Dear Editor,

Thank you for the recent articles on the late, great, Dick Bate. It is important to mention that Dick was a coach and director of Ross Town FC Ltd between 1999 and 2003 when Ross Town gained the highest status of any football club in the area by winning promotion to The Hellenic League Premier Division.

Sadly the club did not accept promotion as the facilities in Ross were not up to standard, and the cost of ground sharing with Cinderford Town was prohibitive, and it would have meant the club never playing in Ross.

Dick Bate, because of his standing in the football world, was able to persuade many of his illustrious acquaintances to be Guests of Honour at Ross Town’s end of season dinners.

These included, among others, the late Graham Taylor, manager of Watford, Aston Villa and England; Kenny Swain, League Championship and European Cup winner with Aston Villa; Clive Allan, prolific goal scorer for Spurs and England; Simon Grayson, Villa player and subsequently manager of six league clubs, Graham Turner, manager of Shrewsbury Town, Hereford United, Aston Villa and Wolves, and the late Dave Sexton, manager of Manchester United, Chelsea and England U21s.

Dick was not only a great football coach and a wonderful man, but a major beneficial influence in Ross Town Football Club.

Geoff Jones, Ross-on-Wye