[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[vizcaya]

did anybody get the feeling that the guy doing the interview, was just trying his best to put Blackburn in a bad light? or was it just me who thinks that? However, Syed seemed well aware of what he is buying into and answered each question with real purpose. This guy knows what he is up against, and he just seems like he knows what he wants to do.

Nope, I had that feeling as well. It sounded as if he was saying: "Why in the name of the holy diver are you thinking about buying BRFC? Are you mad?" Ok, it didn't come across THAT bad, but it sounded like they were questioning his motives...

[philipl]

I thought the sign off was very positive on that interview.

[LeChuck]

The man has obviously done his homework and in his home country too. I feel he truly believes that he can turn Rovers into THE team that Indians will support. The idea has risk of failure, but the success that could come from attempting this could be massive. He specifically said room for development and expansion of fan base “in India.

For that to happen we will undoubtedly have to sign some Asian players, preferably South Asian.

Are there any PL class ones knocking around? I've had a look at the Indian national team - not much going on there! Sunil Chhetri has just joined the MLS, maybe he might be good enough?

Actually it's slim pickings at any South Asian country, unless you shoehorn Iran in there.

[MarkBRFC71]

To be fair the guys in the interview were asking very fair questions, it's exactly the questions I'd be asking and it was interesting to hear his responses to them.

Very good little interview.

Apart from the bit where they said we bought the league in 1995. Like Man Utd and Chelsea haven't spent 10 times as much over the years to win it.

Grrrrrr ....

For that to happen we will undoubtedly have to sign some Asian players, preferably South Asian.

Are there any PL class ones knocking around? I've had a look at the Indian national team - not much going on there! Sunil Chhetri has just joined the MLS, maybe he might be good enough?

Actually it's slim pickings at any South Asian country, unless you shoehorn Iran in there.

Michael Chopra has an Indian parent doesn't he?

[vizcaya]

Injuns.

Which is? (for those of us who aren't British and doesn't own an incredibly massive dictionary?

[Iceman]

To be fair the guys in the interview were asking very fair questions, it's exactly the questions I'd be asking and it was interesting to hear his responses to them.

Very good little interview.

I just thought the interviewer, came across as trying to unsettle Syed a bit. To be fair to Syed, he didn’t sound at all concerned when asked about United, City and Liverpool being in close proximity or how he expects to get his money back

[AggyBlue]

Which is? (for those of us who aren't British and doesn't own an incredibly massive dictionary?

Lancastrian pronunciation for 'Indians'

[Iceman]

For that to happen we will undoubtedly have to sign some Asian players, preferably South Asian.

Are there any PL class ones knocking around? I've had a look at the Indian national team - not much going on there! Sunil Chhetri has just joined the MLS, maybe he might be good enough?

Actually it's slim pickings at any South Asian country, unless you shoehorn Iran in there.

Sachin Tendulkar? Sweeper?

[Hughesy]

For that to happen we will undoubtedly have to sign some Asian players, preferably South Asian.

Are there any PL class ones knocking around? I've had a look at the Indian national team - not much going on there! Sunil Chhetri has just joined the MLS, maybe he might be good enough?

Actually it's slim pickings at any South Asian country, unless you shoehorn Iran in there.

How about we set up a few academies in India...train the best young talent & then bring them over....easy way to get your name out their if we have the funds....then the best come & play for our 1st team & get on the TV back home - increasing support back there & here, increasing merchadise sales etc?!

[Majiball]

LeChuck if you were to set-up a Blackburn rovers academy there and put in place great coaches and support who's to say in 5-7 years you couldn't create some yourselves???

United soccer schools went there not so long ago and said one or two of them were hardly poor they just needed better nurturing.

I will not be surprised at all to us us set one up and quickly as well. If we get in there first and do it right we will reap rewards.

Hughesy you sat behind me????

[philipl]

Not often I disagree with you LeChuck but I will do here. The owner-to-be is a prolific Indian business man. I would have thought that would be enough of a pull on the local Indian population without having to sign Asian players.

Not a big fan of how Abromovich tried to force his Russian influence on Chelsea but I suppose there needs to be some compromise with the money man, so it still could happen.

Look at the staff Ahsan Ali Sayed has assembled at WGA and you can see he is clearly happy to recruit talent regardless of their weight, nationality, gender or ethnicity.

