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LEEDS UNITED NEWS
Picture Morris wants to redevelop Elland Road.

MORRIS STEPS UP LEEDS BID

By Mark Walker, PA Sport

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Simon Morris has stepped up his campaign to take control of Leeds United by launching saveleeds.com, a website for fans to voice their ideas on the best way forward.

Local property developer Morris tabled a £10million bid for Leeds last week, with a further £25million cash injection to bring financial stability to the club, which has debts of £35million.

Morris, hoping to generate support for his takeover plans, believes saveleeds.com will provide fans with the ideal site to air their views on how best to turn around the relegated club's fortunes.

The 30-year-old said: "Leeds fans deserve a big say in the redevelopment of our club.

"We are sure they will provide a rich seam of schemes and plans. We are very keen to hear from them."

Morris, chief executive of SR Morris Group, plans to develop land around Elland Road and build a new 50,000 all-seater stadium as part of a £400million entertainment complex.

Morris was the leading shareholder in the Yorkshire consortium that were in charge at Elland Road for 10 months from March 2004.

Leeds went into administration with debts of £35million 10 days ago following a winding-up order issued by the Inland Revenue, who are owed £5million in unpaid taxes.

The business was, with the administrators' approval, almost immediately bought by a new company, Leeds United Football Club Limited, of which Ken Bates is a listed director.

But the sale is subject to approval by the club's creditors at a meeting later this month and also by the Football League, while SR Morris and other consortia are aiming to ambush Bates' plans to resume control of the club.

Another interested party fronted by Duncan Revie has confirmed they want to open takeover talks with Leeds chairman Bates.

Revie, son of legendary former manager Don Revie who moulded Leeds into one of Europe's most feared teams during the 1960s and 70s, declared his interest in taking control at Elland Road last week.

Revie, who heads Soccerex, a football conventions and forums company, claims finances are not a problem as the Dubai-based Maktoum family are among his backers.

His spokesperson Faith Taylor said: "We spoke to Duncan this morning and he can confirm the reports that he wants to sit down and start talks with Ken Bates."

It has also been reported that two Irish-based consortiums have approached recently-retired Leeds defender Gary Kelly about fronting their potential bids, while former West Ham chairman Terence Brown has also expressed his interest in the fallen Yorkshire giants.

A spokesperson for Leeds' administrators, accountancy firm KPMG, confirmed that a date for the creditors' meeting will be announced "within the next 48 hours".

Morris has also written to Sports Minister Richard Caborn and Leeds MP Colin Burgon seeking a meeting with them to discuss his plans for Leeds.

Mr Burgon, Labour MP for Elmet, has voiced his concerns to Mr Caborn about the speed with which the club's administrators agreed to sell the business and its assets to a new company headed up by Bates.

KPMG's decision was announced minutes after its appointment earlier this month.

Morris said: "We've asked the sports minister and Mr Burgon for a meeting because we're serious about our bid for Leeds United.

"We want to give them a full understanding of our position.

"I've been a Leeds fan all my life. We want to give Leeds a landmark stadium that will make the city the premier location for sport and leisure in the region."

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