These three men made Blackburn Rovers one of the best run clubs in English football and one for supporters to be proud of. During the initial stages of the Venkys takeover, it was announced that they (if they took over) would continue in the same vein as these three men and preserve the legacy of the late great Jack Walker, our Uncle Jack.

What has happened since November 2010 has been something so far removed from those two things and fans including myself have quite rightly been feeling very angry and frustrated. Some fans have gone through the trouble of organising protest marches both against the manager Steve Kean and Venkys themselves. But why is this? Is it neglect? Is it naivity? Or is a combination of both these factors?

Naivity

It is clear to see that Venkys don’t understand the magnitude of owning a football club in the English Premier League. They employed an agent to help them with the initial stages of owning the club and to go through the January 2011 transfer window, where arguably we had one of the better transfer windows in recent times,despite all the silly talk of Beckham, Ronaldinho et al coming to Ewood. This made sense. Foreign owners without a clue in what they were doing. However in a recently leaked letter from Williams, Finn and Goodman, there was growing concern about how the club was being run and the influence of the aforementioned agent. Over the course of this past year, we have seen all 3 directors leave the club. Naturally in any takeover of any business, you would expect this to happen. You will want to do things your way, there is little room for sentiment in the cut-throat world of business. There are all sorts of rumours going around that the agent in question has taken Venkys for a ride, taken advantage of them because they don’t understand. I don’t wish to speculate on any unsubstantiated rumours, however some fans have taken these rumours too far and abused the said agent and his family. This isn’t right and should not be condoned, whether he is the mastermind or simply complicit in any actions he is alleged to have done remains another matter. That matter being rumour. And should be left at that unless you have evidence to prove or dispel it.

Neglect

There is a strong wave of hysteria among fans at present. Most are of the belief that Venkys are being malicious in their treatment of the club. There is plenty of things that have happened that appear to back up these claims. There hasn’t been any significant investment in the club since taking over. We have bought players very cheaply, (no harm in that) but when you see your best young player leave in the Summer and not very much invested in return, one has to wonder what is going on. Venkys have been very quiet since the game against Wigan, where they left at half time after being ‘attacked’ in their car before the game. Again I don’t condone this sort of foolish behaviour. This is just how far removed some fans feel they are from the club, but ultimately is this the right way to go about making things better for the club? No I didn’t think so.

I honestly don’t know what is going on at Rovers. I honestly don’t think I could handle the truth. I am more than willing to let Venkys eat my and every other fans words if they manage to turn things around. The rumours on both sides of the coin are damaging for fans to hear, when all we really want is to hear from Venkys themselves. If they come out one day and be honest with fans, they would more than likely be more forgiving. But for many fans that day (if it comes) will not change their mind on them. They’ve nailed their colours to the mast so to speak and want Venkys out of Rovers at all costs.

So is it naivity or neglect?

Whatever it is, it’s us the fans who are hurting the most.

Blackburn Rovers fans are not an unrealistically ambitious, over-expecting group of supporters and are not noted by any means for their militance. The large majority would generally be content with a mid-table finish and a good cup run and would be delighted with European qualification, as we have been fortunate enough to experience on a number of occasions in our recent history. We understand that the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, and more recently Manchester City, have budgets that are quite beyond us, and we do not expect to be able to compete with them financially. What we do expect, however, is for our club to live up to its motto, “Arte et Labore”, and by skill and labour do justice to its 136 years of history while respecting its fan base, which has always been the heartbeat of the club.

The vast majority of fans are desperately disappointed by the direction that has been shown by the club since the change in ownership a little over twelve months ago when Venky’s bought the club from the Walker Trust, who provided stability and modest success for a club of our stature. On the field, we believe Steve Kean has had sufficient time to prove himself capable of managing a Premier League club. During his tenure as manager of Blackburn Rovers, Kean has been in charge of 42 Premier League fixtures and has presided over a record of 8 wins, 13 draws and 21 losses. Over the course of a season, this equates to a dismal 33.5 points. Having taken the club to the brink of relegation last season, a continuation of his record thus far this season will guarantee relegation in May. His predecessor Sam Allardyce, an experienced and highly competent Premier League manager, was dismissed with a far superior points per game ratio, which makes it difficult to understand why the former team coach Steve Kean is still in his position as manager and continues to enjoy the backing of the owners, no matter how ignorant they are of footballing matters. Only one team in Premier League history has survived relegation having been bottom at Christmas and there is no sign that we look like becoming the second to do so.

