Ridsdale says he's entitled to his earnings

Last updated : 07 July 2008 By Michael Morris

"When I was brought to the club by Sam Hammam I told him the place was a basketcase, beyond saving was how I put it," Ridsdale told the Echo.

"Sam then told me if I could save the club, if I could get the stadium project back on track I would be paid an awful lot of money.

"That is what I have done and I do feel entitled to take the finances I was promised.

"I am getting criticised, but that has happened to me before. I can take all that.

"What does amaze me though is that Sam Hammam arrived here with no debt, ran it up to £24m plus interest and left.

"Now I am making efforts to put things right, I am the one having to take the abuse." After accusations the Bluebirds were failing to spend money on big signings during the summer, Ridsdale has rounded on his critics telling them: "So what do you want me to do, plunge the club into more debt?"

Ridsdale went on to explain that money was need to cover the wage bill and fees from trnasfers such as Aaron Ramsey's to Arsenal helped to give the club enough money to top up the gate receipts.

"With the gates we get we could afford a £4m wage bill," he said.

"That would probably get you a squad which would get you relegated from the Championship.

"I need to ensure we have at least £8m available to get the players even to have a chance to get us promoted.

"We have money for signings, but that is basically down to our FA Cup run.

"I will not put the club into more debt by my actions. That has gone on too much here in the past," he added.

The Chairman, obviously affetced be the comments aimed at him over the last week, appears to confirm that Cardiff City is his job, not his passion with his next comments.

"In the not too distant future I will be gone from this club," said Ridsdale.

"I was brought in to do a job and when that is done I will go.

"Perhaps the next person who comes in will be someone you can all fall in love with."

There's no doubt that under Ridsdale control the club have turned a corner. You only have to see the stadium progressing to realise we are better off than the potential bust we could have been.

Still Chairman are there to be shot at, happens at all clubs, not just ours. Fans want decent signings and a winning team. Sort that out and the Chairman's job becomes an easy ride. When the man at the top starts getting involved in petty spats, misleading quotes, contradictions and becomes a bigger headline that the team itself then there's bound to be murmurings of discontent.