[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[thenodrog]

To be honest the club are (at last) doing the right thing by aggresively pricing to attract as many fans as possible. I think Jack missed a trick - he should have bank-rolled such an initiative when we were relatively successful. The long term future of the club is in increasing the fan base (on a permanent basis) and also increasing our international appeal (where our friend from India may prove useful).

UEFA are already looking at the amounts "loaned" to clubs from the Abramovich's of this world. So we have to increase the money we generate ourselves - always a difficult feat for a small town club.

You're nearly singing off my hymn sheet with that simple logic DMTP.

[American]

Send me a quotation saying they don't want us.

There is a big difference between saying that they believe it is possible another owner might do a better job in the changed circumstances of the Premier League today and not wanting us.

Yes, I often aggressively try to sell things I want, even cutting the asking price in half....

[Roversboy1972]

Let's think positive but be abit caution. If Mr Shah bid is right for the club then the club will sold to him. The Trust and John Williams will not allow the club to go like Pompey. They will want to see where the money from and wouldn't allow the club to be bought with a loan against the club like Man Utd and Liverpool. Also i think they would want to know what the plans are for the club. I would like to see John Williams stay on at the club as Chairman, which would ease the fans caution about the club being bought. He's done a excellent job since coming to the club. Also if Mr Shah bid is successful then he would be able to bring sposnorship from the Asia market which would improve the revenue going into the club. which would allow Big Sam more money in the transfer market plus whatever Mr Shah puts into the pot. Also we would not want they interving in team selections and players being bought.

So lets be positive but be abit caution till we learn more about bid and Mr Shah group.

were,s nicko he,s not been on here for days

[beerwins]

Well to me it sounds like this guy's plan to try and market us in India shows a lot more ambition than to just sell our best player's every year just to stay afloat.

Now I dont pretend to know anything about buying clubs or all the legal mumbo jumbo that comes with the sale of a football club but if this guy is legitimate in his marketing plans and can raise the cash to buy the club surely that is better than just ticking over in the prem waiting for Mr Perfect billionaire rovers fan to buy the club.

Over the past couple of transfer windows we keep becoming weaker by selling our best players to stay afloat, if it wasnt for Sams tactics (as boring as they are) we could really become a cropper sooner or later unless we get some investment.

I cant say im not nervous nor can I say the trust have done a bad job but its very obvious that Rovers are for sale and this guy wants to buy so for me its time for the trust to let go and hope the future is blue and white.

[thenodrog]

Let's think positive but be abit caution. If Mr Shah bid is right for the club then the club will sold to him. The Trust and John Williams will not allow the club to go like Pompey. They will want to see where the money from and wouldn't allow the club to be bought with a loan against the club like Man Utd and Liverpool. Also i think they would want to know what the plans are for the club. I would like to see John Williams stay on at the club as Chairman, which would ease the fans caution about the club being bought. He's done a excellent job since coming to the club. Also if Mr Shah bid is successful then he would be able to bring sposnorship from the Asia market which would improve the revenue going into the club. which would allow Big Sam more money in the transfer market plus whatever Mr Shah puts into the pot. Also we would not want they interving in team selections and players being bought.

So lets be positive but be abit caution till we learn more about bid and Mr Shah group.

Very positive post chaddy. You outline what we might get out of this but won't the Kumars want something back too? Whats in it for them?

btw is there any mention of gambling / betting in all this? It seems to be the root af all evil in that neck of the woods. IndoPaks / Chinese etc will not spend silly money on an authentic shirt or Sky TV but they'll throw the house keys at a bet.... and especially so if it's a dodgy one.

[den]

I think we are very safe with the Trust in place.

They have put excellent management in and enable the club to manage its resources to the very maximum.

We have survived one almighty cock-up (Ince) and come through looking potentially as strong as we were the day before he was appointed. There is remarkable resilience in the club the way the Trust have set it up.