Off the field, Blackburn Rovers supporters are also frustrated by the pitiful lack of communication between club and fans. We feel that it is essential for owners Venky’s to build a stronger relationship with the stakeholders, the fans. The club’s public relations are sadly lacking. Steve Kean regularly appears in the media, representing the owners’ plans, detailing how much funding Rovers have and expounding the current goals of the club. Many fans feel this is beyond the remit of a team manager and believe that a chief executive or chairman should be charged with such a brief and that such information should be conveyed with a degree of discretion that is absent under the current ownership. Regrettably the owners see fit not to employ people capable of discharging such duties quintessential to the running of a modern football club, having dispensed with the services of John Williams and Tom Finn, who were widely regarded as most able administrators among the Premier League fraternity. The fact that they have not been replaced is of considerable concern to Blackburn Rovers fans and should be of concern, we believe, to all football fans who have the welfare of the game at the heart of their thinking. We believe that the owners’ apparent attempt to run the club from India while using Steve Kean as their mouthpiece is unacceptable.

Bigger clubs than ours have been relegated from the Premier League before and indeed we have suffered that particular fate before, but that is not our issue here. Our club is not only in jeopardy of losing its Premier League status, it is in danger of disappearing into oblivion under the stewardship of an absent and reckless owner whose public front is a manager who shows little sign of possessing the acumen to manage a team at the highest level and who has singlehandedly managed to drive a wedge between club and fans that has never before been witnessed at our football club, where a perfectly well-functioning community is being systematically dismantled before our very eyes.

As the first steps in the restitution of our football club, we, as concerned fans of Blackburn Rovers, seek the appointment of a respected manager who has the requisite experience to preside over our proud club and who can rebuild the bonds between club and fans, and we further seek the establishment of an administrative structure that is becoming of a modern institution such as a Premier League football club.

The Editors of

BRFCS
Vital Blackburn
RoversTalk
RoversFans
RoversMad
BRFC Fans
The Blackburn Rovers Supporters Trust
The Norwegian Blackburn Rovers Supporters Club
NYC Rovers
The Wild Blackburn Rover
Rovers Revisited

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of Rovers unsung heroes of the promotion winning side of the 2000 – 2001 season, Craig Hignett. Craig made 66 league and cup appearances for Rovers scoring 14 goals in the process. Quite possibly the most memorable goal Craig scored in a blue and white shirt, was the goal he scored against our bitter local rivals, Burnley. I had to bribe Craig with a packet of dolly mixture, which a follower of mine (and a big Middlesbrough fan) on Twitter (Lauri Cox) duly supplied. Here is the interview in full;

1. Who was the best player you played with and against?

Best player I played with was Juninho at Boro although Damien Duff ran him a close second!

Best player I played against was Ronaldinho when he was at Barcelona in a friendly for Leicester.

2. If you didn’t make it as a footballer, what do you think you would have done in your career?

I loved all sports as a kid, would loved to have been a golfer but most likely would have ended up as a PE teacher or something similar.

3. Do you harbour any ambitions to become a coach or manager one day?

Yes, thats the aim, im currently working at the academy at Boro where i coach the u13s I’ve been there 4 seasons now, I really enjoy the coaching and feel im ready for a new challenge now with senior players. I’ve been fortunate to have played for a lot of good (and bad) managers and have learned things off all of them which will stand me in good stead when I hopefully get the chance to manage.

4. What was your greatest achievement as a player?

I’ve done lots of things that I have been very proud of, cup finals, goals etc but I think my greatest achievement was making it as a player and playing to the level I did, I made my dream come true, and thats the best feeling in the world !!

5. What was the best goal you scored?

 Thats a hard one to answer, I dont think i could pick a best one although 1 I scored for Coventry v Derby comes to mind but my favourite one is the 1st ever goal at the Riverside Stadium for Boro v Chelsea.

6. Do you still watch out for your old teams results?

 I do still watch for ALL my old teams results but it takes a bit of time…..I had 14 clubs in the end !!

7. What was your proudest moment in a Rovers shirt?

 Helping the club get promoted in my 1st season and the league cup win would be the ones that stick out, but to be honest it was just being at the club with the group of players that we had at that time, we had a great team spirit and lots of great lads who will be friends for life.

8. What was your lowest moment in a Rovers shirt?

Had a few, mostly to do with injuries, my lowest was 2 weeks after I signed …..I picked up an achilles injury in pre season and missed the first 3 months of the season ! as a new signing you want to hit the ground running and impress straight away and you don’t want manager and players thinking they’ve bought a crock ! I was always playing catch up that season having missed most of pre season and the first 3 months…..the most frustrating time of my whole career that was without a doubt.

