Ted Bates (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Edric Thornton "Ted" Bates MBE
(3 May 1918 – 28 November 2003) was a former Southampton F.C.
player, manager, director and president which earned him the sobriquet Mr. Southampton.
and joined Saints on his 19th birthday in 1937, transferring from Norwich City
. He soon forced his way into the first team as a centre forward. His career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which league football was suspended in England. He initially joined the War Reserve police force, spending his time on guard duty at the Shell-Mex oil depot at Hamble
or the Pirelli-General cable works at Woolston. In the early part of the war, Bates still managed regular appearances for Saints in the wartime cups and leagues.
On 8 June 1940, Bates married Mary Smith at St. James's Church in Shirley, and that evening watched Saints play Charlton Athletic
at The Dell
. Shortly afterwards the Bates' home was bombed and they moved to West Wellow, where Mary found work with the NAAFI. Bates resigned from the War Reserve and went to work at the Folland Aircraft factory at Hamble, who also had a very good works football team which, as well as Bates, included other professional players such as Bill Dodgin
(Southampton), Harold Pond (Carlisle United
), Bert Tann
(Charlton), Dick Foss (Chelsea
), Bill Bushby
, Cliff Parker
and Bill Rochford
(all Portsmouth
). Most of these players also guested for Saints in the War leagues.
Bates' finest playing days came between 1947 and 1951 when he formed a great partnership with Charlie Wayman
.
After some declining performances on the pitch, Bates made his last first team appearance on 20 December 1952 at home to West Ham United
. During his career he made 216 appearances, scoring 64 times.
and into the national Second Division
. He achieved this in 1959 when Saints finished as Champions with Derek Reeves
hitting an amazing 39 league goals (still a record).
After a few years in the 2nd Division, Saints were promoted to the First Division
in 1966. Almost 15,000 Saints fans packed out Leyton Orient's
ground as Terry Paine
headed the goal that meant top flight football. Saints consolidated their place in the first division with young talent like Mick Channon
and Ron Davies
. In this period Saints qualified for European football twice - in 1969 and 1971.
Bates decided to step down as manager in December 1973 and was replaced by Lawrie McMenemy
. Bates acted as McMenemy's assistant for the next few years, which included the highlight of Southampton's history - an FA Cup
win in 1976. Bates was the first person to congratulate McMenemy and the players as the final whistle was blown at Wembley.
in 1998 for services to football and received the freedom of the city of Southampton
in the same year.
The first game after his death was the home match against Portsmouth
in the League Cup
and was the first derby between the two local rivals since an FA Cup
match at The Dell in 1996. A minute's silence in Bates' memory barely lasted 30 seconds after jeers and boos from fans in the away end. Those who booed and jeered were widely criticised by the media and by fellow Portsmouth fans.
on 17 March 2007. The statue cost approximately £112,000 half of which was raised by fans via the Ted Bates Trust and the other half met by Southampton Football Club.
The statue was widely criticised by supporters just hours after its uncovering, for not being in proportion or even resembling Ted Bates, so the club pledged to organise a replacement. The replacement statue was unveiled on Saturday 22 March 2008.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(3 May 1918 – 28 November 2003) was a former Southampton F.C.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
player, manager, director and president which earned him the sobriquet Mr. Southampton.
Playing career
Bates was born in ThetfordThetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
and joined Saints on his 19th birthday in 1937, transferring from Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. He soon forced his way into the first team as a centre forward. His career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which league football was suspended in England. He initially joined the War Reserve police force, spending his time on guard duty at the Shell-Mex oil depot at Hamble
Hamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location...
or the Pirelli-General cable works at Woolston. In the early part of the war, Bates still managed regular appearances for Saints in the wartime cups and leagues.
On 8 June 1940, Bates married Mary Smith at St. James's Church in Shirley, and that evening watched Saints play Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
at The Dell
The Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
. Shortly afterwards the Bates' home was bombed and they moved to West Wellow, where Mary found work with the NAAFI. Bates resigned from the War Reserve and went to work at the Folland Aircraft factory at Hamble, who also had a very good works football team which, as well as Bates, included other professional players such as Bill Dodgin
Bill Dodgin, Sr.
William "Bill" Dodgin was an English football player.Born in Gateshead, Dodgin played for Huddersfield Town, Lincoln City, Charlton Athletic, Bristol Rovers, Clapton Orient and Southampton, although his career was curtailed by the Second World War.After retiring as a player, he became coach and...
