Ken Bates, who bought Chelsea for a pound and sold his controlling shares to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for 17 million pounds (US$32.3 million), quit as the club's chairman on Tuesday.

　　The outspoken Londoner, who was in charge of the club for 22 years and appointed nine different managers, made the announcement to a small gathering of Blues fans at a dinner at Stamford Bridge.

　　The club then issued a statement confirming the development, which had been expected.

　　"Ken Bates is no longer chairman of Chelsea Football Club as of 10.30pm this evening," the statement said.

　　Under Bates, 72, Chelsea was transformed from a colorful but underachieving club to a high profile enterprise under the umbrella of his Chelsea Village, which included restaurants, shops and a hotel on the same site.

　　He did not understate his own achievements.

　　"I put in 70 hours a week," he once said, "and quite honestly, Chelsea could not pay me what I am worth."

　　But it was heavily in debt by the time he sold his shares to Abramovich last July, the Russian wiping out debts of 80 million pounds and then spending 120 million on 13 new players.

　　On Tuesday, Chelsea took that spending to 132 million pounds by agreeing to buy Dutch winger Arjen Robben from PSV Eind-hoven at the end of the season.

　　Bates told fans during a question and answer session on Tuesday that he had been determined to make a "clean break" from the club so as not to outstay his welcome.

　　Bates frequently hit out at FIFA, the Football Association and rival chairmen and managers during his spell at Chelsea.

　　But since the arrival of Abramovich and the appointment of Peter Kenyon as chief executive, Bates' role at the club has diminished. Last month he was replaced by American lawyer Bruce Buck as chairman of the Chelsea Village parent company.

　　(The Associated Press)