Career
He lives in Burton Joyce. He enjoyed considerable success as a player, making his N ottinghamshire County debut in their 1984-1985 Second Division campaign which ended in relegation. However, a serious knee injury in February 1992 ruled him out for the next two years and meant that County were without him when they needed him most - during the final quarter of the 1991-1992 season when they battled against relegation from the First Division.
The relegation battle was lost, and he managed just one appearance in the 1993-1994 season as he made his comeback from injury.
He was fully fit for the 1994-1995 season, but his presence in the team wasn"t enough to prevent a relegation battle which was ultimately lost. He had played 314 league games in 10 years for N ottinghamshire County.
However, the arrival of Igor Stimac restricted Yates to just 10 appearances in 1996-1997 and nine the following season as Derby established themselves as a consistent mid table Premier League side. He departed to Watford, newly promoted to Division One as Division Two champions, on 16 July 1998 on a free transfer.
However, injury problems restricted his first team opportunities at Vicarage Road and he played just 12 games, scoring once, in the 1998-1999 season.
After the end of the season, he retired from playing. Yates scored once for Watford against Bristol City.