People whinge about the lack of investment but lose sight of the fact that £5m of the club's limited debt is borrowings from the Trust on the softest terms imaginable. I keep saying this but the Trust takes nothing out and I mean NOTHING. When fans urge them to put £3m a year in they are forgetting that many other clubs have owners that are COSTING them at least £3m a year in directors' fees, expenses etc etc. Those costs just get lost in the general expenses and don't get commented upon unless something horrible happens like at Pompey or West Ham.

This is one of the reasons Rovers could run at 91% of turnover in wages last season and still be OK.

The most compelling reason going forwards is that the new PL/UEFA financial regulations are going to push the rest of the Premier League to adjust to the Trust's model of doing business from 1 July 2012.

So, cheap loans. Putting excellent management in and enabling the club to manage its resources to the very maximum can be done without the trust, so we're back to cheap loans? Hmmm......? I don't see much of a safety net there Philip. There is very little advantage for us being run by the trustees at the moment in my view.

[47er]

Send me a quotation saying they don't want us.

There is a big difference between saying that they believe it is possible another owner might do a better job in the changed circumstances of the Premier League today and not wanting us.

The club is up for sale and has been for 3 years! Your posts are usually full of fine distinctions but this one is as daft as it gets. They want to sell the club therefore they don't want it anymore. If you want to mangle the English language become a politician.

[broadsword]

Better the devil we know, den.

OK, so the football's not great, we're sell our best players and make do as best we can. Being the 10th best team in the country's not too shabby though.

Things could be so much worse. Although I'm not sure how much longer we can muddle on like this.

[Steve Moss]

Philip, serious question, - how safe are we with the Trust? Safe from what exactly?

Being looted and run into the ground like Portsmouth. The Trust have been excellent caretakers and its regrettable that they apparently want to sell. As selling is their perogative, I hope the buyer (whehter the Indian group or some other) are the right sort of people. The purported asking price is so low that I think there is a real danger of the "buy and loot" types attempting to acquire the Rovers.

[47er]

Very positive post chaddy. You outline what we might get out of this but won't the Kumars want something back too? Whats in it for them?

btw is there any mention of gambling / betting in all this? It seems to be the root af all evil in that neck of the woods. IndoPaks / Chinese etc will not spend silly money on an authentic shirt or Sky TV but they'll throw the house keys at a bet.... and especially so if it's a dodgy one.

I assume you are an expert on the customs of those you call IndoPaks/Chinese? Would it be stretching a point to wonder if their ethnicity has anything to do with your opposition to a sale? Would a buyer from another background be OK with you?

[thenodrog]

Over the past couple of transfer windows we keep becoming weaker by selling our best players to stay afloat, if it wasnt for Sams tactics (as boring as they are) we could really become a cropper sooner or later unless we get some investment.

I've never understood why transfer fees have continued so long post Bosman and Freedom of Contract and recent events suggest that they are rapidly being consigned to the history books.

I've also wondered recently with that being the case and the fact that we cannot get 20k in the ground without virtually giving away ST's that BRFC will not be able to generate the wherewithall required in the coming years to maintain Prem status. Given that the only sound option of joining with other clubs appears to be currently unpopular and the requirement for the trust to offload the club before it becomes virtually unsaleable becomes obvious.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Passionate post on The Marple Leaf blog giving Saurin Shah some advice:

An open and welcoming message to Saurin Shah

[thenodrog]

I assume you are an expert on the customs of those you call IndoPaks/Chinese? Would it be stretching a point to wonder if their ethnicity has anything to do with your opposition to a sale? Would a buyer from another background be OK with you?

Is betting on sporting events a major social and financial issue in that neck of the woods? Yes or No?

[braddock]

btw is there any mention of gambling / betting in all this? It seems to be the root af all evil in that neck of the woods. IndoPaks / Chinese etc will not spend silly money on an authentic shirt or Sky TV but they'll throw the house keys at a bet.... and especially so if it's a dodgy one.

what the hell?

this post is offensive

the three countries you mention consist of almost 2.5billion people (over a third of the worlds population) and i dread to think how many fit into your definition of 'etc'. all of them fit nicely under your blanket of having gambling problems and a refusal to pay for quality.

nice

[den]

Better the devil we know, den.

OK, so the football's not great, we're sell our best players and make do as best we can. Being the 10th best team in the country's not too shabby though.

