[Archived] Venky's willing to sell?

[Mattyblue]

Well, 14500 of these 15000 better be from our 'international fans', because there is no way on God's Earth more than a few hundred (at best) would put a £1000 in from around here.

ps it's not being 'negative', it would be ruddy marvellous if it came off, but it won't happen, EVER.

[RevidgeBlue]

Wow...just wow...without trying to disrespect anyone, it seems as though most of you don't want to make things better, you just want it to be handed to you. What a bunch of hypocrisy if that is the case. You can all just stop calling it, "your" or "our" club then. The supporters should be the caretakers of the club and its history, full stop. If you all don't want that then what's the point? Is this just a place for you all to come and let out your life frustrations by complaining and whining and spouting cynicism and negativity?

I would like to own the Club as much as the next bloke but I am realistic enough to acknowledge that even if I was a multi millionaire I would be some distance short of having the necessary level of funding needed to enable Rovers to really prosper.

This "Supporters Trust" idea always raises it's head from time to time whenever fans are unhappy with a Club's ownership. It might be it could work at a Non League or much lower level but it is a complete non starter at Premiership level imo.

[Tom]

Read Tom M's post

in the mean time it looks like some people are trying to do something positive, which will be allien to a few on here

I'm not sure what this means

Are you implying I am wrong to think its very very unlikely that this fans takeover is possible?

I imagine a poll of who would be willing to put £1000 would show just how big a task it is

[Rover_Shaun]

So if we don't wet our pants over every half-cocked idea we are ungrateful, hypocritical doomsayers?

[PAFELL]

Wow...just wow...without trying to disrespect anyone, it seems as though most of you don't want to make things better, you just want it to be handed to you. What a bunch of hypocrisy if that is the case. You can all just stop calling it, "your" or "our" club then. The supporters should be the caretakers of the club and its history, full stop. If you all don't want that then what's the point? Is this just a place for you all to come and let out your life frustrations by complaining and whining and spouting cynicism and negativity?

I am probably going to get slated/flamed for this, but the lack of any sense of emotional ownership of the club you love and support is appalling. That BRAG would support this is only positive. You all have been slating them for just protesting and it not achieving anything. Now if indeed they are supporting this, and they do put up their own money to start the initiative, you are going to go on and say that they are making some cloak and dagger power play to take over the club??? Are you kidding me? The plan calls for 10,000 supporters worldwide to purchase shares, BRAG or Wayne could never do it alone, and they don't want to - they want a club owned by all the supporters.

One stipulation of the plan is that Rovers are relegated YOU CAN SHOVE THAT IDEA. for the simple reason that the initiative could not otherwise afford what Venkys would be asking, AND that Venkys more than likely would not sell if Rovers are still in the Premiership come the end of May. To then translate that into Wayne or BRAG actually wanting Rovers relegated is the most ridiculous and misguided leap of logic I have heard in a while. You guys make Riversiders seem like a bunch of utopian optimists!

IF THE CLUB NEEDS TO BE RELEGATED FOR THIS PLAN TO BE FEESIBLE. IT MEANS THERE IS NO MONEY TO PROGREE THE CLUB FURTHER

This is a back-up plan to save the club in the event of relegation, so it doesn't do a Leeds or Charlton, or Portsmouth. If people have your attitudes, it of course won't get off the ground. Thankfully there are many many people out there that actually DO love the club.

And who is to say that this initiative could not join up with whatever the Ian's may or may not have cooking? What if, for example (pure conjecture by the way) They said they would match whatever funding can be raised by the supporters on a 48% basis? Win win....but maybe you all don't want to hear that. Maybe you are all happier just keeping your heads down and extolling your miseries and crying out for a savior....

Sorry but this is plain wrong.

Not many could afford to put the money in. It is not a case of, is it a good idea or not. But can each individual afford to do so. To question and have ago at supporters over this, as you have done in your post is not on.

You are maybe mega rich, But I am not. Not all Rovers supporters live in the area. Many spend loads of money just to get to one match. Yes locals can buy a bus ticket and match day ticket / season ticket. But Rovers have supporters who travel from overseas, where coming to a match is often a luxury.

The thought of paying a £1000 knowing a player gets min £20,000 a week does not sit right with me.

