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LUSCOS Forum => Ordet er fritt => Emne startet av: kjelvi på Oktober 30, 2007, 09:13:28

Tittel: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 30, 2007, 09:13:28

Peter Ridsdale's bok "United We Fall" er nå ute - og en rekke aviser og nettsteder vil de kommende dager ha mye stoff rundt Leeds' "rising and fall".

Lager en tråd for å holde disse 'samlet' på ett sted.

"United We Fall" by Peter Ridsdale
© Peter Ridsdale 2007.
Published by Macmillan on November 2, priced £18.99.
All book royalties donated to St Gemma’s Hospice, Leeds.


£11,39 + p&p på Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/United-We-Fall-Boardroom-Beautiful/dp/0230018661/ref=pd_bbs_1/202-9238121-9280603?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193733123&sr=8-1

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HOw%2BD8r6L._AA240_.jpg)

"United We Fall" is the unique story of life inside football, told from behind-the-scenes of one of Britain's most legendary clubs Leeds United. It is also the true story of the childhood fan who became chairman of his Premiership team. Peter Ridsdale, one of the game's most controversial and colourful figures, oversaw the most dramatic and talked-about period in Leeds United's history. In this compelling account, he writes about how the dream spectacularly unravelled when the club went into financial meltdown. It is a fall from grace which speaks volumes for the politicking, pressures, successes and failures within the professional game today.This book is like reading the confidential files of a Premiership football chairman, detailing the characters, the prima donnas, the fall-outs, the outrageous transfer demands, and secret deals. Then there is the Leeds United trial, a near-death plane crash, and the fatal riots from Galatasaray - and how one chairman fought to keep a club together throughout it all.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall"
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 30, 2007, 09:14:04

I'll never play for that b*****

LEEDS fell apart because David O’Leary lost the Elland Road dressing room as the club crumbled under the weight of record debts.

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00380/Paul_Robinson_380726a.jpg)

Former chairman Peter Ridsdale claims O’Leary must shoulder the lion’s share of the blame for the meltdown at Leeds after TEN players refused to play for him.
Ridsdale is adamant O’Leary failed to realise just how deep the resentment was against him after he released his own ‘tell-all’ book while in charge.
It began when O’Leary, who is being linked to replace Steve Staunton as Republic of Ireland manager, dropped keeper Paul Robinson.
The current England No 1, now at Spurs, was in the team and playing out of his skin but was dumped in favour of Nigel Martyn.
Ridsdale reveals: “The first crack was just before our FA Cup game against Liverpool in January 2001.
“As the team left our hotel for the short trip to Elland Road, I saw Paul Robinson looking thunderous and close to tears.
“I hurried up to him and tried grabbing his arm to ask what was wrong.
“‘Don’t talk to me now’, he said, ‘but I’ll tell you this — I’ll never play for that b*****d again’. Paul was young and still learning but one thing was true — he never did play for the manager again.
“Managers often have spats with players but, in such a closely-knit dressing room and involving such a popular young member of the squad, this seemed like the first red flag being raised from a spirited dressing room.”
He added: “It galled me to see O’Leary promoting his book Leeds United on Trial, which came out in January 2002. He broke the sacrosanct code of the dressing room by criticising players.
“From my chairman’s office I could almost hear the team’s respect breaking up.
“O’Leary denied there was a dressing-room revolt.
“But towards the end of the season a senior player asked to see me in my office and he said ‘Mr Ridsdale, unless you change the manager I won’t sign a new contract. I also feel I represent the mood of most of the dressing room, the lads have lost it with the gaffer’.
“Lee Bowyer, Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand all criticised the manager for washing dirty linen in public.

“The manager’s book was the cause and effect of the crisis that sent the club over the edge. Ten players, either directly or indirectly through their agents, said they’d be looking to move elsewhere if David O’Leary remained as manager for the 2002-03 season.”

Ridsdale reckons the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United also exposed O’Leary as being unable to cope with controversy.
He writes: “At the board meeting EVERYONE, including the manager, agreed a valuation of £30million for Ferdinand.
"In public, David distanced himself from such reality by describing the proposed sale as criminal. Whenever there was the slightest whiff of controversy or bad press, David ran a mile.”
O’Leary stunned Ridsdale with his cheek when he attended a board meeting aimed at cutting costs.

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00380/Peter_Ridsdale_380727a.jpg)
READ ALL ABOUT IT ... Rids with The Sun

Ridsdale adds: “The future of the manager and the club was decided on May 31 2002 at Elland Road. David asked to attend so he could address the board in person.
“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing ... David was explaining how he needed another £23m for new players on top of the £97m he’d already spent.
"He tried to blame me for the poor season, he laid the blame at my door. I bit my lip and said nothing. I felt he was challenging the board with a subtle message ‘It’s either the chairman or me’.
“I thought he wanted to attend to be contrite and say the right things to save his job. Instead he walked in, put the revolver to his head and pulled the trigger.
“David was summoned to Elland Road in the final week of June. I didn’t mess around or soft soap him. ‘I think for everyone’s sake you should move on and we should find a new manager’.
"The tension bristled between us but there were no signs of anger. He looked like someone who had been expecting it but he disagreed he had lost the dressing room.
“He squandered a golden opportunity and his legacy will be: The man who gave Leeds one hell of a ride but won us nothing.
“Of course, the board must also carry the can. We spent too much, putting our money where his mouth was.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall"
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 30, 2007, 09:25:53

O'Leary's deal with bung agent

DAVID O’LEARY struck a secret deal with bung agent Rune Hauge that ultimately landed the disgraced Norwegian £1.75million.

Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has revealed how O’Leary went behind the backs of directors and authorised an agreement in a bid to sign Rio Ferdinand from West Ham.
Ridsdale makes the astonishing claim over the £18m signing of Ferdinand in his explosive book, United We Fall, serialised in The Sun this week.
Ridsdale alleges ex-boss O’Leary was solely responsible for handing controversial Hauge permission to try to capture the England star.
Hauge then hit Leeds with a near 10 per cent commission demand of £1.75m once the deal was virtually done. Ridsdale has always been blamed for giving Hauge the commission-rich contract.
But after maintaining his silence, Ridsdale insists he has written proof of O’Leary’s role and for the first time has lifted the lid on what went on behind the scenes.
Ridsdale claimed: “It was O’Leary’s signature that allowed Rune to contact the player, player’s agent and club representatives on our behalf.
“David signed the form on May 15, 2000, THREE months before Pini Zahavi informed me of Rio’s interest in joining us and SIX months before the actual transfer.
“David hired him without my knowledge and without board approval. He acted unilaterally.
“The fax to Hauge’s company was sent from the training ground NOT my office at Elland Road. If Leeds United were raped by Hauge, then our arms were pinned down by the manager’s mandate. We contemplated not paying but were told the deal would be off.
“Within 24 hours of agreeing a deal with West Ham the whole deal was in jeopardy over an agent’s fee and his role. Why would O’Leary give exclusivity to Hauge without informing the chairman? I cannot provide a satisfactory answer.
“I had a board of directors around me, it was a plc and no decision was taken by an individual.
“The rumour was that I’d built the conservatory at my house out of the proceeds, even though it was finished six months before we signed Rio.
‘I’m not saying O’Leary did anything illegal but we had a certain method of conducting transfers at Leeds United.”
Hauge is the Norwegian agent who bunged then-Arsenal boss George Graham more than £400,000 over two transfers in the early 1990s.

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall"
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 30, 2007, 09:27:34

Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has revealed that Jonathan Woodgate provided him with one of his biggest laughs at Elland Road. Apparently, the defender once left his passport at home on a European trip because Ridsdale told him to keep it somewhere 'safe'. (The Sun)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Robert på Oktober 30, 2007, 10:39:53

Hahaha, morsomt med Woody.
Vurderer å kjøpe denne boken faktisk.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Promotion 2010 på Oktober 30, 2007, 12:14:09

Sitat

“The manager’s book was the cause and effect of the crisis that sent the club over the edge. Ten players, either directly or indirectly through their agents, said they’d be looking to move elsewhere if David O’Leary remained as manager for the 2002-03 season.”

Hadde Ridsdale hevet blikket, så hadde disse 10 spillerne spart oss for det helvete vi har vært igjennom til nå.

Med disse salgene ville økonomien sett ganske annerledes ut, og kanskje O'Leary kunne kjøpt annerledes eller satset på flere egne talenter...

Bare en tanke!  ::)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Robert H. på Oktober 30, 2007, 13:07:49

Skulle tro Ridsdale så seg tjent med å ikke nok engang rippe opp i denne sagaen, men også han har vel regninger (eller gullfisker) å betale, hva vet jeg...? ::)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 30, 2007, 13:09:30

Sitat fra: Robert H. på Oktober 30, 2007, 13:07:49

Skulle tro Ridsdale så seg tjent med å ikke nok engang rippe opp i denne sagaen, men også han har vel regninger (eller gullfisker) å betale, hva vet jeg...? ::)

Usikker på motivet.
Men det er trolig ikke økonomisk...!

"All book royalties donated to St Gemma’s Hospice, Leeds"

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Jon R på Oktober 30, 2007, 13:34:18

Tja. Han ser jo ut til å lesse mye av ansvaret over på O`leary her, utvilsomt i den hensikt å gjenoppreise noe av sitt eget ettermæle. Hvordan responderer DOL på å være "on trial" på denne måten, mon tro? Tipper det ikke tar lenge tid før vi kan lese en litt annen versjon i et eksklusivt intervju i en eller annen tabloid.  ::)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: brenaldo på Oktober 30, 2007, 14:05:19

Dette er et forsvarsdokument fra en stor klovn >:(

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Masinga på Oktober 30, 2007, 14:11:39

Hadde aldri trodd at Ridsdale skulle skrive bok om sin brokete fortid. Jeg tar ikke det Ken Bates sier som god fisk, men jeg tror Bates når han sier at Ridsdale hadde talent som markedsfører, men var en økonomisk katastrofe. Han manglet rådgivere rundt seg som kunne advare mot galskapen han og O`Leary lot utvikle. Mulig at DOL ble et monster etterhvert. Men en styreformanns plikt er å si nei når det som forlanges av penger til spillerkjøp sprenger alle budsjetter.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Tom S på Oktober 30, 2007, 17:57:52

Off, vert kvalm kvar gang eg høyrer eller les om denne Ridsdale!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: newsome på Oktober 30, 2007, 18:12:47

 >:(
Håper ingen bruker penger på denne idiotens bortforklaringer og forsvarstale.
Som styreformann var han ansvarlig for alle økonomiske transakjoner som Leeds foretok.
Ã… gi DOL ansvaret for nedturen er bare patetisk.
Det er en mann som har ansvar for Leeds Uniteds fall og han heter Peter Ridsdale.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Geir Magne på Oktober 30, 2007, 22:17:40

Ansvaret for nedturen må DOL og PR dele. De har begge stor skyld.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: SirOlsen på Oktober 31, 2007, 08:10:54

Ja, for du har sikkert ikke en finger med i spillet i det som skjer i den nåværende klubben du regjerer i Mr. Riddicolusdale

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: ragnar på Oktober 31, 2007, 08:46:47

Hovedskylden ligger på Ridsdale og O'Leary, men resten av styret er ikke frikjent av den grunn. Og hvor var klubbens eiere i den perioden Ridsdale og O'Leary herjet som verst?

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 31, 2007, 08:54:56

O'Neill signed as Leeds boss

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00381/Martin_O_Neill_381430a.jpg)
MESSIAH ... Ridsdale believed Martin O'Neill would save Leeds

PETER RIDSDALE has revealed how Leeds had Martin O’Neill under contract to take over as manager.
The former Elland Road chairman details in his explosive book ‘United We Fall’ how O’Neill signed a pre-contract to replace Terry Venables — just three months before Ridsdale was forced out of the Yorkshire club.
Ridsdale blows the lid off the unknown story as he gambled on the man he calls ‘the Messiah’ rescuing Leeds from oblivion.
He had twice tried to get O’Neill when George Graham left for Spurs and when David O’Leary was sacked.
Ultimately, his third move for O’Neill was also doomed to fail, despite the current Aston Villa boss agreeing Leeds could announce his takeover.
Ridsdale writes: “Discussions over the phone led to a secret meeting at my house. Martin had come down to discuss terms and reach an agreement in a deal approved by the board.
“At long last, I’d captured the signature I had been chasing for so long — the man I’d wanted before David O’Leary, the man I’d wanted since George Graham’s reign.

Coup
"This was a coup I couldn’t wait to announce. At the third attempt the deal to bring Martin to Leeds was signed, sealed and waiting to be delivered to supporters. It was January 3, 2003.
“I’d worked tirelessly to persuade him to come and meet me ever since the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve.
“It meant he was free to discuss his future with other clubs with only six months remaining on his contract with Celtic.
“Excited and animated, he talked about the strengths and weaknesses of each Leeds player, which players he’d like to bring in.
" That day I’d agreed to pay him £2million a year to become the new Leeds manager. He left me with a signed document I could take to my board as evidence he’d finally agreed to come.
“It read ‘This document states that I will enter a pre-contract agreement with Leeds United AFC on Monday January 6, 2003 to become their football manager when my present contract expires on June 30, 2003 with Celtic FC.
‘I will come earlier if Celtic agree to release me from my contract. I am happy for Leeds to publicly announce the above statement on January 6. Yours sincerely, Martin O’Neill’.
"No one has ever known about this document before, no one was aware that a managerial rescue package was in place in early January 2003 as our season began to come off the rails.
“In six months the Messiah would arrive, subject to me being chairman — that was one of his stipulations.
“If we can hang on until then everything will be fine. But time was something I didn’t have on my side.
“Terry Venables was our manager at the time.
“It was agreed by the board that we’d inform Terry of our decision to sack him after the away home at Bolton — but Leeds turned on the style to win 3-0 in a thriller.
“We decided to defer his dismissal until the next defeat because we’d look idiots sacking a manager after such a comprehensive victory.
“We should have been ruthless. Instead we procrastinated and it was a spineless mistake.
“Terry went on a good run, losing just one of the next seven games.
“The dead man walking just carried on walking.”
With a cash crisis looming because Leeds were out of Europe, the sale of Jonathan Woodgate to Newcastle turned everyone against Ridsdale.
Home-grown Woody was sold for £8m, plus a further £1m if the Magpies won the UEFA Cup.
The sale was a last resort to balance books but it signalled the end for Ridsdale as fans revolted.
He added: “Overnight, I became Public Enemy No 1. The reaction to Woodgate’s sale was venomous. One crude note pinned beneath my car windscreen wipers read ‘We hope you die for selling Woody’.
“I’d become accustomed to hate mail over the Woodgate-Bowyer trial, but that abuse was from non-Leeds fans. This time the hate was coming from our own supporters.
“Then came the game against Middlesbrough on March 15, 2003.
“The abuse from suited supporters was shocking. I heard one man expectorate violently and his spit landed on the lapel of my suit.
“Not even the thought of Martin’s pre-contract lifted my mood. The dream was over for me and the club.
“As I went back to the boardroom at half-time, this hooligan in a suit screamed another obscenity and spat at my feet.
“That was the final straw. For the first time in my life I walked out of a Leeds home match. It proved to be my last home match as chairman and the Martin O’Neill pre-contract sank with my resignation.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 31, 2007, 08:57:39

Doug's deadly lesson

PETER RIDSDALE got his first lesson in being ruthless when he was turned over by Aston Villa’s former chairman Doug Ellis.
Leeds were chasing Alan Thompson and Ridsdale believed he had already sealed the transfer for the Bolton winger when he spoke to Ellis.
Ridsdale says: “I told Doug ‘We both know there is a clause in his contract that Bolton will have to accept any offer of £3.5million’.
“Neither of us wanted to get involved in a Dutch auction so I suggested we both put in £3.5m bids and let the player decide.
“Doug said he was relieved I’d shown common sense and the next day Leeds made its £3.5m bid . . . but Aston Villa won the player with a £4.25m bid.
“I phoned Doug immediately, fuming ‘I thought we had a deal’ — but booming laughter greeted my protests.
“Doug chuckled ‘The first lesson you have to understand as a chairman is this: Don’t trust anyone in football’.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 31, 2007, 08:57:47

Why Cantona really left

ERIC CANTONA fired Manchester United to unparalleled success but there was a moody side to his nature that could not be controlled.
United manager Alex Ferguson did not hesitate to swoop when the Frenchman was sold by Leeds following a bust-up with boss Howard Wilkinson, who dropped him for a match at QPR.
Ridsdale said: “I was in the team hotel. Howard was the other side of some double doors dropping his bombshell.
“The next thing I heard was a clatter — perhaps a chair going over — and a single door flew open banging against a wall. Cantona stormed out in a whirlwind of red mist.
“He went to Paris instead of Loftus Road and his days with Leeds were numbered.
“Two games later he was sold to United.
“They had asked about Lee Chapman but were offered Cantona instead. They must have done cartwheels.
“Our fans felt betrayed — selling Cantona to our title rivals was tantamount to swapping religions.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 31, 2007, 09:01:23

I was offered £300k bung

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00381/SNS3164KEANE_280_381443a.jpg)
KEANE ... move sparked agent bung 'offer'

PETER RIDSDALE this morning becomes the first football chairman to name and shame a football agent who offered him a £300,000 bung.
In the second part of our blistering exclusive, the former Leeds chief reveals how Pino Pagliari offered the illicit payment when Robbie Keane moved to Tottenham in 2002.
Ridsdale was in Italy at the time trying to resurrect the deal for Olivier Dacourt when he claims he was approached by Pagliari.
Ridsdale says: “Just as I was about to leave, Pino asked to see me outside in the corridor.
“He asked me if it were true we were going to sell Robbie Keane to Spurs for £7m and I confirmed we hoped to finalise the deal in 24 hours.

