[Archived] Venky's willing to sell?

[booth]

I don't really get thes conspiracy theories.

The way I see it is the protesters initially wanted Venky's to sack steve kean and start running the club properly. When it became obvious that was not going to happen the protests turned to 'Venkys out'. However, there is no chance of getting venkys out unless there is someone to buy the club. I guess that's where the idea of putting together a possible takeover together came from.

The key point is these protesters are genuine rovers fans. Very much doubt there is anything underhand.

Not entirely true. It's not just the removal of Steve Kean that's got the fans backs up, it's all the other things that have gone with it. Like the lack of any interest and investment in the club that's made the fans realize that Kean is just a symptom of their ownership.

[gumboots]

I don't really get thes conspiracy theories.

The way I see it is the protesters initially wanted Venky's to sack steve kean and start running the club properly. When it became obvious that was not going to happen the protests turned to 'Venkys out'. However, there is no chance of getting venkys out unless there is someone to buy the club. I guess that's where the idea of putting together a possible takeover together came from.

The key point is these protesters are genuine rovers fans. Very much doubt there is anything underhand.

There may not be anything underhand, but i can quite see why people are upset by it. When I attended early protests i did so because i was a fan concerned at the mismanagement of my club. I wanted it put on record that I was not happy with the manager, Kean, nor subsequently with the owners Venkys. It is, however, a huge step from that to suggesting who should run us, and backing any potential buyer. I didn't sign up to that actually or metaphorically and, whilst it may be possible that this potential consortium could be the answer, I, like many others, I suspect, would like a good deal more transparency about what is going on before I'd be happy to join in any kind of protest again. I always said I'd support whatever protests I felt comfortable with, because i couldn't sit back and do nothing, but, if there is an element of secrecy about what is going on, then i don't want to be part of it. One of my big concerns on all the committees i serve on, and they are many, is that everything which is not of a confidential nature is right out there in the public domain, so nobody can say they didn't know what was going on or that they had been lied to. It needs to be the case here. If there is a bid or whatever then we need to know what is going on as far as that is possible, without financial detail if that needs to remain confidential. We cannot support what we do not understand.

[Paul]

I have just read this on the BRAG facebook page

The Action Groups committee has provisionally agreed a meeting with Chief Executive of Blackburn Rovers which will happen before the next home game, whilst the group is heavily involved in a potential takeover bid being led by Wayne Wild, this is in full conjunction with the Action Group.

The progress in the last 72 hours has been immense and for the first time the appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, together we stand - divided we fall

Could you and Paul please provide evedence of your accusations .

ABBEY please check the post above which is said to be taken from the BRAG Facebook page. I have NOT accused anyone of anything. I have tried to make some serious statements without implying anything about any indivdual. I wil say this though:

During October, I'm not going to go and look, GM made dismissive posts regarding the Currie/Battersby interest and the FF trip to Pune, describing them as I recall as "late to the party." It struck me as a strange thing to say, unsual words for an ordinary fan and why would a protest group dismiss others with similar objectives? Later GM has questioned why the Battersby/Currie Pune trip was orgainsed by Jerome Anderson, I read this as looking to put a question mark under their integrity. If two local consortiums exist why would one question the others integrity - shouldn't they work together?

Wayne Wild paid 50% of the cost of the recent leaflet distributed at the Newcastle game. WW and GM were together at the Chorley v North Ferriby match, nothing sinister in that I grant you but made me wonder.

February 2nd BRAG presented itself, at an open meeting, as an ordinary group of fans, 9 days later it is "heavily involved" in a potential takeover bid. Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions but I'm looking forward to understanding how an "ordinary fans" become deeply involved in a takeover bid in 9 days.

Message to Paul and others.

Please never again complain about Venkys.

I don't understand why that should be unless it's because I'm not allowed to question other things I see happening around the club?

In fact, I think you should just come out and say what you are really thinking. Who is it you don't like? Glen Mullan? Ian Battersby? Wayne Wild? Because this is obviously a personal vendetta.

I have met Glen Mullan once in the audience at Radio Lancashire, I said something like "Hello I'm Paul" he said something similar. Battersby - never met him. Wild - never met him. A suggestion of a personal vendetta is wide of the mark.

How have the protests been engineered to bring about relegation and an hostile takeover? They haven't even brought about any defeats!

By putting fans on the street protesting against the owners when the motive could be to manipulate a sale

I think you are giving people too much "credit" to make them out to be some kind of evil geniuses. There is no doubt the protests have evolved and the approach has changed but that is only because we are in uncharted territory in terms of football club ownership and NOTHING will work. One approach in these circumstance is to give up, another is to try to do something.

I've never said anyone is evil or a genius. I've asked questions. One of the problems with BRAG is it keeps shifting its focus.

