Chairman of Cardiff City, who had recruited him to help with their new stadium project, which eventually became Cardiff City Stadium. He became chairman in October 2006 after Sam Hammam stepped down. The club's debts were estimated at £35m, and losing £10m each year, according to Ridsdale. In mid-2007, Ridsdale campaigned to become a member of the Football Association of Wales council and hoped to be elected as one of six south Wales representatives on Welsh football's ruling body. However, when the vote took place in July he finished bottom of the candidates with just fourteen votes. It has been alleged that the former Leeds chairman has flirted with disaster, trying to build a promotion-winning side while, at the same time, the Bluebirds have fought off four winding-up orders. Ridsdale was forced to apologise for "misleading" fans when he conceded money raised during Christmas period 2009 from season ticket renewals for 2011 had to be spent on settling debts rather than reinforcements. He announced his intention to quit as Cardiff chairman at the end of May 2010, the play-off final loss to Blackpool at Wembley Stadium on 22 May 2010 being his final game. Malaysian Consortium head Dato Chan Tien Ghee took over as part of a £6m deal for an estimated 30% of the club. The club was estimated to have between £10m and £30m of debt and faced a fifth winding up order over a £1.9m tax bill on 16 June. The publishing of the financial accounts for year 2009 in August 2010 revealed that the club's actual debt was £66 million, leading to concerns over the continued existence of the club. Plymouth Argyle Ridsdale approached Plymouth Argyle with the intentions of investing in the club, but with a winding-up petition in place Ridsdale was instead appointed as a footballing advisor to the board in December 2010, with an aim of selling "short-term assets", i.e. the playing staff. Craig Noone and Réda Johnson were subsequently sold, and the club survived the winding-up attempt for debts owed to HMRC. In March 2011, the club were still in financial peril and with staff still unpaid and debts rising as the months passed, Ridsdale proposed that the club needed £5million in investment to complete the football season. The club announced plans to be placed into administration, and were docked 10 points. Brendan Guilfoyle (a Leeds based insolvency practitioner) was appointed as