[Archived] What issues have mattered most to you?

[rovertakenmb]

As I now reach the final 2 weeks before the book goes to the printers I just want to ask "what issues have mattered the most to you as a Rovers fan during the last 2 years at the club?"

The book covers absolutely everything - from the general feelings of helplessness and loss touched upon in Chapter 1 to the fans' hopes for the future in Chapter 18.

In between, the book looks at life before the takeover, the takeover itself, the exit of Allardyce, Kean, SEM, the decline on the pitch, why fans of other clubs should care, dismantling the board, Venky's, the role of the national and local media, the protests, the fans, the trust...

I have some absolute classic quotes from all of the usual suspects. There isn't a newspaper article I haven't read, TV clip I haven't seen, message I haven't read - I have got it all - from Kean's work for the Save Our Squirrel campaign to the debacle of the full body searches outside the Darwen End.

I am a Rovers fan of over 500 games, father and proud Blackburn man. Blackburn and Blackburn Rovers matter to me - that is why I have totally devoted the last 9 months to writing this book. I want to make sure it is spot on - and any input on what things have mattered to you over the last 2 years would really help in these next 2 weeks.

Hopefully, anybody who wants to has now had a chance to have a look at www.rovertaken.co.uk and also downloaded a free copy of Chapter 1 of of Agents, Rovers and Cricket Loving Owners. Thank you for all the messages of support and to everyone who has already pre-ordered - thanks again!

By the way - be my friend on Twitter because... basically I haven't got that many yet! rovertakenmb

[EwoodDawn]

As I now reach the final 2 weeks before the book goes to the printers I just want to ask "what issues have mattered the most to you as a Rovers fan during the last 2 years at the club?"

rovertakenmb

For me it has to be the almost 180 degree change in attitude from all aspects of management. Going from a position where you believed you were a valued customer to feeling as though you're no longer viewed as a supporter, moreover you're just an unimportant ticket buyer who is to be antagonised at every public opportunity, who is not worthy of being informed of the truth, who lacks the intelligence to see through blatant falsehoods and who isn't to be trusted. Maybe that's a tad too dramatic but that's how the attitudes of the Raos, Agnew, Hunt and co have come across to me.

[Baz]

Personally it's the movement at the club from being well run to the position where I hardly believe a single word ANY of the top people say.

[rovertakenmb]

For me it has to be the almost 180 degree change in attitude from all aspects of management. Going from a position where you believed you were a valued customer to feeling as though you're no longer viewed as a supporter, moreover you're just an unimportant ticket buyer who is to be antagonised at every public opportunity and isn't to be trusted. Maybe that's a tad too dramatic but that's how the attitudes of the Raos, Agnew, Hunt and co have come across to me.

No, that is spot on. I have got that one covered! Am I right in saying that you are the lady who was on Sky outside Brockhall on the Friday before Christmas? You got a standing ovation in the pub I was in when you came on the Sky Sports News Loop!

[rovertakenmb]

Personally it's the movement at the club from being well run to the position where I hardly believe a single word ANY of the top people say.

No seriously... Junior really is signing in the next 24 hours.

[Pedro]

For me it is results. The new owners could come in, change the manager, sell the best experienced players, keep the proceeds, replace them with kids...but if they don't get results on the pitch then it goes to show that everything they have done/changed is for the worse.

[jim mk2]

By the way - be my friend on Twitter because... .......

Have you tried to talk to the owners ?

[rovertakenmb]

For me it is results. The new owners could come in, change the manager, sell the best experienced players, keep the proceeds, replace them with kids...but if they don't get results on the pitch then it goes to show that everything they have done/changed is for the worse.

You are right. Rovers fans sung Kean's name in January 2011 when we were beating West Brom at Ewood. All it takes is winning games. The media have created a myth that the fans were never going to accept him from the start and that was that. We were actually much more accepting of Kean than a lot of the media at that point.

[gumboots]

For me it is results. The new owners could come in, change the manager, sell the best experienced players, keep the proceeds, replace them with kids...but if they don't get results on the pitch then it goes to show that everything they have done/changed is for the worse.

But there is honest incompetence that recognises it's getting things wrong and makes changes to try to put things right. It's definitely the lies that permeate every aspect of our club that have totally finished things for me. I didn't buy into all the rubbish about big signings or Champions league in a few years, because I'm not a fool. Those were not the things I meant. It's lies about their intentions for the club in real terms, their forcing out JW, their trying to hide Kean's new contract etc etc etc. I like honesty. I hate liars and so I hate Venkys, Kean and anyone else at the club who has perpetuated the lies.

