[Archived] Investigate or we'll publish Blackburn Rovers findings, warns Mullan

[JHRover]

With respect that's absolute bunkum.

The trust were given a mandate to sell the football club. The interested parties had to fulfil certain requirements as set out in Jacks will and the premier league, Venkys passed all those requirements and therefore took control of the football club, simple as that.

The other interested parties didn't fulfil those requirements so never took over.

An estate agents sells your house, they're not interested if the buyers have a deep desire to start a religious cult that might upset your neighbours and neither are you, you want a sale, job done.

The trust did what they'd been instructed to do and I for 1 have no issues with them whatsoever.

But it wasnt the trust's mandate to sell the club. I've seen nothing to suggest that was ever its function.

The trust was set up to manage Jack Walkers interests after his death, the football club being a big part of that.

There was nothing said when Jack Walker died that they had 3 years and then cease funding the club and sell it asap to the first people who offered the money. The role of the trust was to ensure the club continued to function and prosper beyond Jack's death and remain well managed.

It continued to prosper and be well managed because John Williams (employed by Jack) remained in position and was left to get on with the job of running the club. A job which he did extremely well.

At some stage relatively soon after Jack's death they decided they weren't going to invest money from other businesses into the club and were looking for a buyer. I'm sure when Jack died there were references to looking after the club long term and continuing to invest in the club, neither of which appear to have happened.

I'm sure if Jack Walker is looking down on things now he wouldn't be best pleased with how his trust fund has gone about looking after his club. Infact I don't think Venkys would have got through the door if he had been alive. That's the difference - Jack cared about the club - his trust didn't. They just saw the pounds and cleared off as quickly as they could with scant regard for the implications for BRFC.

I hope they remind themselves of that at night.

[imy9]

Go on how many games have you been to in the last 30 years ...lets have a pound a game wager.

who the fk are you calling an empty vessel ?

I may not have A levels or degrees but even I know it should be AN ORIGINAL and not A.

jog on

Edit: not getting into a pointless argument. Have a good day Abs x

[ABBEY]

Why not ? you dragged me into your hissy fit

[yoda]

Seriously Abs, best you can do is comment on a missing A? Read your last post, the irony is lost on you pal.

I'll try again. Respond to the post instead of getting your undies in a twist. Lol.

I think you asked for it with the empty vessel bit and the touched a nerve bit.

All because ABBEY gave you back the "just saying"

Non of which have anything to do with Shaw Shaw, Sicknote and the bean counter

[den]

But it wasnt the trust's mandate to sell the club. I've seen nothing to suggest that was ever its function.

The trust was set up to manage Jack Walkers interests after his death, the football club being a big part of that.

There was nothing said when Jack Walker died that they had 3 years and then cease funding the club and sell it asap to the first people who offered the money. The role of the trust was to ensure the club continued to function and prosper beyond Jack's death and remain well managed.

It continued to prosper and be well managed because John Williams (employed by Jack) remained in position and was left to get on with the job of running the club. A job which he did extremely well.

At some stage relatively soon after Jack's death they decided they weren't going to invest money from other businesses into the club and were looking for a buyer. I'm sure when Jack died there were references to looking after the club long term and continuing to invest in the club, neither of which appear to have happened.

I'm sure if Jack Walker is looking down on things now he wouldn't be best pleased with how his trust fund has gone about looking after his club. Infact I don't think Venkys would have got through the door if he had been alive. That's the difference - Jack cared about the club - his trust didn't. They just saw the pounds and cleared off as quickly as they could with scant regard for the implications for BRFC.

I hope they remind themselves of that at night.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/25/premierleague.blackburn1

Four months before he died, Walker gave a interview to reassure Rovers supporters that he had made provision for the club. "A number of years ago I put in place a family trust structure to own my various business interests, including Blackburn Rovers," he explained. "This structure ensures continuity of management and provides the necessary financial support for all my businesses for the foreseeable future. I have made known my wishes to my colleagues, who I am confident will carry forward the policies necessary to promote and enlarge all my business interests."

