Pune trip

[Iceman]

This should have been done out of the FF's own pocket, and also those who paid their own way should have said thanks, but no thanks for paying us back for the trip. This just seems like a certain number of fans were bought over by Venkys, in order to try and gather support for their failing as owners. This trip or dialogue should never have happened on Indian soil, because it was on the V's terms and conditions. Hit me with all the minuses, but the big questions and the big answers were never made. When you play by their rules and do things on their terms, then we will most likely get nailed to the wall. If they wanted to show their worth, then let the fans fill Ewood, get a mic and speakers, and let people ask them questions. If they want to bull ###### the fans, let them do it in fromt of everybody.

[Ewood Spark]

First of all thanks to my colleagues from the Pune9 who have been on here already and articulated pretty-much what I wanted to say about the whole experience. I am glad I (we) we went ... it was the right decision. Just a few points that I feel need highlighting :-

1) Nothing that was said to them, they didn't already know. They employ somebody to monitor all Blackburn Rovers related news items in the media and on message boards and file a report on a daily basis to keep them in touch with the zeitgeist.

2) Regarding the protests : One of the nine asked several members of staff (players, coaching admin etc) for their views on the protests. Everybody he asked condemned them as being unhelpful and having a negative impact on the team.

3) Regarding expansion of the Rovers brand in India : The need for this was thrown into sharp focus this week when Liverpool started to make noises about ditching the collective bargaining of TV rights abroad.

[trueblue]

Importantly as well, the level of feeling was stressed, the 95% figure was mentioned and also that it was representative of pubs and workplaces in Blackburn.

Clearly for Venkys India plans, relegation is not an option, and clearly they will do whatever is required to prevent that.

We also stressed that meetings need to be held in the UK with fans, via the existing forum and with other groups (BRST, Kamy etc). The impression there was very positive.

No promises were made, so we have to take our own personal impressions from things, but it DOES seem that they are listening. The actions over the next few weeks will prove that one way or the other. We've done what we can as the pune 9 to get things over. If people keep chipping away with their own approaches, i'm confident that things will happen.

Only just catching up with this thread but.... that is superb news Ste !, and well done the Pune9

[Iceman]

Ffs, the fans are not protesting because they just feel like protesting. Did the fans protest before the game when we lost to Wolves on the opening day? This " its not helping us as a team" is just a load of bull ######. Ask the players and staff why we can't pass a ball properly, or why we can't cross a ball properly. Or why we don't know how to defend properly, or why we make the incorrect substitutions, or start with the incorrect starting 11. Get rid of the person responsible for the mess, and the fans will be happy

[47er]

First of all thanks to my colleagues from the Pune9 who have been on here already and articulated pretty-much what I wanted to say about the whole experience. I am glad I (we) we went ... it was the right decision. Just a few points that I feel need highlighting :-

1) Nothing that was said to them, they didn't already know. They employ somebody to monitor all Blackburn Rovers related news items in the media and on message boards and file a report on a daily basis to keep them in touch with the zeitgeist.

2) Regarding the protests : One of the nine asked several members of staff (players, coaching admin etc) for their views on the protests. Everybody he asked condemned them as being unhelpful and having a negative impact on the team.

3) Regarding expansion of the Rovers brand in India : The need for this was thrown into sharp focus this week when Liverpool started to make noises about ditching the collective bargaining of TV rights abroad.

Jesus wept.

1--------if they know exactly how we feel how come they think thousands of emails were the work of a few individuals?

How come they subscribe to the" tiny minority " theory about Kean's detractors?

And most of all, how come he's still our manager?

2--------what do you expect the hired staff to say? In any case, since things are as bad as they are, what else can true fans do? How else to channel the anger and get change?

I said before you went that I didn't feel your team truly represented the feelings of the fans and it was in response to a post from you. How bloody spineless.

I hope the other 8 had more about them.

[John]

The staff are hardly likely to say the protest have helped - we won the Arsenal game anyway.

Until Venkys admit and rectify the major mistakes they have in made in relation to the running of the club, we will struggle to progress.

