[Archived] A United Statement By Blackburn Rovers Fans

January 5, 2012

In response to the criticism of Blackburn Rovers fans in recent weeks, the main Rovers fan websites and fan organisations have united to issue a joint statement in an attempt to clarify fans' position to the media and the football world at large with regard to the continued tenure of Steve Kean as manager of Blackburn Rovers. The following statement has been published to the front page here and represents the common view of the editors of those organisations. We fully realise that it is not possible to say everything that needs to be said and we fully realise that we cannot hope to represent the thousands of different viewpoints held by Rovers supporters. It does, however, represent a common core of views that we believe are widely held among the supporters. Feel free to add your opinions here.

A United Statement By Blackburn Rovers Fans

Recently, Blackburn Rovers fans have been the subject of attention in the national media and we as a body feel that our situation has been misrepresented and that our stance has been grossly misunderstood. The major representative websites of Blackburn Rovers fans have combined to clarify our stance with regard to our current plight in the statement below.

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

The Wild Blackburn Rover

Rovers Revisited

Ralfinho · January 5, 2012

In response to the criticism of Blackburn Rovers fans in recent weeks, the main Rovers fan websites and fan organisations have united to issue a joint statement in an attempt to clarify fans' position to the media and the football world at large with regard to the continued tenure of Steve Kean as manager of Blackburn Rovers. The following statement has been published to the front page here and represents the common view of the editors of those organisations. We fully realise that it is not possible to say everything that needs to be said and we fully realise that we cannot hope to represent the thousands of different viewpoints held by Rovers supporters. It does, however, represent a common core of views that we believe are widely held among the supporters. Feel free to add your opinions here.

A United Statement By Blackburn Rovers Fans

Recently, Blackburn Rovers fans have been the subject of attention in the national media and we as a body feel that our situation has been misrepresented and that our stance has been grossly misunderstood. The major representative websites of Blackburn Rovers fans have combined to clarify our stance with regard to our current plight in the statement below.

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

The Wild Blackburn Rover

Rovers Revisited

Should that not read incapable?

donnermeat · January 5, 2012

Excellently worded statement well done to whoever put this together.

Question, who/where is this being sent to?

Steve Moss · January 5, 2012

Outstanding.

Darwen_Blue · January 5, 2012

Good work All. Let's hope all the media outlets pick it up.

BangkokRover · January 5, 2012

Unless the national press and media in general pick up on it there is no point doing this.

Not have at all just saying

Cheers

BKR

Slinky · January 5, 2012

Should that not read incapable?

No, they're saying that he's been given enough time to prove himself - not that he has done.

Tom · January 5, 2012

Good work guys it reads very well

Al · January 5, 2012

In response to the criticism of Blackburn Rovers fans in recent weeks, the main Rovers fan websites and fan organisations have united to issue a joint statement in an attempt to clarify fans' position to the media and the football world at large with regard to the continued tenure of Steve Kean as manager of Blackburn Rovers. The following statement has been published to the front page here and represents the common view of the editors of those organisations. We fully realise that it is not possible to say everything that needs to be said and we fully realise that we cannot hope to represent the thousands of different viewpoints held by Rovers supporters. It does, however, represent a common core of views that we believe are widely held among the supporters. Feel free to add your opinions here.

A United Statement By Blackburn Rovers Fans

Recently, Blackburn Rovers fans have been the subject of attention in the national media and we as a body feel that our situation has been misrepresented and that our stance has been grossly misunderstood. The major representative websites of Blackburn Rovers fans have combined to clarify our stance with regard to our current plight in the statement below.

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

The Wild Blackburn Rover

Rovers Revisited

That is excellent. Is there any chance that the Fans Forum could put in there name as supporting that statement too?

Please email it to the newspapers.

Biddy · January 5, 2012

doesn't go far enough in my opinion. Surely there should have been more rational about why there are protests, ie, the fact we KNOW Venky's/Kean are lying to us about finances, our debt, players being injured when they aren't etc etc.

It is a very good reading statement that just seems to end "Kean Out" in one last paragraph. Disappointed,

A cup of beans · January 5, 2012

wonderful.

articulate and emotive.

to those involved... "well done"

Miker · January 5, 2012

Brilliant guys. This is by far the best action taken so far. I hope an acceptable response is forthcoming from the club.

gazsimm · January 5, 2012

lets hope all the press get hold of this and our club is saved!!!

T4E · January 5, 2012

doesn't go far enough in my opinion. Surely there should have been more rational about why there are protests, ie, the fact we KNOW Venky's/Kean are lying to us about finances, our debt, players being injured when they aren't etc etc.