Invoice
"That’s when Pino asked if I’d be willing for him to submit an invoice for ‘agent services’.
“I asked ‘Why would you submit an invoice? The negotiations were nothing to do with you!
“Pino said ‘But Peter, if I bill you for £600,000, we split the commission 50-50. You’re the chairman, no one needs to know I wasn’t involved.
“I said ‘Pino, wrong man. I’ve never taken a bung and I’m now going to report this to my board’.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 31, 2007, 09:02:37

I wanted Graham to f*** off too

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00381/SNS3161GEOR_280_381474a.jpg)
GRAHAM ... Ridsdale backed fans' view

GEORGE GRAHAM delivered the stability Leeds craved but it came at a price.
Leeds caved in to Graham’s demands for a £1million-a-year contract plus a further £1m signing-on bonus after he took them into Europe.
But from being the boss who Leeds fans loved, he became the manager everyone loathed following his controversial switch to Tottenham.
Peter Ridsdale writes: “Spurs chairman Alan Sugar was a true gent and a professional through the cat and mouse game.
“I had the utmost respect for him, but in contrast I lost some respect for George.
“Having backed him and shown the commitment he wanted, I felt let down. Ironically, we had to play Spurs at White Hart Lane and the Leeds fans, wanting to know what was going on, sang ‘Stand up . . . if you want the truth . . . ’
“Spurs fans who loathed George for his Arsenal pedigree sang ‘Stand up . . . if you hate Arsenal’.
“I looked at the man sitting next to me in his Leeds blazer, who had united an entire ground in vitriol and registered nothing on his face.
“What could I do with a man who didn’t feel Leeds in his bones?
“Elland Road had been his rehab centre and he was desperate to check out and move on.
“‘F*** off Graham, f*** off Graham’ shouted our fans, and my heart echoed the sentiment.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Sheridan på Oktober 31, 2007, 10:03:07

Fine oppdateringer av tråden, kjelvi.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Promotion 2010 på Oktober 31, 2007, 10:10:58

O'Neill var visstnok klar for å ta over Leeds, men huff....så ble helten Ridsdale sparket.... :-\

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_2838282,00.html

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Dennis på Oktober 31, 2007, 10:29:33

Utrolig at Ridsdale vil bruke en pre-ansettelse av O'Neill til å vise Leeds-fansen at ting kunne vært annerledes. Vi hadde hatt like lite penger uansett, f**ksdale!

Tv2 Tekst-tv melder at agent Rune Hauge mottok 20 millioner kroner i en hemmelig avtale med David O'Leary i overgangen med Rio Ferdinand fra West Ham. Ridsdale hadde selvsagt iiiiiingenting med dette å gjøre.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: nord på Oktober 31, 2007, 13:14:04

Synes at Ridsdale prøver at vaske hænder! >:(. Jeg har ingen respekt for den slags personer!. Hvordan kunne han tro at med et forbrug og gæld som Leeds havde at de kunne overleve?. Jeg kan faktisk bedre lide den ånd som er i dagens Leeds selvom de spiller  3 div.  ::)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: veteranen på Oktober 31, 2007, 14:09:47

Mye interessant lesestoff i denne boka. En del av det som er skrevet bør vi nok ta med en klype salt, fordi det er preget av Ridsdale subjektive oppfatninger om hva som skjedde. Men jeg synes uansett at det er helt greit at han legger frem sin versjon.

Ridsdale hadde mange gode egenskaper. Hvis vi går tilbake til tiden rundt 2000, så er det en kjennsgjerning at så og si hver eneste fotballsupporter i England missunte oss denne dynamiske og sjarmerende styreformannen som vi hadde. Han representerte og "solgte" klubben i offentligheten på en måte som ingen andre var i nærheten av. Han var også flink til å knytte kontakter, og han var mye flinkere til å lytte og samarbeide med lokale aktører, som media og supportere, enn det Bates er.

Ridsdale og O'Leary fremsto på den tiden som den perfekte duo, og det var for de fleste bare et tidspørsmål før Leeds ville overta som den ledende klubben på øyriket. Men så ble disse to lederne på forhånd (!) blindet av den suksessen alle trodde de ville oppnå, og de mistet begge fullstendig taket på sine egne oppgaver. Ridsdale mistet hodet når det gjaldt økonomistyringen, mens O'Leary, som tidligere fremsto som sympatisk og ydmyk, etterhvert begynte å oppføre seg mer og mer som en arrogant drittsekk.

Jeg har skrevet det før, og jeg gjentar det nå: Ridsdale må bære mye av ansvaret for det som skjedde i Leeds, men det blir feil å gi kun ham skylden! Peter Ridsdale var en del av et styre i Leeds! Han var aldri allmektig, slik Bates er! Hadde styret gjort jobben sin, så ville ikke klubben havnet i det uføret den gjorde.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Asbjørn på Oktober 31, 2007, 17:04:00

Sitat fra: veteranen på Oktober 31, 2007, 14:09:47

Mye interessant lesestoff i denne boka. En del av det som er skrevet bør vi nok ta med en klype salt, fordi det er preget av Ridsdale subjektive oppfatninger om hva som skjedde. Men jeg synes uansett at det er helt greit at han legger frem sin versjon.

Ridsdale hadde mange gode egenskaper. Hvis vi går tilbake til tiden rundt 2000, så er det en kjennsgjerning at så og si hver eneste fotballsupporter i England missunte oss denne dynamiske og sjarmerende styreformannen som vi hadde. Han representerte og "solgte" klubben i offentligheten på en måte som ingen andre var i nærheten av. Han var også flink til å knytte kontakter, og han var mye flinkere til å lytte og samarbeide med lokale aktører, som media og supportere, enn det Bates er.

Ridsdale og O'Leary fremsto på den tiden som den perfekte duo, og det var for de fleste bare et tidspørsmål før Leeds ville overta som den ledende klubben på øyriket. Men så ble disse to lederne på forhånd (!) blindet av den suksessen alle trodde de ville oppnå, og de mistet begge fullstendig taket på sine egne oppgaver. Ridsdale mistet hodet når det gjaldt økonomistyringen, mens O'Leary, som tidligere fremsto som sympatisk og ydmyk, etterhvert begynte å oppføre seg mer og mer som en arrogant drittsekk.

Jeg har skrevet det før, og jeg gjentar det nå: Ridsdale må bære mye av ansvaret for det som skjedde i Leeds, men det blir feil å gi kun ham skylden! Peter Ridsdale var en del av et styre i Leeds! Han var aldri allmektig, slik Bates er! Hadde styret gjort jobben sin, så ville ikke klubben havnet i det uføret den gjorde.

Av og til slår du til med noen velvalgte ord, vettis  ;D
Dette var ett av tilfellene (snart 1400 av de nå...)  :)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Oktober 31, 2007, 20:21:30

Leeds United must stand firm against Peter Ridsdale's mud-slinging

The former chairman's shameful outpourings threaten to damage the current repair work going on at Elland Road. This is much more than putting the record straight.

'If Leeds don't stay United, then promotion dreams and the road back to the promised land of the Premier League will close and divert to a dreaded dark despairing place of debt'

It was all going so swimmingly for Leeds United until an old friend bobbed up his head from the murky depths, swimming against a tide of accusations including treachery (how could a Leeds fan allow his beloved club to sink so fast?) and firing a few timely warning shots from the past.
Publicity Pete Ridsdale's book is, on the surface, a smug, self-pitying story of the shameful scandal rag hogging rantings from much maligned managers and the threat of prison for two star players. Scratch below that layer of smarmy salaciousness and there's a poignant message - don't look back in anger and keep moving forward.
If Leeds don't stay United, then promotion dreams and the road back to the promised land of the Premier League will close and divert to a dreaded dark despairing place of debt. Disenchanted potential investors will disintegrate and in turn disinterest the fans.
There are many bad pennies from the past, many that weigh more than several pounds on my mind, weighing even heavier in my heart when I turn the pages of the papers with Ridsdale's poisonous words. I've met David O'Leary - his signings were as mixed as a bag of Rowntree's fruit pastilles. Some were OK, some were good, others got left on the shelf to ferment.
He had a high opinion of himself and had even higher ambitions for the club. But with it came diva demands of skyscraper proportions. Ridsdale signed the colossal cheques - he could have said no. If Ridsdale was a bona fide Leeds United fan like he claimed to be during his tenure at Elland Road, isn't it a tad ironic that he's washing dirty linen in public with the serialisation of his book regarding his turbulent tenure at the club?
Sure, he may be putting the record straight. After all, as TV chat show host Jeremy Kyle says every morning: "there are two sides to every story." Indeed there are. But do we really want to hear it? Doesn't that make him as desperate as dole queue David O'Leary? More to the point, does it not just reopen old wounds and start an unnecessary slanging match?
Let's face it, the past is done and dusted. We can't change it but we can dispute it and despair over it. Dark clouds are not going to descend on the club again if we learn from this sad story. Ultimately, who cares if Paul Robinson blubbed to oh, so understanding and cuddly Pistol Pete, who allegedly frittered fans' hard-earned cash on therapeutic fish? Who cares if O'Dreary 'lost' the dressing room?
Someone was lost in dreamland when they signed O'Leary's bumper cheque book, not to mention sanctioning deals that ensured the already overpaid over-inflated egos of the likes of Danny "Not So Effing Brilliant" Mills and company would live a life of 'Dallas' luxury. Top that off with having to pay off O'Leary and every other 'all looks and no substance' manager who followed the sorry trail of treachery a ridiculous amount of compensation to keep them sweet.
There's nothing new about any of Ridsdale's revelations. It is, frankly, a miracle that we survived the deadly duo's damaging dalliance with a half-baked budget plan and pretentions. It was no wonder that The sharks rammed, and bit hard and fast into the not very good ship Leeds United.
The only way to silence the snipers and scaremongers was to sit tight. With this siege mentality, finally we've somehow managed to get the club shipshape again and the last thing we need is a few untimely distractions diverting our course.
Gus Poyet's departure is a shame, but it won't sink us. A much more welcome blast from the past, Lucas Radebe has been mentioned as a potential replacement. But don't pin all your hopes on the chief. He may lead the way but it's up to the new Leeds United to stand up, be proud and plot a new course, venturing into a brave new era which will hopefully, ultimately, be remembered for championship cups rather than cheque-book blunders.
Is Ridsdale right to come out after so long with his treacherous tales of the past? Post your comments below or submit an article to Sportingo.

sportingo.com

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 01, 2007, 08:45:37

Jimmy plotted Baink robbery

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00381/jfh_381988a.jpg)

JIMMY FLOYD HASSELBAINK demanded a new contract that stated he must ALWAYS be Leeds’ biggest earner.

But Peter Ridsdale believes the cash demands made by agent Humphrey Nijman were so high as to price Leeds out of keeping the free-scoring striker.
Ridsdale says: “From the moment we sat down I sensed Nijman was trying to extricate Jimmy from his contract when he demanded his wages be more than doubled from £15,000 to £40,000 a week — silly money back in 1999.
“His requests to me were out-landish and unrealistic. I scribbled desperate mathematics on a scrap of paper but it would have been madness to cave in to such demands. We’d been out-priced by our own player. It was my first unsavoury taste of player power.
“When fans learned he had handed in a transfer request — I leaked it to two papers — they sang: ‘Yer just a greedy b******’.
“How Jimmy hated the truth being known. He was moved on to Spain, where he spent one season with Atletico Madrid before moving to Chelsea.
"When he came to Elland Road with Chelsea I offered him my hand but he pulled away and shouted ‘F*** off!’.”
Yet Ridsdale signed Hasselbaink for his new club Cardiff in the summer.
He adds: “Jimmy called me to see if we would be interested in him after being released by Charlton. I reminded him ‘You once told me to f*** off and said you never wanted to speak to me again’.
“‘I know’, he said, ‘but that’s history. I’ve matured since then’.
“‘No’, I said, ‘what you mean is you’re unemployed!’.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 01, 2007, 08:48:05

Bow’s F-word phone rant over £60k fine

LEE BOWYER went mental at Peter Ridsdale when the club disciplined him for dragging the name of the club through the mud.

(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:kLCH81o1AqtO3M:http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/misc/mirror/bowyer.jpeg)

The midfielder was accused with team-mate Jonathan Woodgate and others of a racist attack but under the immense stress of two trials and the jury deliberating for FIVE DAYS, his composure crumbled when Ridsdale whacked him with a £60,000 fine.
Ridsdale said: “Bowyer screamed his obscenities down the phone ‘You have no f****** right to treat me like this.
"I was found not guilty on all charges — how the f*** can you charge me with anything!’
“Whatever the view of the jury, the good name of Leeds had been destroyed in one night of drunkenness, and, on that charge Bowyer and Woodgate were as guilty as sin.
“I tried to explain but he wasn’t in the mood for listening or backing down and ranted about being victimised.
“Woody’s agent had earlier agreed he would be fined eight weeks wages. The player displayed grace but Lee clearly felt his acquittal had left him with a shining halo.
“Privately Bowyer made it clear he would never sign a new contract at Leeds while I was in charge and the episode also wrecked his relationship with the manager.
“It’s why we ultimately released the £15million-rated midfielder to West Ham six months before his contract expired for just £100,000, an effect of the Bosman ruling.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 01, 2007, 08:51:16

Ridsdale:   I'm sorry

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00381/SNS0180A_682_381989a.jpg)
ON THE SLIDE ... Leeds turned from Euro heroes into League One side

PETER RIDSDALE has uttered the words every Leeds fan has waited four years to hear: ‘I’m Sorry’.

The former Elland Road chairman has finally apologised for the club falling apart under his leadership.
Ridsdale became a despised figure when Leeds crashed from head-spinning heights to the bottom of the pile with record debts.
Until today he has maintained a stony silence but he now accepts the blame as he gives his version of the treachery, lies and deceit that pushed Leeds over the edge into bankruptcy in his book ‘United We Fall’.
He admitted: “In many eyes, I’m the man responsible for the ‘meltdown of Leeds United’, and a financial implosion that ultimately caught the eye of the Department of Trade & Industry.
“I don’t intend to launch a defence because many fans have already reached their damning verdict: I will be guilty forever more for the club’s demise.
“I knew, of course, why they all hated me. But I will say this: We messed up. We gambled. We won. Then we lost. Big-time.
“For that nightmare, I hold up my hands and say sorry. I can’t wind the clock back and handle things differently. If I could, I’d be more stringent and cautious.
“There is no escaping the reality that, despite an exciting journey, we failed. For that, I’m sorry.
“In future, I would not place so much faith in one manager’s ability and I would build the possibility of under-performance into the budgeting equation.
“Of course, the board and myself must carry the can — and we allowed David O’Leary to spend way too much money.
“We made the mistake of putting our money where his mouth was. The more we sniffed the Champions League, the more intoxicated we became.
“Should we have signed all the players we did? No. Did we build too big a squad? Yes.
“And we should never have signed Robbie Fowler or Seth Johnson. We gorged on football talent — and made ourselves ill.
“But every decision I took — in conjunction with the board — was made in good faith, with the interests of Leeds at heart.
“More than anything, I want Leeds to prosper and climb back to their rightful position as a top club. Nothing would make me happier. The baton has now passed to Ken Bates. It’s down to him and the next manager. I wish them good luck.”
Ridsdale fled Leeds when abuse and threats against him and his family reached an intolerable level. He believed he had found a bolt-hole when the family stayed with relatives — but he was wrong.
Ridsdale revealed: “From being the fans’ hero, I struggled to hold my head high after we buckled under £78.9million debts.
“It’s hard enough when you are jostled, reviled, spat at and threatened but I was angry my wife and two daughters should feel intimidated and fearful.
“Charlotte and Olivia, seven and six at the time, cried themselves to sleep because fans had pinned a note to my front gate saying ‘We know where you live’.
“As a family we fled to my sister-in-law’s house in Suffolk a world away from Leeds, a refuge for only a few days.
“There was no real escape. I went out and was looking at a shop display when suddenly I noticed the reflection of someone coming up behind me.
“I didn’t see the hand that darted for my throat, spun me around and pushed me against the window with a thud.

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00382/SNS3056RID_180_382005a.jpg)
RIDSDALE ... unforgiven

“I was eyeball to eyeball with a scruffy young man, hair all over the place, his mouth and nose all twisted and snarling.
“With his grip clamped around my throat, he spat: ‘You’re that f***ing Ridsdale. You f***ed up MY team’. This was anything but random. He phlegmed up, spat at my feet and ran off.
“My legs went to jelly. I should have known there was no hiding place.
"I received menacing death threats in the post. Security guards had to patrol my own home.
“I was Peter Ridsdale: Traitor, Judas, disgrace, club wrecker. The enemy within.
“Leeds United is my history now and I’m not going to be forgiven in the city.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Lars E på November 01, 2007, 11:55:26

Myyye interessant lesing i denne tråden.. Keep up the good work Kjelvi ;)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: veteranen på November 01, 2007, 15:43:17

Sitat fra: kjelvi på November 01, 2007, 08:51:16

Ridsdale:   I'm sorry

PETER RIDSDALE has uttered the words every Leeds fan has waited four years to hear: ‘I’m Sorry’.

The former Elland Road chairman has finally apologised for the club falling apart under his leadership.
Ridsdale became a despised figure when Leeds crashed from head-spinning heights to the bottom of the pile with record debts.
Until today he has maintained a stony silence but he now accepts the blame as he gives his version of the treachery, lies and deceit that pushed Leeds over the edge into bankruptcy in his book ‘United We Fall’.
He admitted: “In many eyes, I’m the man responsible for the ‘meltdown of Leeds United’, and a financial implosion that ultimately caught the eye of the Department of Trade & Industry.
“I don’t intend to launch a defence because many fans have already reached their damning verdict: I will be guilty forever more for the club’s demise.
“I knew, of course, why they all hated me. But I will say this: We messed up. We gambled. We won. Then we lost. Big-time.
“For that nightmare, I hold up my hands and say sorry. I can’t wind the clock back and handle things differently. If I could, I’d be more stringent and cautious.
“There is no escaping the reality that, despite an exciting journey, we failed. For that, I’m sorry.
“In future, I would not place so much faith in one manager’s ability and I would build the possibility of under-performance into the budgeting equation.
“Of course, the board and myself must carry the can — and we allowed David O’Leary to spend way too much money.
“We made the mistake of putting our money where his mouth was. The more we sniffed the Champions League, the more intoxicated we became.
“Should we have signed all the players we did? No. Did we build too big a squad? Yes.
“And we should never have signed Robbie Fowler or Seth Johnson. We gorged on football talent — and made ourselves ill.
“But every decision I took — in conjunction with the board — was made in good faith, with the interests of Leeds at heart.
“More than anything, I want Leeds to prosper and climb back to their rightful position as a top club. Nothing would make me happier. The baton has now passed to Ken Bates. It’s down to him and the next manager. I wish them good luck.”
Ridsdale fled Leeds when abuse and threats against him and his family reached an intolerable level. He believed he had found a bolt-hole when the family stayed with relatives — but he was wrong.
Ridsdale revealed: “From being the fans’ hero, I struggled to hold my head high after we buckled under £78.9million debts.
“It’s hard enough when you are jostled, reviled, spat at and threatened but I was angry my wife and two daughters should feel intimidated and fearful.
“Charlotte and Olivia, seven and six at the time, cried themselves to sleep because fans had pinned a note to my front gate saying ‘We know where you live’.
“As a family we fled to my sister-in-law’s house in Suffolk a world away from Leeds, a refuge for only a few days.
“There was no real escape. I went out and was looking at a shop display when suddenly I noticed the reflection of someone coming up behind me.
“I didn’t see the hand that darted for my throat, spun me around and pushed me against the window with a thud.