9. Do you still come back to Ewood to watch a game?

I’ve been back a few times working in the media but I live in the north east so don’t get there as much as I would like, it will always be a special place for me though.

10. What are your opinions on both Venkys and Steve Kean?

I do have some sympathy for Steve Kean in that I dont think he has had any support from venkys they have left him to take all the flak and have isolated themselves from the fans by their silence…..but saying that he hasn’t helped himself in some of his interviews and the team have gone backwards from when he took over, thats fact. Results have been poor (Liverpool and Man Utd aside) and unless they improve quickly i fear for them, hopefully things will turn around, it would be a disaster if they were relegated.

Venkys need to show rovers fans that they care about the club and will do everything they can to halt the slide and get the club moving forward again, have they got Rovers at heart like John Williams did ?? I dont think so ! the club is a shadow of the well run, well respected club it once was, and that hurts. Its time Venkys stepped up to the plate made good on their promises and showed the same passion as the fans of the club they own !

So there you have it, Craig’s interview. What do you think about Craig’s thoughts on Kean and Venkys, do you agree/disagree? What are your memories of Craig? Feel free to comment below your thoughts or tweet Craig directly here

I would like to thank Craig for taking the time to participate in this interview and giving up some of his spare time. Also I would like to thank Lauri for getting the dolly mixture, because without them, I don’t think Craig would’ve been as obliging to answer my questions. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Jimmy.

Alongside these injury concerns, there are some contractual issues prohibiting Michel Salgado and Jason Roberts from being part of the match day squad. Both players have come out and told us – the fans how it is and that must be applauded. The two players from a fans perspective are being treated appalingly by the club. They both want to be playing their part to help Rovers pull away from the bottom three places.

Our last four games has seen us amass four points from a possible a possible twelve. Considering most of the fans expected us to be more competitive against West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers and us to fold under the might of Liverpool and Manchester United; what transpired really couldn’t be further from the fan’s perceptions before each of the games.

I along with most fans, expected us to get maximum points out of both against West Brom and Bolton. We were treated to an absolute shambles of 180+ minutes of football. Ewood Park used to be our fortress. Teams used to be scared of playing us in our own ‘back yard’ per se. The fans made it that way; we were feared. Now with teams like West Brom and Bolton taking maximum points off us, we are getting rolled over far too easily. Yes the injury list is a major factor in this. But we should’ve addressed the lack of depth back in the Summer.

Moving onto the game against Liverpool; seven of the matchday squad were a part of the Reserve squad that won the Reserve League North back in May last year. Of these, Mark Bunn and Adam Henley were making their full first team debuts in the absences of Paul Robinson and Gael Givet. Naturally the worst was feared as with so many injuries. We took the lead shortly before half time, through a Charlie Adam own goal (he has a knack for that, doesn’t he?). Shortly after half time, Maxi equalised for Liverpool. By all accounts, I expected Liverpool to go onto win the game. How wrong I and others were! In the last minute(s) of the game Mark Bunn showed fantastic reactions and pulled off a world class save from Andy Carroll and also, Adam Henley cleared the ball off the line. This clearly shows fighting spirit amongst our squad and it is great to see.

Onto the Manchester United game. Who would’ve expected the young inexperienced squad would go 2-0 up after 51 minutes? It simply went “against the script”. It was a fantastic effort by the whole squad to win the game 3-2. Grant Hanley arguably had his best game in a Rovers shirt. An assured performance at the back and his first senior goal. I and other fans can’t ask for anymore than that.

Steve Kean deserves credit for these last two games. I was very critical of Kean after the games against West Brom and Bolton. But by the same token, he deserves credit where it’s due. It would be hypocritical of me and others not to give him credit where it’s due – after criticising much of his tenure in charge at Rovers. Of course the bigger picture in all this is alarming, but hopefully this can be a catalyst for our season for us to push on up the table.

There is no doubt these four points are massive for the club, the fans, the players and everyone associated with Rovers. But there is more than just the four points and the confidence it gives the players. This is showing what the future players we have on our hands. The likes of Hanley, Bunn, Henley, Lowe et al makes the future of Rovers appear bright. I’m not going to get too hung up on the rumours surrounding the club. I’m excited that we have a young crop of players ready in the wings should any senior players leave in the future. That is why these four points are worth more than just four points

I just want to say a big well done to the said players for their efforts in the last two games. I and the rest of the fans are very proud of you and wish you all the best in your Rovers careers.

