Tributes paid to ex-Shrews and Stoke manager Bates
After joining Salop as a player from Stourbridge in 1974, Bates played for the team for two stints, making nearly 300 appearances before being promoted to manager in 1984 when Graham Turner left for Wolves.
He led Shrewsbury to their highest-ever league finish in the 1984–85 season, eighth in the Second Division, and he continued to manage the team until 1987, taking on caretaker manager roles before retiring from football in 2004.
In the early 1990s, Bates also served as Lou Macari’s assistant at Stoke. When the team relocated to Britannia Stadium in 1997, Bates took over as manager.
Arriving from non-league Stourbridge, Bates began a 50-year relationship with Shrewsbury as a manager, coach, player, and fan.
He scored 17 goals in his debut season, leading his club achieve promotion to Division Three, and his goalscoring heroics led to his being recruited by Swindon Town for £30,000 in 1977.
Two years later, Bates completed a second stint at Shrewsbury, making 160 more appearances before taking over as manager.
He was frequently spotted in the Croud Meadow, where he watched his team play, after being elected into Salop’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
Bates’ “family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time” were in the club’s thoughts.
Bates was referred to as a “absolute legend of the football club” by former Shrewsbury defender Darren Moss.
“[He was] A true gentleman and a brilliant guy to be around,” he continued. He will be sorely missed, and I was honored to have him around. Chic, you will always be remembered. RIP.
Stoke City also conveyed their condolences to Bates’ family ones, stating that he had been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s in 2013.
The 75-year-old had been assistant manager to Macari in the 1990s when the Potters claimed the English Football League Trophy and won the Division Two title.
He and Macari also collaborated briefly at Celtic before they returned to Stoke to guide the team to the 1995–96 Division One playoffs.
Following a few months as manager, Bates worked as an assistant to Alan Durban and Chris Kamara.
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