Go and ask the ex-players to put money in. After all it was a club that gave them the chance to play football, to earn their money. Time players / ex-players did more to save clubs, by taking huge pay cuts. Its fans that get herded around, pushed about by stewards and police at away matches. Fans who pay thousands to watch their team play home and away, from basic wages. Often having to take time off, juggle money to see what they can afford or not.

The plan is flawed in practical terms.

[Daniel Louis Grabko (Dan)]

I contacted Wayne Wild on twitter. First he has no desire for the club to go down. But in the event it happens, we need to be ready.

Though how he or others think they are going to get 15,000 fans to stump up the £1000 each is a mystery. Possible if in a better financial climate. But now. Good in principle, but the practice is different.

15,000 supporters wanting proof of where their money has gone.

Hmmm...wondering where you get that 15,000 supporters number from??? Thin air?

[yoda]

I'm not sure what this means

Are you implying I am wrong to think its very very unlikely that this fans takeover is possible?

I imagine a poll of who would be willing to put £1000 would show just how big a task it is

I was questioning blue and white on the resident experts comments,

not another poll!

besides WW did his own research on how many would be prepared to pay what,

like I said someone trying to be positive when all around are flapping,

it is hard to soar with the Eagles when you are surrounded by turkeys (or chickens)

[Mercer]

Think all need to bear in mind that Venky's, irrespective of what League we find ourselves in next season, will want their £23m back.

In their shoes, I'd be telling anyone with half baked ideas of paying £1 or £10m where to go.

At the end of the day, any commercial business can be wound-up and its assets realised.

[PAFELL]

Hmmm...wondering where you get that 15,000 supporters number from??? Thin air?

Oh how many then?

[blue_n_white99]

Proposal: Venky's retain majority ownership in the club 75%, a fans co-operative obtains 25% in exchange for day to day control of the club and UK based operation. The proviso, the club musty be run sustainably (i.e. self funding with no prospect of liabilty to Venky's).

The club promotes Venky's products in exchange for reasonably generous sponsorship deal (£3M p.a.), the 'India project' gets back on track and the club is run in a traditional way. Venky's keep the prestigious title of and remain the owners of a premier league football club, the bad publicity goes away. Everybody is happy.

Except Steve Kean. He will be asked to leave the organisation as part of the neccessary restructuring. The ironry is the fans cooperative will effectively be paying his severance.

It would be like jumping into bed with a rattlesnake, how could anybody believe anything they ever say after all the BS they have spouted.

[Daniel Louis Grabko (Dan)]

Sorry but this is plain wrong.

Not many could afford to put the money in. It is not a case of, is it a good idea or not. But can each individual afford to do so. To question and have ago at supporters over this, as you have done in your post is not on.

You are maybe mega rich, But I am not. Not all Rovers supporters live in the area. Many spend loads of money just to get to one match. Yes locals can buy a bus ticket and match day ticket / season ticket. But Rovers have supporters who travel from overseas, where coming to a match is often a luxury.

The thought of paying a £1000 knowing a player gets min £20,000 a week does not sit right with me.

Go and ask the ex-players to put money in. After all it was a club that gave them the chance to play football, to earn their money. Time players / ex-players did more to save clubs, by taking huge pay cuts. Its fans that get herded around, pushed about by stewards and police at away matches. Fans who pay thousands to watch their team play home and away, from basic wages. Often having to take time off, juggle money to see what they can afford or not.

The plan is flawed in practical terms.

I'm having a go at the negativity involved, and people saying the these guys want the club to go down. That is insane. I thought players were mercenaries? I am by no means mega rich - if I were, I doubt that I would be on here at all, I would probably be talking in private with the Ian's about how I could get involved.

Your point about overseas supporters makes a lot of sense...spend a fortune to go to one match, or take that money and have a say in the running of the Club instead...the plan is flawed because in practical terms people seem to resent everything that doesn't involve a middle-eastern Sheik with £1,000m in his back pocket involved in it.

For some reason, everyone loves the idea of the Ian's bringing in outside money to acquire the Club, and their dream that they would then sell back a portion of the Club to the supporters. How this is any different is beyond me. It sounds like they wouldn't find any takers anyway when they got down to it.

Don't understand if people are being thick on purpose or not, but NOBODY wants Rovers to go down. In the event that this happens, however...and there is not a proper prospective owner ready and waiting, then the Club is going to find itself in a very precarious position, and to me that is scarier than anything else.