I came up North in 1978. New job, new family, new football team. Yes of course I will always follow Reading, but it was now time for change. Change is what we are told is inevitable. Change or die – Standing still is going backwards – Move with the times. You’ve heard all of these things. So it is in football. The changes I have seen in my time of ‘belonging’ to the family that is Blackburn Rovers, have been immense. I stood in the enclosure of the Nuttall Street Stand with 5000 others and watched what was served up, good or bad. Would things ever change? Well, thanks to the vision of one man – Jack Walker, things would never be the same. This vision would be the driving force that would take us on a journey that few in the family could have even dreamt of. Uncle Jack was a successful businessman who knew that change had to come. He was not afraid of hiring Kenny Dalglish, whilst the football world scoffed at the thought. He was not afraid to fire those that were under performing. A ‘Giant’ among men. One whom we still sing about every game, even though many of us are too young to have known him. His work continued under the stewardship of John Williams, a trusted friend of this family. I say family because Blackburn Rovers is a family club. Somewhere that all the family can go and enjoy that sense of belonging in a safe environment.

We all knew that more change would be coming when the club was finally sold. The Walker Trust would never be able to pump money into the club in the quantities needed today. So it was with delight, and some trepidation, that we greeted our new owners. Assurances were given and accepted by our family, that there would be continuity, respect for our proud history and progression to the very top of the Premier League once again. Venky’s turned up at a home game, with the Rao brothers walking onto the pitch wearing Rovers scarves just like Uncle Jack did when we brought the Premiership Trophy home all those years ago. They accepted the applause of our family and we trusted you to do your best for us. How that trust has been betrayed. You destroyed our stability by sacking Sam Allardyce and made John Williams job untenable. You appointed a ‘rookie’ manager in Steve Kean, who may well have been a brilliant coach, but we all remember Brian Kidd and his disastrous time as our manager. He’s back doing what he’s good at; being a brilliant coach.

What our family wanted from our new owners was communication. You talk to family don’t you? The only communication that has gone on in the last 12 months is between Steve Kean and Mrs Desai, with monthly visits to India to explain our progress. I find it extraordinary that a Premier League manager has to get on a plane to India to talk to his employer. No doubt one of the reasons Big Sam was sacked. Can you see Alex Ferguson going to see the Glazers every month? So, we are reduced to communication through the word of Steve Kean, whose positivity knows no bounds. The ability to spin yet another defeat into an opportunity for the next match. Never shy of the media in all it’s forms. Ever willing for the next sound bite. Sometimes it’s better to keep quiet, as some of your friends in the LMA have discovered. Yes I have some sympathy for Steve Kean. Left for 12 months as the spokesman for all things Blackburn Rovers. No chairman, no PR machine and worst of all no results on the pitch.

Now contrary to what most of the media would like to think, we are a pretty tolerant bunch at Rovers. Many of our managers tend to leave us rather than get sacked. Like the brilliant Kenny Dalglish and Mark Hughes. Clubs up and down the Country have fans baying for the heads of managers who can’t cut the mustard. What those outside our family have to understand is that we have been living with this downward spiral for a year now and our patience has run out. When lifelong fans send emails to India, your main sponsor asks for communication, your local MP and Councillors ask you for answers, former players and managers question what is going on and the local press are standing firmly behind the fans; You in India do nothing! Little wonder that fans have now had enough and are acting in the only way we can by voicing our opinions. Many of us, myself included, don’t care to join marches and demonstrations but are still deeply concerned. However, during the last two home matches both myself and the other 60+ (years) brigade have found ourselves standing up when asked to ‘Stand Up if We Want Kean Out’ and chanting along with both ends of the ground. Televised matches mask out a lot of the noise from the crowd but I can tell you that against Bolton those cries were from All around the ground.
If the media had been reporting on the struggles in Syria, Egypt or Libya then the voices of the people would have been held up for the world to see and know their pain and anguish. I thought we lived in a free society where free speech can bring about change. That’s all we are trying to do. If some our fans have ‘overstepped the mark’ as has been reported by those outside, then Stewards and Police should be rightly involved. However, there has never been any cause for their involvement by them at home games, nor anything but support from local media.
So, we go into the New Year bottom of the Premiership and knowing that statistically we are unlikely to survive. Those same statistics have told us that during the last 12 months we have won very few games, something that should have been communicated to India long ago. Steve Kean is just the symptom not the cause. Change will happen eventually. The names of Venky’s and Kean will become distant memories, consigned to the footballing history books as failures of their era. Change may mean Rovers playing in the Championship or even lower down the ladder but I for one will still be buying my season ticket and voicing my opinions on the terraces.
The voices of the fans must be heard.

“I am disappointed to note that I have not had a reply from my email to Venkys from last Saturday evening.

In that email I expressed my concerns at the situation surrounding Blackburn Rovers. There are countless rumours doing the rounds. And the non communication from the club only adds fuel to the raging fire.

