[Archived] So what is the situation now

[philipl]

I have not been in Blackburn for a while and was not present at the meeting on Saturday but here is where I see the club is.

There is either a power struggle between the Kean camp and the Shebby camp OR we are witnessing a grand charade to draw attention away from far more important and dirty things.

If it is a power struggle, Shebby has massively weakened his position. Not because he attended the open meeting but because of the clumsy way he handled it- as Joe Morrison from Indian TV tweeted- he was an amateur.

Before Saturday, Shebby controlled the lines of communication to Pune which hitherto had been the way Kean had manipulated to rule the club. The apology which appears in the LT today undoubtedly means that Kean has re-opened his communication to Mrs D and has got what he wanted- a humiliating climb down by Shebby.

So now it is a gloves off fight with proxies like the signing of Rhodes (or not) the litmus test of who wins which round. I hear Kean is trying to put spanners into the works of that transfer whilst Shebby is willing to pat stupid money which could have been used to get a striker who really would excite the fans and be sure to succeed in the second division.

Of course the really big fight is whether Kean gets sacked or not.

Frankly losing three games on the trot is a distraction.

THE REAL MEASURE IS WHETHER KEAN GETS 17 POINTS FROM THE FIRST 7 GAMES. That is the benchmark that was agreed between Mrs D and Kean and remains the case.

In other words Kean has to get a WIN AND A DRAW in the first three games or else he cannot get 17 points from the first 7 games. That is the true hurdle.

This brings me back to the opening question- is this a power struggle or a charade?

If Kean is sacked for not getting 17 points from 7 games, I will swing to believing that the Venky's are merely unbelievably cretins at running a football club.

I went to two key meetings with Glen Mullan and Blackburn Rovers Action Group. They were serious professionally conducted meetings but the problem we had was that whilst there was no shortage of compelling circumstantial evidence of wrong doing, there was no "smoking gun". We are fans witnessing the destruction of our club who are asking penetrating questions and as the Premier League CEO pointed out, he has the resources and access to the level of skills of people who can dig down to get to the underlying realities- we don't.

But for me, whether Kean gets sacked or not reverses the burden of proof. There are three compelling pieces of circumstantial evidence which I cannot disclose but in my view each independently point to there being serious wrong doings at Rovers with Kean at the centre of the web.

If Kean gets sacked then those pieces of circumstantial evidence fall with the removal of the spider. If Kean does not get sacked then the question becomes even more compellingly, why not? (short of Rovers storming the whole season through to promotion under his management). If Kean does not get sacked AND Shebby stays we are witnessing a charade mounted to distract attention away from the real issues.

At the meeting I understand questions were asked about whether Venky's have responded to a letter from the British Government. In the end Shebby flatly contradicted something allegedly said by Graham Jones MP. These are high stakes games being played out now.

In the final analysis, I applaud Glen Mullan for setting up Saturday's meeting. But Glen's true achievement has been the pursuit of the truth underlying the decline of Rovers and his lasting legacy will be in holding our elected representatives to account in removing the obfuscations to see what exactly has happened to our club since Kean's agent first appeared on the scene.

[dave birch]

I'll save evryone a lot of keyboard work and suggest its the latter, Philip.

We are witnessing a grand charade. Most certainly organised to extract the parachute payments into the Indian Banking system.

[jim mk2]

ITHE REAL MEASURE IS WHETHER KEAN GETS 17 POINTS FROM THE FIRST 7 GAMES. That is the benchmark that was agreed between Mrs D and Kean and remains the case.

.

Sorry if I missed this .... has this benchmark been publicly stated by Kean and Venky's ?

We are fans witnessing the destruction of our club who are asking penetrating questions and as the Premier League CEO pointed out, he has the resources and access to the level of skills of people who can dig down to get to the underlying realities- we don't

The PL have expressed doubts about the Rovers takeover so who are these people and why are they are not been used to discover the truth ?

[philipl]

Sorry if I missed this .... has this benchmark been publicly stated by Kean and Venky's ?

It has been publicly reported on this Messageboard. I understand from private conversations it is indeed what was ostensibly agreed in Pune in June.

The PL have expressed doubts about the Rovers takeover so who are these people and why are they are not been used to discover the truth ?

What the politicians, the PL and FA are doing subsequent to the meetings has been reported on by the Action Group and it is not for me to go further- this is the Action Group's initiative.

