"He phoned me and begged me to let him go to Stoke. We had already sold Glen Loovens and Aaaron Ramsey that summer and had no need for further sales.
"Despite this, the offer was tempting but it came too last-minute. The final day of the transfer window gave us no time to replace him.
"I was with the manager Dave Jones in London as the calls came in and we each agreed, as did the board, that it was wrong to sell at that point.
"Since that day, I tried to interest Ledley in signing a new deal and numerous different offers were put to him through his agent.
"Far from keeping a distance from him, I regularly saw him at the training ground and on match days.
"Every time I raised the question with him, he said, 'Talk to my agent'. I did.
" I even took Ledley into my office at the training ground last season for a private chat and asked him if he would sign a new deal. Again he said, 'Talk to my agent'.
"There are two specifics of what he has said that I wish to highlight. I was asked at a supporters' club meeting last autumn about his performances which at the time, in my opinion, weren't up to his usual high standard. I made a comment, which was my personal view, but I wish it had not been made public.
"I did pull him to one side shortly afterwards and apologised.
"On the second comment that I supposedly said, that his agent was in Canada. I think that if Ledley checks the facts, it was Dave Jones who said that.
"I spoke to his agent on numerous occasions and knew exactly where he was or had been."
Ridsdale continued: "I have no problem with any player seeing out their contract and moving on; that is their right.
"In doing so, however, they should then have the ability to stand up and say why they have made that decision.
"He had made it clear for some time that if Cardiff didn't get promoted he would move on. He has done so.
"Trying then to blame me is a sad end to a great career at Cardiff. I wish him every success at Celtic."
Ridsdale also argued: "Maybe if I had been asked to comment on this story I would have immediately been able to refute much of what has been written."
Ridsdale's comments are in response to the claims made by Joe in the following article:
"The supporters should have a go at Peter Ridsdale, not me," said the new Celtic player.
"He was the one that messed me about for more than two seasons; he's the one to blame for me leaving.
"If it was not for him I would probably still be a Bluebirds player today."
The relationship between the two men wasn't helped when Ridsdale told Cardiff supporters at a meeting last December: "Joe is playing as if he is playing somewhere else."
Ledley was not impressed.
"He hardly talked to me yet went on the record to say that I was not playing up to my usual standard and that it could have been because my mind was elsewhere. That was laughable," said Ledley.
"How many chairman criticise one of their players in public?
"Yet he knew I was injured and trying to help the club."
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Time to draw a line maybe. Cardiff City FC is geting no benefit from two former employess slugging it out.