Things could be so much worse. Although I'm not sure how much longer we can muddle on like this.

"better the devil we know" Bryan, is about the only reason to stay as we are - even though the "devil" [and no, they are no devil, I know] wants us no longer.

We can't muddle on much longer, I think most people see that as well.

[1864roverite]

Looted and stripped ?

What is Mr Shah going to do ? Build a mosque at Ewood ? He cant sell Brockhall so that leaves the playing side and we are used to selling our stars so what is going to be different ?

Lets things mlie UNTIL the club announce something.

Your all digging yourselves an early grave worrying about media hype and speculation. get a grip, England kick moff tonight.

[den]

Being looted and run into the ground like Portsmouth.

Plenty of clubs going to the wall in the lower leagues smoss.

[Amo]

Being looted and run into the ground like Portsmouth.

Portsmouth is an extreme example. Bankrolling star players with money they didn't have, while the chief exec pilfered win bonuses. Somehow I can't imagine John Williams doing that. We don't need a pie in the sky owner to come in and splash the cash, so to speak. What we do need is a stable owner who can cover the losses which are forever squeezing the transfer budget. Even an extra £2m-£5m would make a valuable difference.

[thenodrog]

what the hell?

this post is offensive

the three countries you mention consist of almost 2.5billion people (over a third of the worlds population) and i dread to think how many fit into your definition of 'etc'. all of them fit nicely under your blanket of having gambling problems and a refusal to pay for quality.

nice

Get on a chair, raise your skirts and scream 'MOUSE' if you must but to ignore what might be a salient issue is stupidity.

Tell you what braddock you tell me why someone from half way around the globe likely with no interest in football and little understanding of it wants to buy lil old BRFC ( a club that they prob never heard of until 6 moths ago) when slick financial operators behind the Walker Trust are making a headlong rush for the exit door?

[PAFELL]

Send me a quotation saying they don't want us.

There is a big difference between saying that they believe it is possible another owner might do a better job in the changed circumstances of the Premier League today and not wanting us.

The fact they have put the club up for sale, means they no longer want to be the owners. I am not slating the trust, but the fact the club is up for sale speaks for itself.

[Brfcrule1]

braddock wrote:why do people still not understand that there isn't a conspiracy and blackburn rovers have to pay wages/bills etc?

do some people honestly believe they are hoarding this money and keeping it for themselves?

you totally misunderstand my point we know wages have to be paid and there is no conspiracy I never suggested the point I was making is this model of selling our best players just to stay afloat cannot carry on forever because ultimately that will end up with one result

Philip wrote: Four finishes in the top half in the last five Premier League and "we are f*cked".

There are 85 other clubs out there in an extremely sorry state then!

At this stage, the fact Saurin is conducting his negotiations through the press has worrying echoes of Dan Williams.

Yes he is loaded by the standards of most of us but I cannot see much pointing to him being sufficiently loaded to be able to do what the posters dreaming of a take over are hoping for.

I don't know whether his pockets are deep enough or, crucially, long enough to say that Rovers in 2014/5 would be anywhere near as safe with him as we are with the Trust.

He has sold a business well but that doesn't mean he has ongoing income streams to support a Premier League hobby. The success of his venture would be critically dependent on Rovers becoming de facto the Premier League club of the sub-continent as far as I can see from what is out there at the moment.

Philip what we have achieved so far has been nothing short of miraculous but that is in the past but long term it is not sustainable and even this year with a good run at the end of the season we did ok and without external investment we will go one way and that is the unthinkable or would you prefer us to do aa Leicester and stay in the wilderness for 15+ years with not much chance of reaching the promised land

Bobby G wroteI think thats going overboard. We arent relegation bound necessarily, BUT if we do get relegated it would not be surprised considering the lack of investment. Thats the best prognosis.

this guy speaks absolute sense maybe we are not relegation bound but if we were to go it would not surprise me

Philip wrote: I think we are very safe with the Trust in place.

They have put excellent management in and enable the club to manage its resources to the very maximum.