“I was eyeball to eyeball with a scruffy young man, hair all over the place, his mouth and nose all twisted and snarling.
“With his grip clamped around my throat, he spat: ‘You’re that f***ing Ridsdale. You f***ed up MY team’. This was anything but random. He phlegmed up, spat at my feet and ran off.
“My legs went to jelly. I should have known there was no hiding place.
"I received menacing death threats in the post. Security guards had to patrol my own home.
“I was Peter Ridsdale: Traitor, Judas, disgrace, club wrecker. The enemy within.
“Leeds United is my history now and I’m not going to be forgiven in the city.”

The Sun

Dette kapitellett bør være tankevekkende lesning for oss alle.
Her kommer også Ridsdale  med den beklagelsen mange av oss har etterlyst. Er det ikke da på tide at vi tilgir mannen, og lar ham få fred?

Vi bør heller ikke bli overrasket når vi leser om hvilket frykthelvete han og hans familie måtte leve under. Nå vil jo de fleste av oss ta avstand fra direkte trusler og fysiske angrep, men vi er kanskje ikke så uskyldige som vi selv tror. Når vi f,eks sier og skriver ting som "måtte han brenne i helvete!", så sender vi ut noe - og da er vi ikke helt uten medansvar for hva  de mer primitive blant oss faktisk er i stand til å gjøre. Jeg tror vi gjør lurt i å reflektere litt over dette…

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: pedro på November 01, 2007, 15:55:41

Sitat fra: veteranen på November 01, 2007, 15:43:17

Sitat fra: kjelvi på November 01, 2007, 08:51:16

Ridsdale:   I'm sorry

PETER RIDSDALE has uttered the words every Leeds fan has waited four years to hear: ‘I’m Sorry’.

The former Elland Road chairman has finally apologised for the club falling apart under his leadership.
Ridsdale became a despised figure when Leeds crashed from head-spinning heights to the bottom of the pile with record debts.
Until today he has maintained a stony silence but he now accepts the blame as he gives his version of the treachery, lies and deceit that pushed Leeds over the edge into bankruptcy in his book ‘United We Fall’.
He admitted: “In many eyes, I’m the man responsible for the ‘meltdown of Leeds United’, and a financial implosion that ultimately caught the eye of the Department of Trade & Industry.
“I don’t intend to launch a defence because many fans have already reached their damning verdict: I will be guilty forever more for the club’s demise.
“I knew, of course, why they all hated me. But I will say this: We messed up. We gambled. We won. Then we lost. Big-time.
“For that nightmare, I hold up my hands and say sorry. I can’t wind the clock back and handle things differently. If I could, I’d be more stringent and cautious.
“There is no escaping the reality that, despite an exciting journey, we failed. For that, I’m sorry.
“In future, I would not place so much faith in one manager’s ability and I would build the possibility of under-performance into the budgeting equation.
“Of course, the board and myself must carry the can — and we allowed David O’Leary to spend way too much money.
“We made the mistake of putting our money where his mouth was. The more we sniffed the Champions League, the more intoxicated we became.
“Should we have signed all the players we did? No. Did we build too big a squad? Yes.
“And we should never have signed Robbie Fowler or Seth Johnson. We gorged on football talent — and made ourselves ill.
“But every decision I took — in conjunction with the board — was made in good faith, with the interests of Leeds at heart.
“More than anything, I want Leeds to prosper and climb back to their rightful position as a top club. Nothing would make me happier. The baton has now passed to Ken Bates. It’s down to him and the next manager. I wish them good luck.”
Ridsdale fled Leeds when abuse and threats against him and his family reached an intolerable level. He believed he had found a bolt-hole when the family stayed with relatives — but he was wrong.
Ridsdale revealed: “From being the fans’ hero, I struggled to hold my head high after we buckled under £78.9million debts.
“It’s hard enough when you are jostled, reviled, spat at and threatened but I was angry my wife and two daughters should feel intimidated and fearful.
“Charlotte and Olivia, seven and six at the time, cried themselves to sleep because fans had pinned a note to my front gate saying ‘We know where you live’.
“As a family we fled to my sister-in-law’s house in Suffolk a world away from Leeds, a refuge for only a few days.
“There was no real escape. I went out and was looking at a shop display when suddenly I noticed the reflection of someone coming up behind me.
“I didn’t see the hand that darted for my throat, spun me around and pushed me against the window with a thud.


“I was eyeball to eyeball with a scruffy young man, hair all over the place, his mouth and nose all twisted and snarling.
“With his grip clamped around my throat, he spat: ‘You’re that f***ing Ridsdale. You f***ed up MY team’. This was anything but random. He phlegmed up, spat at my feet and ran off.
“My legs went to jelly. I should have known there was no hiding place.
"I received menacing death threats in the post. Security guards had to patrol my own home.
“I was Peter Ridsdale: Traitor, Judas, disgrace, club wrecker. The enemy within.
“Leeds United is my history now and I’m not going to be forgiven in the city.”

The Sun

Dette kapitellett bør være tankevekkende lesning for oss alle.
Her kommer også Ridsdale  med den beklagelsen mange av oss har etterlyst. Er det ikke da på tide at vi tilgir mannen, og lar ham få fred?

Vi bør heller ikke bli overrasket når vi leser om hvilket frykthelvete han og hans familie måtte leve under. Nå vil jo de fleste av oss ta avstand fra direkte trusler og fysiske angrep, men vi er kanskje ikke så uskyldige som vi selv tror. Når vi f,eks sier og skriver ting som "måtte han brenne i helvete!", så sender vi ut noe - og da er vi ikke helt uten medansvar for hva  de mer primitive blant oss faktisk er i stand til å gjøre. Jeg tror vi gjør lurt i å reflektere litt over dette…

Fortår godt dine meiningar her, men den mannen komme eg aldri til å tilgi. Han burde gått ut med unnskyldning samme dagen han trakk seg ut. Han har gamblet med vår kjære klubb, solt seg i glansen, leaset gullfiskar på kontoret, plesja alle rundt seg ved å strø rundt seg med andres penger. Me vett jo alle resultatet av detta.
Me må glømma mannen fort som f... og heller ha fokus på den jobben klubben nå holde på med, sakte men sikkert bygga seg opp igjen så me står rusta og sterke igjen forhåpentligvis i PL innen kortast mulig tid.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Jon R på November 01, 2007, 15:56:18

Dette har jeg ventet på i snart 4 år. Peter Ridsdale strekker ut en hånd, og jeg tar den imot. For the good times and the bad.  :'(

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: veteranen på November 01, 2007, 16:09:26

Sitat fra: Jon R på November 01, 2007, 15:56:18

Dette har jeg ventet på i snart 4 år. Peter Ridsdale strekker ut en hånd, og jeg tar den imot. For the good times and the bad.  :'(

Tilgivelse er en fantastisk ting!
Det gjør godt for den som tilgir - og det gjør godt for den som blir tilgitt!
Det finnes bare vinnere der tilgivelse er det sentrale!  :)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: stefan på November 01, 2007, 16:35:49

Sitat fra: Jon R på November 01, 2007, 15:56:18

Dette har jeg ventet på i snart 4 år. Peter Ridsdale strekker ut en hånd, og jeg tar den imot. For the good times and the bad.  :'(

enig Jon.
I "etterpåklokskapens navn" så burde ridsdale strengt tatt bare jobbet med å selge klubben.  Frem til woody/Bowyer saken så var Leeds det hotteste fotball navnet i PL. Jeg begyner nesten å gråte ved tanken på det laget vi kunne hatt nå ved å bare satse på talentene/spillerne  vi hadde før lønns og spillerkjøpskarusellen startet. Men men, tre nye poeng på lørdag gjør sikert susen.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Tom S på November 01, 2007, 18:21:02

Klarer ikkje heilt å tilgi Ridsdale, sjølv om eg veit og skjønar at han gjorde alt i beste meining, og at han ikkje var aleine om galskapen.
Men, tiden leger (kanskje) alle sår og hans "i'm sorry" er ein god start på healingen...
Den psykiske og fysiske terroren han har blitt utsatt for - den støtter eg IKKJE!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Jon R på November 01, 2007, 18:40:52

"We lived the dream. We enjoyed the dream. "

Peter Ridsdale, 2003.

Alt etterpå ble et helvete.  :'(

Allikevel, tenk dere om: Ville noen av dere vært helt foruten dette kapittelet i Leeds Uniteds historie?   :o

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=6241161955

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: veteranen på November 01, 2007, 19:00:24

Som tidligere skrevet - Ridsdale gjorde også mye bra i Leeds.

Jeg glemmer aldri den kvelden to Leeds-supportere ble stukket til døde i Istanbul, våren 2000.
Jeg ble sittende oppe og fulgte nyhetssendingene på Sky den påfølgende natten. Peter Ridsdale reiste til sykehuset der Leeds-supporterne var anbrakt, så fort han fikk høre hva som var skjedd. Det var ikke vanskelig å se og høre at han var rystet og fortvilet over det som hadde skjedd, da han ble intervjuet inne på sykehus. Ridsdale valgte selv å være sammen med venner og familiemedlemmer av de drepte - og han viste omsorg og medfølelse i både ord og handling.

Jeg ble imponert over måten han grep an denne  fortvilende situasjonen, og jeg var stolt over at vi hadde en styreformann som opptrådte på en så medfølende måte som han gjorde.

Ridsdale stilte også opp for de etterlatte da han kom tilbake til Leeds.

Jeg synes ikke at sånne handlinger er uvesentlig når vi skal bedømme om et menneske er godt eller dårlig.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: AndyMathie på November 01, 2007, 20:08:32

Ridsdale gjorde mye bra og jeg husker også episoden i Istanbul og intevjuene av han på Sky. Da følte jeg at vi hadde verdens beste Chairman og at ingenting kunne stoppe oss til å bli verdens beste fotballklubb. Slik skulle det ikke gå, når det ble signering av både Fowler og Seth Johnson som gjorde at det ble alt alt for tøft økonomisk for oss. Og akkurat det ber han om unnskyldning for når han nevner disse signeringene. Jeg aksepterer unnskyldningene, men tror ikke jeg greier å tilgi han før vi spiller uke etter uke på Canal+ igjen...

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Tom S på November 01, 2007, 20:18:44

Når vi er tilbake i Europa kan vi, kanskje, sjå tilbake og huske dette som gode tider, men så lenger vi "sliter" i 3.divisjon klarer eg ikkje å tilgi Ridsdale.
I verste fall vil ikkje Leeds United nokon gang komme tilbake til topp 3 i England. Og då er tanken på at vi var så nær å etablere oss der før Ridsdale & Co mista heilt bakkekontakten vere uutholdelig!

Peter Ridsdale er nok ikkje eit umenneske Vetten, men han har ansvaret (som stryreformann) for at Leeds United gjekk rett ned i avløpet og vart latterleggjort i fotballverdenen.
Han gjorde mykje godt, bl.anna episoden i Istanbul står det respekt av.

For the record:
Eg har aldri sagt at Peter Ridsdale er eit dårlig menneske og ville aldri funne på å meint noko sånt.
Men styring av ein fotballklubb var heilt klart ikkje Mr.Ridsdale sitt sterke felt...

Sitat fra: Jon R på November 01, 2007, 18:40:52

"We lived the dream. We enjoyed the dream. "

Peter Ridsdale, 2003.

Alt etterpå ble et helvete.  :'(

Allikevel, tenk dere om: Ville noen av dere vært helt foruten dette kapittelet i Leeds Uniteds historie?   :o

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=6241161955

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 01, 2007, 20:47:22

Sorry gutter!

Jeg er lei og kvalm av Rids.
Boka hans virker som et sjølhøytidlig og særdeles subjektivt forsvarsskriv, hvor han prøver å dytte så mye som mulig av ansvaret over på kranglete spillere, krevende manager og sine medstyremedlemmer.

Uansett hvordan man vrir og vender på det, er han "The Main Man". Som særdeles aktiv, pågående og egenrådig styreleder skjedde det ikke en ting på Elland Road disse årene uten at han hadde ni eller ti finger med. Faktisk mer skyldig enn David O'Leary, som kom med sine ønsker/krav - som igjen Rids effektuerte i stooooor stil (alle kjenner vel Seth Johnson-historien om de 15.000 i uke som ble til 35.000...)

Selvsagt mange gode side - PR-mann, Istanbul-saken og ikke minst god relasjonsbygger vis-a-vis fans.
Men samtidig en påfugl av en jålebukk med sine privatflyreiser, biler og ikke minst gullfisker.
En mann som brukte klubbens penger som en full sjømann på land i Rotterdam!

Han ber om unnskyldning. Jeg sier tja. Synest ikke mannen fremstår en millimeter som en angrende synder. Hans drift av Cardiff kan tyde på at mannen heller ikke har lært...

Tilgivelse kan han få. Men det desiderte hovedansvaret for klubbens elendighet har han uansett!

Forfatterens inntekter fra boka går til et lokalt sykehus i Leeds. Prisverdig. Men de £100.000 The Sun har betalt for de eksklusive rettigheten til forhåndsomtale og utdrag fra boka putter han i egen lomme. Også såkalt 'direktesalg' - som ved signeringer, gjennom alle andre kanaler enn bokhandlere (f.eks. supportershop o.l.) går til Ridsdales eget selskap - og ikke som royalites gjennom forlaget og dermed til charity. Luring også på dette området!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: flynn på November 01, 2007, 21:03:22

Det er lang avstand mellom fullstendig tilgivelse og det å drive med fysiske eller psykiske trusler... Jeg kommer nok for evig tid til å huske Ridsdale, både som den som ledet oss til the peak of Europe noen fantasiske sesonger, og for deretter å lede an i det kolossale fallet som fulgte. Han kommer aldri på julekortlista mi, men på den annen side føler jeg heller ikke noe personlig hat mot mannen. Imkompetanse er irriterende, men ikke grunnlag for hatefull og truende oppførsel!

Dessuten er ydmykhet i etterpåklokskapens tegn alltid en formildende omstendighet. Her kommer det et aldri så lite "Sorry Guys". Sent, ja vel, og ikke nødvendigvis fullt og helt, men dog bedre enn ingenting.

flynn

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Asbjørn på November 01, 2007, 21:18:12

Vi har vel alle "driti på draget" en og annen gangen...

Rids dret en ganske stor 10'er (jamf. Jon R's definisjon fra "den store driter"-tråden) - og er hovedskyldig de luxe.
Nå endelig kommer en "slags" unnskyldning (må vel nesten lese hele boken før jeg tar stilling til hvor "helhjertet" den virker).

Jeg aksepterer den (den "tilgivelsessaken" til vettis'en er en preken i kjerka verdig  :)), og ville ha kunnet invitert mannen på middag. Men jeg hadde ikke "vært med på" at han satt der og pratet vekk all skyld.

Han/styret bommet fullstendig på markedet der de kjøpte i høykonjunktur og solgte i nedgangstider, Bosman fikk sin effekt... men "leasing"-forsøkene var bare så inni hampen hølete i huet at det ligner ingentingen...


Personen Rids må allikevel bedømmes mer "bredt" enn selve "saken" som vel vil "ta vekk" ca 10 år av Leeds Uniteds "top-claim"... Og jeg syns vettis'ens to innlegg over her er en god start  :)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 02, 2007, 09:31:43

EXCLUSIVE: O'Leary hits back in bung storm as Sportsmail reveals the documents which damn the chairman who took Leeds to the brink of ruin

Almost five years after Sportsmail exposed Peter Ridsdale as the man who authorised the payment of £1.75million to agent Rune Hauge, and so doubled the agreed commission fee from five to 10 per cent for his role in Rio Ferdinand's transfer from West Ham to Leeds, the former Elland Road chairman has attempted to rewrite history.
Angered that he is still held largely responsible for the financial collapse that reduced Leeds from Premier League contenders to a League One club, the current Cardiff chairman and a man football agents fondly referred to as "Father Christmas" has written an explosive new book.

(http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/rioDM0111_468x737.jpg)
(http://Ridsdale welcomes Ferdinand in 2000)

In it, Ridsdale tries to repair the damage to his own battered reputation and shift the blame on to those he considers more culpable — other directors of the club at the time and, most notably, David O'Leary.
O'Leary was the manager who, during his four years in charge, did not finish outside the top five in the Premier League and guided Leeds to a Champions League semi-final.
But Ridsdale now points the finger firmly at the man who has emerged as the favourite to be the next Republic of Ireland manager, making allegations that are contradicted by documents that have been obtained by Sportsmail.
O'Leary has never denied signing a form that gave Hauge "exclusivity" to deliver Ferdinand to Leeds.
Sportsmail has now discovered, again with the support of documentary evidence, that Hauge and Pini Zahavi — the England defender's representative — worked in tandem and the Irishman knew the Norwegian could indeed deliver.
As a letter sent from Zahavi to Hauge in January 2001 confirms, the two agents often worked together on deals and agreed to share any commission 50-50 should Ferdinand leave Leeds.

(http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/faxDM0111_468x584.jpg)
Paper trail: one of the damning documents which show that Peter Ridsdale had authorised Rune Hauge’s commission in the transfer of Rio Ferdinand to Leeds

But Ridsdale has accused O'Leary of acting "unilaterally" in recruiting Hauge's services when documents prove otherwise.
Ridsdale writes: "It was O'Leary's signature that allowed Rune to contact the player, player's agent and club representatives on our behalf.
"David hired him without my knowledge and without board approval. He acted unilaterally."
With the form that O'Leary did indeed sign on May 15, 2000 was a covering letter that was signed by Ian Silvester, then a Leeds director and the club secretary.
Sportsmail has copies of both documents and Silvester informs Hauge's office at Libero Limited in Guernsey that only Ridsdale can discuss any commission that would be paid on completion of a transfer.
Silvester states quite clearly that "in relation to commissions payable upon one or more successful transfers, Rune will need to discuss such figures directly with my chairman, Peter Ridsdale."
O'Leary remembers the episode clearly: "I took a call, like I would from a lot of agents, from Rune Hauge and he said he could get Rio Ferdinand for us.
"I wanted the player and I knew Hauge could get him, so I passed him on to Ian Silvester, who then produced a piece of paper for me to sign.
"I asked him if I could do this but he said it was accompanied by a covering letter that stated that only with Peter Ridsdale's approval could any commission fees be agreed. End of story."
Ridsdale, however, says he knew nothing of the arrangement for "three months".
It was, he said, "three months before Pini Zahavi informed me of Rio's interest in joining us and six months before the actual transfer."
A fax to Silvester from Hauge's office suggests otherwise, however.
Dated May 18, 2000 — three days after O'Leary signed the form — it says that "Rune Hauge has now spoken to Mr Peter Ridsdale regarding commission payable on a successful transfer of any of the above players."
When Hauge initially discussed Ferdinand with O'Leary, he also said he could deliver Martin Laursen, Steffen Iversen, John Arne Riise and Robbie Fowler.
In that same letter, Hauge's office stated that the commission fee had been agreed after the conversation with Ridsdale.
"They have agreed that this shall be equal to five per cent of the full transfer fee."
So why, four days before Ferdinand signed for Leeds on November 26, did Ridsdale sign a letter agreeing to pay Hauge double that amount, and so take the commission fee to a staggering £1.75m?
In his book, Ridsdale writes: "Within 24 hours of agreeing a deal with West Ham (on November 21, 2000) the whole deal was in jeopardy over an agent's fee and his role.
"If Leeds were raped by Hauge, then our arms were pinned down by the manager's mandate. We contemplated not paying but were told the deal would be off."
Again, documents contradict these claims, not least the fact that Ridsdale insists he only knew of Hauge's alleged demand for 10 per cent the day after the two clubs had agreed the fee.
In a letter addressed to Ridsdale on November 22, Hauge's office at Libero Limited refers to a fax that was sent to Leeds a month earlier.
"Further to our fax of 26 October, 2000, we confirm that we have made the changes to the agreement as agreed with Rune Hauge. A copy of the revised agreement is enclosed."
Ridsdale denies having had the conversation with Hauge between May 15 and May 18, just as he denies any knowledge of the "changes to the agreement" in October.