So if we don't wet our pants over every half-cocked idea we are ungrateful, hypocritical doomsayers?

Absolutely not. Ungrateful is not something I would ever use to describe it. But it hasn't even been announced yet and people are already condemning it to failure, it is apathetic/cynical dismissal at best. Give the guys a chance, jeez!

[yoda]

I'm having a go at the negativity involved, and people saying the these guys want the club to go down. That is insane. I thought players were mercenaries? I am by no means mega rich - if I were, I doubt that I would be on here at all, I would probably be talking in private with the Ian's about how I could get involved.

Your point about overseas supporters makes a lot of sense...spend a fortune to go to one match, or take that money and have a say in the running of the Club instead...the plan is flawed because in practical terms people seem to resent everything that doesn't involve a middle-eastern Sheik with £1,000m in his back pocket involved in it.

For some reason, everyone loves the idea of the Ian's bringing in outside money to acquire the Club, and their dream that they would then sell back a portion of the Club to the supporters. How this is any different is beyond me. It sounds like they wouldn't find any takers anyway when they got down to it.

Don't understand if people are being thick on purpose or not, but NOBODY wants Rovers to go down. In the event that this happens, however...and there is not a proper prospective owner ready and waiting, then the Club is going to find itself in a very precarious position, and to me that is scarier than anything else.

There you go again, being positive, sticks out like a sore thumb

This is a local MB for local people

[Daniel Louis Grabko (Dan)]

So you want us to go down to buy the club.. I can't say anything polite in response to that.

As said, ridiculous statement. How to you get to that conclusion?

[Tom]

What happens if this happens and then there is a sudden need for more money to be put in?

Would the same fans then need to put their hands in their pockets again?

Daniel, could you clarify what the current idea is ie exactly how many fans and how much money each

[Majiball]

I would like to own the Club as much as the next bloke but I am realistic enough to acknowledge that even if I was a multi millionaire I would be some distance short of having the necessary level of funding needed to enable Rovers to really prosper.

This "Supporters Trust" idea always raises it's head from time to time whenever fans are unhappy with a Club's ownership. It might be it could work at a Non League or much lower level but it is a complete non starter at Premiership level imo.

Did Tisdale this week not spell out the issues of having a supporters trust running a club in league one.

It won't work as we will never generate the funds needed, the system is no different to that of the trust and we always fell short under them.

Also for the love of god who really thinks the venky's after putting in god knows how many millions will just go, pfft who cares and sell the club for a £1?

Wow...just wow...without trying to disrespect anyone, it seems as though most of you don't want to make things better, you just want it to be handed to you. What a bunch of hypocrisy if that is the case. You can all just stop calling it, "your" or "our" club then. The supporters should be the caretakers of the club and its history, full stop. If you all don't want that then what's the point? Is this just a place for you all to come and let out your life frustrations by complaining and whining and spouting cynicism and negativity?

I am probably going to get slated/flamed for this, but the lack of any sense of emotional ownership of the club you love and support is appalling. That BRAG would support this is only positive. You all have been slating them for just protesting and it not achieving anything. Now if indeed they are supporting this, and they do put up their own money to start the initiative, you are going to go on and say that they are making some cloak and dagger power play to take over the club??? Are you kidding me? The plan calls for 10,000 supporters worldwide to purchase shares, BRAG or Wayne could never do it alone, and they don't want to - they want a club owned by all the supporters.

One stipulation of the plan is that Rovers are relegated - for the simple reason that the initiative could not otherwise afford what Venkys would be asking, AND that Venkys more than likely would not sell if Rovers are still in the Premiership come the end of May. To then translate that into Wayne or BRAG actually wanting Rovers relegated is the most ridiculous and misguided leap of logic I have heard in a while. You guys make Riversiders seem like a bunch of utopian optimists!

This is a back-up plan to save the club in the event of relegation, so it doesn't do a Leeds or Charlton, or Portsmouth. If people have your attitudes, it of course won't get off the ground. Thankfully there are many many people out there that actually DO love the club.

And who is to say that this initiative could not join up with whatever the Ian's may or may not have cooking? What if, for example (pure conjecture by the way) They said they would match whatever funding can be raised by the supporters on a 48% basis? Win win....but maybe you all don't want to hear that. Maybe you are all happier just keeping your heads down and extolling your miseries and crying out for a savior....

