It isn't only Leeds fans receiving apologies from Peter Ridsdale. A City legend has one too.

The controversial former United chairman, long despised for his role in the club's dramatic demise from Champions League semi-finals to League One football inside just seven pitiful years, is attempting to put the record straight in his much-publicised memoirs.

In "United We Fall", Ridsdale publicly accepts for the first time he made "mistakes" as Leeds hurtled into financial meltdown trying to "live the dream".

But, in discussing the book, it emerges he has been righting wrongs elsewhere as well.

City's David Wetherall was the victim of what looked like a cruel jibe when Leeds signed £18million Rio Ferdinand in 2000, Ridsdale reportedly declaring: "We have moved on from the Wetheralls and Molenaars of this world."

It was a derisory comment to make about any player, especially the former Leeds centre half, one of the most dedicated professionals around.

"It's not what I actually said - I said we've moved on from only being able to AFFORD those sorts of players - but it was a major mistake," says Ridsdale.

"It was offensive to David Wetherall and he didn't deserve that.

"He was a true pro for Leeds and has been the same for Bradford."

Ridsdale revealed the aggrieved player originally shunned his apology when they next met four years later.

"I went to Valley Parade with Barnsley and our reserves were playing," he said.

"While initially David didn't want to shake my hand he did come over later on and said it's too small a world to let it carry on. I thanked him for that. He was magnificent."

Ironically, it was Wetherall's memorable winner against Liverpool that not only saved City from relegation but shot Leeds into the Champions League in May 2000.

Some say it might have been better if he had ultimately missed that header.

City would have gone down but Geoffrey Richmond, pictured below, wouldn't have been able to splash out in his "six weeks of madness," ultimately crippling the club financially, sending them spinning all the way down to League Two.

Likewise, Leeds' Champions League dream may have been dashed but that could have curtailed their own manic spending and rising levels of expectation that saw their fortunes spectacularly nosedive too.

"I don't accept that," argues Ridsdale.

"Whatever people say, and we know things went wrong, when you now look back at the history of Leeds United we got to the semi-final of the Champions League, played Barcelona, Real Madrid - all four top Spanish sides in fact - won at the San Siro, faced Lazio and played Anderlecht off the park.

"You can't take those life experiences and amazing adventures away.

"They were pretty successful times despite what happened after."

It pains him to see both Leeds and Bradford plummet down the league ladder so far.

"I'm a Leeds lad and while, of course, I'm very upset Leeds United are where they are, as a football fan in Yorkshire, I'm sad to see the demise of Bradford City as well," Ridsdale says.

Richmond has since said he will never be able to walk through the streets of Bradford again, such was the vitriol aimed at him following Bradford's fall.

Ridsdale, who targets manager David O'Leary as the main catalyst for Leeds' predicament, reveals in the book that he was attacked by a United fan when their plight was at its worst. How does he fare now?

"It's been difficult but what helps me is that I don't live here anymore," he explains.

"I still bank in Leeds and have business reasons to come back but that's it.

"Geoffrey does still live locally and obviously that's a problem.

"I don't know what went wrong at Bradford. I do know it's far harder to cope with relegation if you've been in the Premier League for 14 years, like Leeds, rather than just one."

There are obvious similarities between Ridsdale and Richmond but he reveals they were never much more than business associates.

"I have known Geoffrey a long time," he said. "I was playing snooker at his house when I was first approached about being a Leeds director.

"We weren't friends as such but when I became chairman we did some deals.

"Five or six of our Leeds players - Gunner Halle, David Hopkin, Lee Sharpe, Rob Molenaar and David Wetherall - ended up at Bradford."

Ridsdale is donating all proceeds from his book to Leeds-based St Gemma's Hospice.

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