A statement issued on his behalf yesterday said: "The detailed information, published in United We Fall, and relating to the hiring of Rune Hague by David O'Leary to 'exclusively act on behalf of Leeds United' is accurate and corroborated not only by supporting documentation but also by sworn affidavits, and by a thorough and independent internal investigation carried out by Leeds United PLC.
"Any implication that Peter Ridsdale had knowledge prior to the Autumn of 2000 of any 'exclusivity' agreements having been signed by David O'Leary has already been demonstrated to be untrue.
"In writing this book, all Peter Ridsdale has attempted to do is to set the record straight on matters which were in the public domain, and which needed correcting."
O'Leary, and indeed his lawyers, may see things rather differently.

Daily Mail

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 02, 2007, 09:35:29

EXCLUSIVE: He's deranged - O'Leary rages at Ridsdale 'smears' over bung agent

David O'Leary has branded Peter Ridsdale "deranged" for launching a smear campaign designed to restore his own battered reputation and blacken the name of the former Leeds and Aston Villa manager.

Ridsdale, one-time Elland Road chairman, is about to publish an explosive new book, United We Fall, which attempts to shift the blame to O'Leary for the club's descent into financial chaos and relegation to League One.

(http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/oleary2DM0111_468x389.jpg)
Fuming: David O’Leary

In particular, he alleges that O'Leary was in some way responsible for the huge payments he authorised to agents, most notably the £1.75million that disgraced agent Rune Hauge received as part of Rio Ferdinand's £18m move from West Ham to Leeds in November 2000.
But on a day when Sportsmail reveals documents that expose glaring inconsistencies in the current Cardiff chairman's claims, O'Leary hits back as he emerged as the favourite to become the next Republic of Ireland manager.
O'Leary, who has already consulted his lawyers with a view to taking legal action against his former employer, is disgusted by the attack when all previous allegations made against him by Ridsdale were withdrawn in the settlement document that was signed in the wake of the Premier League arbitration agreement.
In that agreement, Ridsdale and, indeed, Leeds expressly disassociated themselves from the allegations that were made at the time and O'Leary received £4m in compensation after being sacked in May 2002.
"I signed a confidentiality agreement, which was incorporated in a Premier League tribunal order, and so did Leeds," said O'Leary.
"I have honoured that but I now feel compelled to defend myself against this deranged man.
"My dad rang me the other morning to tell me what had been written as part of the book serialisation in a paper.
"My parents have experienced the highs and lows of my career but the headline was very upsetting. To say I'd made a 'secret deal with a bung agent' is outrageous. It's nothing but a smear campaign."
As O'Leary pointed out, the timing of the attack could not be worse. "Do I want to get back into football? Definitely," he added. "Is this going to help me? No.
"What amazes me, though, is how Peter was with me when he was out of work. Not only did he call me to say that he had recommended me to Doug Ellis when I got the Aston Villa job but he asked me to recommend him to my chairman when the chief executive's job became available.
"That made me think, for all we'd been through at Leeds, that he was still a friend.
"I will always feel I did a good job at Leeds. We finished fifth in the Premiership the summer I was sacked. I remember walking off the pitch and Peter was waiting for me to congratulate me on another good season.
"People would go on about me spending £90m when the real figure was nearer £50m. And look how much the top four clubs are spending today to get into the Champions League."
O'Leary is furious with Ridsdale's suggestion that he lost the dressing room. "I left Leeds in a good situation," he said.
"In his book, Peter says I lost the dressing room. There were players who were unhappy but they knew their days were numbered under me.
"Peter highlighted a problem with Paul Robinson and he was wrong to do that.
"Since I left Leeds I have been to Robbo's wedding and stayed as a guest at his house in London. My daughter, Ciara, has been a babysitter for them.
"When I was at Villa and Paul was still at Leeds, he wanted to sign for me there. It was only because Doug Ellis wouldn't come up with the money that the deal fell through.
"The implication that I might have taken a bung is what really upsets me.
"I'm prepared to undergo any kind of scrutiny because I know I have done nothing wrong and I will not allow anyone to accuse me of being a fella who takes a bung."

Daily Mail

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 02, 2007, 09:36:56

Who approved the agent's fee in Ferdinand deal?

PETER RIDSDALE SAYS: 'It was O'Leary's signature that allowed Rune (Hauge) to contact the player, player's agent and club representatives on our behalf.
"David hired him without my knowledge and without board approval. He acted unilaterally."

(http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/ridsdaleDM0111_468x614.jpg)
'Lived the dream': Peter Ridsdale

DAVID O'LEARY SAYS: "I took a call, like I would from a lot of agents, from Rune Hauge and he said he could get Rio Ferdinand for us.
"I wanted the player and I knew Hauge could get him, so I passed him on to Ian Silvester (Leeds club secretary), who then produced a piece of paper for me to sign.
"I asked him if I could do this but he said it was accompanied by a covering letter that stated that only with Peter Ridsdale's approval could any commission fees be agreed. End of story."

Daily Mail

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 02, 2007, 09:41:23

David O’Leary ready to sue Peter Ridsdale over claims on agent payments

David O’Leary is considering taking legal action against Peter Ridsdale, his chairman while he was manager of Leeds United, over claims that O’Leary was to blame for the financial troubles and subsequent relegations of the Yorkshire club.

The Irishman branded Ridsdale “deranged” after learning of allegations in a forthcoming book that O’Leary was chiefly responsible for huge payments made by the club to agents. In particular to Rune Hauge, who received £1.75 million as part of Rio Ferdinand’s £18 million transfer to Leeds from West Ham United in November 2000.
Hauge was the Norwegian agent involved in the bung scandal that ultimately brought down George Graham, the Arsenal manager, in 1995. Graham was dismissed and banned from football for a year after being found guilty of taking illegal payments from Hauge The claims became public after Ridsdale’s book, United We Fall, were serialised in a national newspaper. O’Leary said: “My dad rang me the other morning to tell me what had been written. To say I’d made a ‘secret deal with a bung agent’ is outrageous. It’s nothing but a smear campaign.”
O’Leary, who was sacked by Leeds in 2002 and has been out of work since losing his job as Aston Villa manager in July 2006, is keen to return to football and has been strongly tipped to succeed Steve Staunton as the next manager of Ireland. “Do I want to get back into football? Definitely,” O’Leary said. “Is this going to help me? No.”
Previous allegations made against O’Leary by Ridsdale were withdrawn after an arbitration agreement between the parties, which resulted in O’Leary parting company with the club and receiving £4 million in compensation. “I signed a confidentiality agreement, which was incorporated in a Premier League tribunal order, and so did Leeds. I have honoured that but now I feel compelled to defend myself against this deranged man,” O’Leary said.
“I will always feel I did a good job at Leeds. We finished fifth in the Premiership in the summer I was sacked. People would go on about me spending £90 million when the real figure was nearer £50 million. And look how much the top four clubs are spending today to get into the Champions League.”

Times

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: McMidjo på November 02, 2007, 10:10:04

Alle Ridsdales gode (?) intensjoner til tross – det vi får se nå er jo en åpen skittentøyvask i pressen mellom Ridsdale og David O’Leary- hvor DO’L karakteriserer Risdsdale som sinnsforvirret (’deranged’).  Akkurat i det klubben vår var tilbake i overskriftene for ’alle the right reasons’, får vi altså dette, og jeg kan ikke skjønne annet enn at Ridsdales bok bare vil sverte klubben Leeds United ennå mer….  :'( :'(   Ridsdale er så smart at han også har forutsett at dette ville skje…

Oppslaget fra Daily Mail, som kjelvi har lagt inn, viser at Ridsdale farer med løgner i sin nye bok - eller i beste fall er veldig glemsk.

Tilgivelse er ikke akkurat det første ordet jeg tenker på…. >:(

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Carl Fisker på November 02, 2007, 12:03:16

Ridsdale var og forblir til evig tid ansvarlig for "the fall of Leeds United" . Ã… fare med løgn i et forsøk på å legge skylden over på O'Leary er direkte usmakelig og utilgivelig.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: nord på November 02, 2007, 17:08:47

Jeg  tror faktiskt omvendt. De fleste folk vil  forstå den sitiutation som Leeds kom i efter  Ridsdale og David O´Leary!.   
Endnu flere vil føle en stor sympaty for klubben efter denne bogen!.  :-*



 

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: stefan på November 02, 2007, 22:12:06

Sitat fra: nord på November 02, 2007, 17:08:47

Jeg  tror faktiskt omvendt. De fleste folk vil  forstå den sitiutation som Leeds kom i efter  Ridsdale og David O´Leary!.   
Endnu flere vil føle en stor sympaty for klubben efter denne bogen!.  :-*



 

eller så vil de godte seg...

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 03, 2007, 07:54:22

O'Neill admits he spoke to Leeds in 2003

ASTON Villa manager Martin O'Neill has admitted that he did have talks with Leeds in 2003 about becoming their manager.

The revelation came to light earlier this week from the former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale. In a serialisation of his book United We Fall, Ridsdale revealed that he met O'Neill for secret discussions in January that year with a view to taking charge at Elland Road the following summer.
O'Neill said: "I was within my rights to speak to other clubs in the last stages of my deal. I was interested as I wanted to see if I had the potential to be working after 30 June, 2003. I spoke to Peter Ridsdale and signed a statement of intent on the understanding that there were a number of conditions one of which was that Terry Venables, who was manager at the time, wanted to leave.
"It was not a contract as such certainly in terms of a legal document. When I realised that Celtic did actually want me and the conditions which were in the letter of intent were not being adhered to I wrote to him [Ridsdale] and told him that I was not going to continue.
"It is untrue that I didn't go to Leeds because he was no longer chairman. I did not want to leave Celtic at any stage. I loved the club. If they had come to me earlier I wouldn't have been in contact with Leeds. When Celtic put a new contract to me I was happy to sign."

sport.scotsman.com

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 03, 2007, 07:55:42

Martin O’Neill rejects Peter Ridsdale claim that he signed up to Leeds job

Peter Ridsdale was accused last night of trying to entice Martin O’Neill to Leeds United under false pretences as the Aston Villa manager, moved to protect his integrity, claimed that he had been manipulated into signing a “statement of intent” while he was at Celtic. O’Neill said that it was “absolutely and utterly not true” that the only reason he did not take over as Leeds manager in 2003 was because Ridsdale had stepped down as chairman at Elland Road.
Ridsdale, known as “Publicity Pete” during his reign at Leeds, claimed in this week’s serialisation of his forthcoming book that he had O’Neill signed up to succeed Terry Venables.
In fact, the Villa manager, who was entitled to speak to potential employers because he had entered the final six months of his initial three-year contract with Celtic, had put his name to a statement of intent that included several dubious conditions.
This was Ridsdale’s third attempt to lure O’Neill to Elland Road and the former Leicester City manager said it was partly his suitor’s “desperation” to prove to the Leeds board that he had a hope of landing their long-term target that persuaded him to sign a nonbinding letter.
O’Neill, miffed that Celtic had not moved earlier to offer him a new deal despite winning successive league titles and staying in Europe beyond Christmas for the first time in 26 years, discovered that “what Peter had said had not stacked up”. He signed a new one-year rolling contract at Celtic Park the same month and led the Scottish champions to the Uefa Cup final, staying a further two years until his wife’s deteriorating health led him to take a year out of the game.
Angered by claims that besmirch his reputation for loyalty, O’Neill said: “Peter had wanted me to be manager a couple of times. In 1998, when Mr [John] Elsom [then Leicester City chairman] wouldn’t give me permission to speak to Leeds and then again in the summer of 2002, when David [O’Leary] left. Peter felt he had Celtic’s permission to speak to me, but when I spoke to Dermot Desmond [the Celtic majority shareholder] he said that wasn’t the case.
“I’d signed a three-year contract at Celtic and into the last few months of that contract, when there had been no discussions about a new deal, I assumed Celtic wanted me to see my time through. So I was within my rights to speak to somebody and went to meet Peter.
“I signed a statement of intent which included quite a number of conditions. One was that Peter told me Terry, the manager at the time, wanted to leave. It was not a contract. Peter was pleading that he needed a signature indicating a serious intent and, of course, there had to be because I had to see if I had the potential to be working after June 30, 2003. When I realised that what Peter had said to me had not stacked up, when I spoke to Dermot and realised Celtic didn’t actually want me to leave and that the conditions were not being adhered to, I wrote to Peter and left it there.”
Ridsdale’s version of events has upset Celtic supporters, who perceive that O’Neill was plotting a way back into English football, but their former manager confirmed that he was intent simply on discovering his options and was soon disturbed to discover Leeds was not going to be among them. “I spoke to Terry and I found out that he was not thinking about leaving,” O’Neill said. “I did not want to leave Celtic, I loved the football club, but I was a bit disappointed that in the third year of my contract that they had not moved sooner to prolong the deal.”

The Times

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 03, 2007, 08:32:50

O'Neill blast at Ridsdale's claim

(http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00383/Martin_O_Neill_383288a.jpg)
MISLED ... O'Neill pulled the plug on Leeds talks

MARTIN O’NEILL has accused Peter Ridsdale of trying to con him into signing a pre-contract agreement to join Leeds.

The Aston Villa chief believes Ridsdale misled him in a bid to lure him to Elland Road from Celtic four years ago.
Former Leeds chairman Ridsdale revealed exclusively in SunSport this week how he had persuaded O’Neill to put pen to paper.
But O’Neill insists he only spoke to Leeds because he feared Celtic were about to give him the boot.
The Irishman admits he did sign a statement of intent — but withdrew it almost immediately because Celtic wanted him to stay and he thought Ridsdale had not been completely honest.
O’Neill insisted: “The letter was full of conditions which I found out later hadn’t been true.
“Peter told me that Terry Venables, who was manager at the time, was thinking of leaving.
“I spoke to Terry. I found he was not thinking of leaving.
“What do I think of what he said this week? It’s Peter being Peter and he has a book to write.”
O’Neill, whose Villa side face Derby today, added: “There was nothing underhand. Celtic knew what I was doing every step of the way.
“I didn’t want to leave Celtic but I was in the last six months of a three-year contract and no one had spoken to me about another one.
“I was disappointed with that. I thought they just wanted me to see it through and if that was the case I would have been interested in Leeds because I would have been out of a job on June 30.
“I spoke to Peter and I signed some statement of intent on the understanding of quite a number of conditions.
"It was not a contract as such — how could I have signed a legally binding agreement with Leeds and then agreed a new contract with Celtic?
“I thought I was going to be out of work and I would have had a serious interest in joining Leeds but what Peter had said to me at the meeting had not stacked up.
“I spoke to Dermot Desmond at Celtic and realised that they did actually want me and the board felt there had been a misunderstanding.
“Once the misunderstanding was cleared up. I signed a one-year rolling contract.”
Ridsdale had made two previous efforts to entice O’Neill to Leeds, once when he was Leicester’s boss and again from Celtic in 2002.
O’Neill added: “I did have a right to go to talk to people although it was Peter who pursued me.
“I could understand him wanting something more tangible having failed in 1998 and 2002 to get something.”

The Sun

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 03, 2007, 10:52:34

O'Neill: Document was not a contract
Martin O'Neill signed a conditional statement of intent to join Leeds four years ago - but insists nothing legally-binding was put in place.

Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale revealed the story in a serialisation of his autobiography, United We Fall, but O'Neill said he only entered talks with Ridsdale because he did not believe his employers Celtic were going to offer him a new deal.
Aston Villa boss O'Neill said: "The letter was full of conditions which I found out later hadn't been true.
"Peter told me that Terry Venables, who was manager at the time, was thinking of leaving. I spoke to Terry and found out he was not thinking of leaving.
"There was nothing underhand, Celtic knew what I was doing every step of the way.
"I didn't want to leave Celtic but I was in the last six months of a three-year contract and no-one had spoken to me about another one.
"I was disappointed with that."
Speaking about the content of the document he signed, O'Neill added: "I signed some statement of intent on the understanding of quite a number of conditions.
"It was not a contract as such, how could I have signed a legally-binding agreement with Leeds and then agreed a new contract with Celtic?"

TeamTalk

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 04, 2007, 14:01:27

Peter's porkies have O'Neill tearing into Ridsdale's book

Martin O'Neill has become the second manager in 24 hours to dispute Peter Ridsdale's memoirs as he accused the former Leeds chairman of lulling him into signing a pre-contract agreement under false pretences.
The day after David O'Leary blasted Cardiff City chairman Ridsdale over his book United We Fall, Aston Villa manager O'Neill questioned the book's version of the approach Leeds made to him when he was in charge at Celtic almost five years ago.

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Blasting back: O'Neill disagrees with the Ridsdale accound

O'Neill, who was in the last six months of a three-year contract, was looking for a new club as he believed his services were no longer required at Parkhead.
He did not dispute Ridsdale's claim that he signed a contract but claimed he was cajoled into putting his name to the deal on the basis of conditions Ridsdale knew could not be upheld. Ridsdale resigned at the end of that season.
O'Neill said: "£The suggestion he has made that I didn't go to Leeds because he wasn't chairman is absolutely not true."
He claims the main problem centred on Terry Venables' continued employment as Leeds boss and says Ridsdale assured him Venables no longer wanted to be in charge.
O'Neill said: "I signed a statement of intent on the understanding that it had quite a number of conditions, one of which was that Terry Venables, who was the manager at the time, wanted to leave. I spoke to Terry about that. Terry was not thinking of leaving.
"There were quite a number of other conditions. It was not a contract as such, certainly not in terms of any legal document. But Peter was pleading that he needed a signature to show that there was serious intent. Of course, I had to be interested because I had to see if I had the potential to be working after June 2003. But when I knew conditions that were in the letter of intent were not being adhered to, I wrote to tell him I was not going to continue. There were a couple of other issues as well.
"But, if I had a legally binding contract with Leeds, why did they not want to do something about it? Peter knew the conditions were not being met and he had a letter to say so."
O'Neill also accused Ridsdale of misleading him over whether he had permission from Celtic's major shareholder Dermot Desmond to speak to him.