The trust, registered in Jersey, is run by a board of trustees. They, too, have rarely spoken publicly, but when Walker died the trust chairman, the Jersey solicitor Paul Egerton-Vernon, did make a statement: "The club is provided for for the foreseeable future." The terms of the instructions Walker left the trustees have never been disclosed, but Egerton-Vernon explained that Rovers would be subsidised by other assets in the Walker portfolio, which included property and the Jersey-based airline, Flybe. "There seems to be a misunderstanding that there is an ever-shrinking pot of money available," he said. "That is not the case. There are other businesses apart from the club which generate profits which are available."

[imy9]

Why not ? you dragged me into your hissy fit

Venky's Out.

See I can be on your wave length too.

[ABBEY]

I think you asked for it with the empty vessel bit and the touched a nerve bit.

All because ABBEY gave you back the "just saying"

Non of which have anything to do with Shaw Shaw, Sicknote and the bean counter

ha so thats what he said..cheers pal.

Venky's Out.

See I can be on your wave length too.

You couldnt handle my wavelength #justsaying.

If you cant handle it dont dish it....offer still stands ..pound a game or are you all mouth ?

[imy9]

ha so thats what he said..cheers pal.

You couldnt handle my wavelength #justsaying.

If you cant handle it dont dish it....offer still stands ..pound a game or are you all mouth ?

I'm not a superfan like you Abs. I've said in the past why I don't go to as many as I would like. Note I don't make comments on matches nor do I criticise people for buying or not buying season tickets.

[Stuart]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/25/premierleague.blackburn1

Four months before he died, Walker gave a interview to reassure Rovers supporters that he had made provision for the club. "A number of years ago I put in place a family trust structure to own my various business interests, including Blackburn Rovers," he explained. "This structure ensures continuity of management and provides the necessary financial support for all my businesses for the foreseeable future. I have made known my wishes to my colleagues, who I am confident will carry forward the policies necessary to promote and enlarge all my business interests."

The trust, registered in Jersey, is run by a board of trustees. They, too, have rarely spoken publicly, but when Walker died the trust chairman, the Jersey solicitor Paul Egerton-Vernon, did make a statement: "The club is provided for for the foreseeable future." The terms of the instructions Walker left the trustees have never been disclosed, but Egerton-Vernon explained that Rovers would be subsidised by other assets in the Walker portfolio, which included property and the Jersey-based airline, Flybe. "There seems to be a misunderstanding that there is an ever-shrinking pot of money available," he said. "That is not the case. There are other businesses apart from the club which generate profits which are available."

The important word there was 'foreseeable'. I feel much stock was placed in that word when push came to shove.

[Claytons Left Boot]

But it wasnt the trust's mandate to sell the club. I've seen nothing to suggest that was ever its function.

The trust was set up to manage Jack Walkers interests after his death, the football club being a big part of that.

There was nothing said when Jack Walker died that they had 3 years and then cease funding the club and sell it asap to the first people who offered the money. The role of the trust was to ensure the club continued to function and prosper beyond Jack's death and remain well managed.

It continued to prosper and be well managed because John Williams (employed by Jack) remained in position and was left to get on with the job of running the club. A job which he did extremely well.

At some stage relatively soon after Jack's death they decided they weren't going to invest money from other businesses into the club and were looking for a buyer. I'm sure when Jack died there were references to looking after the club long term and continuing to invest in the club, neither of which appear to have happened.

I'm sure if Jack Walker is looking down on things now he wouldn't be best pleased with how his trust fund has gone about looking after his club. Infact I don't think Venkys would have got through the door if he had been alive. That's the difference - Jack cared about the club - his trust didn't. They just saw the pounds and cleared off as quickly as they could with scant regard for the implications for BRFC.

I hope they remind themselves of that at night.

But it wasnt the trust's mandate to sell the club. I've seen nothing to suggest that was ever its function.

The trust was set up to manage Jack Walkers interests after his death, the football club being a big part of that.

