[Archived] A United Statement By Blackburn Rovers Fans

[aletheia]

A few points

1. It is very well written and should be commended for getting various agencies together. It’s a start.
   
2. The fact that it is not signed by the FF is a weakness, easily exploitable by Rao’s/Agnew /media.
   
3. I think it is mealy mouthed and does not go far enough. I fully appreciate the need for facts and the fear of litigation/pressure on sites. But the press are lazy and could be given some easy bite-size facts and questions. These could be added afterwards as a list. For example, list a few specific quotes from Kean to show how his spin is intensely destructive if not downright lies. Points about Anderson could be phrased simply as questions –surely no legal problem there? Again, simple facts regarding the Venkys eg the statement from M Desai regarding management structure at the time of takeover and the simple facts of what happened a few weeks later.
   
4. Be a little more aggressive towards the media. Make them feel more guilty about poor reporting, again citing simple facts. One can point out Nicholas’s role with Kentaro as a fact without making any accusation.
   

Anyway, hope it turns the media tide a little but sadly those that matter seem either incapable or unwilling to do the right thing.

Let’s hope Krypton’s website is up soon.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Bravo. Well done all.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Another well done to all.

I just fear that we as fans are p1ssing into the wind with the Rao's...their silence is infuriating and also very arrogant imo.

[yoda]

Another well done to all.

I just fear that we as fans are p1ssing into the wind with the Rao's...their silence is infuriating and also very arrogant imo.

Its the Indian way, toe the line or else,

won't be long now and there won't be any body too toe the line

[mode_m]

well written, excellent work.

thank you.

[Rob1981]

Well done to those who drafted this. Accurately captures all my thoughts on current situation.

Good work

Ps - will be circulating this to all my non - Rovers supporting friends who can't understand why I am so upset!!

[Sasman]

Hello All,

Sasman from Vital Blackburn.

Just reading all the comments and would like to address a few things.

First of all, thanks to Wen, Glenn, Tom, Kamy and Ste for deciding to collaborate on this statement. This statement was created via contribution of all Blackburn Rovers websites. Bits and pieces were taken out, as were added onto to ensure every bodies thoughts were shared.

The Fans Forum were approached, unfortunately I could not get the complete backing of all 20 members of the forum, hence the FF decided not to openly support the statement. I have been assured that the Forum is doing plenty behind the scenes to push the cause though.

Press has been alerted and we expect the statement to be first published in tomorrow's LT thanks to Mr Cryer. Kamy is working his magic within the Media Community and can hopefully pull a few strings, whilst the likes of Henry Winter and co have been alerted.

Social Media- Twitter has been on fire, keep it up.

We look forward to working with BRFCS and our fellow Rovers websites on future issues.

Tony Sassine

Vital Blackburn

@sasman1987

[Ewoodbhappy]

Well done all who put this statement together. Can I suggest an open meeting prior to the Fulham game (Plenty of time in advance).

Im sure the Rovers fanbase will have a wide and varied amount of experience, that could be put to good use. The fans action group needs to maintain momentum so Im guessing more help would be welcome?

Im available to help in any way possible.

[thenodrog]

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 'trembling' 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

Edited for you Tom.

[aletheia]

Don't suppose there is any chance of a list of media emails/contacts being pinned?

[thenodrog]

All the bad media attention started after the Bolton game.

This wasn't an orchesrated protest. This was an organic protest,

by fans who have watched a well run, well respected, established

Premier League club dismantled before their eyes, in less than 12 months.

The media attention was orchestrated without a doubt. The LMA must have more power than I thought and much more than they have ever earned by deed. Anyone who can judge the supporters of BRFC to be unfair and knee jerkers should consider 137 years of history with nothing remotely similar happening before. Every set of fans in the country would do the same if their manager allowed to continue with the same dismal record. To criticise the fans of Blackburn Rovers is just an open attempt to whitewash the tarnished image of the Slumdog millionaires. The only question remaining over the combined media / press / managerial criticism of BRFC supporters is WHY?

[bazza]

A good statement. Well done.

