million profit. After the takeover Bates was investigated by the [[Financial Services Agency|FSA]] for allegedly owning undeclared shares in Chelsea Village plc, but the case was eventually dropped.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,5339498-103,00.html |title=How watchdog inquiry left Bates unruffled |accessdate=2006-08-25 |date=[[25 November]] [[2005]] |work=David Conn |publisher=Guardian Unlimited}} </ref> He stayed on as club chairman until March 2004, when he announced his resignation. Within a couple of weeks of his departure he was back in the limelight as he wrote a one off column in the [[Bolton Wanderers]] matchday programme, ironically and somewhat incidentally against Chelsea.

===FA and Wembley Stadium===
Bates was an active member of [[the Football Association]] Executive and was involved in the early stages of the project to rebuild [[Wembley Stadium]] and was appointed chairman of Wembley National Stadium Ltd in 1997. He resigned in 2001, citing a lack of support from the board<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/search_for_a_new_wembley/1160115.stm |title=Bates quits Wembley project |accessdate=2006-08-18 |date=[[8 February]] [[2001]] |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC}} </ref>. Irked at the lack of progress, he later suggested that the best way to move the project forward was to shoot then-[[Minister for Sport]], [[Kate Hoey]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soccernet.com/england/news/2001/0503/20010503bateshoey.html |title=Bates blasts interfering Hoey |accessdate=2006-08-18 |date=[[3 May]] [[2001]] |work=Richard Gibson |publisher=ESPN soccernet}} </ref>

===Leeds United A.F.C.===
In January 2005, after failing in a bid to invest in [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], Bates became the principal owner and chairman of then struggling [[Football League Championship|Championship]] team, [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]] purchasing 50% of the club. He was quoted as saying that he wanted "one last challenge".

Bates had a dispute with former club, Chelsea, having accused them of "[[tapping-up]]" three Leeds youth players, accusations denied by Chelsea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=406536&CPID=8&clid=8&lid=&title=Bates+issues+Chelsea+ultimatum |title=Bates issues Chelsea ultimatum |accessdate=2006-08-18 |date=[[30 July]] [[2006]] |work=Alex Dunn |publisher=Sky Sports}} </ref> Chelsea in turn reported Bates to the [[The Football Association|FA]] for his comment that the current Chelsea directors are "a bunch of shysters from [[Siberia]]", an alleged [[anti-semitic]] remark about Abramovich, something denied by Bates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=410518&CPID=8&clid=8&lid=&title=Blues+make+Bates+complaint |title=Blues make Bates complaint |accessdate=2006-08-18 |date=[[17 August]] [[2006]] |work=Simon Fudge |publisher=Sky Sports}} </ref> Upon hearing that Chelsea had reported him, Bates said "I haven’t laughed so much since Ma caught her tits in the mangle."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1853064,00.html |title=Bates laughs off anti-semitic claims |accessdate=2006-08-25 |date=[[18 August]] [[2006]] |work=Paul Doyle |publisher=Guardian Unlimited}} </ref> The FA also agreed with Bates stating that he had no case to answer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/5260994.stm |title=FA opts not to take Bates action |accessdate=2006-09-29 |date=[[29 September]] [[2006]] |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC}} </ref> His own club Leeds have themselves come under scrutiny after non-league team [[Farsley Celtic A.F.C.|Farsley Celtic]] accused Leeds of improperly signing youngsters from them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leedstoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=46&ArticleID=1712083 |title=By the way Ken... |accessdate=2006-08-25 |date=[[22 August]] [[2006]] |work=Wendy Walker |publisher=Yorkshire Evening Post}} </ref> The case brought against [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] was eventually dropped after the two clubs agreed to a settlement privately.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6094394.stm |title=Leeds agree to Chelsea settlement |accessdate=2006-10-31 |date=[[28 October]] [[2006]] |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC}} </ref>

Bates plans to eventually re-purchase Leeds' home stadium, [[Elland Road]], and the [[Wetherby Rural District|Thorpe Arch]] training-ground.<ref>{{cite web |url=hhttp://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leedsunited/Leeds-deny-ground-bid-.4159235.jp |title=Leeds deny ground bid |accessdate=2008-06-06 |date=[[06 June]] [[2008]] |work=Yorkshire Post}}</ref>

In May 2007, with Leeds United entering administration, it was announced that [[KPMG]] acting as the administrator had agreed to sell the club to a newly-formed company called [[Leeds United Football Club Limited]] of which Bates is one of three directors. During the summer he became unpopular with groups of fans. Protests were held at games ordering the Chairman to resign.
Kneb Bates is expected to sell the club to Mike Ashley in the next couple of weeks.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


{{Commons|Olympia Looping}}
{{start box}}
{{s-bus}}
{{succession box |
title=[[Chelsea F.C.]] chairman |
before= [[Charles Cadogan, 8th Earl Cadogan|The Viscount Chelsea]] |
after= [[Bruce Buck]] |
years=1982 &ndash; 2004}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Gerald Krasner]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Leeds United A.F.C.]] chairman|years= 2005 &ndash; present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{end box}}


{{ride-stub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Ken}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Ealing]]
[[Category:English businesspeople]]
[[Category:English football chairmen and investors]]
[[Category:Chelsea F.C. chairmen and investors]]
[[Category:Chairmen of Leeds United A.F.C.]]
[[Category:Chairmen of Oldham Athletic F.C.]]
[[Category:Chairmen of Wigan Athletic F.C.]]


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Revision as of 12:02, 10 October 2008

Olympia Looping
Portable
LocationPortable
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerAnton Schwarzkopf
DesignerWerner Stengel
Lift/launch systemDrive tire lift hill
Inversions5
Duration1:45
Max vertical angle52°
G-force5.2

Olympia Looping is a portable steel roller coaster built by Anton Schwarzkopf. It is the largest portable roller coaster in the world, and the only one with 5 loops. It appears at many carnivals in Germany, most notably the Oktoberfest. Olympia Looping is named for its 5 vertical loops, which resemble the Olympic rings. Although these loops are clothoid-shaped their shape is closer to circular than the loops on most other roller coasters so they exert unusually high g-forces on the passengers (up to 5.2 g[1]). The entire structure weighs 875 tons and requires a space 85 meters wide by 36 meters deep.

It was most notably ridden by Joseph Grigg on the eve of Saturday 20th September 2008.

References

  1. ^ "Olympia Looping homepage (in German)". Retrieved 2007-09-10.
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