[rovertakenmb]

Have you tried to talk to the owners ?

I have sent letters but no reply. I have studied enough of their interviews to know that a direct meeting with them would reveal very little anyway. Ask the guys from the forum who went to Pune where that got anybody.

[EwoodDawn]

No, that is spot on. I have got that one covered! Am I right in saying that you are the lady who was on Sky outside Brockhall on the Friday before Christmas? You got a standing ovation in the pub I was in when you came on the Sky Sports News Loop!

Yes, that was me. I just wish the press had listened as well as broadcasted. Apart from Andy Cryer, no-one has really run with the things that were said that day, not just by me. Instead we've had the vilification of decent fans who, as a whole and before this year, have never really been a bother to other fans in the footballing world (well, obviously Burnley and probably Man U excluded) and towards whom not many fans really had a massive grudge. Whether 'the people in charge' begrudge us the Premiership title win is another question. But there were so many stories that could have been investigated, reported on and would have been fairly widely read by the footballing community as a whole. Instead we had to stomach so much lazy journalism accusing Rovers fans of often fanciful stuff. I've had a bottle of champagne in storage since last year, hoping to toast the end of Steve Kean's reign and the return to sanity of the owners. If SK gets sacked next week it'll be the bitterest champagne I will ever have tasted. All of this could and should have been avoided and so you have to ask, why wasn't it?

[brfcjon]

For me Rovers was not a bunch of people playing football in blue and white halves as much as it was a representation of honest work, community and the dreams of the little boy/girl in all of us. Thus the worst things are:

Taking the honest hard work (Labore) and desire to just be your best and help others be their best out of Rovers. I never cared too much about winning the league. For punching above weight is what is most important because that is the definition of Arte et Labore.

This is no longer the club that Jack built. It is now the Club that Venkys pillaged.

That Rovers is now the poster example of what modern football is - an opportunity to make a buck (preferably without being taxed)

I am disappointed in the fact that lying is so damn easy. Those feckers could get away woth murder.

But the worst thing is that all those things together have made me fall out of love with Rovers - because Rovers no longer represent the entity that I supported. It is no longer a local cultural institution - that entity of the right ethics and going about your business with honesty and grit. Now it is just a big pile of BS - and how can you support something that is against every fiber in your body just because it called the same as what you used to love. The moment Rovers represents the right values I will support the Club in the Blue Square North with pride. But I am having serious trouble supporting the Venky Rovers in the EPL.

But there is honest incompetence that recognises it's getting things wrong and makes changes to try to put things right. It's definitely the lies that permeate every aspect of our club that have totally finished things for me. I didn't buy into all the rubbish about big signings or Champions league in a few years, because I'm not a fool. Those were not the things I meant. It's lies about their intentions for the club in real terms, their forcing out JW, their trying to hide Kean's new contract etc etc etc. I like honesty. I hate liars and so I hate Venkys, Kean and anyone else at the club who has perpetuated the lies.

+1

[broadsword]

Only two things really ... everything the indians have said and done.

Make that 3, Steve Kean occupying the hot seat.

[rovertakenmb]

Yes, that was me. I just wish the press had listened as well as broadcasted. Apart from Andy Cryer, no-one has really run with the things that were said that day, not just by me. Instead we've had the vilification of decent fans who, as a whole and before this year, have never really been a bother to other fans in the footballing world (well, obviously Burnley and probably Man U excluded) and towards whom not many fans really had a massive grudge. Whether 'the people in charge' begrudge us the Premiership title win is another question. But there were so many stories that could have been investigated, reported on and would have been fairly widely read by the footballing community as a whole. Instead we had to stomach so much lazy journalism accusing Rovers fans of often fanciful stuff. I've had a bottle of champagne in storage since last year, hoping to toast the end of Steve Kean's reign and the return to sanity of the owners. If SK gets sacked next week it'll be the bitterest champagne I will ever have tasted. All of this could and should have been avoided and so you have to ask, why wasn't it?

How many times have you seen that clip of fans getting angry at the Bolton home game? I think I have seen it twice already in the last fortnight. That clip of you outside Brockhall doesn't get shown. I have listened to Glen Mullan on Talksport and the presenters Hawksbee & Jacobs almost seemed surprised that Glen was a normal logical guy.