[Ferrit]

17 points in 7 games this, 17 points in 7 games that, blah blah blah. Complete cobblers.

If we get less than 17 points from the first 7 games and Kean is fired, i'll show my arse in Asda.

[Gav]

I must say that like many on the site I firmly believe Singh has been brought in to deflect criticism from the main protagonists and that tactic is working in my eyes, it’s the only thing Venkys have gotten right in the 2 yrs they’ve been in charge.

We are in unchartered waters her, simply due to the fact that no top flight English football team has EVER kept on a manager with such an appalling record, that coupled with the Singh telling 500 people the managers going to get sacked if he doesn’t win x amount of games! What has happened to our once great football club…

It’s a complete circus, with clowns at every turn, sad very sad indeed.

KEAN OUT

VENKYS OUT

AGNEW OUT

[bannedwidth]

Who is in the 'Shebby camp' though? Im assuming Keans camp is agnew et al so I dont really get this power struggle thing. Maybe I am missing something.

[Teacup]

There are three compelling pieces of circumstantial evidence which I cannot disclose

Sounds scary.

Can you tell us when these three pieces of evidence were found out?

Since we were relegated? In the last season, or the season when Sam was sacked?

[OJRovers]

I presume the 'Shebby camp' is him and Balaji (and the fans?).

[bradeagle]

The situation is the same as it was this time last season except we are a division lower and people are more baffled by the constant decision making of the owners which always happens to be the exact opposite that the fans want.

[Blueboy Downunder]

i have always said and thought that somebody in the world has the relevant material to put these ###### to the sword. however, and without that smoking gun to which phil refers, then in my opinion we are pissing in the wind. if the person who does have that ''smoking gun' is reading this then just do an 'andy dufresne'. assume a new identity, walk into a bank and ask them to add that ' smoking gun' to their out-going mail. then walk away.

[RibbleValleyRover]

The situation is the manager is as bullet-proof as ever and when Rovers inevitably struggle Singh will be the one that gets the axe and not the manager.

[tomphil]

It's a charade one way or another that is for sure. Steve Kean has had his tentacles wrapped around this club so tightly it's almost choked to death and his roots are going so deep into the fabric of the club that we will never be shut until the day he decides to walk away. All this talk of points after so many games means nowt, what if he has just a couple of points short of the target after 7 games ? Also im beggining to think all this talk of the brothers wanted him gone and Mrs D doesn't is all a bit of a charade as well, just blame shifting to make an excuse that they can't do anything till they all agree and just buying time really. Blaming someone who no one ever come's into contact with is easy, she holds the safe keys but apart from that she don't care a jot i don't think. If people had noticed how cozy Balaji, Agent x an Coco alway's seemed to be when they've been together i think that tells the story. the blame for most things that have gone on and indeed the takeover in the first place, look no further than those 3. only my humble opinion of course.

[philipl]

Answering Teacup, two pieces of circumstantial evidence I became aware of during the second half of last season. A third is the result of a brilliant piece of ferreting by BRFC Action Group which I became aware of on the morning of the Richard Scudamore meeting.

Stepping back from supposition, let's stick some facts down:

Rovers employ a long term Football pundit as Global Football Adviser and a long term local PR man as Operations Director. So Rovers are top heavy with Communications experts.

The most recent communications I am aware of are:

The most senior (agewise) of the owners said they are mourning relegation like the loss of a close family relative and need time to decide what to do- at least a month.

The person who says he is in charge has said to the fans and media the Manager gets sacked after losing three games and confirmed it with an emphatic yes when asked a confirmatory question by the head of Sport on BBC Lancashire. He also called a loyal long standing player and current international "a pensioner". He has now apologised on the pretext of being a blunt talker who upsets people- not much of a retraction or a promise not to upset people again.

The football manager is unusually silent but that will have to change with pre-match press conferences coming up.

There are no denials that the manager is not in charge of player acquisitions or disposals. There are no denials that the manager and the man "in charge" want different strikers.

There has been no attempt whatsoever to support the manager in public.

So we are left to assume there is an internal power struggle with a tacit admission that the person "in charge" had to meet the manager and players as a result of his comments.

Seriously, is this posturing for real?

What sort of idiots are these people taking Rovers fans for???

[1874]

When will this circumstantial evidence become public knowledge. I'm getting fed up of these doom and gloom rumours that cannot be disclosed.

