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Preston North End CEO Peter Ridsdale responds to calls from supporters for him to be sacked

Preston North End CEO Peter Ridsdale responds to calls from supporters for him to be sacked, speaking at Soccerex Europe in Amsterdam.

He highlighted the challenge of balancing the owner’s budget, the manager’s ambitions, and fans’ expectations for success.

Ridsdale stressed that he operates within the financial limits set by the owner, and sacking him wouldn’t change the club’s budget unless ownership changes.

He noted the competitive nature of football, where only a few clubs achieve promotion or win leagues, citing examples like Birmingham and Wrexham, which have seen significant investment, and others like Wigan, Bolton, Derby, and Plymouth Argyle, which faced financial struggles or administration.

Ridsdale defended the club’s stability as a strength, despite fans finding it “boring,” and invited potential new owners to discuss taking the club forward.

Ridsdale said, as reported by Lancashire Evening Post: “The challenge that we face, to be frank, is you’ve got an owner who – quite rightly – it’s his money and says what he is prepared to put in. You’ve got a manager who, again justifiably, wants you to spend as much as possible to give him the best chance on the field of play. And, you’ve got supporters who demand success, feel they are entitled to success and to be fair, we would like to deliver that success for them. But, that balance isn’t easy.

“One, it’s not my money. As Chief Executive of the football club, a number of our supporters take to social media, regularly, and say: ‘You need to sack Ridsdale… he’s not good enough, he is not doing this’ in the, perhaps naive belief, that if they were to sack me the chequebook suddenly changes. It doesn’t change if they sack me. It changes, maybe, if we change ownership but again, time will tell.

“All I am doing is the best I can with the budget I am given. Everyone inside the club understands the budget and the ownership are totally clear on what they are prepared to put in. That’s the dream, because they tell me in advance and we do our best with that amount of money. The issue, in any sport and football, is that only one club can win the league and three go up.

“Three of the next 21 go down to the division below and the rest of us survive. That is not acceptable to supporters worldwide now; they just want their clubs to do well. But, there are relatively few winners, and it’s getting harder, because there are some clubs where the ownership might’ve changed. We’ve seen big spending power come into clubs like Birmingham, and potentially, Wrexham.

“Time will tell; their first year in the Championship. You’ve also seen big spending go into clubs who’ve gone into administration, because the owner cannot sustain it. Or, they have been relegated. Clubs close to us… Wigan, twice, have had to change ownership since Dave Whelan left. Bolton have had to change ownership. Derby – which is a massive club – where that ownership model was a difficulty.

“Plymouth Argyle, a massive club, went into administration. So, for every new owner who is out there with a big chequebook, there are perhaps ownership models that have stopped working. Stability, which we’ve got, is described as boring. We are proud of the fact we pay the players, the staff, the bills… but as I say people say that’s repetitive and boring, all they want is excitement. All I can do is the best I can with the money, and make it absolutely clear that if they think they are ready to take on the challenge of ownership, and the club to the next level, we are here and willing to talk.”

Here’s how Twitter users reacted after Preston North End CEO Peter Ridsdale responds to calls from supporters for him to be sacked…

@Johnnyproudlove: 🤣🤣 I imagine if I was getting paid the best part of half a million pounds a year for 13 years (more than the transfer income last season) and had delivered 10 years of absolute mediocrity I’d be looking to keep that going by blaming everyone else! Get him out of club! #pnefc

@MrRobertBage: “The best he can with the money” being to give himself a pay rise to nearly £500k a year, overpay massively for Jeppe Okkels without a manager in place, and to let all assets leave for free. Time to go, Peter. #pnefc

@Scott1salisbury: Thank you Peter 🫡

@traynor_danny: Oh fuck off will ya. Same shit different year….

@northendpod: If you think Ridsdale is more of an issue than the owners I really don’t know what to tell you. #pnefc

@Ash_GW: He’s at it again ain’t he. Maybe generate some funds from better commercial deals instead of relying on the “set budget” you absolute donkey #pnefc

@Budgie2697: I know I’m in the minority here, but I have to say I agree with him. Not sure why fans are so obsessed with hounding Ridsdale out. I don’t see how that changes anything. He’s been pretty transparent and honest with us in recent years, not sure what else we’re expecting from him. #pnefc

@catterallwhite: Yes Peter, we know you’re doing the best you can. But that’s exactly the problem. That statement “We are doing the best we can” might sound reassuring on the surface, but in reality, it is a damning admission. It implies that the stagnation, the half-measures, the near misses, and the lack of genuine progress represent the limit of what can be achieved under your leadership. The truth is this: just because you are doing your best does not mean you are the best person for the job. Football is a global game. Across the country, and indeed across the world, clubs of a similar size to ours and in many cases smaller have shown what is possible with fresh thinking, a clear strategy, and modern leadership. Brentford, Brighton, and Ipswich are all examples of clubs that have risen by embracing change, recruiting smartly, and building sustainable models. They did not throw money around carelessly. They built, they planned, and most importantly, they believed in more than simply surviving. In contrast, we are told to accept limitation as if it were fate. Every bit of constructive feedback from fans is met with scepticism or quietly brushed aside. Every season is another loop of last-minute decisions, vague targets, and uninspiring outcomes. And when challenged, the same tired response is wheeled out: doing our best. But if this really is your best, then maybe it is time to consider stepping aside. We are not asking for reckless spending or fantasy signings. We are asking for leadership, ambition, and direction. We are asking why, year after year, our club appears stuck in neutral while others push forward with purpose. We are asking why success is treated like a lottery win rather than something to pursue with intent. Because if this is as good as it gets, we have a right to want better. Preston North End deserves more than “we’re doing our best.” It deserves progress. It deserves vision. It deserves leadership that sees what the club could be, not just what it has always been. And if that leadership cannot come from within, then it is time to look beyond. All we want is some real hope we can progress Craig… are you still insistent that Ridsdale offers that? That he can go around media to media telling the world what a great job he doing. One point above relegation Craig… one bloody point. Sort it out.

@JamesWorden85: The latest interview is a bit of a car crash really, not helped by a poor interviewer, but isn’t going to provide any assurances that we’ve got a plan to move forward. The wheels fell off when Grayson left and we’ve been declining on the whole since.

@Johnnyproudlove: Craig Hemmings & Co please read & absorb this post. It is spot on, the time has now come to try something different, fresh, better & less self obsessed than the current incumbent. If you are real fans, as you say you are, you will know that ten years of mediocrity is all on him!

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