(http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/ridsdaleDM3004_468x463.jpg)
Peter Ridsdale: Allegations

O'Neill said: "I was within my rights to speak to Peter as I was in the last stages of my deal. He asked permission from Mr Desmond. Dermot initially said I could speak to him, so Peter felt he had permission. I later spoke to Dermot, who said that wasn't the case, he hadn't given him permission and he would prefer me to stay at Celtic, which I was happy to do.
"I realised that what Peter had said to me at the meeting had not stacked up. When I spoke to Dermot, I realised that Celtic did want me, it was a bit of a misunderstanding."
Asked why he believed Ridsdale had portrayed this version of events, O'Neill added: "I've seen what he said and Peter — well, Peter is being Peter. He has a book to write and following on from allegations that David O'Leary has made phone calls to Rune Hauge, then I'm probably a decent second story."


Daily Mail

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 05, 2007, 10:28:16

Peter Ridsdale says sorry in rerun of the Leeds blame game

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The first question that needed asking of Peter Ridsdale was “why do it?” and the former Leeds United chairman yesterday sought to explain why he has written a book raking over his ultimately calamitous stewardship of the club. So far his memoir has succeeded only in embroiling its author in back-page rows with an outraged David O’Leary and an infuriated Martin O’Neill.
It is not for profit because all money raised will go to a Leeds hospice and, in any case, it remains to be seen if there will be many takers. The intended audience is Leeds fans, but, as they lie in what used to be called the third division, do they want to read how their club was brought to its knees?
“It’s an apology,” Ridsdale said and he hopes, optimistically, that Leeds supporters will allow him to hold a book signing in the city centre. In part, United We Fall can be seen as a 292-page plea that he be able to park his car near Elland Road without returning to a burnt-out wreck.
But it is also about sharing out the blame, however much Ridsdale tries to deny it. “It is not a ‘get David O’Leary’ book,” he said, but it undeniably adds a fresh smear to the Irishman’s already battered reputation. Sympathy for O’Leary will be limited in football, where he remains unwanted even by Ireland, and the innuendo is likely to make it harder still for him to return to management.
While the revelation of an exclusive deal signed by O’Leary for Rune Hauge, the tainted agent, to recruit Rio Ferdinand is an old story, the book makes fresh allegations that the former manager also tried to hijack negotiations to sell Olivier Dacourt. “To this day I’ve never been able to satisfactorily resolve in my own mind why he would get involved in a potential transfer like that,” Ridsdale said. O’Leary has consulted his lawyers but, so far, has limited his retaliation to calling his former boss “deranged”.
The ludicrously high payments to agents by Leeds led to Ridsdale being dubbed Father Christmas at the time. He now admits that he was “a coward” in not taking a tougher stand on player signings. “But what I do think is hypocritical is that there are many others who made similar mistakes and yet the personalisation of the vilification is far greater for me than any others,” he said. “[Juan Sebastián] Verón went from Manchester United to Chelsea and then on again at enormous sums and with enormous agents’ fees. Is that in the papers every day? What about Kléberson, [Eric] Djemba-Djemba [moving to Old Trafford]? But I sign Seth Johnson and that makes me incompetent.
“When you are a fan, we all think about what we’d do if we were a manager or chairman, but do you really understand what comes with it? This book is trying to show that and to show how nothing could prepare me for a plane crash, the arrests of Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate, the Galatasaray issues [when two fans were killed]. I am not saying ‘it wasn’t me, guv’. But I am saying that I have lived for 4½ years being persecuted, being told I couldn’t come back to Leeds, being called every name under the sun. But I haven’t murdered someone. I made honest mistakes.”
The book’s veracity has also been questioned by O’Neill, who, Ridsdale reveals, was persuaded to make a written undertaking that he would move from Celtic to Elland Road in 2003. Under false pretences, the Aston Villa manager has now said. O’Neill was persuaded to sign because Ridsdale is engaging company and a plausible salesman. He is also sufficiently thick-skinned that he has worked at Barnsley and Cardiff City since being hounded out at Leeds.

He has invested about £500,000 of his own money for a 10 per cent stake in Cardiff. Having secured a good deal with the council to fund a new stadium, he will resign when it opens in the summer of 2009 or sooner if promotion to the Barclays Premier League comes first, which, with the team struggling, seems unlikely.
He spent Sunday last week responding personally to 100 angry e-mails but, for all the buffeting, football has not been too unkind to him. He expects to leave Cardiff a millionaire.

Times

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: flynn på November 05, 2007, 10:51:20

Ridsdale var gjest i BBC's World Service sending på lørdag, og dermed tilgjengelig over NRK alltid nyheter frekvensen. Fikk ikke med meg så mye av det han sa, men han fikk rikelig anledning til å argumentere sin sak uten å bli utfordret eller debattert. Han virket oppriktig i sin beklagelse av hva som skjedde, og selv om han forsøker å fordele (les: skyve fra seg) noe av ansvaret gjentar han at de lot seg blende av suksessen og ikke maktet å hensynta andre mulige utfall enn fortsatt CL-spill.
Når jeg hørte ham snakke fikk de inn melding om Beckfords 1-0 scoring, og Ridsdale gir uttrykk for å være veldig oppdatert på vår gjøren og laden. Selv om han og familien nærmest ble kjeppjagd fra byen ville han aldri slutte å være stor Leeds-fan sier han...

flynn

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 05, 2007, 11:00:25

At a loss to explain Peter Ridsdale

There is something that does not add up about Peter Ridsdale’s tale of his time at Leeds United: most of it. This is the story of a man who was chairman at a significant plc, yet is depicted as a powerless stooge buffeted by the costly whims of subordinates. It makes no sense.
The book, Whoosh - There Goes Another Ten Million, sorry, United We Fall, attempts to lay the blame for some of Leeds’s greatest excesses with David O’Leary, the former manager, except that Ridsdale’s version of events withstands little examination. Take the time he paid an agent £200,000 to work as a translator in one meeting. Ridsdale states that Dennis Roach was recommended by O’Leary as a man whose language skills could smooth Olivier Dacourt’s path from Lens. If that was all he had to do, it seems a very expensive way of contracting a simple service, common in business, but in the event, when talks began, Bruno Satin, Dacourt’s agent, spoke good English and translated his conversations with the Lens president from French. All Roach did was nod his approval that this information was being conveyed correctly. He then submitted a bill for 200 grand, plus VAT.
Ridsdale paid it, he says, because he did not have a legal leg to stand on, having allowed Roach to remain in the discussions. And at that moment, as was so often the case during Ridsdale’s tenure at Elland Road, the bulls*** detector sounds loudly. An invoice is not a blank sheet of paper on which any figure conjured from the air is legally due. It is a fair representation of the cost of the services provided. If all Roach did is act as a translator for one day, he is not owed £200,000, no more than a man hired to mow your lawn could arbitrarily submit a bill for ten grand, and you would be bound to pay, because he had already done the work. Something would appear to be missing from this story; something that would explain why Roach was there instead of a professional translator paid an hourly rate. After all, theYellow Pages is full of them.
Logic and Leeds continue to part company when Rio Ferdinand is bought from West Ham United. Ridsdale explains Rune Hauge’s role in the deal by stating that the agent was commissioned by O’Leary alone and his letter of authorisation led to the club receiving a bill for £1.75 million from Hauge when the move was completed. “Why would O’Leary give exclusivity to Hauge without informing the chairman?” Ridsdale asks. Here is a better question. Why would any business honour an agreement of that financial magnitude, set up by an employee operating outside company guidelines?
If a bill for £50,000 from Ridsdale’s publishers suddenly arrived at The Times, with a note attached explaining that Martin Samuel, Chief Football Correspondent, had agreed this fee to serialise the fascinating autobiography Looking Down The Back Of The Sofa For Change: Doing Business The Ridsdale Way, sorry, United We Fall, it would be pointed out in no uncertain terms that Samuel’s job is to do the football and ours is to do the money and frankly, sunshine, you can whistle for it.
By comparison, Ridsdale claims that at his company “our arms were pinned down by the manager’s mandate”. O’Leary launched a vigorous defence against these allegations last week, and who can blame him? If Ridsdale is to be believed – and there is no suggestion of corruption around his behaviour, merely extreme foolishness – executives at Leeds would appear to have spent much of their time rolling their eyes and offering amused shrugs of resignation as the bills rolled in and the money ran out, while Doris from the canteen independently shouted up ten kilos of beluga caviar and stuck them with the tab.
It does not wash. Until managers buy players with money from their own pockets, there will always be an executive somewhere along the line who agrees the fee and writes the cheque. Now his would be a story worth hearing: so where is this man in Ridsdale’s revelations? Keeping a very low profile, it would seem.

Times

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: McMidjo på November 05, 2007, 12:20:38

I og med at han blander inn sitt eget navn i artikkelen, bør en kanskje legge til at artikkelen 'At a loss to explain Peter Ridsdale' er skrevet av spaltisten Martin Samuel i The Times. Samuel går for å være en av de aller beste og skarpeste fotballspaltistene i den engelske pressen.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Runar på November 05, 2007, 16:08:25

Jeg har store problemer med å forstå hvorfor klubbene bruker agenter til å forhandle på deres vegne? Dersom Leeds vil ha Rio Ferdinand så er del vel WestHam og spilleren sin agent det skal forhandles med....Så hvorfor hente inn en agent til å forhandle på sine egne vegne? Skulle tro at fotballklubber hadde til lært seg denne egenskap etter 100 år med transfers

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 05, 2007, 23:14:30

Ridsdale: I could have saved Leeds

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Peter Ridsdale is adamant Leeds United would not be in League One if he had remained as chairman.

Amid crumbling fortunes on the pitch and spiralling debts off it, Ridsdale was ousted in March 2003, bringing to an end one of the most amazing periods in Elland Road history.
In seven years, Leeds went from the Champions League semi-finals to the third tier of the English game, with Ridsdale blamed by many for the staggering demise.
To this day, Ridsdale is so vilified within the West Yorkshire city that he is unable to publicise his account of life at United for fear of violence from disgruntled supporters.
It is not a decision he expects will change any time in the foreseeable future, given the success of what he perceived to be a smear campaign against him by former members of the Leeds board.
But, while he believes current chairman Ken Bates is the right man to restore the Whites' fortunes, Ridsdale remains convinced he would have halted the slide before it reached anything like its' eventual catastrophic ending.
"I do not believe Leeds would be in League One if I had stayed," he said
"People will probably think I am an arrogant so-and-so but I believe in being honest and straightforward.
"I have got nothing against the current management at all. I was very pleased when Ken Bates took over because he is steeped in football experience.
"But I also know Leeds did not get relegated out of the Premier League because of financial issues. If it was the case, why did they not start selling a load of players during the previous summer after I had left?
"When you look at the team they had available at that time, with the right football management, they should have survived in the Premier League. Who knows what might have happened after that? Would we have been able to restructure the finances? I do not know.
"But it always makes me smile when people say financial issues stopped Leeds winning. Leeds stopped winning when they were top of the league.
"The issue at hand is that a book was published, for good or ill, that coincided with the team starting not to win. That was the start of Leeds' demise."
The 'book' Ridsdale refers to was David O'Leary's 'Leeds United on Trial', a supposed diary of a season the Irishman's contract gave the chairman no power to stop.
The book's inflammatory title and inside revelations of a season, that included the infamous assault trials of Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer, caused shockwaves across the game.
Ridsdale was in virtual ignorance over its existence until the title was revealed at a press conference marking the end of the trial.
From virtually that moment on, Leeds descended into a freefall which only stopped following the 15-point deduction imposed on the club by the Football League last summer which Ridsdale, in his new capacity as Cardiff chairman, voted for.
While he acknowledges many, probably even the majority, of Leeds fans will never forgive him, by taking the unprecedented step of donating all royalties to St Gemma's Hospice, Ridsdale hopes to encourage followers to read the book and at least see how events unfolded from his side.
"I am not trying shift the blame," he said.
"Leeds United was my club, as a boy, as a fan, as a director and finally as a chairman. I made a lot of mistakes and I hold my hands up for them.
"But there are a number of people who never accepted blame for what happened.
"To this day, I don't think I have ever seen David O'Leary say he did anything wrong and when Leeds were relegated, it was still my fault even though I left 15 months earlier."
While it is clear Ridsdale is irritated by O'Leary's failure to share some of the responsibility for debts which reached an eye-bulging £78million on his watch, the former chairman is equally annoyed at his successor, Professor John McKenzie.
It was McKenzie's account of Ridsdale's free-spending ways, including the bizarre goldfish story, that discredited the previous regime.
"To suggest the biggest single mistake I made - and I made plenty - was to have two goldfish tanks, which cost £200 per annum, was just laughable," said Ridsdale.
"Yet it became a signal of my extravagance and largesse. I am bemused by it.
"I actually think it was a deliberate part of a strategy to nail me to the floor.
"During a DTI investigation, I had to show every decision to sell or buy a player had been approved by the board.
"I had to show it wasn't just me going off spending recklessly. I also had to show we had enough cashflow forecasts that showed we could survive financially. We did that too.
"To my face, Professor McKenzie was very supportive.
"Then he started hammering me for the number of company cars we had, when the number he stated was twice what we actually had.
"I used to drive from home every morning and return every evening, when I wasn't staying overnight, in my own car and I was driving.
"Professor McKenzie was being chauffeur driven to and from home. Nobody says a word about that."

TeamTalk

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: lojosang på November 06, 2007, 09:06:14

Sitat fra: kjelvi på November 05, 2007, 23:14:30

Ridsdale: I could have saved Leeds

(http://images.teamtalk.com/07/05/190/PeterRisdale_220101.jpg)

Peter Ridsdale is adamant Leeds United would not be in League One if he had remained as chairman.


TeamTalk

Nei, vi ville vel vært konk, og begynt på ny i bunn av ligasystemet et sted.  :-\

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 06, 2007, 11:43:02

Ridsdale claims smear campaign
Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale is convinced he has been the victim of an Elland Road smear campaign following the club's demise.

It is now four and a half years since Ridsdale departed the club he supported as a boy, with many fans believing the £78million debt he left behind is the major reason why Leeds are currently languishing in League One.
Yet while Ridsdale is now happy to accept his share of the responsibility for Leeds' plight, he feels others, who were equally culpable, have escaped with their reputations intact.
He disputes totally the theory that financial troubles triggered their relegation from the Premier League in 2004 - long after he had been succeeded as chairman by Professor John McKenzie.
And he has now decided to speak out against McKenzie's allegations of reckless financial behaviour, including the infamous goldfish expenditure.
"To suggest the biggest single mistake I made - and I made plenty - was to have two goldfish tanks, which cost £200 per annum, was just laughable," said Ridsdale.
"Yet it became a signal of my extravagance and largesse. I am bemused by it.
"I actually think it was a deliberate part of a strategy to nail me to the floor.
"To my face, Professor McKenzie was very supportive. Then he started hammering me for the number of company cars we had, when the number he stated was twice what we actually had.
"I used to drive from home every morning and return every evening, when I wasn't staying overnight, in my own car, and I was driving.
"Professor McKenzie was being chauffeur-driven to and from home. Nobody says a word about that."
Ridsdale is so vilified within the West Yorkshire city that he is unable to publicise his account of life at Elland Road, 'United They Fall', the proceeds of which will go to St Gemma's Hospice, for fear of violence from disgruntled supporters.
But while he does not expect that situation to change at any point in the near future, Ridsdale, now chairman at Cardiff, does feel if he had been allowed to get on with his job, the side who were in the Champions League semi-finals seven years ago would not be where they are now.
"I do not believe Leeds would be in League One if I had stayed," he said
"People will probably think I am an arrogant so-and-so but I believe in being honest and straightforward.
"I have got nothing against the current management at all. I was very pleased when Ken Bates took over because he is steeped in football experience.
"But I also know Leeds did not get relegated out of the Premier League because of financial issues. If it was the case, why did they not start selling a load of players during the previous summer after I had left.
"When you look at the team they had available at that time, with the right football management they should have survived in the Premier League. Who knows what might have happened after that? Would we have been able to restructure the finances? I do not know.
"But it always makes me smile when people say financial issues stopped Leeds winning. Leeds stopped winning when they were top of the league."

TeamTalk

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 06, 2007, 12:05:06

My one regret at Leeds - by Peter Ridsdale¨

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FORMER Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale freely admits to having made mistakes during his tenure at Elland Road but has only one real regret: that he was never able to install Martin O'Neill as manager.

His failure was not through want of trying. "I was determined to get him when George Graham left, then he was our No 1 choice when David O'Leary was sacked," Ridsdale said last night, back in Leeds promoting the book chronicling his years with the club as fan and chairman.
Leicester would not let Ridsdale speak to their manager and back at Leeds David O'Leary, Graham's assistant who had taken on the caretaker's role, let it be known he wanted the top job.
A show of support from Leicester's fans persuaded O'Neill to stay; the following night Leeds played a UEFA Cup match in Rome and although they lost 1-0 the fans were fulsome in their backing for O'Leary. Ridsdale's mind was made up.
Then, after the helter-skelter years during which Ridsdale and O'Leary appeared the perfect pairing and Leeds had reached the heady heights of the Champion League semi-final had ended, the chairman went back for O'Neill, who by now was restoring success north of the border with Celtic.
Ridsdale and O'Neill met three times but eventually the Northern Irishman told Leeds he had been persuaded by Celtic to honour his contract which had a year to run.
It seemed Ridsdale finally had his man when O'Neill signed an agreement – based on the formal contract recognised by the League Managers' Association and the Premier League – confirming he would move to Elland Road when his deal with Celtic expired on June 30 2003.
'Neill has since tried to play down the value of the paper he signed but the document – produced in full last night by Steve Dennis, co-author of Ridsdale's book on his years at Elland Road – confirms the agreement was serious.
But by the time June 30 had come round Peter Ridsdale was no longer chairman at Elland Road and O'Neill never made the move, Peter Reid took over, relegation followed soon after and the club's decline accelerated.