(Southampton), Harold Pond (Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
), Bert Tann
Bert Tann
Bert Tann was a football manager and player, who managed Bristol Rovers for 18 years, from 1950 to 1968. He was the longest-serving post-war manager of Rovers, and the second longest overall behind Alfred Homer.-Playing career:...
(Charlton), Dick Foss (Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
), Bill Bushby
Bill Bushby
William 'Bill' John Bushby is a former English cricketer. Bushby was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born in Southwick, Sussex....
, Cliff Parker
Cliff Parker
Henry Clifford "Cliff" Parker was an English footballer born in Denaby, Yorkshire, who played as an outside left for Doncaster Rovers and Portsmouth in the Football League. He scored twice as Portsmouth beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1 in the 1939 FA Cup Final.-References:...
and Bill Rochford
Bill Rochford
William "Bill" Rochford was a member of the Portsmouth team that won the 1939 FA Cup. He played over 100 matches for Portsmouth and for their south coast rivals, Southampton.-Playing career:...
(all Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
). Most of these players also guested for Saints in the War leagues.
Bates' finest playing days came between 1947 and 1951 when he formed a great partnership with Charlie Wayman
Charlie Wayman
Charles Wayman was an English footballer.Wayman, who was born in Chilton, Bishop Auckland, was a prolific centre-forward in the first decade after the Second World War. Newcastle United signed him from Spennymoor United in September 1941, while he was working as a miner at Chilton Colliery...
.
After some declining performances on the pitch, Bates made his last first team appearance on 20 December 1952 at home to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. During his career he made 216 appearances, scoring 64 times.
Management
After retiring from playing he became a coach at Southampton in May 1953. He was soon offered the manager's job, taking over from George Roughton in September 1955. He was set the task of getting Saints out of the (then regional) Third Division SouthFootball League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
and into the national Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. He achieved this in 1959 when Saints finished as Champions with Derek Reeves
Derek Reeves
Derek Reeves was an English footballer, born in Poole, Dorset, who played as a centre forward for Southampton and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in the Football League....
hitting an amazing 39 league goals (still a record).
After a few years in the 2nd Division, Saints were promoted to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1966. Almost 15,000 Saints fans packed out Leyton Orient's
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
ground as Terry Paine
Terry Paine
Terence Lionel Paine MBE is a former English footballer.Paine made 713 football league appearances for Southampton F.C. and 111 for Hereford United F.C...
headed the goal that meant top flight football. Saints consolidated their place in the first division with young talent like Mick Channon
Mick Channon
Michael Roger "Mick" Channon is a sportsman who enjoyed a career as a striker with Southampton and England in the 1970s and later became a hugely successful racehorse trainer.-Southampton:...
and Ron Davies
Ron Davies (footballer)
Ronald Tudor "Ron" Davies was a Welsh footballer who played as a centre forward. He spent most of his career with Southampton in the Football League First Division, and also for the Welsh national team....
. In this period Saints qualified for European football twice - in 1969 and 1971.
Bates decided to step down as manager in December 1973 and was replaced by Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club...
. Bates acted as McMenemy's assistant for the next few years, which included the highlight of Southampton's history - an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
win in 1976. Bates was the first person to congratulate McMenemy and the players as the final whistle was blown at Wembley.
Honours
Bates then joined Saints board, where he would serve as a director for another 20 years before being appointed the club's president. He was honoured with the MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1998 for services to football and received the freedom of the city of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in the same year.
Death
Bates was widely regarded as a local hero for his dedication to the club over a period of 66 years, and his death in November 2003 was widely commemorated by the club and supporters' community.The first game after his death was the home match against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and was the first derby between the two local rivals since an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match at The Dell in 1996. A minute's silence in Bates' memory barely lasted 30 seconds after jeers and boos from fans in the away end. Those who booed and jeered were widely criticised by the media and by fellow Portsmouth fans.
Ted Bates Trophy
In 2003 the Ted Bates Trophy was inaugurated with a match against Bayern Munich. It is an annual friendly match held in Ted's honour by the club he served so well, Southampton FC.Statue Controversy
A statue of Saints' greatest ever servant was unveiled outside the main entrance to St Mary's StadiumSt Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium is the home of Southampton F.C., in the city of Southampton. It is a UEFA 4-star rated stadium and with a capacity of 32,689 is the largest football stadium in the south of England, outside of London.-History:...
on 17 March 2007. The statue cost approximately £112,000 half of which was raised by fans via the Ted Bates Trust and the other half met by Southampton Football Club.
The statue was widely criticised by supporters just hours after its uncovering, for not being in proportion or even resembling Ted Bates, so the club pledged to organise a replacement. The replacement statue was unveiled on Saturday 22 March 2008.