People moan about foreign ownership, saying we could have had Ali Sayed or Gaydamak. Then a potential local consortium is shown this kind of disdain and vicious rumour mongering for their efforts to get our club back.

Disgusting.

I have at least a ten year history of being against foreign ownership of any English club and I have never suggested I would not support local ownership. What i will not support is an organisation that says one thing while possibly doing another.

[chaddyrovers]

Wayne Wild has just post this on Twiiter

Wayne Wild @mrwawild

Reply RetweetedRetweet

FavoritedFavorite · Close Open Details http://db.tt/qCUvgyFc Supporters chance to buy a stake in #BRFC Proposal attached. Registration website coming soon. Pls RT to spread word.

https://dl.dropbox.com/0/view/jiv536093kgxcg0/Rovers/BRSIT%20A4%20-%201.1.pdf

very interesting

[Hughesy]

....

The document that they have put together is crazy.

Its based on 10,000 fans putting in an initial £1000 each (£10m).

They they base it on Venkys selling for £10m, despite them paying £23m on buying us and then adding another £12m.

Then what? How do we continue to compete? What about in another 5 years time when Wages & Transfer fees are even higher?

Flawed

[rovers11]

I can understand people feeling manipulated. However, I think it's massive news that Venky's appear willing to sell. That is what should be focussed on.

[PAFELL]

The answer, as I've been pointing out for a while now is pride. A potential buyer alone isn't enough, they don't need the money, they feel the bad PR of "giving in" is worse than they're already getting. If a new buyer wants in, they need to give them a dignified exit strategy. Simple-as.

Correct. They need, in their eyes to find an honourable way out.

If they said :we have been requested by rovers supporters to sell the club to them. So we have decided to do so as a good will gesture.: That would give them their way out. But neither they or other interested parties can see that yet.

But venkys pride makes them resist the protests etc.

[den]

....

What changed your mind Hughesy? I know who you meant.

[Stuart]

I have at least a ten year history of being against foreign ownership of any English club and I have never suggested I would not support local ownership. What i will not support is an organisation that says one thing while possibly doing another.

It's that "possibly" that should be highlighted. You may not have said things but you have allowed others to put words into your mouth. You are making an assumption that they are being underhand or manipulative, when it is so much more likely that they are working things out as they go along, making mistakes and having some small successes along the way.

My gut feeling is that Glen, Ian(s) and most definitely Wayne have the best interests of the club at heart. I'm sure, for the reasons Glenn P has intimated at (i.e. dignified exit) an element of covertness has to be adopted.

I have to trust these people as fans of the club because I certainly can't trust our current owners - and there is no third alternative.

[Majiball]

ABBEY please check the post above which is said to be taken from the BRAG Facebook page. I have NOT accused anyone of anything. I have tried to make some serious statements without implying anything about any indivdual. I wil say this though:

During October, I'm not going to go and look, GM made dismissive posts regarding the Currie/Battersby interest and the FF trip to Pune, describing them as I recall as "late to the party." It struck me as a strange thing to say, unsual words for an ordinary fan and why would a protest group dismiss others with similar objectives? Later GM has questioned why the Battersby/Currie Pune trip was orgainsed by Jerome Anderson, I read this as looking to put a question mark under their integrity. If two local consortiums exist why would one question the others integrity - shouldn't they work together?

Wayne Wild paid 50% of the cost of the recent leaflet distributed at the Newcastle game. WW and GM were together at the Chorley v North Ferriby match, nothing sinister in that I grant you but made me wonder.

February 2nd BRAG presented itself, at an open meeting, as an ordinary group of fans, 9 days later it is "heavily involved" in a potential takeover bid. Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions but I'm looking forward to understanding how an "ordinary fans" become deeply involved in a takeover bid in 9 days.

I don't understand why that should be unless it's because I'm not allowed to question other things I see happening around the club?

I have met Glen Mullan once in the audience at Radio Lancashire, I said something like "Hello I'm Paul" he said something similar. Battersby - never met him. Wild - never met him. A suggestion of a personal vendetta is wide of the mark.

By putting fans on the street protesting against the owners when the motive could be to manipulate a sale

I've never said anyone is evil or a genius. I've asked questions. One of the problems with BRAG is it keeps shifting its focus.

I have at least a ten year history of being against foreign ownership of any English club and I have never suggested I would not support local ownership. What i will not support is an organisation that says one thing while possibly doing another.

I truly hope your wrong Paul.

Because if your right, well it doesn't bare thinking about. But I do know exactly what I will think and be saying.

What changed your mind Hughesy? I know who you meant.

Care to enlighten people?

[Hughesy]

What changed your mind Hughesy? I know who you meant.

Dont know what you mean! lol

The aggro mate, not worth it!