It should be sent to all sports editors of every newspaper in the British Isles and, whatsmore, every newspaper in India (if that is possible).

[grinder]

Suggest you send it to the Times of India and the Pune Evening Telegraph or whatever the equivalent is. Publicity in India may focus the minds of our owners !

[yoda's brother]

No one just posted on boards

you obviously didnt read wen y hu's second post

[sentient]

Excellent statement. At first thought it didn't go far enough but thinking for a moment it is pitched just about right. The important thing is to get the wider media hooked and then we can start the real debate about finance, agents, perceived asset-liquidation, etc. There must be follow-up prepared for fast response to media interest.

I have criticised Fans Forum in past but even I am aghast that they couldn't even get off their backsides and back this statement. I know that not all FF members have such reactionary tendancies and that some FF members will also be disappointed that even now, after all that has happened, the FF cannot take this step.

What I suggest to those more-rational FF members is that the FF is obviously now totally discredited and can only be viewed as a venkys-puppets working against the fans' UNITED interests. Those disappointed members may as well resign before their standing in the wider fan-community plummets. I know this turn of events will greatly disappoint someone like TomM who has obviously tried to influence the fans-forum-fuddy-duddies but TomM ... they aren't shifting! Maybe time to act for yourself?

[thenodrog]

A few points

[*]The fact that it is not signed by the FF is a weakness, easily exploitable by Rao’s/Agnew /media.

C'mon aletheia how many people do you think away from these boards have ever even heard of the FF never mind knowing what it's purpose is ..... or more particularly was.

[thenodrog]

Its the Indian way, toe the line or else,

We taught em that in the good old days didn't we?

Suggest you send it to the Times of India and the Pune Evening Telegraph or whatever the equivalent is. Publicity in India may focus the minds of our owners !

Might be wrong but I'd imagine Venkeys would run adverts in most publications in India, so I'd imagine few editors would willingly choose to publish criticism of them. Don't let it stop you trying though grinder.

[den]

It's a well written statement. Well done to everyone involved.

Any follow up opportunities will be equally, possibly more effective.

[jim mk2]

Predictable response from media

ROVERS FANS SHOULD RALLY BEHIND THE CLUB

By Frank Malley, Chief Writer, Press Association Sport

You would not a treat a dog the way Blackburn fans have treated manager Steve Kean.

He has been verbally abused and routinely ridiculed for months. The venom in the protests has been frightening, prompting fellow managers such as Tottenham's Harry Redknapp to describe it as ``horrific''.

A local newspaper has launched a campaign to get Kean sacked.

Now, after an uneasy truce over the festive period, comes the news in a statement that organised protests against Kean and Blackburn owners Venky's are to resume with ``increased intensity.''

Yes, that is what football has come to.

Fans, supposedly loyal supporters of one of England's proudest clubs, issuing clinical statements as if they were some sort of ruling body for unacceptable behaviour.

The statement did not lack ambition. It read: ``The aim of the protests, as from the start, will be about the removal of Steve Kean as first-team manager, Venky's as owners of the club and now the removal of the board of directors.

``The intensity of the protest will increase substantially. As Blackburn Rovers fans we have no choice but to try to ensure we preserve the legacy left by the late Jack Walker.''

You can understand fans' frustration at Blackburn's plight, yet I wonder what dear old Jack, the man who pumped large chunks of his personal fortune into Blackburn to realise his dream of winning the Premier League trophy in 1995, would have made of that statement.

True, he would not have been overjoyed at his beloved club falling into the hands of owners who have taken Blackburn into debt and who appear to have little interest in the day-to-day running of the club or of building meaningful relationships with the supporters.

He would have been grumpy at the players' failure on the pitch, although you suspect he would also have made allowances for an injury list which has seen strong and crucial characters such as Ryan Nelsen and Gael Givet missing.

But you suspect Jack would have hated to have seen Blackburn die-hards using the excuse of his 'legacy' to treat an impressively calm and dignified manager such as Kean, who appears to retain the support of the players, with such unnecessary vitriol.

You suspect he would have been appalled at the suggestion that fans should boycott Saturday's FA Cup third round match against Newcastle and go to watch non-league Chorley instead.

