By Chris O'Brien
April 4 2005

When your deep in a financial crisis and flirting with fears of relegation, administration and even bankruptcy, what do you do? Appoint Peter Ridsdale! The man largely blamed for accumulating the mammoth debts that nearly killed Leeds United has signed a short-term contract at Ninian Park.

Are things really this bad? Cardiff City, deep in a financial crisis and staring relegation in the face, have suddenly become the laughing stock of the Football League Championship with the appointment of Peter Ridsdale to the club staff on a consultancy basis.

Hours after making two surprise signings of Neil Ardley and Michael Boulding, the club has announced another new face supposedly in place to help the club in her time of need. The man who is best known for the accumulation of Leeds United's mammoth debt and resulting downfall will join up with the man who killed off Wimbledon in a 'dream ticket' to save Cardiff City. What is going on?

Ridsdale spent 6 years as chairman of Leeds United between 1997 and 2003 having enjoyed a decade on the club's board. He was guilty of being over reliant on the club qualifying for the Champions League and challenging for the Premiership crown as he splashed out on signings. Big debts were built up and the club eventually fell through the relegation trapdoor, flirting with bankruptcy as the Whites dropped into England's second flight. Ridsdale has also served as a Football Associated official and spent just over a year at the helm of Barnsley after leaving Elland Road.

Ridsdale has been put in place to help with the woeful financial situation, with debts reported to be well above £30million and the club struggling to pay players. A loan from the PFA has helped, but with the new stadium heading in a downward spiral and fans losing patience, things are looking very bleak indeed. Ridsdale will join the club for an initial three month period, though some believe he has a more long-term goal of a place on the club's board of directors.

In fairness Ridsdale is certainly experienced in dyer financial states and will take away full control of the situation away from Hammam, who is still telling fans this is nothing but a minor blip and his big Welsh dream of Premiership football in an atmosphere-less new ground is only weeks away. Get real.

The Bluebirds controversial owner Sam Hammam released the following official club statement regarding the appointment of Ridsdale to the clubs consultancy team, hinting his stay in South Wales may be longer than a brief 3-month sabbatical:

"Cardiff City Football Club is at a challenging point in its strategy to make it into one of the top Clubs within UK Football and to reinforce its desire to be the flagship for Welsh Football by achieving Premier League Status and there after European Qualification.

"There is a need to restructure our existing financial arrangements at the same time as completing the project to move to a new purpose built stadium.

"To assist in the above, we are delighted to announce that Mr Peter Ridsdale has agreed to join us for an initial three-month period on a consultancy basis to review all aspects of our current position and to make recommendations regarding our future structure and financing arrangements.

"Peter has indicated that if asked, he is prepared to extend this period and assist us on a long-term basis. Peter will work very closely with me and will have a wide ranging and far reaching brief and will ensure that his recommendations are for the long-term benefit of the Club and most importantly our supporters.

"During the recent problems in our drive to succeed, some people have started to doubt our ability to achieve our goals. If we stay close together and keep focused we can move forward once more. I am sure that with Peter's knowledge and assistance this will be done.

"Peter joined the board of directors of Leeds United in 1987 and became Chairman from 1997 until 2003. Peter has served on the board of the English F.A as well as serving on both the F.A. Cup and International committees. Peter also served as Chairman of Barnsley from October 2003 until December 2004."

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