YP

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 06, 2007, 12:08:37

Ridsdale sets record straight on United years

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Former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale will forever polarise opinion among the club's fans. He accepts he made mistakes but, he tells Bill Bridge, he was not the only one.
GIVEN his time as chairman of Leeds United over again Peter Ridsdale would do one simple thing: say "No" to manager David O'Leary much more often.
The time for that being long gone; he now reserves his disenchantment for those who sat alongside him at board meetings during his years in charge. "They were five high-profile directors but they were content to lay the blame on my shoulders, presumably so it didn't drift off towards anyone else," Ridsdale said last night.
"I believe in accountability, that's why I resigned as chairman, but I am still finding, four-and-a-half-years later, that all the problems since I left have been down to me. I'll take the blame for things which happened on my watch but not for things which weren't. I didn't get any credit for Leeds reaching the Championship play-offs and I didn't deserve any but neither did I deserve any criticism I suffered when they were relegated at the end of last season."
Allan Leighton and Professor John McKenzie are the directors who suffer most from Ridsdale's lingering resentment at the manner of his leaving Elland Road and he insists that, even when he attended his last board meeting in March 2003, the club was not facing financial meltdown.
"Our debts were £78.9m but the plc felt it was capable of funding an ongoing debt of £65m despite missing out on European football," he says. The difference, had he stayed in charge, would have been met by selling Harry Kewell to Liverpool that summer for £11m. Added to the saving on the player's wages, the problem was solved.
Instead Leeds sold Kewell for what Ridsdale describes as "peanuts" then brought in expensive players on loan and disaster followed.
The pain is still evident for Ridsdale but being away from Leeds, the Premiership and the Champions League – not to mention our TV screens and the august committee rooms of the Football Association – has not much changed him.
He looked tired at a city centre hotel last night, not surprisingly after a long day promoting his new book but the sense of humour, honesty and willingness to shoulder responsibility remain those of a top man.
You would not expect anything else from an individual who rose from the streets of Hyde Park in his native Leeds to some of the most senior positions in the British retail industry, became chairman of the football club he had supported since childhood and led them on one of the great adventures of our times.
He may have been bruised emotionally and financially by the meltdown of Leeds but his resilience helped him through the bad times, like the day in Essex where he had gone for a few days of peace as Elland Road descended into chaos.
It was the day before Mothering Sunday and Ridsdale had gone into Halstead to buy a card for his wife Sophie on behalf of their two daughters. He was looking into a shop window when he became aware of the reflection of someone behind him. In an instant he was spun round, grabbed by the throat and the target of a stream of spittle and foul-mouthed abuse, the gist of which was that he had made a mess of Leeds and had better sort it out. Or else.
His assailant went as quickly as he had come, Ridsdale sat on the window sill, shaking, for several minutes. Then he went inside, bought the card and went back to his family. He knew then there was no hiding place; that he would to some, probably for the rest of his life, be the man who almost destroyed Leeds United.
His latest attempt at overturning perceived wisdom is his frank, entertaining book which is a mixture of explanation, apology, accusation and plea for understanding.
From the beginning, Ridsdale has admitted to mistakes that were made but insists others involved should take their share of the blame. Ridsdale's strategy when he became chairman was to aim high, on the basis that if you failed you would still be in mid-table. If you only aimed for mid-table and failed you would be in relegation trouble.
He claims full backing from those who sat with him at board meetings but the persistent theme of his argument is that those he thought he could trust let him down. "You don't expect professional friends not to be straight with you," is his diplomatic way of expressing his disappointment.
Even when the alarm bells were not so much ringing as falling off the walls, O'Leary, says Ridsdale, responded to demands from the board that he sell players by instead insisting that a further £23m was made available to strengthen his squad.
But, stripping out all the excuses and "if onlys" his theme is that the dream was not shattered by over-ambition but by the publication of a book: O'Leary's Leeds United On Trial.
"Everything began to fall apart on the pitch in the first week of 2002," says Ridsdale.
"What team at the top of the Premiership goes from January 1 to March 3 without winning a match and gets knocked out of the UEFA Cup and FA Cup? For me the tipping point was that first week in January – the week when O'Leary's book was published and promoted."
It transpired that "a senior player" told Ridsdale that O'Leary had lost the dressing room. "This player," adds Ridsdale, "said the decline in form could all be pinned on the broken spirit caused by Leeds United On Trial.
"I had known for 18 months that David was planning to write a book but I had no inkling of the real content, or of the book's title," says Ridsdale.
It has taken him a long time to print his side of the story – he decided to wait until the conclusion of an inquiry by the Department of Trade into the implosion at Elland Road and his role in the transfers he had overseen as chairman. That two-year investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Whether he will be able to sway his audience, the bulk of which already appears to have made up its mind we shall see, but at the very least his defence deserves to be read.

United We Fall: Boardroom Truths About The Beautiful Game (Macmillan, £18.99). All royalties from the book will go to St Gemma's Hospice in Leeds.

YP

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 06, 2007, 14:58:47

Ridsdale closes the chapter on Leeds United

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Peter Ridsdale has a book-signing session scheduled in Cardiff on Friday and is wondering aloud how well-attended the event will be.
Cardiff is Ridsdale's surrogate home and the epicentre of his present link with professional football, but the city is an obscure location in which to promote the story of his marriage, divorce and tempestuous affair with Leeds United.
The Welsh will read with interest the thoughts and claims of United We Fall: Boardroom Truths About the Beautiful Game.
Its author is now Cardiff City's chairman, a fact that makes details of Ridsdale's association with Leeds – and in particular his part in United's financial implosion – wholly relevant to the principality and the future of its largest club.
But the tome was not produced for the benefit of the people of Wales. It is, says Ridsdale, his honest version of his relationship with Leeds, the club and the city.
More specifically, it is his apology to the people he left behind, and for the problems they inherited from him.
There are, he admits tellingly, no book-signing sessions planned for the capital of Yorkshire.
The 55-year-old is no longer well-received in Leeds, and no longer looks for a warm welcome here.
He rarely visits the city and does not expect to see his reputation restored.
It is hardly a surprise to him, then, that the timing, the content and the merits of United We Fall have become subjects of intense discussion.
Popular or not, Ridsdale is a man whose name alone initiates debate.
His publication has raised two obvious questions – why publish the book, and why publish it now?
The second query has a simple answer.
Until the conclusion of the Department of Trade and Industry's inquiry into the handling of United's finances by Ridsdale and his board, the former Leeds chairman had his hands tied.
Ridsdale's exoneration by the DTI last year left him free to produce the book which had been on his mind ever since he was ejected from Elland Road in 2003.
But in writing his memoirs – and publishing a record of four decades of involvement with Leeds – he knew he was treading on stony ground, and raking up issues that certain United supporters would prefer to remain buried.
Ridsdale was the people's chairman, but the chairman who ultimately led the club down the road to ruin.
He was not, he rightly insists, solely responsible for the irresponsible financial management of United, but he was head of the table when the walls caved in beneath monstrous debts.
Leeds – as a city and as a body of fans – has never forgiven him for that but they have, at last, been given more refreshing matters to concern themselves with.
The club entered League One's play-off positions 10 days ago.
It seemed almost incredible, then, that the dominant headlines of the following week centred around Ridsdale's autobiography – around David O'Leary, Martin O'Neill and – of course – the scribe himself.
But Ridsdale wanted his say, and believes he is entitled to it. If nothing else, he can at least claim to have fronted up to what became the most spectacular collapse in English football.
"I'd felt that for four-and-a-half years I'd kept my mouth shut," says Ridsdale.
"Essentially, I wanted to bring finality to my relationship and association with Leeds – by saying I was sorry.
"It was an opportunity for me to try to draw a line under what had gone before. Leeds United today is nothing to do with me, but for a very long time it was.
"I wanted to say to all football fans that running a club is not as simple as you think it is.
"I wanted to say to all the Leeds fans that I'm sorry – genuinely sorry for the mistakes we made. I also think a lot of fans wake up in the morning and think 'I can do a better job than that' or 'I'd like to be the manager and pick the team'.
"I think my book gives some insight into what it's like to be at the heart of a football club.
"For the last four years, people have spent most of the time having a pop at me.
"I've sat and taken it. If what I've written in response hurts people then all I can argue is that the truth can hurt. And as far as I'm concerned, it is the truth.
"Do I have the right to tell my story in context? Yes I do. I didn't doubt that it was a good idea to have my say, and I think I've done the right thing.
"Some of the reaction to it has been disappointing but I'm happy now that I've drawn the line.
"I'm happy that I've written a book which says it as it was and I'm happy that I've had – at long last – the chance to say sorry to the Leeds United supporters for the things we got wrong. I'm also happy that a hospice in Leeds will be the beneficiaries."
The proceeds from United We Fall are to be donated to St Gemma's Hospice in Moortown, the specialist care centre that Ridsdale supported both professionally and personally while he was chairman of Leeds.
His decision to forego royalties was taken in part to avoid inevitable accusations that he was profiting from a story of demise in which his role was central.
But Ridsdale's motivation for producing his autobiography was never about money.
He saw the book as his opportunity to apologise in the most expansive way possible; he also wanted to stress that his time with Leeds was not exclusively given to failure.
United We Fall begins in 1965 with Ridsdale queuing for a ticket for that year's FA Cup final between Liverpool and Leeds, and there is more to his story than the final, bitter hours.
There is, somewhere in the mind of every fan, a happy memory concerning Ridsdale.
Yet around four-fifths of the book is devoted to his reign as chairman, as it had to be
It is, to the impartial observer, a fascinating story of the boy who became king of his castle, but for United's supporters the recollections hurt.
They hurt because, for a time, Ridsdale was one of them.
He was there on a tragic night in Istanbul and a glorious night in Valencia, the two moments when he and the club's following felt as close as they ever would.
But the manner of his fall, and the fall-out from his exit, means the story of Ridsdale is intrinsically linked to what has become the most complicated crisis in the history of English football.
"The big difficulty when people talk about me and Leeds United is that they only talk about the end," says Ridsdale.
"The end was clearly disappointing and the mistakes we made were ultimately very damaging. But we also did a lot of things right.
"For five-and-a-half years when I was chairman, we were in the top five of the Premier League for five of those.
"We had two European semi-finals, and we had to handle issues that were thrown at us and which nothing could have prepared us for – like the trials of Jonathan (Woodgate) and Lee (Bowyer), and the terrible night in Istanbul.
"I've had more good times than bad times, and that's a fact. But given my time again, I think we'd have said no more often. We'd have realised that certain things were a bridge too far in terms of finance.
What I've always been prepared to do is take the blame for what happened under my stewardship.
"But I still remember the way the supporters were when we were playing against Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the semi-final in Valencia. Also during the game when we beat Deportivo at Elland Road.
"There were some fantastic nights and we shared them together.
"For all of that to be eradicated from people's memories as if it was nothing to do with me is an imbalanced perspective.
"People say today's newspapers are tomorrow's chip paper – don't you believe it. My faults are resurrected all the time. There were so many positive things written about the Leeds United era that were thrown out of the window because of what happened at the end.
"But if you are chairman, the buck stops with you. I have to say that, along with a board of directors, it was my fault."
It was not, clearly, the way in which Ridsdale expected his stewardship to end. Even now, there is an element of disbelief in his assessment of the way his dream job conspired to cast him as a villain in a city where he was once a figurehead.
"Whatever else can be said of Ridsdale, it is ludicrous to claim that he wished for this scenario.
He was, he says, relieved when Ken Bates rolled into town – providing what Ridsdale calls "a football man for a wonderful football club".
"It would please him more if Leeds can recover in such a way that allows United to exist outside a context involving their former chairman.
Ridsdale is confident that the recovery is in motion. He also believes that the timing of his book is perfect, in spite of suggestions that the publication has landed at precisely the moment when Leeds appear to be moving on.
"But isn't that good news?" he asks. "If Leeds were still continuing to struggle, people would turn round and say 'we're still paying the price for what Ridsdale left behind'.
"But the club are flying – they're flying high. Surely with that wave of optimism Leeds fans can read the book knowing that the team have turned the corner, and hopefully will be in the Championship next season. With any luck, after that they'll be back in the Premier league. I think the timing is perfect.
"If I win them over then I win them over. I'd like to do that, but life's not so simple.
"I've kept my mouth shut but this is my opportunity to say sorry and to say read the story – but ultimately to say the Ridsdale era is finally finished.
"Good luck to Leeds United."

YEP

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 08, 2007, 21:59:59

Going back to Leeds was surreal
By Peter Ridsdale

Being with Cardiff meant an inevitable return to Elland Road. The first time was in December 2005, two-and-a-half years after my departure, but it was clear feelings were still running high.
A few days before the game, I received an anxious phone call from the Leeds chief executive, Shaun Harvey, who was clearly hoping beyond hope that I wouldn't be turning up.
What do you think to Peter Ridsdale? Click here to email us or click comment below. We'll publish the lot.
'I've been asked by the police and safety advisory group to ask whether you intend to come to the game...we're very nervous about it, Peter,' he said.
I hadn't even thought about not going. 'Yes, I'm coming. You're not going to try and stop me, are you?'
'No, we just want to make sure that, if you're coming, the proper security is in place and you're protected, and we wanted you to know how hostile it's going to be.'
I wasn't naive. Memories linger long in the football fan. But I wanted to go for Cardiff, and I needed to go for myself because it allowed me to break the taboo of not going back, a bit like confronting a phobia.
In public, Leeds insisted there would be no extra security measures but they ensured I didn't drive to the ground, and asked that I enter and exit the stadium on the team coach. We brought our own security guards on the bus and, as we arrived at our hotel on the city outskirts, there were about 10 police outriders.
There was a tiny pocket of a protest – about 12 fans – but I really did feel that the majority of Leeds fans were more concerned about the result that day than the ex-chairman.
Inside Elland Road, everything felt surreal. This stadium which had once meant so much to me had lost its magic, and felt like any other away ground. I felt nothing.
The Kop spent about five minutes ridiculing my name but it had been a lot worse when I'd been chairman. In fact, on this occasion, some corporate supporters shook my hand, and wished me luck.
There was something else starkly different – the ground seemed half empty; less than 21,000 fans turned up that day, a far cry from the near 40,000 capacity we used to pull in every other week.
Then I noticed the directors' box had been moved. When I was chairman, we sat to one side of the halfway line, just off-centre.
But under Ken Bates, the enclosure had been moved directly in line with the halfway line. It was like I'd returned to my old house, found some stranger living there, and all the furniture had been moved around.
And the atmosphere didn't feel the same. It just didn't feel like home any more.
We won the game 1-0 thanks to a Jason Koumas goal. I was wise enough to sit down and stay still as the rest of the Cardiff fans celebrated. I got through the afternoon without incident and felt that, whenever our sides met again, I could return with a semblance of normality.
But I was mistaken.
Come the 2006–07 season, Leeds were still suffering the hangover from losing the previous season's Championship play-off final, and after soaking up some early pressure, Willo Flood gave us a 1–0 victory. After the match, I walked down the steps of the directors' box to return inside the stadium, and into the chairman's suite, where everyone was gathered. As I entered, Ken Bates shouted across the room, 'You can f***off – get out of here now, and don't come back!' I thought it was a boisterous joke at first because, before the match, Ken had made comments blaming my reign as chairman for the club's ongoing financial troubles. But the silence that followed his outburst confirmed it was no joke.
I didn't know what to say other than, 'What have I done, Ken?' and I walked over to him, stood there in the far corner of the room.
'You know exactly what you've done...your behaviour in the directors' box was unacceptable,' he said.
I wasn't going to stick around and be made to feel unwelcome again at Elland Road. So I wished him well for the rest of the season, left the suite and went to the dressing room to
join Dave Jones. I've not spoken to Ken since.
He surprised me that day but what doesn't surprise me is his continual focus on my 'legacy'. And the events at the end of the 2006–07 season would give him even greater reason to shift the focus from his record in office at Elland Road to mine.
Leeds United's survival in the Championship partly hinged on our result at Ninian Park on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Our opponents were Hull City, and both sides were scrambling to get clear of the trapdoor into League One (the old Third Division).
If Hull and Leeds achieved the same result, the relegation issue would go to the final game of the season, and that was the outcome I was praying for.
With two minutes of normal time remaining in both games, it looked like a stalemate that would be settled on the final day. Hull were beating us 1–0. Leeds were ahead of Ipswich by the same score.
Then, in another unbearable twist, Alan Lee equalized for Ipswich with a flick-on header.
Hull's directors, ears stuck to their mini-radios, let out a cheer.
I shut my eyes, and cupped my face in my hands.
The final whistle blew at Ninian Park, and Hull had won.
But in Leeds, the fans had invaded the pitch, causing the referee to halt play. It took police and stewards another 30 minutes to restore order before the ref could bring the teams back out to complete the final 90 seconds.
I was in the boardroom as Hull's chairman, Adam Pearson, the former commercial director at Leeds, paced outside. His cheers, and the domino cheers that rang out from the boardroom, confirmed their survival, and Leeds' demise.
I was gutted for them but I was also pleased for Adam. He's done a great job at Hull, turned things around and worked tirelessly. So I was torn between not wanting to see either my old club or an old friend go down.
It was because I was with Adam that in the spirit of the occasion I decided to be hospitable, and mark our visitors' survival by opening a bottle of champagne. I'd have offered it to any other visiting chairman in the same circumstances.
Adam was stood at the top of the steps leading from the boardroom to the directors' box, looking down on the pitch, his nerves still frayed.
'I needed some fresh air!' he said.
'Here, take this,' I said, handing him a glass of champagne, 'congratulations!' It was just my luck that a stray journalist spotted this gesture.
Next thing I know, it's being reported on BBC Radio Five Live that the two former Leeds directors are cracking open the champagne to celebrate Leeds' demise.
It led to a volley of outrage on the radio phone-in, and a bombardment of emails to Cardiff City over the next few days.
I appreciate how it must have appeared, but neither Adam nor I was pleased about Leeds' relegation. Nothing saddens me more than to see their plight.

The club – and especially the fans – don't deserve it.

