Peter Ridsdale insists Leeds United would not be in League One if he had remained as chairman.
Former chairman believes he would have saved the day
Peter Ridsdale insists Leeds United would not be in League One if he had remained as chairman.
Ridsdale was ousted in March 2003 as the club struggled on and off the pitch and Leeds -who reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2001- now sit in the third tier of English football.
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.
"I do not believe Leeds would be in League One if I had stayed," said Ridsdale.
"People will probably think I am an arrogant so-and-so but I believe in being honest and straightforward.
Experience
"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."