[OJRovers]

Pune9ers:

Did you ask what the owners thought about SK constantly saying we were 'Excellent' every time we get totally outplayed? And other such rubbish in his interviews?

[alexanders]

Well done FF. I dont think we could've asked for more and in your own words I hope this opens up the relationship between fans and owners and it has shortened Keans failing time.

For the next time. Bring Antartica. He comes across as a well-spoken and intelligent man.

[Paul]

3) Regarding expansion of the Rovers brand in India : The need for this was thrown into sharp focus this week when Liverpool started to make noises about ditching the collective bargaining of TV rights abroad.

For me the Liverpool thing is irrelevant though I knew it would be raised as an argument for more rapid expansion if the Rovers brand in India.

1. In ten months Venkys have done relatively little but if has suddenly become an important issue

2. From the little I know the activity is confined to some billboards in one city.

3. The likelihood of beating off Sky and other media and their relentless promotion of the current big four is slim. Without the free promotion provided by the media Venkys will need to spend 10s if not 100s of millions to compete.

Very simply until we have a team which sells newspapers or makes people turn on the TV we are not attractive to the media. Without the media we just make up the numbers. It's been the case for 12-13 years.

4. Academies etc are all very well but at best migt give us a player in 5 years if the Raos are REALLY lucky.

5. Flogging cheap merchandise won't pay for a midfielder's left big toe.

6. Too much money spent in Pune could lead to increased alienation in Blackburn.

With all this talk of brand awareness I feel we will be left to tick along just enough to keep the brand supported. The fact the club is located in Blackburn will be utterly irrelevant in the future if this type of planning becomes the norm.

[Mattyblue]

Detriment to the team? Since the protests began, their has been no marked decrease in performance-in fact, the Arsenal game showed a marked increase.

I find your use of the term they 'condemned them' hyperbole on your part Ewood Spark.

Steve Kean needs to be removed, the protests have, in my opinion focused minds- can only be a good for the club, wouldn't you agree ES?

[bobsterbrfc]

Put succinctly: the protests are looking like a good thing. Focusing minds, drawing attention and if the pressure is maintained, Kean's position will become untenable (arguably already is).

[beerwins]

First of all thanks to my colleagues from the Pune9 who have been on here already and articulated pretty-much what I wanted to say about the whole experience. I am glad I (we) we went ... it was the right decision. Just a few points that I feel need highlighting :-

1) Nothing that was said to them, they didn't already know. They employ somebody to monitor all Blackburn Rovers related news items in the media and on message boards and file a report on a daily basis to keep them in touch with the zeitgeist.

2) Regarding the protests : One of the nine asked several members of staff (players, coaching admin etc) for their views on the protests. Everybody he asked condemned them as being unhelpful and having a negative impact on the team.

3) Regarding expansion of the Rovers brand in India : The need for this was thrown into sharp focus this week when Liverpool started to make noises about ditching the collective bargaining of TV rights abroad.

That is not half as bad as a negative effect on the team as a manager that cant get results. The fans only protested at 1 game........what happened the rest of last season and this to the team?

[DE.]

2) Regarding the protests : One of the nine asked several members of staff (players, coaching admin etc) for their views on the protests. Everybody he asked condemned them as being unhelpful and having a negative impact on the team.

Says more about the players and staff than it does about the protestors.

[Mercer]

First of all thanks to my colleagues from the Pune9 who have been on here already and articulated pretty-much what I wanted to say about the whole experience. I am glad I (we) we went ... it was the right decision. Just a few points that I feel need highlighting :-

1) Nothing that was said to them, they didn't already know. They employ somebody to monitor all Blackburn Rovers related news items in the media and on message boards and file a report on a daily basis to keep them in touch with the zeitgeist.

2) Regarding the protests : One of the nine asked several members of staff (players, coaching admin etc) for their views on the protests. Everybody he asked condemned them as being unhelpful and having a negative impact on the team.

3) Regarding expansion of the Rovers brand in India : The need for this was thrown into sharp focus this week when Liverpool started to make noises about ditching the collective bargaining of TV rights abroad.

