[Archived] Ian Battersby: Ownership And The Venky’s

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

Ian Battersby's discussion of ownership issues and the Venky's is published to the front page here.

If you have any questions for Ian on this or other matters, put it in this thread and we will put them to him in the coming podcast.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

However, Battersby says the warning signs were there. “It was quite clear then, and it is ever more clear now, that they have little concept as to what running a Premiership football club entails.” Further, he questions whether the deal to sell Rovers to the Venky’s Group by the Walker Trust was in the best interests of the club. “It seems to me that 12 months ago everybody sat in a room with all parties wanting the deal to happen for their own reasons. In that scenario maybe many of the ‘what ifs’ were conveniently overlooked

But yet they still managed to fool the FA with their dubious 'fit and proper test'

The naievity and downright stubbornness of the Rao's beggers belief..we are still waiting to hear something from them regarding what the hell is going on,its almost as if they now consider the fans and media their sworn enemy's.Either communicate and run the club properly or get the hell out....dont leave us to die a lingering death.

Make no mistake,they have brought this whole sorry situation down on themselves.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Fantastic summary as to where the club is at present. The sadness is the vast majority of even our fans do not appreciate just how perilous the situation is. I am far from a Kean apologist and his inexperience has been his downfall, but he really is the least of our problems. How on earth can we get rid of the cancer that is Venkys? Who, with any authority, can possibly take them on....if they really are not interested then will they care if we go under, undoubtedly no. The press really do not care. Can we get anyone to champion our crisis that takes it to Parliament - Jack Straw is a has been and no clout now not in power. Any suggestions as to who we approach - the PL seem blind. It is left to those supporters who live & breathe the club to continue to attempt to educate the rest, but I fear it iis futile. The club we love is on the edge and I for one feel like we can do nothing to prevent catastrophe.

[Brfcrule1]

Hi Wen there are questions that I would like you to ask Ian Battersby in the podcast.

1. We have all seen the dire state of our accounts so in his opinion how much money would it take to salvage this wreck? i.e. pay off all the debt, & run it sustainably so that the club can remain competitive?

2. When they came and had interviews they must have produced a business plan what plan have they shown the premier league?

3. You stated they thought once they bought the club took on the debt they thought with a 3-5M outlay that was job done so why make all these outlandish statements about Beckham,Ronaldinho coming in & more improtantly did they think 5M would have secured the likes of these players?

4. When you had an interview with Mrs D spelling out the problems with the club did she appear to be listening or did it seem like to go in one ear & out the other? & have you had any reply to your xmas eve email?

5. Did she state to either of the Ian's what their plans are to appoint a new chief executive,Managing Director,chairman and other people who have left the club and once again return to a proper structure at the club did she or anyone else state if these roles will be filled?

Thanks Wen.

[47er]

Should be compulsory reading for the entire British media.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Also interesting he takes a pot-shot at the Trust. It seems that far from there being a multitude of protective clauses in Jack's will, the Trustees had little regard for what would happen after; getting 25 million for something that costs you several million each year is a significant chunk of change even for Jack's estate so money talked. That's how I read it anyway.

[Pelio]

Mr Battersby has highlighted the scene at Ewood Park perfectly for me, and his ideas on owners obtaining a licence with stringent checks before purchasing clubs is surely the way forward. He talks with clear ideas and has taken time out of his life to even travel to India to put across his views which most of us are sincerely grateful. Grateful that he's managed to speak to the owners of our club to try and make them understand what damage they are doing.

And their response? Well we're all still waiting, as are many others who have tried to communicate with them. Good people such as Wayne Wild, Jack Straw and Graham Jones, all known in the community, who have made pleas to the owners to accept help to build an infrastructure and realistic business plan for the future, or failing that - sell up and go...

But no, the owners who for all their naivity and bad management can't even do the decent thing and reply to these people. To talk to them and give honest answers about the state of our club. To find a way out this mess.... No, their answer is just silence...

This is so disappointing to me, not even the good manners to reply to even the important figures of the community. Their sheer ignorance to the situation, how can anyone feel anything but contempt to these people is mighty difficult now. Each passing day of their silence is fueling the fire even more, and from here the protests become ever bigger. The supporters become more distant from their club, the media become even more scathing and in India, stories will reach that will damage their reputation. They truly deserve everything they get now, pure and simple, and its not like they haven't been given the chance!

[funny-old-game]

Should be compulsory reading for the entire British media.

Would it be possible to take some sort of legal action against the FA with their dubious 'fit and proper test'.

If nothing else it may make them sit up and take more notice, also the press could be very interested in running stories of legal action against the FA.