[Mattyblue]

You are right. Rovers fans sung Kean's name in January 2011 when we were beating West Brom at Ewood. All it takes is winning games. The media have created a myth that the fans were never going to accept him from the start and that was that. We were actually much more accepting of Kean than a lot of the media at that point.

A FEW sang his name.

[Tom]

I have sent letters but no reply. I have studied enough of their interviews to know that a direct meeting with them would reveal very little anyway. Ask the guys from the forum who went to Pune where that got anybody.

You can say that again

[rovertakenmb]

For me Rovers was not a bunch of people playing football in blue and white halves as much as it was a representation of honest work, community and the dreams of the little boy/girl in all of us. Thus the worst things are:

Taking the honest hard work (Labore) and desire to just be your best and help others be their best out of Rovers. I never cared too much about winning the league. For punching above weight is what is most important because that is the definition of Arte et Labore.

This is no longer the club that Jack built. It is now the Club that Venkys pillaged.

That Rovers is now the poster example of what modern football is - an opportunity to make a buck (preferably without being taxed)

I am disappointed in the fact that lying is so damn easy. Those feckers could get away woth murder.

But the worst thing is that all those things together have made me fall out of love with Rovers - because Rovers no longer represent the entity that I supported. It is no longer a local cultural institution - that entity of the right ethics and going about your business with honesty and grit. Now it is just a big pile of BS - and how can you support something that is against every fiber in your body just because it called the same as what you used to love. The moment Rovers represents the right values I will support the Club in the Blue Square North with pride. But I am having serious trouble supporting the Venky Rovers in the EPL.

+1

Is this Jon Jensen? Give me a ring! Only messing. That is exactly what I have put in chapter 1 - I don't care whether we are in Prem, Championship or whatever - that is not what it is about.

[rovertakenmb]

A FEW sang his name.

Granted, it wasn't like the whole ground was singing it but you can definitely hear it on tele. I am not saying this is a bad thing against Rovers fans. What I mean is, Kean only won about 3 games that month and the fans sung his name. He didn't have to do a lot but he couldn't even manage that.

[bob fleming]

What mattered to me the most?

The fact that the FC in BRFC didn't matter anymore. The football obviously didn't matter. How could it be based on the decisions the owners made? Why on earth is Steve Kean still here?

Blackburn Rovers Football Club used to be about the football. Everyone pulling in one direction. Many people, and let's be honest there still will be down there, have worked bloody hard to keep this club afloat over the years. Every penny mattered. Every decision was made with the right intent, everything was geared towards the FOOTBALL.

Now what do we have? A "manager" who lies. All the time it would appear. And he gets away with it. A joke of a manager, and this for me was the real turning point, who has the balls to buy his Agents son and claim that he'll be good enough to be a player. Well as we all know he wasn't good enough for Orient and he wasn't good enough for Aberdeen. So where the hell does "the next Chris Smalling" come into this? Ribero anyone? Why? Why get rid of all the experienced players and then replace them with players who are neither good enough or he simply won't play. Why treat players such as Salgado and Nelsen with such contempt?

It was at this point that it became clear that Kean and Venkys were taking the proverbial. If it wasn't clear before then of course. Sacking an experienced manager, replacing him with a complete novice who just happens to be on the books of your special "advisor". Then 10 minutes later rewarding him for being a good "thinker" with a two and half year contract. I mean WTF was all that about?!?!?

There's also the fact that it's now OK to pay an Agent a £1m bonus for us signing a £500k player. Since when has Blackburn Rovers Football Club carried on like that? Never up to 18 months ago.

Oh and the trip to India?!? Not even pre-season. Actually in the season when we're bottom on the league!? Again - what's going on there. Again, the football results don't matter. It's no longer about the best preparation clearly.

Then there's the inability of anyone apart from the fans, to show that they actually care what's going on. No one did a thing. From the Premier League to Sky (Blackburn Rovers Fans are "idiots" you know according to Jim White - I hope that's in the book) through to The Premier League, the PFA and the LMA. Nothing. No one asked any questions. "Well what can we do, they haven't actually done anything wrong and it's not as though your a big city club or anything". And when we call for Kean's head (shouting at a bad football manager - it's simply barbaric darling) we're ripped to pieces by all and sundry. Yet when Wenger loses a couple of games and the Arsenal fans have a go that's OK? Double standards all the way through. Pathetic.

