Referee … Bateman and Terry Lamb in 1986.
A victim’s courage has sent a sex predator to jail after the truth was learnt about the revered footy coach and pillar of the community, writes Daniel Lane.
The rumour that Les Bateman was ”into boys” had been around the Canterbury-Bankstown Junior Rugby League for at least 30 years. It was whispered or joked about with a nudge and a wink but could not be proved. And for every detractor there was an army of supporters.
Some, including the Canterbury greats Terry Lamb, Geoff Robinson and Garry Hughes, were character witnesses at the trial that concluded this month with Bateman, 64, being jailed for five years. He had been found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor more than 20 years ago.
The footballers said Bateman deserved his reputation as a pillar in working-class Chester Hill, in Sydney’s south-west. He served the local league team, the Hornets, with such devotion the club wanted to name their scoreboard in his honour, but he declined, trained athletes for free, and from 1980 until 2009 filled roles for the Canterbury Bulldogs, including managing many junior representative teams, being the first grade side’s statistician and looking after the ball boys.
Trusted official … Les Bateman with the Chester Hill Hornets in 2003.
Bateman’s efforts were rewarded with life memberships of the Bulldogs, the junior league and the Hornets. He ran a leg of the Sydney Olympics torch relay and received a good citizenship certificate from Bankstown Council.
The now seemingly blind trust of his community was earned through his efforts in junior sport, which included driving boys to and from training and games.
The Hornets were a club divided from 2002 to 2007. New blood joined the committee and there were Bateman’s followers and his opponents, who believed he was manipulative and gained strength by targeting an individual’s weakness. They said his position at the Bulldogs, and friendship with Terry Lamb, was his attraction.
”He’d promise things,” a former Hornets official said. ”He’d get them to Canterbury, he’d do this, do that. I didn’t like the bloke but he had charisma. It’s amazing how a few nice words to people not used to them can gain
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