Whilst the team won against Swansea, many fans, myself included are still convinced that Steve Kean isn’t the man to take the team to the next level. Throughout his year in charge he has proven himself incapable of providing the results needed to take us to the next level and to appease us fans.

I fully understand this is a difficult decision to make but this wouldn’t be so difficult if we had a clear management structure here in the UK. We have gone from a very well run club to a very badly run club in a relatively short space of time. What plans are there to replace John Williams and Tom Finn? Two of the most valuable assets to Blackburn Rovers off-field activities – GONE, but not replaced.

In my last email; I mentioned it would be catasphrophic the impact relegation would have on the town, local people and local businesses. Even the local council leader has expressed concerns and still no word from the club. What is going on?

This is quite frankly one of (if not) the most worrying times to be a Blackburn Rovers fans. We want to be a successful club now and in the future. In the unforgiving world of Premier League football, we could (if we are relegated) never come back and we would become a sleeping giant, along the lines of Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday. Something that isn’t considered as success in the town of Blackburn. We appreciate we have long been punching above our weight but we enjoy that. Now all we see is failure of the highest order. Not just because of the management of the team but in communications, in the general running of the club.

I must stress I have and will not have any part of the protests that have been part the match day experience since September. I care deeply about the club and this is not just any football team. This is mine and our football club. We pay our money to see our team be a success and have something we can be proud of.

Right now, I along with countless others are not proud of what is happening at the club. I appreciate there is no “easy” fix to the apparent problems but one thing is for sure the removal of Steve Kean as manager and replaced with someone of a higher calibre would go some way to getting fans back on side.

Please make Blackburn Rovers something to be proud of once again. I used to hold my head up high when someone asked who I supported. Now all I feel is utter resentment and desolatation when I mutter the words “Blackburn Rovers.” Now that’s not right feeling like that but that is what I feel after being a supporter for over 20 years. It is rapidly coming up to my 17th anniversary of my first game. January 1995 – we won 4-2 against West Ham. Alan Shearer scored a hat-trick. That day made me fall in love with Blackburn Rovers Football Club…

I don’t want to fall out of love with the club but right now my and the fans heart has been ripped out.

Please make us proud of our club once again,

I await a carefully considered reply to this email.”

I love my club and I do not make any excuses for the emails I am sending. I realise it is likely to be futile but something needs to be done to put across the concerns I and the rest of our fans have.

Will let you all know if I get a response. Thank you all for your positive feedback last week. I can only hope this goes a small way to our club becoming a relative success once again.

As I have been off the fence for a while, I sent an email to Venkys on Saturday evening. This is what I said;

I am writing with grave concern in regards to the direction Blackburn Rovers are heading.

“I have been a Blackburn Rovers fan for over twenty years. I have seen many highs and lows throughout my time supporting the team. Not least in 1995 when the club won the FA Carling Premiership under the tutelage of the late Jack Walker and Kenny Dalglish, also when the club were relegated in 1999 with Brian Kidd in charge.

Blackburn Rovers are a well supported team in the town of Blackburn and it is a testament to how the club was run under the Walkers Trust that the club have managed to stay in the Premier League as long as they have done. Blackburn Rovers fans are some of the most passionate fans in the country, as you will have noticed with recent protests against our manager Steve Kean.

The similarities between now and 1999 are plain for everyone to see. However there is one major difference between then and now and that is the fans knew the club would be back. With the Premier League being arguably the most unforgiving league in world football, I fans can only see one thing and that is not returning to the Premier League for a very long time, if ever at all.

The fans have numerous concerns; not least the appointment of Steve Kean after you relieved Sam Allardyce of his duties last December. Steve Kean has proven himself that he isn’t the right person for the job. Yet, he continues to receive the backing from yourself. This is the only thing you have been consistent about since taking over the club. I am not one to criticise showing faith in someone but in the unforgiving world of the Premier League, the only way the club is going is down and if something is not done in the very near future, this will only further harm the match day experience in going to watch Blackburn Rovers. Something the fans used to enjoy doing on the weekend. But now the atmosphere is one of almost apathy and the fans believe relieving Steve Kean of his duties will go some way to fans vindicating your decision to purchase our beloved club.