YEP

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på November 09, 2007, 08:52:41

Peter Ridsdale's lament for Leeds

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/graphics/2007/11/09/sfnridsdale109pa.jpg)
In the hot seat: Peter Risdale

This is a love story. It begins with a boy walking towards the great, gaunt floodlights of Elland Road to queue for tickets for the 1965 FA Cup final. He was alone; he nearly always watched football by himself. He becomes chairman, he takes them to within one match of a European Cup final, supporters chant his name because he is so obviously 'one of us'.
Like so much love, it corrodes, with arguments about money. The banners spit out messages of betrayal, it ends with literal dollops of spittle on his suit and the messiest imaginable break-up. This evening, at Hereford, Leeds compete in the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.
''And how many love stories do end well?" Peter Ridsdale sighs, fingering a copy of his unsparing account of the affair, United We Fall. "I remember the first game after I'd resigned: Leeds played Charlton away and won 6-1. It was the first Saturday afternoon I had been at home in years and I hated it. It was a horrific feeling. That Christmas was the first time I had ever been at home on Boxing Day for my daughter's birthday."
If you mention Ridsdale's name, two images come to mind. One is his glib statement as he sat alongside a stone-faced Terry Venables to announce the sale of Jonathan Woodgate that Leeds had "lived the dream". He sounded like a man justifying an unrepayable credit-card statement the debt when he left stood at £78.9 million. The her is the goldfish.
It was not that there were goldfish in the boardroom, it was that they were rented. Like everything else, the fish were on tick. Could someone not have popped down to Pets R Us and bought one?
Nothing in Ridsdale's account of the fall of Leeds United carries as much anger as that reserved for Venables – there is a sense of regret about how his time with David O'Leary soured. He seems to have loathed his successor.
''Venables inherited a very good team and, rather than accept it was failing, he hung me out to dry over the sale of Jonathan Woodgate. He was told we had to sell players; it was obvious, it was palpable. And the reason we had to sell them was that he had taken us from fifth to 16th in the Premier League.
''His attitude was that it was nothing to do with him; it was all the chairman's fault. He turned round to me and said: 'Clubs like Leeds United don't go bust, they just change the chairman'.
''In what other business would you put up with that kind of language from an employee? I was not ruthless enough with him and, had I been, it would probably have saved my job and Leeds fans a lot of heartache."
As for the fish, they were rented because it ensured somebody would come and feed them when the boardroom was empty. Peter Ridsdale was a board member at Burton's before he was 40, which supposes he has something up top. But as soon as he came into football, he became in his own words 'breathtakingly naive'.
''I always thought I was a good, hard-nosed businessman until I read my book again and I thought: 'I wasn't actually'."
United We Fall abounds with examples. Early on in his chairmanship he and his counterpart at Aston Villa, Doug Ellis, confide they both know that Bolton will sell Alan Thompson for £3.5 million. Why not both offer £3.5 million, Ridsdale suggests, and let the player decide? They shake hands. Leeds offer £3.5 million, Villa bid £4.25 million. Thompson goes to the Midlands.
''When Leeds sign Olivier Dacourt, the agent, Dennis Roach, tags along at David O'Leary's request, saying he will 'translate'. Dacourt's agent speaks perfect English. Roach oes little more than nod. He submits a bill for £200,000 for 'translation services'. Ridsdale pays.
Ken Bates, who has overseen the most humiliating moment in Leeds' history relegation to the old Third Division, and a 15-point penalty believes they are still paying Ridsdale's bill.
''When Leeds got to the play-off final in 2006 under Ken Bates, I got no credit and nor should I have done because it was nothing to do with me," said Ridsdale. "But what is startling is that when they get relegated, the year after, it is all my fault. I suggest you examine the creditor list when they went into administration in the summer and tell me how many of those creditors were there when I was and you will find it is very, very few."
Nobody at Leeds United ever seems to have been honest with one another. They spoke in subtitles, telling everybody what they wanted to hear O'Leary, especially, appears to have been masterful at this.
The only man who appeared straight was George Graham. "That is all fair comment," Ridsdale sighed. "Funnily enough, he was the manager I inherited rather than appointed, but I had the utmost respect for him. I found him straightforward, blunt to my face and when he wanted to leave for Tottenham, he told me."
O'Leary has described Ridsdale's recollections as 'deranged'. They have fallen such a long way from the time when they would sit at the front of the team bus, the manager amused by his chairman belting out the Leeds battle hymn Marching on Together.
''Initially, he was a joy to work with," Ridsdale said. "But as he became more successful, we began to grow apart. He became more arrogant. David may have thought he was bigger than the club and it came to a point where he thought he could see me off as well. He thought he was indispensable. There are many examples of where, in the privacy of the club, he would say one thing, and in the public domain he would say another.
''When we transferred Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink he backed me to the hilt and then went to the papers and said: 'If they sell Hasselbaink, I will have to consider my position'. Amazing."
Ridsdale is adamant that O'Leary's greatest error was writing Leeds United on Trial, which was launched in January 2002 when Leeds were top of the league. Within six months, O'Leary was sacked, Leeds had missed out on the Champions League for a second successive season and the road to perdition had been joined.
''The title upset a lot of people because we had made it clear that the Bowyer-Woodgate case was not Leeds United on trial, it was two of our employees. Some of the stuff in it was frankly fiction.
''I do know that a lot of the players who read it thought it took private matters into the public domain. Did the book do damage? I don't know. But what I do know is that after it was published we went eight weeks without winning a match. And when we stopped performing on the field, everything else suddenly became a problem."

United We Fall (Macmillan, £18.99). All royalties to St Gemma's Hospice in Leeds

Telegraph

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: fmtj på November 09, 2007, 11:08:48

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,982_2868245,00.html

Ridsdale hevder at han har lært av Leeds oppholdet og at Cardiff fanse er så "begeistret" for ham...ja, ja dem om det!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Runar på November 11, 2007, 00:55:38

Leste hele boken for et par dager siden. God lesning!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: RoarG på November 17, 2007, 15:12:37

Det var noen interresante utdrag,ja. At hr. Ridsdale har ansvaret for mye er helt på det rene. At O'Leary har gått fri fra Leedsfansens vrede er merkeligere. Ridsdale har et vektig poeng at Leeds' nedtur begynte da klubben var ligaledere, og ikke p.g.a. økonomisk rot. Det er selvsagt manageren som har hovedansvaret for de sportslige prestasjonene. Synes nå klubben trenger ro, og da trenger vi tre ting:
1) Et kompetent styre som ikke setter økonomien over styr.
2) En manager som kan fotball, og som ikke setter sitt eget ego over klubben.
3) Gode spillere med gode holdninger, som ikke trekker klubbens ry ned i søla med uanstendig oppførsel og griske lønnskrav.
Jeg tror Ridsdale har rett når han hevder at oppturen har begynt i klubben igjen. Til neste år spiller vi i CCC.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Desember 21, 2007, 14:30:35

Peter Ridsdale: 'You can't succeed in life unless you have failed first'
Brian Viner Interviews: Struggling Cardiff's chairman is still optimistic and ambitious, despite some dark days at Leeds

(http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00261/ridsdale211207_261737b.jpg)
Ridsdale is facing a similarly difficult financial plight at Cardiff City as he did at Leeds United

Peter Ridsdale, the chairman of beleaguered Cardiff City and formerly the chairman of beleaguered Leeds United, will not let football matters dilute his Christmas cheer next week, no matter how Cardiff fare against Sheffield United tomorrow. He will spend the day at home near Lancaster with his wife Sophie and their two daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, and says his loved ones deserve to have him there in full cracker-pulling, novelty hat-wearing mode. After all, it is Olivia's 10th birthday on Boxing Day and she has already pointed out that her daddy won't be there when she wakes up; he will be on his way to watch Cardiff at Watford.
As he drives down the M6, Ridsdale might be forgiven for reflecting that he has hopped from the frying pan into the fire. At Leeds United the dream of Premier League and Champions League success turned not so much sour as rancid and two of his players went on trial for grievous bodily harm, not to mention a near-fatal plane crash, and the murder of two of the club's supporters in Istanbul.
Ridsdale thought he had seen it all at Leeds, and yet he hadn't.
Cardiff have a £24m debt dating from before his time which the creditor, a mysterious company called Langston, wants back. The original loan involved a Swiss bank, money paid through Panama and an address in the British Virgin Islands: exotic stuff for Ninian Park. But Ridsdale could do with less exotica and more transparency. He knows nothing else about Langston, whose demands might yet be settled in court. A date has been fixed for March, and if the case goes against Cardiff, bankruptcy will ensue.
Whether Ridsdale will deliver his promise of a new stadium for Cardiff City is therefore a less pertinent question than whether there will be a club left to play there. On top of which, Cardiff's fortunes on the field have been less than spectacular this season, with pressure mounting on Ridsdale to sack the manager, Dave Jones. This he has resisted, insisting that Jones is the man to take the club forward. "We have sold £14m worth of talent over the past two years," the chairman says. "I can't think of any other manager who would have done that without wincing, but Dave hasn't winced. He's just got on with it."
It's worth adding that informed opinion says Ridsdale, too, is the best man for a difficult job. A prominent sports writer on a Cardiff paper assures me that he has done "magnificently" in trying circumstances.
We meet in Ridsdale's relatively modest office at Ninian Park. The last time we talked, I rather provocatively remind him, we were in his extremely swish quarters at Elland Road, a few hours before Leeds drew 1-1 with Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League. That day, seven years ago now, I was there to talk to him about the extraordinary success he seemed to have made of Leeds United. On this occasion it is to talk about his book United We Fall, all the royalties from which are going to St Gemma's Hospice in Leeds. "I am very keen that nobody thinks I'm lining my pockets," he says. "The only benefit I wanted was an opportunity to tell the truth."
The truth, if such it is, makes genuinely compelling reading. Ridsdale pulls no punches, except those he was instructed by his lawyers to pull, and damns some famous football men. He also owns up to becoming "naively intoxicated" by success, although anyone expecting one long mea culpa will be disappointed.
"It's easy to lash out at me," he says. "But I was on the board from 1987 to 1997, and from 1997 to 2003 as chairman. In my time as chairman we never finished out of the top five, we were in Europe five years running, we reached two European semi-finals. And then of course there were the trials, the murders, a plane crash. The book's about all of that, but also about some of the things that happen in football clubs that people never find out about. No other business prepares you for the things you put up with in football."
Such as corrupt agents, one of whom he names in his book? "Well, anyone who's negotiated with a footballer knows that the first thing you need is an agent. The agent knows what others are earning, and can put the salary proposal into perspective, whereas players don't have any idea, because they don't tell the truth to each other. Almost all the agents I've dealt with have been straight, but football, like a lot of industries, always has people at the fringes who aren't honest. I was in the fashion business for years, and there were always rumours about buyers taking perks to order more stock from a supplier. In football, don't forget that for every dodgy agent you need a dodgy executive. Are there deals I raise eyebrows at? Of course. Players you've never heard of come in from South America, commanding a massive transfer fee, play for five minutes and then you never hear of them again. Maybe that's just bad management, but it begs questions, doesn't it?"
Returning to the question of Leeds, Ridsdale disclaims responsibility for the club's relegation from the Premier League in 2004, 15 months after he had left. "In October I went to see Cardiff City play at Anfield in the Carling Cup," he says. "We are only one division apart, yet we get £1.7m out of the TV rights, and they get a minimum of £35m. In the context of Leeds, the strategy there was right as long as we stayed in the Premier League. Look at that team I left behind. The week after I resigned, they beat Charlton 6-1 away. Three weeks later they went to Highbury and won 3-2. How could that team get relegated? I do think that there were some poor football management decisions after I left, which contributed to relegation, but that just seems like sour grapes."
A deep sigh. "What I'm saying in the book is that I'm honest, I'm hard working, that we made lots of mistakes, but we did a few things well too, and I don't think I deserved all the abuse I got. David Mellor, a man I'd exchanged Christmas cards with, wrote that if I had anything about me I would go into a darkened room with a pistol and a bottle of whisky. I still find that astonishing. What did I do? I tried to do a decent job with four other colleagues on the board."
Did he, at any time, consider what we might term the Mellor option? "It did go through my mind, yes. I thought about what would happen if I did it. And there were some very difficult low points, like 12 months after I'd left when a man in a suit, on a train from Euston to Lancaster, grabbed hold of me and started punching me, saying 'this is for what you did to my club!' That story's not in the book. But what do you do? You either put your life back together, or you don't."
It is by no means only Leeds fans who have demonised Ridsdale. "Even at the FA Cup final this year I got terrible abuse," he adds. "It's interesting. In America they say you can never succeed unless you've failed. They see it as part of the learning curve. Here we have a culture where the minute you show signs of weakness they want to grind you into the dust. People have said I should never be allowed to work in football again. Why? I never did anything dishonest. Yes, I made mistakes, but does that mean I can't have a life any more? The desire to humiliate is quite eerie. And you can't respond. If you do it's in all the papers."
The book is his eloquent response, but in responding he also implicates others in the decline of Leeds United, not least Terry Venables and David O'Leary. How, I wonder, does he square everything he's just said to me with the possibility that football chairmen might read what he says about O'Leary losing the respect of the Leeds dressing room, among other damning observations, and decide not to employ him?
A small smile. "Well, a lot was written about me, implying I was dishonest. Nobody stood up for me, and I had to work hard to find people who would give me a chance again. If by telling the truth that gives others problems..." – the smile has faded now – "... well, I'm not going to be blasé and say I don't care, but that's part of telling it how it was."

United We Fall: Boardroom Truths about the Beautiful Game by Peter Ridsdale, published by Macmillan, £18.99.

Board games Ridsdale's mixed record of success
* Leeds United chairman (1997-2003) Borrowed £60m in gambling on Leeds qualifying for the Champions League. Claimed club's demise had nothing to do with him, despite leaving them with £103m debt

* Barnsley chairman (2003-04) Credited with saving club from relegation. Lost revenue from ITV Digital collapse

* Cardiff City chairman (2005-) Recruited to help build new stadium


What they say...
"I now feel compelled to defend myself against this deranged man. It's a smear campaign"
David O'Leary, Nov 2007

"At Cardiff he has a wide and far reaching brief. I believe he is the perfect person for the job."
Sam Hamann, May 2005


The Independent

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Desember 21, 2007, 16:10:43

Small Talk
The Guardian

Peter Ridsdale


The Cardiff City and former Leeds chairman holds forth on Seth Johnson's wages, why he'd put an Aston Martin in Room 101, and being the singer in 60s band Midnight Orange

(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2006/10/24/ridsdalepamartinrickett.jpg)
Tom Cruise, stars as Peter Ridsdale
 
Morning, Peter
Morning, Small Talk.

It was your book launch last night, you must be feeling a bit hung over after drinking champagne from golden bowls balanced on the heads of beautiful women and whatever else goes on at these high society parties?
[Chipper] No, it was all quite sedate and I feel very good, thank you very much.

Ah! So there were beautiful women serving champagne then! Why did you decide to write the book?
Because I'd kept my mouth shut for four and a half years. A lot of things have been written about my time at Leeds and I finally wanted to put it behind me and tell my side of the story.

[Small Talk places Hard-Nosed Journalist Hat on head] Are you receiving a fee for the book? Some Leeds fans would say you're profiting from their misery ...
All the money is going to St Gemma's hospice in Leeds. Both my parents died of cancer and the staff at the hospice do an outstanding job.

[Small Talk rips Hard-Nosed Journalist Hat off head, stamps on it, and gives it long, resentful stare] There's been a bit of reaction to the book. David O'Leary, for example, called you "deranged" ...
I don't find that statement justified because I think anyone who knows me would argue I'm not. I'm not sure whether he'd read the book or just some of the extracts. I think if people read it, in its context, I think there's a story worth a telling.

Small Talk would quite like to hear about Seth Johnson. Is it true you offered him £20,000 more a week than he was expecting when he joined Leeds from Derby?
It's amazing nobody asks the lad's agent himself whether there's any truth in the story: it's a myth. [Johnson] was on at least £10,000 a week less when he joined than has been rumoured in the press.

Now for one reason or another, Small Talk has wandered the alleys and lanes of Leeds at night and there are some very large men who are quite the pugilists. Can you walk the streets without getting a pasting?
I'm sure if I walked around late at night as the pubs were coming out, there would be some people who may have a view on my career. But I still go back to Leeds, you know, it's where I grew up.

Do you ever miss going to Elland Road?
When I first left Leeds I found it strange because I had been there since I was a schoolboy, every week. In the book I apologise for the mistakes that I made, and I think the book also begs the question of whether others should put their hands in the air and say they made mistakes.

And which people would that be, Peter?
[Tersely] I think if you read the book you can draw your own conclusions.

Gah! Reading's for girls, Peter. Real men have fights in Leeds city centre and play football. Were you much of a player yourself?
I played in goal for my county when I was younger. I played every weekend and loved it.

Who was the best player you brought to the Leeds?
There were some great players, but I'd go for Mark Viduka, who had great feet and created as many goals as he scored. Then there was an unknown striker called Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who we bought for £2m and sold for £12m, but of course nobody gives us any credit for that one.

You were in top pop band Midnight Orange in your youth ...
Ah yes, I was lead singer. It was in the 60s and we played all sorts of stuff - (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice - I modelled my haircut on Peter Noone out of Herman's Hermits. [Detecting the squeak in Small Talk's voice] You'd be too young to remember all this of course.

Yup, Small Talk is a hip young cat with its finger on the pulse of the modern scene. Apparently there's a band from Leeds called Kaiser Chiefs ...
I think the Kaiser Chiefs are great, absolutely great. We've got their CDs here at home. They're something to be proud of as a lad from Leeds.

Rodney Marsh has just appeared on I'm a Celebrity ... Have you ever been invited to go on?
I'm not going to get involved in reality television. [Out of nowhere] I'm a businessman who takes very seriously doing my job well. You make mistakes and you have to hold your hands up and in most countries in the world people acknowledge that when you make mistakes you're better for it, if you put the lessons learned into practice. Whereas in this country we want to grind people down and that's what's happened to me over the last four and a half years and this is an opportunity to keep my head down and get on and complete the task at Cardiff.

[Small Talk puts a tentative tick in box marked "Not interested in reality TV shows"] Erm, so you're saying there's a culture of knocking people in Britain then?
I can only speak from experience but some people have said very nice things about me, for example during the incidents at Galatasaray, and over the things that were thrown our way during the Woodgate/Bowyer trial and yet today you'd think from reactions today that I'd never done anything right as Leeds chairman, yet for five years we were one of the top teams in the country.

Yikes! Let's bring it down a level, Peter. What was the last CD you bought?
I've just bought Katie Melua's one actually. I particularly like If You Were A Sailboat.

Ah, sailboats - that's lovely and calming. And Katie's a nice looking lady, even if she did go out with that bloke from the Kooks.
Yes, a nice looking lady indeed.

Who would play you in a film of your life?
[Genuinely stumped] I don't know actually; that's a very good question. [Laughing] Let's say Tom Cruise.

No can do, Small Talk's already got dibs on Cruise. You're getting Judge Reinhold. What's your favourite biscuit?
It's got to be a Jammy Dodger.

What would you put into Room 101?
[Perhaps misunderstanding concept] The keys to an Aston Martin.

An excellent choice considering the dangers of climate change, Peter. Should we take global warming seriously?
Yes. It's very important that this generation takes environmental issues very importantly because we're only here for a limited time.

A lovely sentiment to end on. Thanks for your time.
Thanks Small Talk, take care.


Peter Ridsdale's book United We Stand: Boardroom Truths About The Beautiful Game is out now

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: kjelvi på Januar 10, 2008, 22:04:33

Nettopp lest ferdig 'United We Fall". Har fått oversendt et signert eksemplar som en forsinket julegave fra en kompis i UK.

En viktig forutsetning når man leser boka er at man ser den som Ridsdales forsvarsskriv og hans forsøk for å redde sitt ettermele.