There was nothing said when Jack Walker died that they had 3 years and then cease funding the club and sell it asap to the first people who offered the money. The role of the trust was to ensure the club continued to function and prosper beyond Jack's death and remain well managed.

It continued to prosper and be well managed because John Williams (employed by Jack) remained in position and was left to get on with the job of running the club. A job which he did extremely well.

At some stage relatively soon after Jack's death they decided they weren't going to invest money from other businesses into the club and were looking for a buyer. I'm sure when Jack died there were references to looking after the club long term and continuing to invest in the club, neither of which appear to have happened.

I'm sure if Jack Walker is looking down on things now he wouldn't be best pleased with how his trust fund has gone about looking after his club. Infact I don't think Venkys would have got through the door if he had been alive. That's the difference - Jack cared about the club - his trust didn't. They just saw the pounds and cleared off as quickly as they could with scant regard for the implications for BRFC.

I hope they remind themselves of that at night.

Great post. That just about sums the situation up.

[tomphil]

Basically, all I've seen is plans to bring in young players, develop them and then sell them for profit. This is something we have done successfully throughout my fifty odd years of following the club. Buy cheap and sell dear has been the hallmark of this club and allowed it to prosper. Unfortunately, those who have been operating the system over the past few years simply haven't been as good at it as those in the past and, of course, there weren't the dreaded agents in the past.

I think there is a polite ever so slight acknowledgement of the bent years in there so i'll accept that

[Gav]

But it wasnt the trust's mandate to sell the club. I've seen nothing to suggest that was ever its function.

The trust was set up to manage Jack Walkers interests after his death, the football club being a big part of that.

There was nothing said when Jack Walker died that they had 3 years and then cease funding the club and sell it asap to the first people who offered the money. The role of the trust was to ensure the club continued to function and prosper beyond Jack's death and remain well managed.

It continued to prosper and be well managed because John Williams (employed by Jack) remained in position and was left to get on with the job of running the club. A job which he did extremely well.

At some stage relatively soon after Jack's death they decided they weren't going to invest money from other businesses into the club and were looking for a buyer. I'm sure when Jack died there were references to looking after the club long term and continuing to invest in the club, neither of which appear to have happened.

I'm sure if Jack Walker is looking down on things now he wouldn't be best pleased with how his trust fund has gone about looking after his club. Infact I don't think Venkys would have got through the door if he had been alive. That's the difference - Jack cared about the club - his trust didn't. They just saw the pounds and cleared off as quickly as they could with scant regard for the implications for BRFC.

I hope they remind themselves of that at night.

I still don't agree that the trust are responsible for the current plight we find ourselves in.

On paper the deal looked an absolute cracker, maybe to good I agree, but they sold with the best of intentions and Venkys met the sale requirements.

Sadly those idiots in Pune couldn't run a p1ss up in a brewery and that's where the blame resides. I just hope that their obvious inhability to run things will eventually lead to some sort of jail term in whatever field, I don't care as long as they pay for destroying families, businesses and a football institution.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Cracking thread this. I'll hold my hand up and say that I knew very little of what was going on behind the scenes when Venky's took over, ie. the full extent of the intentions of Kentaro/SEM, as perhaps most people didn't.

Thanks for your original post on 30 June Glen, it made interesting reading, in fact it read more like a 'who done it?' mystery that even Miss Marple, Columbo, Chief Ironsides and Hercule Poirot wouldn't be able to solve.

The threats of and actual violence carried out by individuals on AG members are fascinating/terrible. Am I correct in thinking the violence was carried out by Rovers fans (über fans for the use of a better term - and two immediately spring to mind from the old days) or was it carried out by hire a mob types?

One major thing that has come out of this (and has been known for some time) is that there are any number of shady individuals quite willing to hang on the back of football's shirt tails to make a quick buck. They care not how they do it nor do they bother who they upset whilst doing so.

A final thing to consider is the Walker Trust. Surely, when assessing the capabilities of Venky's to run Blackburn Rovers as a going concern, from a financial perspective, they should have looked at accountant backed business plans. How liquid were some of their assets, how much had they planned to inject each season for new transfers, did they have a five year plan and so on?