Aside from protests; of which I have had no part of, some of the behaviour shown by some fans cannot be excused (arguing, fighting in stands, abuse on Social Networking sites) however, the current level of frustration is unparalleled in comparison to other clubs. One such club being Wigan Athletic; I attended the game last week and reading through the match-day programme one thing stuck out to me. That was the Wigan chairman and manager talking to fans about issues surrounding their club. Two things about that struck me, “talking and chairman.” Where is our communication at our club? Rovers have gone from one of the best run clubs in the country to quite possibly the worst run club. Senior figures of the club have since left and not replaced, namely John Williams and Tom Finn. When are you going to replace them? The longer this is left, the longer fan discontent will come to the fore. Not just about Steve Kean but about the overall direction of the club.

I have absolutely no doubt you want the best for our club. But this situation facing our club needs sorting out as soon as possible before it gets to the point of no return.

The club needs a clear management structure here in England. The club needs people to make decisions, people to communicate with us the fans. Relegation will not just impact Blackburn Rovers; it will impact the fans, the local community, local businesses and the town as a whole. Last but not least, this will impact you and your businesses in India. You want Blackburn Rovers to be the Premier League Team of India. That is all well and good but if things continue the way they are, Rovers won’t be a Premier League team for much longer and it is highly unlikely that the club will be back in the higher echelons of English Football.

Blackburn Rovers fans are a modest set of fans and will be happy with a top half finish in the league and some good cup run. This season has given us a good cup run but our league form has been nothing short of a sham. Our league form cannot be sacrificed for the cup games the club have have participated in this season and in the future. Premier League football is only going to get ever more competitive in the coming years. It is imperative the club maintains their position in this league.

I as a fan am asking you directly to put this right. Put all the rumours to bed, show us fans you mean business with Rovers. Show us you have the guts to help us achieve relative success again. The fans know it is nigh on impossible to win the Premier League again, but at least if the club are in the Premier League , they can at least push onto the next level. Currently the fans see no way out of this.

Please prove each and every one of the fans wrong and make Blackburn Rovers a club to be proud of once again.”

Again I wrote and sent this on Saturday night. I probably sent it out of pure frustration after the Stoke game. I may not decide to protest or show my frustration much but I love our club and I want the best for them. Clearly this situation we are currently in is leaving a lot of people very angry and frustrated. I want to put this straight, I have absolutely all the respect in the world for the protests and their reasoning. Glen and Simon have done a great job in organising them and they deserve the plaudits they receive. I just don’t think the protests have been the right thing to do amongst my ‘personal’ reasons why I don’t choose to protest.

I am putting this out to show I do care about our club and will continue to do so. I love Blackburn Rovers. As do a lot of people. We need the club back to what we know it to be. We need to be proud of our club. We the fans all need to stick together through thick and thin. This is a very testing time for everyone. But if we all stick together, we will reap the rewards further down the line.

COME ON YOU BLUES!

A year ago, there was an air of cautious optimism around Ewood, as it was announced that the Walker Trust were due to sell the club to little known Indian poultry firm Venkys. Had we found new owners to take us to the next level? After all the Walker Trust had actively been looking to sell the club to someone who could continue the traditions of the late Jack Walker as well as provide for the club where they couldn’t.

Venkys paid around £23m for Rovers as well as taking on the clubs debt which stood at approximately £21m at the time. This was and still is very cheap for a Premier League club. Especially when one considers that Rovers were a founding member of the Football League and Premier League. Not forgetting the fact we are also one of four clubs to win the Premier League since it’s inception in 1992.

Venkys gave assurances to BRFCI that they:

(a) will commit funds on a consistent and systematic basis to future transfer and/or loan activity;

(b) intends to continue to support the existing management team and staff, and that it is committed to the future development of, and investment in, the Club’s academy and youth infrastructure;

(c) will continue to support, promote and extend the Club’s local community and CSR activities (VH and its subsidiaries have their own trust engaged in significant charitable work);

(d) will seek to extend the Blackburn Rovers name and brand into India, the rest of south-east Asia and beyond;

(e) will seek to develop and improve commercial performance across sponsorship, the Club’s kit deal and general merchandising activity;

(f) will seek to enhance the fan experience at Ewood Park itself on match days (and non match days) and to maximise season ticket sales and any remaining match day ticket sales; and

(g) intends to improve the Club’s media platforms (for example the Club’s TV channel) and to become more active in the social media space).

Venkys also entered into contractual agreements in the following things;

(a) the principal activity of Blackburn Rovers will continue at all times to be that of a professional football club;

(b) the current President, Vice Presidents and Honorary Vice Presidents of Blackburn Rovers will not be removed from those positions before June 2011 without the prior written consent of those individuals;

(c) the statue of Jack Walker outside Ewood Park will be kept in a good state of repair and will not be moved to a different location, obscured or have its prominence diluted without BRFCI’s prior written consent; and

(d) the name of the stand at Ewood Park currently known as the Jack Walker Stand will not be changed without BRFCI’s prior written consent.

