Blowing the whistle on middlemen: Correction: Ken Bates and Chelsea FC: an apology

IN our article dated 2 November 1993 headed 'Blowing the whistle on middlemen' we inadvertently suggested that Chelsea Football Club Ltd and its chairman, Ken Bates, had made illegal or improper payments on a huge scale and that having been exposed Chelsea were forced to pay a huge sum to the Inland Revenue in order to avoid legal proceedings.

We accept that there is no foundation to these allegations whatsoever and apologise to Mr Bates and Chelsea Football Club. The Independent has agreed to pay appropriate damages to Mr Bates and Chelsea as compensation for this libel.