Someone just tell us

[Al]

When will this circumstantial evidence become public knowledge. I'm getting fed up of these doom and gloom rumours that cannot be disclosed.

Someone just tell us

It's no change. There is always some ITK with evidence they 'cannot disclose'. Why bloody mention it then?

[Ferrit]

May I politely request you inform us at which branch & what time as I do get carted into one now & again & would not wish to expose myself or family to such an unpleasant spectacle even at a happy time

Don't worry pal, i'll be giving people plenty of warning.

However, you need not worry, it's not going to happen.

[K-Hod]

The situation is the manager is as bullet-proof as ever and when Rovers inevitably struggle Singh will be the one that gets the axe and not the manager.

This.

[philipl]

It's no change. There is always some ITK with evidence they 'cannot disclose'. Why bloody mention it then?

It is all known to BFRC Action Group. the MPs, the Premier League and the FA.

Please go to the LT website: http://www.lancashir...s_for_comments/

Scroll down to the contribution of JC-Rishton which is the 14th who makes some very specific statements.

What is stated in that post is NOT what I am aware of but let's say it is in the same ballpark as one of the pieces of circumstantial that have been shared with the powers that be.

Congratulations Al and 1874, you are now both ITKs.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

So now Singh is forced? to make an embarrassing public apology via the LET,this the man who was brought in to be the clubs 'global adviser'

We just seem to lurch from one disaster to the next,this club is a Circus and matters like this only reaffirm most peoples beliefs that the nutters running our club do not have a clue what is going on or what to do for the best.They simply seem incapable of not putting their foot into the brown stuff,they seem not to learn from mistakes....

Idiots the lot of 'em!

[booth]

He may not have been forced by anyone in particular, he may have apologized because there was unrest in the squad and he wanted to calm the waters. Talk of player mutinies in some reports would suggest this. I suspect most of the squad are more upset by the Pedersen comments than the Kean ones though.

[winstonsmith]

It is all known to BFRC Action Group. the MPs, the Premier League and the FA.

Please go to the LT website: http://www.lancashir...s_for_comments/

Scroll down to the contribution of JC-Rishton which is the 14th who makes some very specific statements.

What is stated in that post is NOT what I am aware of but let's say it is in the same ballpark as one of the pieces of circumstantial that have been shared with the powers that be.

Congratulations Al and 1874, you are now both ITKs.

Hypothetical situation - let's say that an employee of a company owns a 5% share in that company. How does owning that 5% share prevent that employee from being sacked ?

[Al]

It is all known to BFRC Action Group. the MPs, the Premier League and the FA.

Please go to the LT website: http://www.lancashir...s_for_comments/

Scroll down to the contribution of JC-Rishton which is the 14th who makes some very specific statements.

What is stated in that post is NOT what I am aware of but let's say it is in the same ballpark as one of the pieces of circumstantial that have been shared with the powers that be.

Congratulations Al and 1874, you are now both ITKs.

I repeat. If you cannot disclose it don't mention it. It just frustrates everybody.

[philipl]

I repeat. If you cannot disclose it don't mention it. It just frustrates everybody.

Sorry but Rubbish- just follow the link. Scroll down to the bottom and you will see JC-Rishton has answered in even more unambiguous terms. If you don't know, it is because you are too lazy to click on a link, scroll and read.

Hypothetical situation - let's say that an employee of a company owns a 5% share in that company. How does owning that 5% share prevent that employee from being sacked ?

1) All the documentation filed with the Football authorities, Companies House and the tax authorities would be fraudulent

2) Any owner has to be fit and proper- the undeclared partial owner will not have been approved

3) If you part own your employer, would you sack yourself?

4) I said that the story does not exactly coincide with what I had become aware of. That might include only being 5% and the nature of the shell.

[Hasta]

Rubbish- just follow the link

1) All the documentation filed with the Football authorities, Companies House and the tax authorities would be fraudulent

2) Any owner has to be fit and proper- the undeclared partial owner will not have been approved

3) If you part own your employer, would you sack yourself?

4) I said that the story does not exactly coincide with what I have become aware of. That might include only being 5% and how and through whom the holding might be exercised.

In your theoretical world would the authorities mentioned be able to get to the bottom of this by digging at it. Surely in situations like this they have the power to access information not available to the public to prove this?