http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/viewarticle.aspx?sectionid=117&articleid=2858206
How Wise 'was left to clean up mess' By Richard Sutcliffe EXCLUSIVE: Ken Bates tells Richard Sutcliffe why he strongly disputes United's former manager's claim that he would have kept the Elland Road club up. KEN BATES has revealed for the first time the extent of the dressing room unrest Dennis Wise encountered on taking charge of Leeds United. The former Millwall manager assumed control at Elland Road in October with United sitting 23rd in the Championship table after a dreadful run of five straight defeats that saw 18 goals conceded. Rumours of a split dressing room were circulating at the time and one of Wise's first moves was to strip Paul Butler of the captaincy and appoint Kevin Nicholls in his place. The switch did little to improve matters, however, with Nicholls having the captain's armband taken off him later in the season by Wise after requesting a return move to Luton Town. Bates believes former manager Kevin Blackwell, who was sacked in September with United second bottom in the table, had lost control of the dressing room. The Leeds chairman was, therefore, furious to read claims by Blackwell, now in charge of Luton, last week that had he remained in charge then the club's first relegation from the top two divisions would have been avoided. Bates said: "I am not in the excuse-making business, unlike Mr Blackwell. But we would have been relegated in December if he had been still here. He had lost control of the dressing room. It was in disarray. "The day Dennis Wise took over, he called (then captain) Paul Butler in. I had suggested to Blackwell to change his captain, but he said 'no'. I think he was frightened of him. "Dennis called Butler in and said he was taking the captaincy off him. Dennis then asked 'do you want to stay?', to which Butler said yes. "Dennis then said 'so why did you text another manager and say 'get me out of this club'. There was a silence and I think Butler denied it. But he had made a mistake because Dennis then said 'the text went to my best friend, that's why you are not captain any more'." Leeds have endured a chaotic season with 44 players having appeared for the club, more than a third of which have been on loan. Relegation is certain to lead to a clearout with only nine senior first-team players being contracted beyond the summer, including the likes of David Healy and Richard Cresswell who are certain to be targeted by other clubs. Bates said: "It is a clean sheet. Dennis knows already who is going. Some of them we don't want, some are at the end of their contracts and some do not want to play in League One. They do not have the heart for the fight. Dennis knows who falls into that category. "We had a big meeting last Tuesday and there is another meeting planned for Tuesday this week. "Every player who comes in will be one Dennis wants. The players will then be brought back on July 2 for a proper pre-season. "That was at the root of this season's problems. The number of injuries we have picked up this season show that. Dennis says you never make up your pre-season training if you do not do it." This summer will see the burden of having to pay a host of ex-players finally come to an end, while the last remnant of the Peter Ridsdale era, Gary Kelly, is to retire after 16 seasons at Elland Road. This will ease the wage bill considerably as United prepare for a first season outside the top two divisions. Bates said: "Kelly costs us £2m a year. "At the beginning of the season, (United chief executive) Shaun Harvey went to Gary Kelly and said 'can you help us by taking a cut? You have had five years of this'. His agent came back and said he would come down from the £4,000 appearance money he was on to £2,000. But if Leeds were promoted, we would have to give him the £2,000 per game back." Ridsdale has tried to distance himself from the mess he left behind at Elland Road in March 2003, and Bates clearly has little time for the claims by the current Cardiff City chairman that United's predicament is the fault of others. The Leeds chief said: "It is Ridsdale's fault that this club is in this state. He was the chairman who borrowed the money and wasted it. Now he is blaming (then manager) David O'Leary, but O'Leary did not sign the cheques. "When he became chairman (of Cardiff), they were five points clear. Now they have not qualified for the play-offs. Maybe he should concentrate on his own performance." 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