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Golf: Walk-out and insults at 'bear-pit' AGM

When it comes to blood-letting, the Women's European Tour like to cut deep. They were at it again on Tuesday night at an acrimonious AGM at the tour's headquarters at The Tytherington. When accusations turned to personal insults, Gill Wilson, the deputy chief executive, walked out saying: "You can all get stuffed".

Terry Coates, the 66-year-old chief executive and chairman, is expected to resign at an emergency meeting of the tour's board on Sunday evening. Coates, a former British Airways executive, took over in March 1993 after a players' revolt jettisoned Andrea Doyle.

Despite gaining American Express as the tour's first overall sponsor, expanding television coverage and seeing the stature of leading events, such as the Weetabix British Open, raised out of all recognition, Coates and Wilson have come under fire at the AGM each year.

Coates said: "Every one since the first has been a bear-pit. It does not matter how successful we have been, it's never been good enough for them. Two or three players grabbed hold of the meeting and it got personal and extremely aggressive.

"They were saying they could run the tour better than we could. The criticism was that there was not enough money and not enough tournaments.

"The players don't appreciate what has been done for them. When Gill left, I picked up the microphone and said the players had lost probably the most important, most committed person they've ever had working for them. I believe in the tour, but I have no heart to continue."