Geoffrey Richmond has offered an olive branch to City chief executive Julian Rhodes.

The former chairman claimed he was forced out in the summer when Rhodes and Gordon Gibb assumed control.

But Richmond believes Rhodes should be congratulated for his part in seeing City through their financial nightmare.

Richmond, who hopes to get back into football next season, said: "Julian Rhodes was tremendous during the summer period and he deserves a lot of credit for the survival of the club.

"In the previous four or five years I had known him, Julian had not revealed any real strengths. But I thought he handled himself admirably during such a difficult time.

"We were on a knife edge all the time. It was one problem after another.

"But we worked very hard together, bouncing things off each other throughout that period and attending countless meetings and negotiations. His assistance was invaluable."