It is a very good reading statement that just seems to end "Kean Out" in one last paragraph. Disappointed,

Agree with this - I dont think it goes far enough to explain why the fans as so adamantly against Kean in particular - and for me that was the bit that needed explaining the most.

LWX · January 5, 2012

who is it being sent to?

Sysagent · January 5, 2012

Excellently constructed letter and I commend the people who are responsible for it... But it won't make one jot of a difference to our club's circumstances...

Seriously it will not make any difference what so ever.

BuckyRover · January 5, 2012

Agree with this - I dont think it goes far enough to explain why the fans as so adamantly against Kean in particular - and for me that was the bit that needed explaining the most.

I tend to agree with this.

It doesn't highlight that we are against Kean the chairman as much as Kean the manager. No mention of JA either.

I think it's a good statement, I just don't think it really captures the full extent of the frustration.

Amo · January 5, 2012

I'm guessing they avoided mentioning the state of the finances/Jerome Anderson etc. for legal reasons?

If not, then poor do. Any official statement from the fan community needs to encapsulate everything that's amiss at Blackburn Rovers.

Ste B · January 5, 2012

I'm guessing they avoided mentioning the state of the finances/Jerome Anderson etc. for legal reasons?

If not, then poor do. Any official statement from the fan community needs to encapsulate everything that's amiss at Blackburn Rovers.

I dont know exactly why, but it was important we only put on the stuff that we could prove. Theres almost certainly going to be follow ups to this where other stuff will be addressed.

BuckyRover · January 5, 2012

I dont know exactly why, but it was important we only put on the stuff that we could prove. Theres almost certainly going to be follow ups to this where other stuff will be addressed.

Very good. Happy with it then.

RibbleValleyRover · January 5, 2012

I've read the document and thought overall it was a good statement. I guess all we can do is hope that this will be picked up by the mainstream media and force the owners to make some tough decisions in order to try and get the club back on track.

I can understand the viewpoints of some who think there should be some more damning stuff in there, but let's face it there is a lot of speculation out there about what's really going on at the club and not a lot of proof. It’s best sticking to what we know and the key points i.e. that the manager isn't good enough (clearly highlighted by the stats in the statement) and the club infrastructure needs sorting out.

January 5, 2012

We're working feverishly behind the scenes to circulate this among contacts in the national and international media. The LT will also be giving it coverage. The target audience for this piece is the media and the general reader/football fan rather than Rovers fans, for whom this merely touches the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

In addition to the fan websites, BRST came on board, which was most welcome, but understandably the Fans Forum declined - I am sure they will clarify their position in due course, but I guess they see their brief as separate to the issues under discussion here. Credit in particular to the guys over at Vital for their input, but the piece is not the work of any single individual and is a truly collaborative effort among the Rovers fan websites and organisations involved. That alone takes a lot of doing and is indicative of how united fans are in wanting to return our club to the community. This is only the beginning and it would take a book rather than a few paragraphs to say everything that really needs saying. Also, it needs to be recognised that this is not a protest at all and is quite separate to the protest movement. Rovers fans are already aware of what is in the statement and far more besides, so this is an attempt to account to the outside world for the Rovers fans' antipathy towards their manager and, by extension, the owners and their club.

Tom · January 5, 2012

We're working feverishly behind the scenes to circulate this among contacts in the national and international media. The LT will also be giving it coverage. The target audience for this piece is the media and the general reader/football fan rather than Rovers fans, for whom this merely touches the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

In addition to the fan websites, BRST came on board, which was most welcome, but understandably the Fans Forum declined - I am sure they will clarify their position in due course, but I guess they see their brief as separate to the issues under discussion here. Credit in particular to the guys over at Vital for their input, but the piece is not the work of any single individual and is a truly collaborative effort among the Rovers fan websites and organisations involved. That alone takes a lot of doing and is indicative of how united fans are in wanting to return our club to the community. This is only the beginning and it would take a book rather than a few paragraphs to say everything that really needs saying. Also, it needs to be recognised that this is not a protest at all and is quite separate to the protest movement. Rovers fans are already aware of what is in the statement and far more besides, so this is an attempt to account to the outside world for the Rovers fans' antipathy towards their manager and, by extension, the owners and their club.

I brought this up and was keen for us to put our name to it and help with the statement but it was thought it would look like were hanging on coat tails and if we as a body were going to do something it would be better if it was standalone.

I do think the statement is very well written and one I would be proud to put my name to

ace · January 5, 2012

Thank you for representing our concerns. You have demonstrated more international co-ordination, genuine attempt at honest communication and real feeling for Rovers than has been demonstrated by our absentee owners in the twelve months since they acquired our club.

eire3382 · January 5, 2012

Fantastic and great to see so many groups involved.

FF need to at least put out a statement saying they support the statement there by distancing themselves from actually been involved in writing it.

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