[chaddyrovers]

Dont know what you mean! lol

The aggro mate, not worth it!

what did you write??? didn't c it

[rovers_rob]

I can understand people feeling manipulated. However, I think it's massive news that Venky's appear willing to sell. That is what should be focussed on.

Have I missed something ? What has given you the impression that Venkys are willing to sell ?

[Hughesy]

Have I missed something ? What has given you the impression that Venkys are willing to sell ?

In his head I think.

Nickos article says they blanked one bid, never mind the BRAG one being talked about on here, where they think they can buy the club for £10m

[Paul]

It's that "possibly" that should be highlighted. You may not have said things but you have allowed others to put words into your mouth. You are making an assumption that they are being underhand or manipulative, when it is so much more likely that they are working things out as they go along, making mistakes and having some small successes along the way.

My gut feeling is that Glen, Ian(s) and most definitely Wayne have the best interests of the club at heart. I'm sure, for the reasons Glenn P has intimated at (i.e. dignified exit) an element of covertness has to be adopted.

I have to trust these people as fans of the club because I certainly can't trust our current owners - and there is no third alternative.

Stuart, everything I referred to has been placed in the public domain by other people. If all the information available raises questions I cannot help that. This is not a question of me being ITK, everything discussed is on this message board and put there by others, not me. If people do not want to be questioned they should keep quiet.

I truly hope your wrong Paul.

Because if your right, well it doesn't bare thinking about. But I do know exactly what I will think and be saying.

Majiball as I said to Stuart above this all comes from other people's statements - GM in particular. Glen makes statements then he should be questioned, just as I am now having to defend my view. As I recall very few people questioned Venkys and that proved to be a mistake. I am not in anyway comparing anyone with Venkys just pointing out questions have to be asked. I want to know what the relationships are bewteen the parties involved. I don't see that as unreasonable.

Last week I asked questions and got the response "the club is bigger than Venkys/ Kean and the PL" I read that as an acceptance of relegation. Why would that be a good thing?

[broadsword]

They they base it on Venkys selling for £10m, despite them paying £23m on buying us and then adding another £12m.

Am I reading this wrong? Venky's have spent £12m on us?

[Andy]

I think the major downfall here is thinking that 10,000 Rovers fans have a spare £1k laying around to put into a football club.

I think, from previous reading, that there is then a yearly contribution to pay.

The vast majority of Rovers fans don't have that much spare money and even if they did, I would imagine that it go towards the more important things in their lives (family/home life).

Nice idea, but I can't see that happening at all.

[broadsword]

That's separate to one which imagines fans putting in £140/month for 3 years?

Which is about £5k. Sorry, include me out, £5k in a pension fund would come first for me.

[PAFELL]

It's that "possibly" that should be highlighted. You may not have said things but you have allowed others to put words into your mouth. You are making an assumption that they are being underhand or manipulative, when it is so much more likely that they are working things out as they go along, making mistakes and having some small successes along the way.

My gut feeling is that Glen, Ian(s) and most definitely Wayne have the best interests of the club at heart. I'm sure, for the reasons Glenn P has intimated at (i.e. dignified exit) an element of covertness has to be adopted.

I have to trust these people as fans of the club because I certainly can't trust our current owners - and there is no third alternative.

You cannot have ago at people making mistakes as they go along, venkys. But permit it for others.

There was a.protest to get Kean sacked.

Then it changed to want communication and dialogue with fans.

Then changed to venkys out.

Now appears to be changing again to venkys out, let us in.

We have said of venkys that the silence is deafening, which is correct.

BRAG at the moment your silence is also deafening. People have read the statement on facdbook from you. It requires explanation. Before rumours add to rumours etc. But in the light of what was written on Facebook, the support protestors have given you. The anger of a divided fan base on here. You must clarify, answer on here the situation.

[RevidgeBlue]

I am astounded by the content of much of what I am reading on this thread. Premiership football is a billionaires game these days let alone a millionaires game therefore anyone taking over the Club needs to have very deep pockets indeed if we are to prosper.

Any talk of Glen Mullen/Wayne Wild/Brag/a fans consortium/ taking over the Club is complete pie in the sky. Even if hypothetically fifteen thousand fans could be persuaded to stump up say 2k each for the initial 30m to buy out the Rao's what happens after that? 5m trading loss to cover - that'll be another 333 quid each please. We need a 10m striker - 666 quid each. The Bank have decided we have to pay off the rest of the overdraft - that's another 500 quid each. It ain't happening, most fans now begrudge paying more than 300 quid for a Premiership season ticket!. Plus how would any decisions ever be made with 15000 interested stakeholders?

The two Ians I know nothing about but popular consensus seems to be that they have contacts with extremely rich people/groups so

interest from them sems potentially more viable and less likely to be an ego trip.

