[Archived] rovers fan tell rovers owners where they are going wrong

[PAFELL]

I was under the impression that Mr & Mrs Roversmum received a personal invitation from Balaji Rao to go and meet them in India after they camped outside the Peninsula Hotel during the Hong Kong tournament in the summer. This was the picture I got after witnessing them doing it first hand. As such there were 15 supporters with the Fans Forum members and the four independent travellers.

It is indeed quite plausible that Currie/Battersby approached Anderson in an attempt to make contact with Venky's, although I personally feel it was more likely the other way around. However this does not alter the fact that they have been brought to the table either through or with Jerome Anderson, and from what I have heard were very much singing Anderson's praises whilst in Pune. The suggestion that it was Anderson who paid for them to go out to India and meet the Rao's makes for worrying reading, yet is entirely believable when the entire operation in Pune was paid for out of Balaji's back pocket and not the VH Group funds.

I don't think that the identity of the person who told me this is important at this juncture, and I only brought this information to the table to try and warn people that the presence of Currie/Battersby may not be as positive as first thought.

Then I hope you are going to inform the pune9 the.identity of this person. In my view they have already.received enough unjustified stick, for you to add this onto 'one' of them.

[roversmum]

I was under the impression that Mr & Mrs Roversmum received a personal invitation from Balaji Rao to go and meet them in India after they camped outside the Peninsula Hotel during the Hong Kong tournament in the summer. This was the picture I got after witnessing them doing it first hand.

Well, that's interesting.

The fact is, we were at the Hong Kong Stadium in the designated disabled area next to the VIP seats entrance when Balaji came across to us and introduced himself. We chatted for several minutes and he issued the invitation which was subsequently followed up. I have absolutely no idea where Balaji was staying.

Not that it's any of your business, but if you must peddle untruths I would prefer it if they weren't about myself and my husband. Thank you.

[PAFELL]

I was under the impression that Mr & Mrs Roversmum received a personal invitation from Balaji Rao to go and meet them in India after they camped outside the Peninsula Hotel during the Hong Kong tournament in the summer. This was the picture I got after witnessing them doing it first hand. As such there were 15 supporters with the Fans Forum members and the four independent travellers.

It is indeed quite plausible that Currie/Battersby approached Anderson in an attempt to make contact with Venky's, although I personally feel it was more likely the other way around. However this does not alter the fact that they have been brought to the table either through or with Jerome Anderson, and from what I have heard were very much singing Anderson's praises whilst in Pune. The suggestion that it was Anderson who paid for them to go out to India and meet the Rao's makes for worrying reading, yet is entirely believable when the entire operation in Pune was paid for out of Balaji's back pocket and not the VH Group funds.

I don't think that the identity of the person who told me this is important at this juncture, and I only brought this information to the table to try and warn people that the presence of Currie/Battersby may not be as positive as first thought.

Roversmum has disproved part of this. Whatever is garbage. I said I did not believe your first post on this topic. That remains.

[Mike Graham]

I'm not going to mention which one of the supporters who went out to Pune it was who told me this, only that the person in question was adamant that Battersby (and presumably Currie too) was in India at the behest of Jerome Anderson, who had paid for their flights and hotel bills for their stay in India.

The supporter I am referring to knows Battersby reasonably well having crossed paths with him many times since childhood, so I doubt this is some kind of fabricated nonsense.

Considering that both Battersby and Currie are successful and wealthy businessmen who both have considerable experience in the football industry, I would be surprised had they not come across Jerome Anderson during their careers and got to know him well.

Philipl - the difference here is that the Pune 9 and the four supporters who went on their own steam are accounted for. The Forum members were invited through the club and the other four follow Rovers everywhere. Currie/Battersby have no involvement with the club and don't follow Rovers everywhere. Nobody really knows what Currie/Battersby were doing in India and were surprised to see them there. I find it highly unlikely that someone within the Venky organisation itself had the ability to identify Currie/Battersby as people they wanted to talk to and then flew them to India on a different flight to the Rovers entourage and kept them in a different hotel. Somebody who knew them as businessmen in the UK and their knowledge of football must have asked them to go out.

Ian Currie rarely misses a game home or away, and has done so for many many years, please deal with facts.

[PAFELL]

Ian Currie rarely misses a game home or away, and has done so for many many years, please deal with facts.

Thought I heard.battersby was also a Rovers supporter.

[Paul]

Ian Currie rarely misses a game home or away, and has done so for many many years, please deal with facts.

I'll back that up, and along with various family members.

I get the distinct impression this jehrover chap doesn't deal in facts. A number of points he has made can be disproved quite easily.

Thought I heard.battersby was also a Rovers supporter.

That's my understanding as well, though I have never seen him myself.

[jehrover]

I don't doubt that Currie/Battersby are Rovers supporters and that they attend home games regularly. There is quite a difference between this and taking a week out of a busy schedule to fly out to India in the hope of meeting Venky's and trying to teach them a thing or two about where they have gone wrong. There surely must have been something in it for them.

What I find strange is how Currie/Battersby were present in India and that NOBODY from the Rovers contingent expected them to be there or knew what exactly they were there for. I have been told of the surprise with which Rovers officials reacted when they saw Currie & Battersby at the game, so they were obviously with a different contingent. They stayed in a different hotel to the Rovers officials/players, travelled on different flights and somehow had access to Venky's through the VIP area in the stadium - a luxury not afforded to every supporter who made the journey. I'll say it again, there MUST have been some kind of middle man who knows them well from business dealings in the UK and who arranged for them to fly out to India and meet the Rao family at their home.

Combine that with what I understand was a great deal of singing JA's praises and sympathising with the bad publicity he gets and the jigsaw begins to fit together very quickly.

[PAFELL]

I think some should read the articles in today's LET. Ian Battersby and Wayne Wild have called for a temporary peace at Ewood Park.

Maybe worth trying. If this happens, maybe Venkys will listen to other advice given to them by Battersby, Ward and Currie. At the end of the day, things are bad enough now. Give the peace a chance.

[Mattyblue]

As den says on the Truce thread, people will do what they want when the mood takes.

If nothing is organised and we win the game there won't be much dissent, we lose- people will kick off.

Nowt you, me or Wayne Wild can do about it.

[glen9mullan]

I have had much dialogue with Mr Wild and he is a no- nonsense chap, and if there is anything to salvage he will certainly try, Both he and Battersby will be in the studio on Radio Lancashire tonight discussing Rovers, so be worth tuning in