Leeds chairman Ken Bates is threatening to launch a fresh appeal to the Football Association after losing his fight against a 15-point penalty imposed by the Football League.

Bates is furious after fellow Football League chairmen voted overwhelmingly at an appeal meeting in London on Thursday to uphold the decision to hit the fallen Yorkshire giants with an unprecedented sanction for an alleged breach of rules on insolvency.

Bates said: ''We're considering a number of options and one of them can be an appeal to the Football Association.

''One of the things we'll consider is that the Football League have no power to do what they did. But we're thinking about it very carefully and we'll be advised by the best people in the business.

''In the Premier League, which the FA helped set up, any problems of a serious disciplinary nature are decided by an independent tribunal. That means you come up with a decision that is at least independent.

"No club has an influence or a bearing on the punishment or otherwise of a fellow club.

''Yesterday everybody was prejudiced, they all had their own best interests, which is quite disgraceful.''

Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney confirmed after the appeal hearing that Leeds had already signed an agreement waiving their rights to legal action. But Bates remains highly-critical of the Football League's handling of the case.

He said: ''The whole procedure was a farce from beginning to end. We had a situation where the chairman, Lord Mawhinney, chaired the meeting and also at the same time presented the League's position.

''So you had a situation where the judge was also the prosecuting counsel, for want of a better phrase, which was very peculiar.

''I don't think he handled the meeting very well. The case was full of inaccuracies.''

Bates also questioned the motives of the 56 club chairman out of 71 who voted against Leeds' appeal.

He said: ''I've always fought for the small clubs but they turned up having already made up their minds.

"It will be interesting talking to visiting chairmen when they come to Elland Road this year."