It's a story unlike any other in English football. And now we're going to tell it. Welcome to The Blueprint! We're launching our series with a two-part special as Garry Hayes and Ceri Levy sit down with former Chelsea FC owner Ken Bates to hear him tell his Stamford Bridge story like never before. Bates seldom gives interviews these days. Indeed, he doesn't do documentary, which makes The Ken Bates Tapes all the more compelling. In the next two episodes, listeners will hear how Bates ushered in a new dawn for Chelsea FC and English football. From battling the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal for equity in the Premier League, to appointing Glenn Hoddle as Chelsea manager; his boardroom battles with Matthew Harding and how he sold the club to Roman Abramovich over dinner at The Dorchester Hotel in London. The full eight-part narrative series of The Blueprint, telling the story of modern Chelsea, will drop in May 2023. The Blueprint is a HWY61 production. For more podcasts like this one, visit www.HWY61.media Our theme music "Blue Day '23" is composed by Mike Connaris with bed arrangements by Jake Bradford-Sharp. It's used under license from Mcasso Music.