Following on from the above, if what Glen earlier purports is true then, had the Walker Trust done their homework, they would have seen, amongst a host of other things, that there would have been no need for Venky's to provide money up front for player purchases as this was to be done by Kentaro/SEM. This should have set alarm bells ringing. Or did Anderson and Co simply appear on the scene once the purchase of BRFC had taken place? Or did the Walker Trust get Venky's to sign on the dotted line ASAP, happy to have got the monkey off their back?

I'd go a bit further Mark. Wouldn't surprise me if all the other "buyers" were sham, sent in by the orchestrator to make it look like an auction and, by being so patently dodgy, make Venky's seem like a Godsend.

Can't get away from the fact that Kean and Anderson were brought in by the previous regime. I think the gruesome twosome saw the desperation to sell and spotted the opportunity it offered to pull together a scheme as described by the recently promoted WEC Director. A rubbish scheme as it fell at the first third-party owned player, but the fact it was so rubbish and they moved onto a hastily contrived Plan B just shows how far the henhouse door was off its hinges. Not all sellers of clubs were so "unlucky" as the Trust, Jack Hayward managed a smooth transition to someone who cared. Everyone concerned knew that football is awash with scum, two of the worst having been already engaged!

[tomphil]

Good post although an awful lot of Wolves fans wouldn't agree with the reference to Morgan

[Parsonblue]

Not true Parson. Throughout all my years the manager has been judged entirely on results. Yes, rovers brought through younger players and sold them on, just as every other professional club does. However, I don't remember ANY other manager at the club being judged not on results, but by how much money they can rake in. Was Kean judged on results? Is Bowyer being judged on results?

Managers were judged on results den but our League position fluctuated from season to season under many managers - Marshall, Quigley, Saxton to name but three and they were all given a number of seasons before coming under pressure. Perhaps when Bowyer has had as long as these then it will be the time to judge him.

[47er]

I've never disguised the fact that I would back any manager for a period of four years or so to make changes unless we were threatened with relegation. Personally, I was more than happy with the appointment of Eric at the Academy and I think getting £3 to £4 million for Cairney is a good move. Nobody knows what the future holds. We may very well go under if Venkys stay and we might just as easily go under if Venkys leave. The only thing I'm sure of is that if and when Venkys go they will need to find a buyer with very deep pockets to support the present infra structure at the club.

You mean "further relegation" Parson. We have already been relegated. If you are satisfied with not being relegated again, you don't have very high standards.

If we are relegated this coming season, would the job of the next manger then be to keep us in Div 1? Would you be happy with that?

You probably would.

[Stefan Hedgehog]

You mean "further relegation" Parson. We have already been relegated. If you are satisfied with not being relegated again, you don't have very high standards.

If we are relegated this coming season, would the job of the next manger then be to keep us in Div 1? Would you be happy with that?

You probably would.

people on here bitch about fellow posters from what i understand parson has had a few books on brfc published,what he says is perfectley viable but everyone knows he is too close to gb to come out and say he desrves sacking.Itoo believe managers need time,my time limit is 3 transfer windows,wether gb got his 3 transfer windows before FPP hit home i can,t remenber.

rovers will not get relagated this season,maybe we wont get promoted but fans being persucuted because they stand up for the club they love is @#/?.i also look at the 92 ground icon,the ones over 30 usually know there football the ones without the icon,are in my world PLANTPOTS

[gumboots]

And wht would that be?

There are all sorts of reasons why people don't go to away games and some went before new grounds went up so those don't count. Think before you post and stop the abuse.

[47er]

people on here bitch about fellow posters from what i understand parson has had a few books on brfc published,what he says is perfectley viable but everyone knows he is too close to gb to come out and say he desrves sacking.Itoo believe managers need time,my time limit is 3 transfer windows,wether gb got his 3 transfer windows before FPP hit home i can,t remenber.

rovers will not get relagated this season,maybe we wont get promoted but fans being persucuted because they stand up for the club they love is @#/?.i also look at the 92 ground icon,the ones over 30 usually know there football the ones without the icon,are in my world PLANTPOTS

I don't care how many books Parson has written, it doesn't mean I can't disagree with him. If you think what he says is"viable", well good for you.

