Andy Bates
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Brian Bates | ||
| Date of birth | Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "?". 1930Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "?".Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "?". | ||
| Place of birth | England | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1945-? | United | ||
| National team | |||
| ?-1965 | England | (?) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| United (coach) | |||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
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Andy Bates was a fictional footballer and football coach who appeared in the comic strips in the British boys' comic Champ of the We are United strip during the 1980s and later in the Football Picture Story Monthlies (1986-2003). He was a one-club man playing for Riverton United and later became the team’s trainer. Bates was involved with United for 5 decades, celebrating numerous trophies on the pitch as either a player or coaching staff. He was also an England international.
He first appeared in the strip in February 1984.[1] His fact file on Champ was number 18 in 1985.
Career
Club
Andy Bates was born in 1930 and was one of United’s first signings after the Second World War, at the age of 15, in 1945. Bates was a member of the team that did the Double in 1949/50. He was only 20 and was playing alongside established internationals like England captain Alf Jones, a football giant and also Scottish centre-forward Billy Irons. He considered that team as the best United ever had. However, when United won the 1978 European Cup he changed his mind: that team had right back Joe Pearson, Tug Wilson and Scottish striker Johnny Cook.
Bates, bald in the 1980s, was a quiet man, the best servant United ever had. He played as a right-half wearing number 4. In 1985 he completed 40 years with the club.
International
Bates was an England international. He played 49 times for England with his last game in 1965.
- National Teams:
England - England: 49 full international appearances.
Coaching career
After retiring Bates became United’s coach.
Legacy
He is remembered as United's one-club man and undoubtedly the most loyal in the history of the club. He joined in 1945 and left in the 1990s. Bates seemed like a low-profile staff member, breathing United and nothing else.
Personal life
In 1985 he stated that he loved holidaying abroad with his wife. He was a United fan and no other team. His biggest disappointment was missing out on England’s squad in the 1966 World Cup. A player called Bobby Bates could have been possibly related to Andy Bates.
Honours
Note that all records are fictional, as of the 1983/84 season.
League
- Premier League (including (Old) First Division): 2 titles'
- 1950, 1962
Cups
- FA Cup: 1
- 1950, 1961