Not sure if this is possible, but some of you may have some idea if it could be none.

.

[TBTF]

Fantastic summary as to where the club is at present. The sadness is the vast majority of even our fans do not appreciate just how perilous the situation is. I am far from a Kean apologist and his inexperience has been his downfall, but he really is the least of our problems. How on earth can we get rid of the cancer that is Venkys? Who, with any authority, can possibly take them on....if they really are not interested then will they care if we go under, undoubtedly no. The press really do not care. Can we get anyone to champion our crisis that takes it to Parliament - Jack Straw is a has been and no clout now not in power. Any suggestions as to who we approach - the PL seem blind. It is left to those supporters who live & breathe the club to continue to attempt to educate the rest, but I fear it iis futile. The club we love is on the edge and I for one feel like we can do nothing to prevent catastrophe.

I agree its totally bang on mate.Like you i think manager is least of our worries and even though he's doing his best they haven't backed him with cash to get the decent players we so urgently need into the club.january has given us a glimmer and they still haven't done anything.Wheres the £5m per window we were all told about. We all assumed Venky's loved him but they haven't when it really matters ie now!! I think they are stringing him along like every one else in Blackburn. Fuming.

[bob fleming]

“As Roy Hodgson said after the home defeat to West Brom, the problems of a club are rarely the fault of one man.”

Nope. The fault of an ignorant pig headed woman it would appear.

Great interview Wen. That could be our future Chairman.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

I think we will ultimately end up in administration. I can imagine a scenario of that happening post relegation with Venkys walking away.

Hopefully they will go sooner rather than later so that we can stabilise in the Championship and halt our decline. Then we can start the quarter of a century long struggle back to the top flight.

It's a good job I'm off the ale at the moment. I can get a bit maudlin when I've been at the turps and what is happening to one of the loves of my life would reduce me to tears.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

That could be our future Chairman.

That's a really good shout. A post apocalypse board which would include messrs Battersby, Currie and Wild offers some hope for the future.

[bob fleming]

That's a really good shout.

I must say I don't know anything about the guy. Other than what a fella told me after a few beers on the train back from QPR, the fact he went to Pune and that extremely eloquent interview. He talks very well.

In terms of PR he has done far better than the other clowns who have attached themselves to the club in the last 13 months. So he along with WW and IC must surely be well placed when we start again and Venkys do one. Thats presuming they want to do it of course!

[colin]

Also interesting he takes a pot-shot at the Trust. It seems that far from there being a multitude of protective clauses in Jack's will, the Trustees had little regard for what would happen after; getting 25 million for something that costs you several million each year is a significant chunk of change even for Jack's estate so money talked. That's how I read it anyway.

That's something that's been worrying me for a while too. It seems that the trust may have just taken the money that was offered without any regard to the suitability of the buyers.

[Daniel Louis Grabko (Dan)]

That's something that's been worrying me for a while too. It seems that the trust may have just taken the money that was offered without any regard to the suitability of the buyers.

This is an excellent read, and summarizes perfectly why unless the right kind of new ownership options are found fast, there is nowhere we are headed but administration if we go down, and its even likely if we stay up at this point. I am sure in the podcast Ian will basically agree with my investment fund business proposal that there needs to be large scale investment by any new owner if the club is to even be brought back the to financially "healthly" state it was in under the first few years of the JW Trust.

I'm really looking forward to this podcast.

[Majiball]

That's something that's been worrying me for a while too. It seems that the trust may have just taken the money that was offered without any regard to the suitability of the buyers.

I've often wondered previously whether the trust really had any love for Rovers? I have to say that I posted on here that I always wondered whether Jacks family would have resented us as he spent his final days at rovers trying to get us back where he wanted us. Now I just believe I was right and they got round Jacks requirements for a new owner.

[K-Hod]

One thing I can't get my head around- Venky's won't sell up because they'll be deemed failures, but yet they're burying their heads in the sand and are too pig-headed to sort it out this horrible situation they've created.

FFS.

[SAS]

That's a really good shout. A post apocalypse board which would include messrs Battersby, Currie and Wild offers some hope for the future.

With the lack of communication from Pune. Does it come to a point whereas Blackburn fans vote in an alternative board, ready to pick up the pieces.

Attempt a coup...

[dave birch]

Attempt a coup...

Now there's a thought, but who would be ousted? They don't turn up anymore, and that, in itself invokes another saying of people who bottle it,,,,,,,,,,,,, CHICKEN.

So we now know what the Venkys are... they are what they do best, rear chickens.

