Bates told Yorkshire Radio: "We're continuing to have discussions with interested parties with a view to investing in this club, but the nonsense created by these trouble-makers certainly hasn't helped with discussions.
"But of course, people don't think of that when they want to have a little pop at me. They don't think of the collateral damage they caused. The other thing is that there an awful lot of chancers out there wanting to get into a football club on the cheap because they think it's a chance to do this, that and the other.
"But it turns out that they haven't got any money anyway and they only represent somebody else. We have two golden rules - the supporters club will like this - we say the identity of a proposed investor, proof of funds in a London bank and that usually gets rid of most of them.
"There's one international gentleman who last year represented all the Qataris with all their huge money, now he represents the Nigerians; total waste of space."
Source: PA