You can't tell me that the answer was a surprise !!!!

In the words of Dunn, they need "to get real".

'Team Rovers' including manager, coaching staff and players have an appalling record since Kean took over. There are no excuses, we don't want excuses - all we want is results and feckin fast!

[LeChuck]

2) Regarding the protests : One of the nine asked several members of staff (players, coaching admin etc) for their views on the protests. Everybody he asked condemned them as being unhelpful and having a negative impact on the team.

Not anywhere near as negative as the impact Kean is having on the team.

All this expansion into India means nothing whilst Kean is here because, with all the best will in the world, nobody will pay to watch a team play Championship football over there.

[Veevs]

I hope this question does not seem out of line.. but Glen, Ste or Tom..

I am desperate to ask a question of Venkys.. this may seem like an odd one but I REALLY would like to know do they have a contingency plan in place should the club be relegated.. I know they said they would do everything in their power to make sure we are not relegated but I am scared sh**less about the consequences of relegation with the current setup we have.

[SAS]

This should have been done out of the FF's own pocket, and also those who paid their own way should have said thanks, but no thanks for paying us back for the trip. This just seems like a certain number of fans were bought over by Venkys, in order to try and gather support for their failing as owners. This trip or dialogue should never have happened on Indian soil, because it was on the V's terms and conditions. Hit me with all the minuses, but the big questions and the big answers were never made. When you play by their rules and do things on their terms, then we will most likely get nailed to the wall. If they wanted to show their worth, then let the fans fill Ewood, get a mic and speakers, and let people ask them questions. If they want to bull ###### the fans, let them do it in fromt of everybody.

Seems like you are constantly questioning the integrity of the people that went.

Birdy paid his own way there, and got it refunded. Now birdy would have been straight to the point And confrontational with the truth.

I've seen birdy do this myself with John Williams. Hell of a lot easier to be Frank and honest when things are this badz

[Ste B]

Seems like you are constantly questioning the integrity of the people that went.

Birdy paid his own way there, and got it refunded. Now birdy would have been straight to the point And confrontational with the truth.

I've seen birdy do this myself with John Williams. Hell of a lot easier to be Frank and honest when things are this badz

I take nothing Iceman says on this subject seriously. This was the man who got a facebook collection together to raise money for him to come to Ewood, and then asked for the money anyway when he couldnt.

[den]

LT.

[Veevs]

Curious what was Bilajis son like? You stated that you met him at the informal meeting, just curious as he will be the Chairman of Rovers at some point if the quotes are correct.

[Ozz]

So, having read all the news and updates from the FF members who went and have posted-Can I assume it is now only a matter if when and not if Kean is releived of his duites?

[Andy]

I hope this question does not seem out of line.. but Glen, Ste or Tom..

I am desperate to ask a question of Venkys.. this may seem like an odd one but I REALLY would like to know do they have a contingency plan in place should the club be relegated.. I know they said they would do everything in their power to make sure we are not relegated but I am scared sh**less about the consequences of relegation with the current setup we have.

Surely this was one of the points discussed...?

[Ste B]

So, having read all the news and updates from the FF members who went and have posted-Can I assume it is now only a matter if when and not if Kean is releived of his duites?

I wouldnt be making any assumptions TBQH. It is clear that the owners are aware of the perils of relegation.

[Ozz]

I wouldnt be making any assumptions TBQH. It is clear that the owners are aware of the perils of relegation.

Well you say that Ste, but their actions, esp in regard to backing a clearly incompetent manager , suggest that they are not.

For as long as Kean is in charge of our first team, we are favourites to get relegated.

[Gav]

Well you say that Ste, but their actions, esp in regard to backing a clearly incompetent manager , suggest that they are not.

For as long as Kean is in charge of our first team, we are favourites to get relegated.

Bottom line Ozz, nothings changed, we're being told nothing new, and Keans still in charge, we didn't expect any different did we?

Only difference is we're now being told the same old stuff by people we know personally, instead of the media.