Most of all, you suspect Jack, who made his fortune from steel, might have pointed out the value of constructive support rather than systematic negativity.

How much better if Blackburn fans saw the draw against Liverpool and the victory against Manchester United over the festive period as a sign that there is a beating heart and collective resolve at their club, despite what they might think of the absent owners.

Fans do not have to like football owners. The Glazers at Old Trafford, for instance, are almost universally reviled by Manchester United fans.

And if the Blackburn fans who make the trip to Newcastle this Saturday canvass the opinions of Geordie supporters, they will almost certainly discover Newcastle owner Mike Ashley comes somewhere below Northern Rock bankers on their barometer of approval.

It does not stop Newcastle fans roaring on the men who pull on the famous black-and-white striped jerseys or appreciating the stirring job manager Alan Pardew has done in consolidating the club in the upper echelons of the Premier League.

There cannot be too much to choose between Blackburn and Newcastle on the field. After all, they have both beaten Manchester United in the past week.

Blackburn may be bottom of the league right now but all is not lost. Not yet.

They have a striker in Yakubu with 12 league goals this season, just one less than Wayne Rooney. They have a winnable next home game against Fulham.

They have the distraction of the FA Cup, which the club have won six times - even if the last time was in 1928 - and which could be the springboard to a revival.

Is it really the time to peddle even more intense abuse. Surely reason and Kean deserve a second chance.

[Tom]

That's in response to the action group statement not this one

[only2garners]

As it seems to be open season on the Fans Forum again I will try to explain why the Forum have not put their names to this statement. We were asked a while ago to get involved and I know some members of the Forum have been helping agree the wording of the final statement.

We had a discussion about this on Tuesday night at the pre-meet for our next meeting with the club next Tuesday. We decided not to put the Forum's name to the statement. It was not a question that we could not get a majority of the Forum members to agree to sign it. The vast majority (although not 100% I suspect) were happy with the contents. We recognise that if we sign we may well forfeit any chance we have of dialogue with the owners. Everyone else has no bridges to burn but we still do, no matter how rickety they might be. I think we recognise that the chances of dialogue are extremely small at the moment but right now we are the only group of supporters who have been in contact with Venkys and we intend to continue to work at that link if we can in order to change things. I would encourage other fans to work at other routes to influence change but I think it's right that we continue to work at the tiny foothold we may still have.

We have agreed with the club that the Forum's remit be changed so that we can talk about anything, including football matters from next week's meeting onwards. We also want to talk to them about more frequent meetings in the current difficult climate. It seems to me that as we will be sitting down to talk to senior staff at Ewood next week that it would have been unwise to prejudice that meeting by signing the statement.

[thenodrog]

What they said. Click these links guys..... Add some more if you like cos it's not difficult to dig up the lies and damnned lies that we supporters have been fed for over a year now.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/10/blackburn-venkys-dave-whelan-wigan

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/8478898.Blackburn_Rovers_bidder_aims_for_top_four/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackburn-rovers/8200889/Blackburn-owners-sacked-Sam-Allardyce-in-search-of-good-football-and-to-be-fourth-or-fifth-in-the-league.html

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Blackburn-unbelievably-want-Diego-Maradona-to-replace-Sam-Allardyce-as-manager-article650769.html

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Blackburn-chairwoman-Anuradha-Desai-faces-jail-over-property-dispute-in-India-article834672.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackburn-rovers/8924269/Blackburn-Rovers-owners-Venkys-under-the-microscope-as-Barclays-Bank-demands-reduction-in-clubs-debt.html

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/news/9445726.Blackburn_owners_Venky_s_may_have_to_sell_Rovers_stars/

[colin]

Congratulations to all involved with that. An elequent & precise message. Fingers crossed that it is heeded.

Thanks

Colin

[bob fleming]

"Big in the Brazilian chicken world"

More bull. In 12 months of bull that line just about sums it all up. "Big in the Brazilian chicken world - crap in the English Premier League". Scant consolation.

Great work everyone with the statement.

[EwoodDawn]

Massive thanks to everyone involved with this statement.