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Ken entertains "new friends" but warns of "pub speculation"

Ken Bates has warned Leeds takeover hungry supporters that although talks are "ongoing" the only place where the news matters is the official Leeds United website and not forgetting Yorkshire Radio! however yet more pictures have been circulating on Twitter this morning of him and some companions believed to be from Saturday's win over Wolves.

The pictures show Bates sat alongside a man, who looks to be of Asian/Arabic descent and his female companion in the upper East Stand yesterday. There are also pictures of the mystery man donning a Leeds bar scarves near the disabled parking bays before yesterday's win.

The pictures come despite Bates warning of the dangers of "pub speculation". On the official Leeds United website this morning, Bates announced "The real problem is that rumours have abounded inevitability. We are in negotiations with a party. We signed an exclusivity agreement to give them time to do due diligence and we're continuing negotiations.

"We are also bound by confidentiality, so we can't say anything and in the absencd of being able to say anything rumours abound.

"It's basically pub speculation that is being put out to a wider audience. I'm sorry for the fans but there is nothing more I can say at this stage, but when I can I will"Like so many aspects of modern life, like offering your best players more than half a pound of tripe and a sheepskin coat to avoid them leaving for Norwich, our dear chairman is dearly out of touch with the modern phenominum that is digital communications, media and forums.Although he does charge a couple of quid for the ridiculous, rubbish Leeds United Iphone App.

In the absence of any word from the club, including brief statements that there is no news and talks are ongoing, which has not been forthcoming until of late, it is inevitable that "self appointed self seeking publicists" (his programme notes 18.08.12) will fill t'internet with gossip.

Whilst inevitably it will annoy him, his lawyers and possibly the potential investor, surely the fact that people care about the future of our club is another reason why we do speculate as to what has been happening behind the scenes this summer in the absence of any regular and meaningful statement from the official channels?

Hopefully he will soon have plenty of time on his hands to do some silver surfing in the Internet cafes of Monaco!

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