Nothing bitchy in my post, I'll leave others to judge the irony of that comment.

Bitching would be if I were to call you illiterate.

[Mike E]

people on here bitch about fellow posters from what i understand parson has had a few books on brfc published,what he says is perfectley viable but everyone knows he is too close to gb to come out and say he desrves sacking.Itoo believe managers need time,my time limit is 3 transfer windows,wether gb got his 3 transfer windows before FPP hit home i can,t remenber.

rovers will not get relagated this season,maybe we wont get promoted but fans being persucuted because they stand up for the club they love is @#/?.i also look at the 92 ground icon,the ones over 30 usually know there football the ones without the icon,are in my world PLANTPOTS

Why this insistence that Parson is 'close' to GB? I met and chatted with Hughes about 7 or 8 times while he was here (bits of charity stuff) and I'm most definitely not 'close' to him. Parson has apparently met Bowyer 3 times...

[Parsonblue]

You mean "further relegation" Parson. We have already been relegated. If you are satisfied with not being relegated again, you don't have very high standards.

If we are relegated this coming season, would the job of the next manger then be to keep us in Div 1? Would you be happy with that?

You probably would.

Not happy, but I'm realistic enough to know that if the present squad isn't good enough - and I don't believe it is - I'm not sure how it is going to be significantly improved with players who other clubs don't want and who will accept £10,000 or less a week. Until the embargo is lifted we are under a handicap which other clubs aren't. We can't even pay small fees to bring youngsters into the academy because of the restrictions of the embargo. Nobody is happy with the present situation but I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the solution is other than the owners and manager must go. My question remains the same - what then? Bills still have to be paid, the embargo will still be in force but nobody seems to know who is going to pay the wage bill if the owners suddenly up sticks and leave. I'm more than happy for change if it improves the present situation but nobody knows what happens next. As I have said before, whoever follows Venkys is going to need very deep pockets and there was hardly a queue when the club was sold last time in a far healthier state than it is now.

[K-Hod]

You mean "further relegation" Parson. We have already been relegated. If you are satisfied with not being relegated again, you don't have very high standards.

If we are relegated this coming season, would the job of the next manger then be to keep us in Div 1? Would you be happy with that?

You probably would.

'Nothing bitchy in my post'.

Sure about that?

[Rover_Shaun]

It's not as much about a change in manager bringing in better players it's a case of him getting more out of the current crop. The squad is fairly talented individually but Boywer has made a complete dogs breakfast out of organising them into a coherent unit. He can't even get to grips with the defence one bit and that's after 2 seasons.

I've said it before but if Bowyer can perform so poorly with a decent squad of players just how terrible are we going to be if we sell off more of the supposed better players?

I am of the opinion that a change represents no risk because were only heading one way anyway under the current malaise.

[rebelmswar]

We need a solid manager with something to prove while still somewhat respected.

Bowyer is a Parks.

Need someone that will empathize with Rovers and fire people up, wish we would look for someone who will look you in the eye while they disagree.

[Stuart]

For me, I feel we have had a decent squad this last two seasons. Certainly top 6 material. What we have not had is a top 6 manager.

Ironic really that Bowyer has probably performed beyond his abilities but the team have performed less than theirs collectively. The issue is, whose responsibility is that. If it isn't the managers' then every other club in the football league is doing something wrong.

In an alternate world though, they should all each keep the manager and just let him keep spending money on new players until he gets it right. If he is under an embargo then he should get a free pass until the playing squad matches the club's purse so that they not only allow but enable FFP to sort the league divisions out to match each club's income. Then when we are a League One team (League Two if we keep losing fans at the rate we are) we can enjoy our annual push for the play-offs.

Meanwhile in the real world. All other things being equal, it's the manager who makes the difference. It's been said that the Championship is a difficult league and invariably it's the teams with the best managers (not the best players) get promoted.