Lets face it, Venkys have been very poorly advised by agents who should really know better. Rumours are flying around of all manner of things going on and to be honest, I don’t tend to get myself wrapped up in these rumours. It all gets too heated when rumours of this nature are floated about and I don’t wish to be caught up in it all.

I personally believe that Venkys are passionate about our club, but clearly they have to learn a lot of lessons, even after a year of being our owners. One of these lessons is communication. Okay they have started to do so by inviting the clubs Fans Forum over to Pune. But more is needed. Reading through the programme for the Wigan game, something stuck out to me. Wigan invited local fans who run websites for a discussion surrounding the issues at Wigan with Roberto Martinez and Wigan chief executive Jonathan Jackson. This I believe is one of the main reasons why Wigan fans are and have been so patient with Roberto Martinez. Yes I understand he used to play for them and was well loved but that leaves little sentiment when your a manager. If Venkys arranged something of a similar vein, I don’t think we’d be seeing the level of discontent currently being shown at games.

It was reported last week that a Qatari consortium were eyeing up two English clubs with Rovers being one of the clubs. Every social medium, you can think of exploded with a sense of excitement of the prospect of having some mega rich Qatari’s running the shop at Ewood. Whilst it would be nice, is it more a case of better the devil you know? We can’t be certain that it will be a good thing. Okay on one hand, we’d be very rich indeed but on the other hand, I doubt we’d have increased communication from the people who will own us but that said we’d most probably have a good infrastructure here in England so we wouldn’t need that much communication from ‘the owners’.  We can’t be certain that Venkys will come good. We can’t be certain that they will continue as they are. What is certain though, is that they don’t wish to sell Rovers. Simply put, they want to make it a success and I would love them to do just that. But the long and short of it is that they must improve. They must listen to fans concerns, they must open up about their plans. They only seem to come out and talk when they are backing Steve Kean (more on him later) What about the plans to upgrade Brockhall? Fans should be hearing that from the club, not on a fans podcast.  But fair play to the people behind the podcast for bringing this to the wider fans attention. The PR coming out of the club is virtually non existent and it’s sad to see. The club is descending into a circus but no-one is laughing. We are all equally concerned about the way our club is headed.

Onto Steve Kean, the man who everyone has an opinion on, one way or another. My opinion is simple, he was put into the job with very limited experience. Although he has (had?) a good reputation as a coach. But being a manager is something else entirely. A coach in my eyes is seen as a friend at the training ground. Someone you can have a laugh with and someone to be serious with. A position without much power. Now a manager needs to command respect and in my opinon Steve Kean doesn’t do that. Therefore the players (however much they are playing their hearts out) see this because they know him as the coach. It’s not the players fault but it’s a hard transition for both player / coach to become accustomed to such a thing. That’s no excuse though, Steve was given the responsibility of becoming our manager so he should’ve stamped a blueprint from day one so the players respected him as their manager and not coach. With that I don’t wholly blame him for the situation that has transpired over the last year.

I’ve been saddened by witnessing so much abuse being bandied about on Forums, Twitter and Facebook. Yesterday at Wigan, I witnessed fans fighting with each other. Clearly this is showing the divide amongst fans at the moment. This is making me feel not proud to be a Rovers fan, because it’s these fans that are letting the rest of the fans down with this sort of behaviour. I understand there is a lot of passion and emotion involved but we don’t need this sort of behaviour. It must stop and we must all start learning that everyone has a different opinion and have the right to express it without the need to be abused for it. Violence is certainly not the answer to anything. We need to stand together as one, regardless of our opinion. We all love Rovers, we all want the best for them. This certainly isn’t the way to go. The people partaking in any violent act have shirked responsibility and blamed the club for it, I’m sorry but you are responsible for your own actions and the club theirs.

This presents a massive opportunity for Venkys to right a lot of wrongs that have gone on over this past year. They have to put a lot of things right for both the club, team and fans. There is no denying us fans need to be treated better, wherever we stand on current issues. Fans need to play their part in all this too. No more abuse, fighting or arguing. We need to all pull together as one and get behind Blackburn Rovers and all that it means to us individually and collectively. I’m not expecting any sort of miracle or overnight success but with all this going on, it really is the only thing we can do. We all love our club which is why we care about what is going on. A lot of people have said they will no longer attend games next season if Kean is still in charge or Venkys are still in ownership. That shows how bad things have gotten for some people. I for one will be there whether or not Kean or Venkys will be there. I love our club and the only way I can show that is by being there on a Saturday afternoon cheering them on. I might choose not to protest and that isn’t going to change. The same way my support and love of the team will not change because that is the only way I know.