What else? Williams and Finn leaving, 3 Assistant Managers in a year, their inability to attend matches or at least send a representative, their sheer arrogance and disrespect, their refusal to even communicate with the paying public, their desire to drive a wedge between the fan base - to divide the fans to allow them to carry on with whatever the hell it is they are trying to achieve. They're stupid, amateurish, pathetic chicken advert, Kean's bullshit bingo press conferences, the Press Conferences themselves, the fact the club employs a driver / "bodyguard" so Kean can go for a pint in Blackburn safely. The fact the manager goes to Europe on scouting missions / on the lash.

They'll be more.

All the above and more then, it all adds up; it was when winning football matches clearly didn't matter anymore. It's all a sham.

[perthblue02]

What mattered to me the most?

The fact that the FC in BRFC didn't matter anymore. The football obviously didn't matter. How could it be based on the decisions the owners made? Why on earth is Steve Kean still here?

Blackburn Rovers Football Club used to be about the football. Everyone pulling in one direction. Many people, and let's be honest there still will be down there, have worked bloody hard to keep this club afloat over the years. Every penny mattered. Every decision was made with the right intent, everything was geared towards the FOOTBALL.

Now what do we have? A "manager" who lies. All the time it would appear. And he gets away with it. A joke of a manager, and this for me was the real turning point, who has the balls to buy his Agents son and claim that he'll be good enough to be a player. Well as we all know he wasn't good enough for Orient and he wasn't good enough for Aberdeen. So where the hell does "the next Chris Smalling" come into this? Ribero anyone? Why? Why get rid of all the experienced players and then replace them with players who are neither good enough or he simply won't play. Why treat players such as Salgado and Nelsen with such contempt?

It was at this point that it became clear that Kean and Venkys were taking the proverbial. If it wasn't clear before then of course. Sacking an experienced manager, replacing him with a complete novice who just happens to be on the books of your special "advisor". Then 10 minutes later rewarding him for being a good "thinker" with a two and half year contract. I mean WTF was all that about?!?!?

There's also the fact that it's now OK to pay an Agent a £1m bonus for us signing a £500k player. Since when has Blackburn Rovers Football Club carried on like that? Never up to 18 months ago.

Oh and the trip to India?!? Not even pre-season. Actually in the season when we're bottom on the league!? Again - what's going on there. Again, the football results don't matter. It's no longer about the best preparation clearly.

Then there's the inability of anyone apart from the fans, to show that they actually care what's going on. No one did a thing. From the Premier League to Sky (Blackburn Rovers Fans are "idiots" you know according to Jim White - I hope that's in the book) through to The Premier League, the PFA and the LMA. Nothing. No one asked any questions. "Well what can we do, they haven't actually done anything wrong and it's not as though your a big city club or anything". And when we call for Kean's head (shouting at a bad football manager - it's simply barbaric darling) we're ripped to pieces by all and sundry. Yet when Wenger loses a couple of games and the Arsenal fans have a go that's OK? Double standards all the way through. Pathetic.

What else? Williams and Finn leaving, 3 Assistant Managers in a year, their inability to attend matches or at least send a representative, their sheer arrogance and disrespect, their refusal to even communicate with the paying public, their desire to drive a wedge between the fan base - to divide the fans to allow them to carry on with whatever the hell it is they are trying to achieve. They're stupid, amateurish, pathetic chicken advert, Kean's bullshit bingo press conferences, the Press Conferences themselves, the fact the club employs a driver / "bodyguard" so Kean can go for a pint in Blackburn safely. The fact the manager goes to Europe on scouting missions / on the lash.

They'll be more.

All the above and more then, it all adds up; it was when winning football matches clearly didn't matter anymore. It's all a sham.

+1000 to the above post , plus would just like to add a PR company contracted to the club taking part in a slur campaign on the clubs supporters, and treatment of supporters like common criminals by the club security..

[rovertakenmb]

(Blackburn Rovers Fans are "idiots" you know according to Jim White - I hope that's in the book)

Brilliant post. I have missed that quote. White gets right on my nerves as well. Can you remember the date/game he said it? It will be in the book this time tomorrow if we can find it.

[jim mk2]

I have sent letters but no reply. I have studied enough of their interviews to know that a direct meeting with them would reveal very little anyway. Ask the guys from the forum who went to Pune where that got anybody.

Ring the leading Indian newspapers and ask to speak to business editors and reporters. They will have phone numbers for the Roas I'm sure, and will probably be eager to help.