We have survived one almighty cock-up (Ince) and come through looking potentially as strong as we were the day before he was appointed. There is remarkable resilience in the club the way the Trust have set it up.

People whinge about the lack of investment but lose sight of the fact that £5m of the club's limited debt is borrowings from the Trust on the softest terms imaginable. I keep saying this but the Trust takes nothing out and I mean NOTHING. When fans urge them to put £3m a year in they are forgetting that many other clubs have owners that are COSTING them at least £3m a year in directors' fees, expenses etc etc. Those costs just get lost in the general expenses and don't get commented upon unless something horrible happens like at Pompey or West Ham.

This is one of the reasons Rovers could run at 91% of turnover in wages last season and still be OK.

The most compelling reason going forwards is that the new PL/UEFA financial regulations are going to push the rest of the Premier League to adjust to the Trust's model of doing business from 1 July 2012.

you say we have survived one almighty cock up we were very lucky to survive that what makes you think the next time we will be so lucky you say we are safe with the trust they have put an excellent management in place to manage our resources how are we safe with owners who put nothing into the club eventually that leads to one thing and that is down yes the people in charge manage our resources to the maximum I suppose you think hiring an incompetent oaf and almost taking us to the brink of extinction is good management and lumbering us with substandard players and severe crock is good management and shifting that crock has proved difficult you say we run at 91% of turnover to wages is ok right with JW saying we have to cut the wage bill to a more acceptable level in other words we still have to sell to balance the books how long can this be sustained and you say the rest of the EPL will have to comply with new financial regulations are going to push the rest to run at the trusts model 3 points 1. what if the unthinkable happens and we drift into the wilderness those rules will not help us then?. 2. They will have run to the trusts model yes maybe not spending more than you earnyou seem to forget other bigger clubs have major income coming from overseas business/investment e.g. Man Yoo in India/China as 1 example other clubs will be alright as such we have no overseas branding hence the fact we will be up the paddle. 3. The PL/Uefa regulations have not been approved yet for all you know the EPL might throw it out then we are back to square one.

[thenodrog]

Looted and stripped ?

What is Mr Shah going to do ? Build a mosque at Ewood ? He cant sell Brockhall so that leaves the playing side and we are used to selling our stars so what is going to be different ?

Oose most likely an Hindu indu?

[Guest Kamy100]

Very positive post chaddy. You outline what we might get out of this but won't the Kumars want something back too? Whats in it for them?

btw is there any mention of gambling / betting in all this? It seems to be the root af all evil in that neck of the woods. IndoPaks / Chinese etc will not spend silly money on an authentic shirt or Sky TV but they'll throw the house keys at a bet.... and especially so if it's a dodgy one.

Come on TNR you are much more intelligent than that.

I cannot talk about China but the vast majority of people in India/Pakistan do not have the means nor the will to "chuck their house keys at a dodgy bet", also just because there have been allegation, much of them unproven does not mean that EVERY single person betting in those markets is dodgy, that is like saying all England football fans are hooligans just because the minority have caused problems in the past.

This is a football thread, please do not try and turn it into anything else.

[chaddyrovers]

Very positive post chaddy. You outline what we might get out of this but won't the Kumars want something back too? Whats in it for them?

btw is there any mention of gambling / betting in all this? It seems to be the root af all evil in that neck of the woods. IndoPaks / Chinese etc will not spend silly money on an authentic shirt or Sky TV but they'll throw the house keys at a bet.... and especially so if it's a dodgy one.

Yeah i am positive but remind abit caution about it. Whats in it for them is a good team with passion supporters and a chance to develop the club worldwide espically in Asia. He's could be passion about football and the premier league. We have to trust the trustees and John Williams to do the right thing for the club. Lets wait and see, I'm sure Mr Shah will talk to the fans about his plans for the club if he's successful. Maybe Nicko will tomorrow in the sunday people or in the Lancashire evening telegraph on Monday he might to say more about his bid.

[den]

BRFC rule1, you're posts are unreadable.

Just take a bit of time to learn how to use the quote facility, than add a bit of punctuation and I'm sure there is a lot of interesting stuff to come from you.