Well done I'm convinced now and have my cheque waiting to send off!!!

Where does it go too?

[PAFELL]

I'm having a go at the negativity involved, and people saying the these guys want the club to go down. That is insane. I thought players were mercenaries? I am by no means mega rich - if I were, I doubt that I would be on here at all, I would probably be talking in private with the Ian's about how I could get involved.

Your point about overseas supporters makes a lot of sense...spend a fortune to go to one match, or take that money and have a say in the running of the Club instead...the plan is flawed because in practical terms people seem to resent everything that doesn't involve a middle-eastern Sheik with £1,000m in his back pocket involved in it.

For some reason, everyone loves the idea of the Ian's bringing in outside money to acquire the Club, and their dream that they would then sell back a portion of the Club to the supporters. How this is any different is beyond me. It sounds like they wouldn't find any takers anyway when they got down to it.

Don't understand if people are being thick on purpose or not, but NOBODY wants Rovers to go down. In the event that this happens, however...and there is not a proper prospective owner ready and waiting, then the Club is going to find itself in a very precarious position, and to me that is scarier than anything else.

Absolutely not. Ungrateful is not something I would ever use to describe it. But it hasn't even been announced yet and people are already condemning it to failure, it is apathetic/cynical dismissal at best. Give the guys a chance, jeez!

Ok I take your point, nobody want the club to go down.

So moving on.

I ask again, how many supporters will be required to put a £1000 in the pot - if rovers are relegated.

[yoda]

Did Tisdale this week not spell out the issues of having a supporters trust running a club in league one.

It won't work as we will never generate the funds needed, the system is no different to that of the trust and we always fell short under them.

Also for the love of god who really thinks the venky's after putting in god knows how many millions will just go, pfft who cares and sell the club for a £1?

I didn't think they had actually put anything NET of their own into the club yet, hence the debt

[PAFELL]

As said, ridiculous statement. How to you get to that conclusion?

Maybe because you wrote it in your post.

[Majiball]

I didn't think they had actually put anything NET of their own into the club yet, hence the debt

They gave Barclays £2,000,000, surely that came from them?

[Tom]

One flaw that stands out to me is the assumption that any cash from sales from players after relegation can be used to reinvest.

Surely if we went down Venkys would flog what they could for themselves before walking away?

Also it assumes a maximum 2 year stay in the championship, what happens should that not be he case?

[RevidgeBlue]

1) We are not down yet.

2) There is no evidence yet that either a) Venky's are willing to sell at all let alone at an undervalue or B ) would not stand by us in the event of relegation. (Although I admit I wouldn't hold my breath in that respect)

3) The notion of x thousand fans putting large amounts of money in is a nice idea in theory but clearly unrealistic and unworkable in practice.

In the light of all that it's rather unfair to label those who think this is a non starter as miserable or negative. If the worst came to the worst AND we went down AND Venkys wanted out AND no suitable alternative buyer could be found AND this was absolutely the only alternative then I still wouldn't think it was in any way doable in practice but it might be worthy of consideration.

[patrickvalery]

An alternative view of things and forgetting the whole WW relegation issue.....

The notion of X amount of fans putting in £X of cash to buy the club is one thing. For the same X amount of fans to stump up £X amount every so often to fund the running of the club is pushing things.

However.....

How much would each and every one of you give to see Rovers away from the clutches of Venky's and have a say in any potential new owner? What i am saying is, would it be unrealistic to ask for X amount of fans to stump up £X of cash to assume control and have a say in the sale/gift to a more viable new owner. One which could be infinately richer than a fans group and maybe richer than some Indian chicken farmers. Would you give say £500 to rid the club of Venky's and simply write off that outlay for a say in where the club went from there? Because the club could be given away for free if owned by the fans. I would seriously think about it if i thought i could have some input into a new owner and the personnel they might appoint on the board.

[K-Hod]

So, we've got to put £1000 each in, and the club has to be relegated. Sign me up.....

[yoda]

They gave Barclays £2,000,000, surely that came from them?

Well we won't know for sure until the next accounts are published, I will have a drink on it with you though that it turns out it came from the club and was not new money

[Ste B]

As said, ridiculous statement. How to you get to that conclusion?

You said it. I just pointed it out.

What's your cut out of this ?