It's always worth asking. I rang a US sports paper 30 years ago, and 30 minutes later I was talking to Mohammed Ali.

[bob fleming]

I have missed that quote. White gets right on my nerves as well. Can you remember the date/game he said it? It will be in the book this time tomorrow if we can find it.

Can't find it mate. It definitely happened though. Looks like 29th December. Just have a look on Google.

[test]

What mattered to me the most?

The fact that the FC in BRFC didn't matter anymore. The football obviously didn't matter. How could it be based on the decisions the owners made? Why on earth is Steve Kean still here?

Blackburn Rovers Football Club used to be about the football. Everyone pulling in one direction. Many people, and let's be honest there still will be down there, have worked bloody hard to keep this club afloat over the years. Every penny mattered. Every decision was made with the right intent, everything was geared towards the FOOTBALL.

Now what do we have? A "manager" who lies. All the time it would appear. And he gets away with it. A joke of a manager, and this for me was the real turning point, who has the balls to buy his Agents son and claim that he'll be good enough to be a player. Well as we all know he wasn't good enough for Orient and he wasn't good enough for Aberdeen. So where the hell does "the next Chris Smalling" come into this? Ribero anyone? Why? Why get rid of all the experienced players and then replace them with players who are neither good enough or he simply won't play. Why treat players such as Salgado and Nelsen with such contempt?

It was at this point that it became clear that Kean and Venkys were taking the proverbial. If it wasn't clear before then of course. Sacking an experienced manager, replacing him with a complete novice who just happens to be on the books of your special "advisor". Then 10 minutes later rewarding him for being a good "thinker" with a two and half year contract. I mean WTF was all that about?!?!?

There's also the fact that it's now OK to pay an Agent a £1m bonus for us signing a £500k player. Since when has Blackburn Rovers Football Club carried on like that? Never up to 18 months ago.

Oh and the trip to India?!? Not even pre-season. Actually in the season when we're bottom on the league!? Again - what's going on there. Again, the football results don't matter. It's no longer about the best preparation clearly.

Then there's the inability of anyone apart from the fans, to show that they actually care what's going on. No one did a thing. From the Premier League to Sky (Blackburn Rovers Fans are "idiots" you know according to Jim White - I hope that's in the book) through to The Premier League, the PFA and the LMA. Nothing. No one asked any questions. "Well what can we do, they haven't actually done anything wrong and it's not as though your a big city club or anything". And when we call for Kean's head (shouting at a bad football manager - it's simply barbaric darling) we're ripped to pieces by all and sundry. Yet when Wenger loses a couple of games and the Arsenal fans have a go that's OK? Double standards all the way through. Pathetic.

What else? Williams and Finn leaving, 3 Assistant Managers in a year, their inability to attend matches or at least send a representative, their sheer arrogance and disrespect, their refusal to even communicate with the paying public, their desire to drive a wedge between the fan base - to divide the fans to allow them to carry on with whatever the hell it is they are trying to achieve. They're stupid, amateurish, pathetic chicken advert, Kean's bullshit bingo press conferences, the Press Conferences themselves, the fact the club employs a driver / "bodyguard" so Kean can go for a pint in Blackburn safely. The fact the manager goes to Europe on scouting missions / on the lash.

They'll be more.

All the above and more then, it all adds up; it was when winning football matches clearly didn't matter anymore. It's all a sham.

This sums it up for me perfectly but it does not include the feelings of disgust when I was searched by a paid goon at the Villa match, I asked what he was looking for and he replied " Offensive banners and cans of coke"

I am fifty nine years old FFS. The so called search was a bit of a pat down and he did not find my gardening knife that I had left in my pocket accidentally. The pathetic excuses from the Ground Safety chap were blatant lies as was revealed in the emails received by Glen Mullen, this searching was simply a "response to the protests of that day" and the club flexing its muscles. Well Venkean Rovers, you have lost me until you leave us alone.

[rovertakenmb]

Ring the leading Indian newspapers and ask to speak to business editors and reporters. They will have phone numbers for the Roas I'm sure, and will probably be eager to help.

It's always worth asking. I rang a US sports paper 30 years ago, and 30 minutes later I was talking to Mohammed Ali.

Ha,ha! Well done. At least you knew that if you ever got through to your intended target he would have something worthwhile to say. Venky's won't even speak to the Lancashire Telegraph. I might have another try now the book has gone public but I wouldn't be spending too much time chasing them.