Fizz and chips with Chelsea’s Ken Bates | Chelsea

On my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary in 1999, we celebrated at one of the restaurants at Chelsea’s stadium, Stamford Bridge. On being told this, the club’s chairman, Ken Bates – who died last weekend – and his partner came down from their flat and bought pink champagne for all of us. Ken asked one of the great-grandchildren for a chip. The child, Matthew, said no, but when offered £1 for it, agreed to the transaction. Ken then wrote a promissory note on a napkin to guarantee him a position in Chelsea’s finance department.
Colin Sweeney
London