I'm not sure what he point of the latest protests are exactly. Have the protestors got suitably rich and definite new owners already lined up? If not, what is it they want? Naffing off the Rao's so much they just was their hands of it and walk away leaving us with errr...... nothing? The latest accounts suggest we need very substantial cash injections from the current owners indeed. I've no objection to efforts being made to find long term new owners who can or will "invest" (throw money away) more money in the Club than the current owners but in the short term it seems to be more sensible to massage the egos of the current owners and try to ensure they meet their liablilities rather than drive them away.

Any talk of us needing to go down to move forward is just plain nuts and anyone suggesting that has no credibility whatsoever in my eyes.

[hesfromburn]

I am astounded by the content of much of what I am reading on this thread. Premiership football is a billionaires game these days let alone a millionaires game therefore anyone taking over the Club needs to have very deep pockets indeed if we are to prosper.

Any talk of Glen Mullen/Wayne Wild/Brag/a fans consortium/ taking over the Club is complete pie in the sky. Even if hypothetically fifteen thousand fans could be persuaded to stump up say 2k each for the initial 30m to buy out the Rao's what happens after that? 5m trading loss to cover - that'll be another 333 quid each please. We need a 10m striker - 666 quid each. The Bank have decided we have to pay off the rest of the overdraft - that's another 500 quid each. It ain't happening, most fans now begrudge paying more than 300 quid for a Premiership season ticket!. Plus how would any decisions ever be made with 15000 interested stakeholders?

The two Ians I know nothing about but popular consensus seems to be that they have contacts with extremely rich people/groups so

interest from them sems potentially more viable and less likely to be an ego trip.

I'm not sure what he point of the latest protests are exactly. Have the protestors got suitably rich and definite new owners already lined up? If not, what is it they want? Naffing off the Rao's so much they just was their hands of it and walk away leaving us with errr...... nothing? The latest accounts suggest we need very substantial cash injections from the current owners indeed. I've no objection to efforts being made to find long term new owners who can or will "invest" (throw money away) more money in the Club than the current owners but in the short term it seems to be more sensible to massage the egos of the current owners and try to ensure they meet their liablilities rather than drive them away.

Any talk of us needing to go down to move forward is just plain nuts and anyone suggesting that has no credibility whatsoever in my eyes.

Spot On!

[K-Hod]

I am astounded by the content of much of what I am reading on this thread. Premiership football is a billionaires game these days let alone a millionaires game therefore anyone taking over the Club needs to have very deep pockets indeed if we are to prosper.

Any talk of Glen Mullen/Wayne Wild/Brag/a fans consortium/ taking over the Club is complete pie in the sky. Even if hypothetically fifteen thousand fans could be persuaded to stump up say 2k each for the initial 30m to buy out the Rao's what happens after that? 5m trading loss to cover - that'll be another 333 quid each please. We need a 10m striker - 666 quid each. The Bank have decided we have to pay off the rest of the overdraft - that's another 500 quid each. It ain't happening, most fans now begrudge paying more than 300 quid for a Premiership season ticket!. Plus how would any decisions ever be made with 15000 interested stakeholders?

The two Ians I know nothing about but popular consensus seems to be that they have contacts with extremely rich people/groups so

interest from them sems potentially more viable and less likely to be an ego trip.

I'm not sure what he point of the latest protests are exactly. Have the protestors got suitably rich and definite new owners already lined up? If not, what is it they want? Naffing off the Rao's so much they just was their hands of it and walk away leaving us with errr...... nothing? The latest accounts suggest we need very substantial cash injections from the current owners indeed. I've no objection to efforts being made to find long term new owners who can or will "invest" (throw money away) more money in the Club than the current owners but in the short term it seems to be more sensible to massage the egos of the current owners and try to ensure they meet their liablilities rather than drive them away.

Any talk of us needing to go down to move forward is just plain nuts and anyone suggesting that has no credibility whatsoever in my eyes.

+1

[Roost]

....

The document that they have put together is crazy.

Its based on 10,000 fans putting in an initial £1000 each (£10m).

They they base it on Venkys selling for £10m, despite them paying £23m on buying us and then adding another £12m.

Then what? How do we continue to compete? What about in another 5 years time when Wages & Transfer fees are even higher?

Flawed

My thoughts exactly.

I saw a bog linked on Twitter the other week outlining details of a potential offer to purchase using the club as a charity. In principle I thought this was a good idea, but reading the above I just can't see the point. I could muster £1000 at a push but it would be futile anyway, Venkys will never sell for 10M.

[Glenn]

Snip

.... great to see you back posting Rev'

[darrenrover]

Spot On!

I think it may be prudent to point out that it is my firm belief that Ian Battersby and Ian Currie act totally independently and would vehemently wish to distance themselves from any form of collusion as eluded to within this thread.