[Fife Rover]

Fantastic summary as to where the club is at present. The sadness is the vast majority of even our fans do not appreciate just how perilous the situation is. I am far from a Kean apologist and his inexperience has been his downfall, but he really is the least of our problems. How on earth can we get rid of the cancer that is Venkys? Who, with any authority, can possibly take them on....if they really are not interested then will they care if we go under, undoubtedly no. The press really do not care. Can we get anyone to champion our crisis that takes it to Parliament - Jack Straw is a has been and no clout now not in power. Any suggestions as to who we approach - the PL seem blind. It is left to those supporters who live & breathe the club to continue to attempt to educate the rest, but I fear it iis futile. The club we love is on the edge and I for one feel like we can do nothing to prevent catastrophe.

Absolutely spot-on! That is EXACTLY how I feel too.

The time is long past for heaping all the blame onto Kean as it is obvious that he is no more than a puppet for the Venkys, who in turn are also being led (or rather misled) by their advisor(s). However the RESPONSIBILITY for all our woes rest with the Venkys as they are our owners, and it is them that must act to rectify the problems one way or the other.

So from now on ALL protest actions should be kept firmly outside of the ground and away from the players so that there can be no doubts or misunderstanding as to who we are actually protesting against. It should most definitely NOT be allowed to affect the players in any way.

[deftangel]

A good read and very succinctly put. I've long been of the opinion that the trust just wanted a sale and having exhausted the supply of any sensible candidates just went for the least worst option rather than do the right thing and take the club off the market. They must bear *some* responsibility for this mess even though the overwhelming majority of it lies elsewhere.

I do see however, little point in banging on about the fit and proper persons test. It will always be a sham because the Premier League Chairmen will always want the ability to do a deal with the minimum of interference. As Battersby states, there are plenty of clubs in massive debt looking for foreign investment at present. None of them will sign up for a deal that makes that more difficult in this climate and if the Government/Select Committee's gets involved they will just spend a lot of money lobbying to ensure the most favourable, watered down outcome. I've seen this happen in another area. It's a bit redundant to say there should be rules that stop this kind of thing from happening. A dead end in my view.

[thenodrog]

A good read and very succinctly put. I've long been of the opinion that the trust just wanted a sale and having exhausted the supply of any sensible candidates just went for the least worst option rather than do the right thing and take the club off the market. They must bear *some* responsibility for this mess even though the overwhelming majority of it lies elsewhere.

In fairness they did have it on the market for 3 years and they did (misguidedly it seems) drop the price by approx half to attract and presumably to 'finacially assist' a new owner.

[TBTF]

In fairness they did have it on the market for 3 years and they did (misguidedly it seems) drop the price by approx half to attract and presumably to 'finacially assist' a new owner.

Problem is ur never gonna make money out of Rovers so it had to be someone who wanted an ego trip or who wanted it for a different purpose ie wider world publicity.Neither of those were ever going to keep jack's legacy going because motives are diffrent and surely the trust could see that. top and bottom of it all is they had had enough and punted it out to whoever they could.Disaster for us !!

[gumboots]

Problem is ur never gonna make money out of Rovers so it had to be someone who wanted an ego trip or who wanted it for a different purpose ie wider world publicity.Neither of those were ever going to keep jack's legacy going because motives are diffrent and surely the trust could see that. top and bottom of it all is they had had enough and punted it out to whoever they could.Disaster for us !!

However, there could be nothing wrong with wanting Worldwide publicity if you wanted that publicity to be positive. You would invest a reasonable amount in the club to keep it running in the premier league and try hard to keep the current management structures of the club intact. You could change maanger at a suitable point if you wanted to but otherwise don't touch what isn't broken. this inward investment woud buy you publicity so, even though Gordon keeps pointing out it's not really investment, if you put in cash and get the required exposure, it is as you get the required return. It's still cheap publicity compared with the cost of worldwide advertising campaigns and we are all winners.

[thenodrog]

However, there could be nothing wrong with wanting Worldwide publicity if you wanted that publicity to be positive. You would invest a reasonable amount in the club to keep it running in the premier league and try hard to keep the current management structures of the club intact. You could change maanger at a suitable point if you wanted to but otherwise don't touch what isn't broken. this inward investment woud buy you publicity so, even though Gordon keeps pointing out it's not really investment, if you put in cash and get the required exposure, it is as you get the required return. It's still cheap publicity compared with the cost of worldwide advertising campaigns and we are all winners.

Do I detect some softening toward the previous manager gumboots? Surely not.

As for the rest it certainly works in theory but not in practice with this lot.