Wednesday missed out on the outspoken pensioner's cash but Sturrock's success on a shoestring has silenced critics of current chairman Dave Allen.
Sturrock arrived to rescue under siege Allen with the club deep in crisis and Bates waiting in the shadows.
But thoughts of a cockney coup have been dismissed thanks to an impressive run to take them onto the heels of League One's leading trio.
And victory over Martin Foyle's Port Vale stretched the run to eight matches unbeaten.
The win came thanks to a gem of a goal that was the sparkling highlight on an uninspiring night.
It came in spectacular style as the home side worked the ball down the left in the 15th minute.
Steven MacLean collected a threaded ball from Joey O'Brien before looking up for support. But he spotted Jonathan Brain off his line and snapped up the chance with a stunning 25-yard strike that dipped over the Vale keeper and under the bar.
The Yorkshire outfit might have added to that strike when Chris Brunt tried a carbon copy effort from distance but his left-foot shot drifted over.
And when new signing James Quinn, making his first start, looked for an early impact he stabbed a hasty shot wide before Brunt blazed a volley over from long range.
Quinn was recruited until the end of the season by Sturrock after striking sensation Kenwyne Jones was recalled to Southampton from his seven-goal loan spell.
Vale were desperately short on ideas and enterprise and failed to produce a single shot on target. Their best chance was a late effort that substitute Nathan Lowndes hooked wide when he should have levelled the scores.
Wednesday might have stretched their advantage after the break but Glenn Whelan hammered a rising shot over from 20 yards.
And when Lee Bullen headed down into the six-yard box Graeme Lee, Quinn and MacLean failed to connect before Brunt whipped in a free-kick that Brain gathered easily.