I, as many people will know have been very much against the protest marches as I feel this is potentially very damaging to the team’s morale. I know the protestors are fully behind the team and have conducted themselves to a commendable level, but still that doesn’t change my opinion.

In the recent game against Chelsea, the protest took a whole new level, literally with a plane being hired to circle the stadium with the simple message “Steve Kean Out”. At the time it was announced that a plane is going to be hired, I instantly thought what a crazy idea. Watching the plane circle the stadium for nigh on fifteen minutes and seeing the players look as though they had the life sucked out of them, made me feel really frustrated.

At the end of the day, Rovers stats under Steve Kean’s management aren’t the greatest, in fact they are downright diabolical for a Premier League manager. His position as manager seems as daft as anything. But we are where we are. Venkys have reportedly handed Mr Kean a new contract. Now in any normal circumstance, he would’ve been out on his ear long before now. This clearly isn’t any normal circumstance.

Venkys had promised to uphold the traditions of the club instilled by the late Jack Walker and by the senior personnel involved with Rovers, over the years i.e Tom Finn and John Williams. To a certain extent, they have done exactly this. By keeping Season Ticket prices to a respectable low price and the renaming of the Blackburn End to reflect the iconic status of another Rovers great, Ronnie Clayton.

I had the opportunity to interview Jason Roberts last week, a universally unpopular player based on his footballing (in)ability. I got the chance to ask how he and the team felt about the protests. He made it clear to me that whilst he understands the fans have a right to express their opinion, (we are customers after all) it doesn’t affect him so much but the younger players have and do continue to feel the heat from these situations. I don’t think he told me the full ins and outs of how the players felt but could tell some of the players are affected by what is going on.

A lot of fans have said on various social mediums including BRFCS message board and Twitter that they will not step foot inside Ewood again whilst Kean is in charge and Venkys are in ownership. That’s their prerogative and I won’t stand in their way. But I urge everyone not to boycott games. The team need us more than anything right at this moment in time. They need us to drag them kicking and screaming to victory in each and every match. Fair enough, we don’t expect anything from games against the ‘big 4′ but every other team is on a parallel with us, if you take away the issues currently facing the team.

I am a very proud Blackburn Rovers fan and what made me more proud than anything was our fans and the passion emnated from Ewood on a match day. Now quite possibly as a result of all these issues, all I am seeing is massive divide amongst fans and it isn’t very pleasant to witness. We have to pull together at times like this. Look at how Plymouth fans pulled together in their time of turmoil. Uniting people together, despite what opinions they may hold can only be a good thing. We all love Rovers. We are all passsionate about them. We all want the best for them. We should all be together. Again last night through the early hours, I was subjected to quite a lot of abuse from people I actually thought better of. But the amount of positive comments I had outweighed these, ten to one. I want to personally thank all those people for backing me up. After all, I only questioned someone who in so many words claimed that I and other anti protestors weren’t real fan because we weren’t taking “action.” I don’t have to vindicate myself to anybody, least of all about my love and passion for Blackburn Rovers. You will not drive me away. I am still going to express my opinions whether or not you agree, is up to you. I feel these protests have been very counter-productive and have had no benefit whatsoever for anyone concerned. It is now time to bring out the love and the passion we have for our team / club. Let’s get behind the whole club and help get us away from those 3 positions down at the bottom of the table.

I believe.

When Venkys took over last Autumn I was confident we would be able to push on onto the next level. Now even as I believe they want the best for the club, I fear we are facing oblivion at a rate faster than you can say “boo”.

I have no experience of watching Rovers outside the top two divisions so I cannot comment on how that felt to see Rovers below what is now the Championship. It was painful getting relegated from the Premier League but we got back to where we belonged.

Moving onto today, I felt very edgy about the whole game (despite my initial excitement). Apart from the first ten minutes, there was no real atmosphere to galvanise the players and it just felt very very strange. People sat around me were talking about the Manchester derby, rather than our game. Yes it looks as though it was an amazing game but are Rovers that bad that people feel the need to have full conversations about a game that shouldn’t really concern us?

Another thing that concerned me is the amount of abuse and arguing amongst fans. Yes it is a very concerning time for the club but is there really any need for it? No, I thought not. Us fans need to show a united front. Support the team. Respect each others opinions and get on. It feels the heart of the club has been ripped out and stamped all over. But we need to stand tall and bring that friendly atmosphere back to the club. I am fast becoming deflated about going to Rovers. But I will still go no matter what.

It’s never easy being a Rover but we love them anyway.

God knows why.