This guy will want the best for the job end of. Darmon has the job of growing the commercial side including boosting attendances France.

If you take the Blackburn Rovers model in France, Auxerre average gates of around 20,000 in a 24,000 seater stadium and the town's population is 45,000. On that basis, the new Ewood needs to be bigger than Eastlands....

[BuckyRover]

It can be done. We just think that because we haven't done it before that it's impossible. It's not.

[tony gale's mic]

If you take the Blackburn Rovers model in France, Auxerre average gates of around 20,000 in a 24,000 seater stadium and the town's population is 45,000. On that basis, the new Ewood needs to be bigger than Eastlands....

Auxerre probably doesn't have multiple top league and second tier clubs surrounding it in such close proximity though.

I think the absolute maximum for our club is 35-40k. To go any higher than this will require fans to ditch their own sides in favour of ours, and given the tradition of rivalry in our neck of the woods, even if we had Messi, Xavi and Iniesta lining up for us if anything Burnley/Preston/Bolton fans would hate us even more.

[Iceman]

LeChuck if you were to set-up a Blackburn rovers academy there and put in place great coaches and support who's to say in 5-7 years you couldn't create some yourselves???

United soccer schools went there not so long ago and said one or two of them were hardly poor they just needed better nurturing.

I will not be surprised at all to us us set one up and quickly as well. If we get in there first and do it right we will reap rewards.

Hughesy you sat behind me????

Hughesy stealing your ideas Maji?

[OJRovers]

As to whether we are currently a 'distressed' club - if our main summer signing turns out to be Benjani on a free, then I think that puts us squarely in the 'distressed' bracket!!

[vizcaya]

Lancastrian pronunciation for 'Indians'

Aha, thank you sir!

[tony gale's mic]

As to whether we are currently a 'distressed' club - if our main summer signing turns out to be Benjani on a free, then I think that puts us squarely in the 'distressed' bracket!!

I'd rather have no players lost and a promising player (Diouf) and a rubbish player (Benjani) signed for just wages, than having lost important players without really replacing them as has happened in previous seasons.

[PAFELL]

He clearly must believe he can increase our fan base...and for that he has to be looking at the ethnic communities

The question however has to be, what do they want that we havent got & what will attract them to come to Ewood?

Perhaps another way to help boost our attendances is to put on coaches for our supporters in other surrounding areas?

A muslim. 'Maybe some' Muslims think football is against their religion etc. An owner who is a Muslim may just be the appeal that they want. Not saying that is a reason, as I am not a Muslim.

[tony gale's mic]

A muslim. 'Maybe some' Muslims think football is against their religion etc. An owner who is a Muslim may just be the appeal that they want. Not saying that is a reason, as I am not a Muslim.

I'm not a Muslim but I'm certain no Muslims except the most crazy ones think football is against their religion.

[Mattyblue]

A muslim. 'Maybe some' Muslims think football is against their religion etc. An owner who is a Muslim may just be the appeal that they want. Not saying that is a reason, as I am not a Muslim.

Do they hell think football is against their religion!

[imy9]

Maybe football is still associated with hooliganism and violence stemming from the 70's and 80's which has meant fewer Asian fans. Having a Muslim/Asian owner would help especially if he creates a more " bring your family to the game" vibe.

[Majiball]

Hughesy stealing your ideas Maji?

He's my Padawan learner!!!

I'm the one on the left.

[Iceman]

, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Saudia Arabia are all muslim countries who play football.. it is not against our religion to play football.

[Mattyblue]

Maybe football is still associated with hooliganism and violence stemming from the 70's and 80's which has meant fewer Asian fans. Having a Muslim/Asian owner would help especially if he creates a more " bring your family to the game" vibe.

I'll ask this again, why would many Muslims all of a sudden start supporting Rovers, when 3 generations have supported United/Liverpool?

[Exiled in Toronto]

This guy will want the best for the job end of. Darmon has the job of growing the commercial side including boosting attendances France.

I wonder how impressed he will be with the fact that, to leverage our position in a globally-viewed league, our last 2 sponsorship deals have been sourced as far away as Darwen?

The club's facilities have long been Premier League but there are some elements of the club still stuck firmly in the reused tea-bag days. I'm excited to see what can be done commercially with these genuine heavy-hitters coming in.