Boka er lettlest - og handler 99% om hans tids som styremedlem (1987-2003) og styreleder (1997-2003) i Leeds Utd.
Den omhandler 'oppturen' mot opprykk og Div. 1-mesterskap (89-90), seriegull (91-92) og CL-semien (00-01) og 'nedturen' med økonomisk krise, spillersalg/hyppige manager-skifter, Woodgate/Boywer-saken fram til han trakk seg i 2003.
Den er detaljrik når det gjelder drøftinger, vurderinger, forhandlinger, m.m. rundt enkeltepisoder (som f.eks. Cantonas avreise, sparkingen/tilsetting av manager).
I tillegg krydret med en rekke subjektive 'observasjoner' - som f.eks antydniger om at Catona 'beiset' fru Chapman, Woodgate som en av de dummeste, Bowyer som kynisk og egosentrisk rasist, O'Leary som en oppblåst fyr ofte på kanten av det moralsk lovlige (bung-penger, agent-koblinger).

En rekke påstander er tunge - og har skapt diskusjon (ref. avisklippene i denne tråden).
* Støyen rundt bung-penger (£1,75m) til Rune Hauge i f.b.m. med Rio-overgangen er fikset av O'Leary og ikke han.
* Hovedgrunnen til at O'Leary fikk sparken sommeren 2002 var at han hadde mistet spillerenes respekt, bl.a. etter hans bok 'Leeds Utd. On Trail".
* Fotballagenten Pino Pagliari forsøkte å bestikke han i f.b.m. med Keanes overgang til Spurs i 2002. Forslaget var en fake-faktura på £600.000, som igjen skulle deles mellom de to.
* Det var en foreløpig avtale mellom Ridsdale og Martin O'Neill av januar 2003, som innebar at O'Neill skulle overta som Leeds-manager sommeren 03.

Spennende lesning, som gir mange detaljer om hva som skjedde i og rundt klubben
Selv om man stiller seg skeptisk til deler av innholdet, mener jeg at boka fastslår følgende:
* Som styreformann hadde Ridsdale hovedansvaret for Leeds' fall. Det understreker han sjøl også!
* Men ansvaret deler han med hele styret og resten av "Executive"-nivået i klubben, som var med å fatte de aller fleste beslutningene.
* Ingen tvil om at Ridsdale er en lifelong fan - som på tross av alle feilene som er gjort har bare hatt klubben beste for øye.
* Boka gir skildringer at mennesker som bekrefter det inntrykket jeg har hatt. Wilko som en litt asosial særing av den gamle skolen, George som en super-egosentrisk person som stort sett bare var opptatt av å male sin egen kake, O'Leary som bare ville ha flere og flere spillere, samt Venables som skiftet mening og strategi hver uke.

I tillegg rydder boka opp i flere vandrehistorier - som Seth Johnsons lønnsfastsettelse, leasing-festen (biler, akvarium, ..), agent-honorarer, Fowler-prisen, Grahams overgang til Spurs, bruken av privatjet-er, m.m.

Anbefales!
Men bør leses som en skyldig persons forklaring og bortforklaringer.
Den gir også en spennende innsikt i livet i styrerommet og en slags forståelse av fotball-foretningsdrift.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Promotion 2010 på November 25, 2010, 15:32:54

Nå på vei til Plymouth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/plymouth_argyle/9228231.stm

Stakars klubb!  :o

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: jarle på November 25, 2010, 17:06:03

Jeg er ikke entydig negativ til Ridsdale...

Som han sier ... hvilket lag cruiser i Europa, topper PL til jul for så ikke vinne en kamp på mnd..

Det er ikke styreformannen sin skyld ihvertfall...

Den store tabben var EL Tel!!! 
Jeg er sikker på at vi skulle kunne håndtert den gjelden... vi hadde jo spillere verdt haugevs av kroner... som var egne talenter... så null i kost!!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Kato på November 25, 2010, 17:47:12

Av alle håpløse valg gjort siste ti år synes jeg det desidert verste var Peter Reid.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: p0ndus på November 25, 2010, 18:28:57

Sitat fra: Promotion 2010 på November 25, 2010, 15:32:54

Nå på vei til Plymouth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/plymouth_argyle/9228231.stm

Stakars klubb!  :o

Stakkars lille Plymouth, Ridsdale  kommer til og investere De ned i rennesteinen. Sann mine ord.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: lojosang på November 25, 2010, 18:44:26

Null kost? Vi hadde et lønnsbudsjett i størrelsesorden BNP for et middels U-land, lånene var brukt på spillerinnkjøp og fantasilønninger med sikkerhet i framtidige inntekter. Risikovurderingen til Ridsdale og hans styre har vært på nivå med norske Terra-kommuner.

Det som forundrer meg mest er hvordan den mannen kan forlate klubb etter klubb med røde tall og framdeles ha enorme summer til å investere i nye klubber. Og at styrer verden over ser ut til å ansette konkursspøkelser gang på gang "fordi de har erfaring" med å gå konk.

Sitat fra: jarle på November 25, 2010, 17:06:03

Jeg er ikke entydig negativ til Ridsdale...

Som han sier ... hvilket lag cruiser i Europa, topper PL til jul for så ikke vinne en kamp på mnd..

Det er ikke styreformannen sin skyld ihvertfall...

Den store tabben var EL Tel!!! 
Jeg er sikker på at vi skulle kunne håndtert den gjelden... vi hadde jo spillere verdt haugevs av kroner... som var egne talenter... så null i kost!!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: jarle på November 25, 2010, 19:10:58

Sitat fra: lojosang på November 25, 2010, 18:44:26

Null kost? Vi hadde et lønnsbudsjett i størrelsesorden BNP for et middels U-land, lånene var brukt på spillerinnkjøp og fantasilønninger med sikkerhet i framtidige inntekter. Risikovurderingen til Ridsdale og hans styre har vært på nivå med norske Terra-kommuner.

Det som forundrer meg mest er hvordan den mannen kan forlate klubb etter klubb med røde tall og framdeles ha enorme summer til å investere i nye klubber. Og at styrer verden over ser ut til å ansette konkursspøkelser gang på gang "fordi de har erfaring" med å gå konk.

Sitat fra: jarle på November 25, 2010, 17:06:03

Jeg er ikke entydig negativ til Ridsdale...

Som han sier ... hvilket lag cruiser i Europa, topper PL til jul for så ikke vinne en kamp på mnd..

Det er ikke styreformannen sin skyld ihvertfall...

Den store tabben var EL Tel!!! 
Jeg er sikker på at vi skulle kunne håndtert den gjelden... vi hadde jo spillere verdt haugevs av kroner... som var egne talenter... så null i kost!!

Null i kosts... så mente jeg,,, egne talenter som er brakt fram i klubben har ikke kostet oss noe i innkjøp... altså null kost... ved et salg ville det været netto kroner inn.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: auren på November 25, 2010, 19:35:00

Sitat fra: jarle på November 25, 2010, 19:10:58

Sitat fra: lojosang på November 25, 2010, 18:44:26

Null kost? Vi hadde et lønnsbudsjett i størrelsesorden BNP for et middels U-land, lånene var brukt på spillerinnkjøp og fantasilønninger med sikkerhet i framtidige inntekter. Risikovurderingen til Ridsdale og hans styre har vært på nivå med norske Terra-kommuner.

Det som forundrer meg mest er hvordan den mannen kan forlate klubb etter klubb med røde tall og framdeles ha enorme summer til å investere i nye klubber. Og at styrer verden over ser ut til å ansette konkursspøkelser gang på gang "fordi de har erfaring" med å gå konk.

Sitat fra: jarle på November 25, 2010, 17:06:03

Jeg er ikke entydig negativ til Ridsdale...

Som han sier ... hvilket lag cruiser i Europa, topper PL til jul for så ikke vinne en kamp på mnd..

Det er ikke styreformannen sin skyld ihvertfall...

Den store tabben var EL Tel!!!  
Jeg er sikker på at vi skulle kunne håndtert den gjelden... vi hadde jo spillere verdt haugevs av kroner... som var egne talenter... så null i kost!!

Null i kosts... så mente jeg,,, egne talenter som er brakt fram i klubben har ikke kostet oss noe i innkjøp... altså null kost... ved et salg ville det været netto kroner inn.

Du glemmer en annen skjult kostnad også: Det koster penger å drive Thorpe Arch og maaange av spillerne ender opp som kun talenter og går gratis fra klubben. Noen som har en idé hvor mye det koster å trene én enkelt spiller? Det er derfor man betaler klubber utdanningskompensasjon for spillere under 23 (?) år.

auren

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Kickthemdown på November 25, 2010, 19:40:44

Sitat fra: jarle på November 25, 2010, 17:06:03

Jeg er ikke entydig negativ til Ridsdale...

Som han sier ... hvilket lag cruiser i Europa, topper PL til jul for så ikke vinne en kamp på mnd..

Det er ikke styreformannen sin skyld ihvertfall...

Den store tabben var EL Tel!!! 
Jeg er sikker på at vi skulle kunne håndtert den gjelden... vi hadde jo spillere verdt haugevs av kroner... som var egne talenter... så null i kost!!

Mye av det du skriver er jeg sensasjonelt nok enig i, men dette.... What?  ???

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: jarle på November 25, 2010, 23:08:32

Sitat fra: Alta-White på November 25, 2010, 19:40:44

Sitat fra: jarle på November 25, 2010, 17:06:03

Jeg er ikke entydig negativ til Ridsdale...

Som han sier ... hvilket lag cruiser i Europa, topper PL til jul for så ikke vinne en kamp på mnd..

Det er ikke styreformannen sin skyld ihvertfall...

Den store tabben var EL Tel!!! 
Jeg er sikker på at vi skulle kunne håndtert den gjelden... vi hadde jo spillere verdt haugevs av kroner... som var egne talenter... så null i kost!!

Mye av det du skriver er jeg sensasjonelt nok enig i, men dette.... What?  ???

Du mener vel heller ikke at det er styreformannen som spiller fotballkamper...
Så det at laget kollapset etter jul og da ledelse i PL.. var vel ikke hans skyld...
Hadde ikke dette skjedd og vi kom med i CL igjen hadde vi vært safe!

Ja jeg mener ansettelsen av El TEl som hadde hatt ferie i 10 år på spanske kysten var idioti og ødela Leeds som lag.. derfra gikk det en vei og det nedover...

Det var jo den sportslige nedturen som sørget for at det gikk som det gikk.

Er sikker på at boka til DOL ikke var så veldig smart heller...
Heller ikke ansettelsen av Brian Kidd som var DOL's avgjørelse.. etter det spilte vi nesten ikke en god fotball kamp. Kjøpet av kokain avhengige Liverpool spisser var vel heller ikke Pete's valg.

Poenget mitt er at det å henge Pete som den ansvarlige for all elendigheten er feil...

Da skal han også få æren av 2 semifinaler i Europa og mye annet gøy også...
Det er ihvertfall den beste perioden min som Leeds fan...

Utrolig stolt av dette laget som spilte fantastisk fotball og besto av kids fra Leeds!!!
Utrolig... vil vi noen gang se et lignende lag i Engelsk fotball... nå er det jo bare pengene som rår...

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Promotion 2010 på November 26, 2010, 14:34:07

Sitat

Poenget mitt er at det å henge Pete som den ansvarlige for all elendigheten er feil...

Da er det vel rett og rimelig at vi henger Bates for alt som har skjedd det siste tiåret da!


Rett og rimelig............rett og rimelig...........rett og simelig.........  ;)

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: jarle på November 26, 2010, 16:02:15

Sitat fra: Promotion 2010 på November 26, 2010, 14:34:07

Sitat

Poenget mitt er at det å henge Pete som den ansvarlige for all elendigheten er feil...

Da er det vel rett og rimelig at vi henger Bates for alt som har skjedd det siste tiåret da!


Rett og rimelig............rett og rimelig...........rett og simelig.........  ;)

Nå støttet vel Pete managern sin litt mer når det gjaldt spillerkjøp... ( he he)
Bates har vel vært noe mer gnien...

Så slik sett kan kanskje Bates ha noe mer skyld i mangelen på sportslig suksess...
3 år i 3 div.. HAALLOOOO!!!..

Ellers mener jeg Pete gjorde mye bra for klubben på og utenfor banen... anti rassisme etc..
Bates gjør ikke annet enn å krangle med alt og alle...

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: lojosang på November 26, 2010, 16:15:01

Han spilte hazard med klubben som innsats. Og styret hans lot ham få lov til det.
At han også gjorde noe bra veier ikke opp for det. Mannen er ikke Anti-Krist, for all del. Og styret må jo ta på seg i hvert fall halve skylda for uføret vi havnet i.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: columbi på November 27, 2010, 23:36:58

Har en følelse av at Ridsdale ikke var erfaren nok som styreformann samtidig som O'Leary tok litt mye styring. Kan jo hatt en sammenheng. Ridsdale var Leeds-gutt i sitt hjerte og manglet nok kanskje styrke til å si nei når han burde. Noen må skyve på , mens andre må holde igjen. I boardroom på Elland Road var det ingen som turde å stå imot og se konsekvensene når resultatene uteble. Ridsdale gav jo boka til O'Leary skylden for nedturen og etter nyttår i 2002 var det kun en vei.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: LeedsU878 på November 29, 2010, 11:19:14

Jeg har et ganske ambivalent forhold til Ridsdale. Som de fleste Leeds-fans elsket jeg jo denne mannen. Han hadde noe jeg ofte savner i moderne fotball – store ambisjoner. Han var klar på at Leeds skulle bli det beste laget, og vi var jo godt på vei.

Ser man på tingene i retroperspektiv hadde jeg vel sagt nei takk. Økonomisk kontroll tror jeg ikke finnes i Ridsdales vokabular, og jeg kommer aldri til å tilgi at han gamblet med Leeds på denne måten. Jeg rekker dog gjerne hånden frem og godtar hans beklagelse.

Problemet var, som andre har nevnt over, at ingen kunne konfrontere mannen. Klubben gjorde det bra, Leeds-fans elsket både han og O’leary, og han var utvilsomt en ganske habil retoriker.

For meg finnes det ingen tvil om at Ridsdale har ansvaret for det som skjedde, men han har nok rett når han sier at andre må stå frem og ta noe av ansvaret. Noe skjedde med spillerne, og det var vel begrenset hvor mye Ridsdale kunne ha gjort med det.

Jeg må påpeke at jeg ikke har lest boken – de utdragene jeg har lest virket mest av alt som en stor forsvarstale, og jeg stiller meg ganske kritisk til det meste av det.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: columbi på November 29, 2010, 14:43:51

Hei
Leste boka i helga og klarte ikke å legge den ifra meg før jeg var ferdig. Han (Ridsdale) skyver veldig mye av ansvaret over på andre vedr. en del forhold. Og det er på disse områder han som chairman burde hatt bedre styring. Han klarte ikke å si nei når han burde og det var litt strutsementalitet. "Stikk hodet i sanden og ta problemene etterpå". Ellers var boka artig å lese og man forstår at det er en del grådige aktører i markedet. Tyder på at både managere og agenter tok godt for seg (jfr George Graham saken og Rune Hauge).
Ridsdale var svært visjonær og drømte om det helt store. Og det var ingen som satte ned foten. Det var ingen "what-if" sperrer dersom inntektene ikke kom. Synes også at styret også burde ha reagert og satt noen spørsmålstegn. Og det gjorde de jo til slutt med å gi ham føyken.
Og det var så man følte at man var nesten på toppen, men glemte helt sikkerhetslina og når fallet først kom var det umulig å stoppe.
Ridsdale skyldte på udugelige managere, også etter at han forsvant ut av board-rommet, men han ble en del av et system som dro på seg store skylapper. Og i rollefordeling Chairman - Manager var det han som burde ha sagt stopp. Men husker selv hvor morsomt det var med stadig nye kvalitetsspillere for å forsterke laget. Vi ble vel blinde de fleste av oss.

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: jarle på November 29, 2010, 14:44:28

Boka er bestilt på Amazon sammen med Unforgiven...

2 uker i alpene i jul og nyttår...

Det blir Leeds krim i år!!!

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: ollan på November 29, 2010, 15:03:35

Sitat fra: jarle på November 29, 2010, 14:44:28

Boka er bestilt på Amazon sammen med Unforgiven...

2 uker i alpene i jul og nyttår...

Det blir Leeds krim i år!!!

Unforgiven er en bra bok, sammen med The Promised LAnd

Tittel: Sv: NYTT: "United We Fall" av Peter Ridsdale
Skrevet av: Asbjørn på Mars 23, 2023, 09:57:32

Phil Hay drar opp et interessant emne, 20 years on, hvordan ser vi nå på Peter Ridsdale-æraen i Leeds...

https://theathletic.com/4320147/2023/03/23/leeds-united-peter-ridsdale/

Vel, tenker eg, selvsagt må han ta hovedskylden for hva som gikk gale (at han gjorde feil underveis er han selv den første til å innrømme). Men starten på den gode perioden... vi brukte penger da også, men vi fikk resultater, vi var fremtidens lag.

MEN så begynte vi å lease inn spillere som Fowler, Seth Johnson & co, som vi strengt tatt ikke trengte.

Apropo Seth, la oss bare slå fast at lønnsforhandlingene som hant sted ikke skjedde slik myten sier det:
Another had Seth Johnson arriving from Derby County in a £7million transfer and entering contract talks in the hope that his previous weekly salary, reputedly £5,000, might go up to £13,000. Legend has it that Ridsdale’s opening gambit was £30,000 and, when this was met by a stunned silence, that he raised his offer to £37,000.

A classic story, yes — but also pure fantasy, as Johnson has previously stated himself.

“Seth was on £13,000 a week less than what was quoted,” says Ridsdale. “I knew what he was earning at Derby. He’d made his full debut for England. And he probably got an increase of £2,000 to £4,000 a week. It’s one of many myths.”

The truth, says Ridsdale, was that Leeds had a wage structure in place and, contrary to the popular narrative, did not just pay the players whatever they wanted. Leeds, he accepts, signed too many elite players and ran into trouble — having budgeted for the Champions League — when they missed their targets. But, to be fair, he does not sound very Father Christmassy.

“We actually lost players because of money. Frank Lampard was one. We wanted Frank from West Ham but he went to Chelsea because we couldn’t afford what he was asking.

“We lost Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink because I sat down with his agent and said, ‘Look, our highest paid player is on X amount, you’re asking for 50 per cent more, I can’t justify that’. So Jimmy went to Atletico Madrid.”

Seth har også fortalt at det ikke skjedde etter 'myten'
https://forum.leedsunited.no/index.php?topic=22816.msg594199#msg594199

Anyways, at Leeds slet sååå mange år etter Ridsdale har også med hvilke eiere vi fikk i etterkant, Mens andre klubber da kan få eiere som fikser gjelden på et blunk og starter på nytt tok det tiår for Leeds...