[Archived] An Open Letter

[Dreams of 1995]

And that is true JHRover but to even get a letter such as this printed in the British press would be something. I just feel as if we have such a defeated attitude at the moment we are going to get nowhere.

[1arC]

Dear Venky's,

On the 19th of November 2010 we found out the news you had bought our club for 23 million pounds. Anuradah Desai was quoted as saying "we will absolutely respect the Jack Walker legacy will be actively supporting the organisation to ensure that Blackburn Rovers remain one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League". This was a lie. Your company has systematically tore our club apart from top to bottom. Our reputation as 'one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League' now lies in tatters; Blackburn Rovers Football Club is now more synonymous with debt than it is with success. We have heard the news that your business interests in India are seemingly failing also. As your shareholders in India are understandably concerned about their business interests we are similarly concerned about our interests in our club. The only difference is that our interests stem far deeper than the value of money: this club is everything to our town and has been our pride and joy for over 100 years. In under 6 years you have managed to take that away from us. You have essentially stolen our most prized asset in order to "promote your image overseas". You have certainly portrayed an image, Mrs Desai, but perhaps not the one you wished to portray. The angst caused by your lack of decision making is beginning to turn into anger. Our fan base now holds nothing but disdain for the word 'Venky's. Your ownership of this football club has left irreplaceable damage to your name in Britain. The principal aim of this letter is to seek answers to many questions that have fallen on deaf ears over the previous 6 years of tumultuous ownership. What is the truth behind Jerome Andersen's involvement in the few years after your purchase of the football club? What is your answer to the insurmountable debt that is crippling this club? You are on the brink of ruining an important part of our town that has survived since 1875 and you don't even have the tenacity to show up in our town and face the questions we ask of you.

Today's date is 18th April 2016. We have finally had enough. All of our pleas, protests and demands have fallen on deaf ears. You have stolen from this town and you have betrayed everyone that lives in it. As we are all essentially shareholders of Blackburn Rovers Football Club we have called a vote of no confidence. Your inability to make correct business decisions has driven our most valuable staff members from our club, our most beloved supporters from our terraces and the hope from within us. We sincerely hope that your final actions as the owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club will be the honorable ones - you can still save some dignity.

Regards, Fans of BRFC.

A letter template drawn up in about 10 minutes. Obviously nowhere near a finished article. However I believe something along those lines would go nicely.

Some people have suggested that Alan Myers is an honourable man, so why not see if either this letter, or one agreed by the majority, is sent to him. Ask him if either he can answer any of it, it ask him to make sure it lands in the right hands, to be read by the owners. Perhaps at the same time, he could explain his precise reasons for throwing in the towel.

[JBiz]

1 sentence;

What is the "end game"?

[ABBEY]

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

EITHER BACK THE MANAGER OR BACK THE FECK OFF



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



ARE YOU ACTUALLY PROUD STRUTTING ROUND INDIA WITH ALL YOUR PALS? OR DO YOU SQUIRM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU BOUGHT OUR CLUB ,HAVE THE DECENCY AND RESPECT OF HISTORY AND STOP KILLINNG US !!!!!!!!

[Tom]

You feel they just need a face saving way out but that would mean firstly there being a buyer and secondly those people paying over the odds

Not going to happen

[ABBEY]

RIP if they stay

[Dreams of 1995]

What is happening with this? Are we going to organise something such as this or wait and see if PL gets backed?

[J*B]

If Venkys walk away then someone will come in. That's just the way it happens after Pompy. Look at Bolton, chance after chance after chance.

But if you think selling Rhodes and Gestede was cost cutting, wait until a new owner comes in. Venkys can't put this club into administration and liquidation because even then they wouldn't get the amount secured against Venkys London. They'd have no choice but to take the highest offer and leave. Any offers we would get would have to be from local well off folk, but they certainly couldn't cover the cost involved with covering the monthly bill.

Bolton are already down, they may well go down again, because the people that bought the club don't have the funds required to service the contracts at the club. We would, in my opinion, go the same way. Anybody worth money would be sold, those sales would cover paying off the players earning good money which we couldn't afford to keep.

The easiest way out is Venkys to decide they have so much to lose they may as well go for it and spend some money. Unfortunately that's increasingly looking unlikely, with a take over being the only other option.

[Dreams of 1995]

It is such a horrible state of affairs at the moment. To be so dependent on the very thing that has sunk us into this mess is awful. Like an addict with his dealer...

[JBiz]

That's why a firm statement of long term plan or "end game" will quash much discussion.

Any letter needs to be as simple as that IMO.

Dear Mrs Desai,

We, THE FANS of our humble town team would like to know your long term plan for the football club.

No grandiose promises required, just a long term 5 or 10 year aim. No need to give figures for investment, or dates for promotion etc. Just a commitment to an aim, or intention.

The answer can potentially galvanise the support to an extent where it could help the playing staff, at home especially.

Yours faithfully

Signed

The fans

[jim mk2]

The difference here is that it would involve a full page ad in the broadsheet(s) from the fans, rather than an article by a journo, however respected.

The $64,000 question. Now the parachute payments have stopped, and they aren't communicating, perhaps we will find out. They have probably spotted that if they do nothing, nobody in the footballing world remembers they even exist. Maybe they are just so rich that proving they aren't included then it doesn't matter but that would be pretty stupid from a business perspective.

Do you realise how much a full page ad in a broadsheet newspaper would cost ?

And in view of their past indifference why do you think the owners would take any notice of it ?

[Mr. E]

But its the FA that are the real villains here. It's the FA that need to change. As horrible as Venkys are, what are they supposed to do now? Find a multi-millionaire savior of the club? Does such a person exist? I would be surprised if so.

But its the FA that need to answer for how they've allowed the entire game and clubs with well over 100 years of history to be ripped apart from pillar to post on the foreign money gambling table.

[JHRover]

If Venkys walk away then someone will come in. That's just the way it happens after Pompy. Look at Bolton, chance after chance after chance.

But if you think selling Rhodes and Gestede was cost cutting, wait until a new owner comes in. Venkys can't put this club into administration and liquidation because even then they wouldn't get the amount secured against Venkys London. They'd have no choice but to take the highest offer and leave. Any offers we would get would have to be from local well off folk, but they certainly couldn't cover the cost involved with covering the monthly bill.

Bolton are already down, they may well go down again, because the people that bought the club don't have the funds required to service the contracts at the club. We would, in my opinion, go the same way. Anybody worth money would be sold, those sales would cover paying off the players earning good money which we couldn't afford to keep.

The easiest way out is Venkys to decide they have so much to lose they may as well go for it and spend some money. Unfortunately that's increasingly looking unlikely, with a take over being the only other option.

Or there's the middle option. Venkys maintain their steadfast refusal to communicate, sell the club or even entertain potential buyers or investors, but attempt to continue to reduce running costs down to the bare bones to ensure their yearly losses are slashed down to a more manageable level. Sell off any players of any value every window for a cash boost, filling the squad with loanees and short term contracts. That way they can continue to save face by maintaining ownership of 'their baby', not have to suffer the indignation of admitting they have got things wrong and should step aside, whilst ensuring that all they have to do is stump up around £5 million a year from their other profits to subsidise the club for the forseeable future. £5 million a year for this lot is probably a lot more preferable than holding their hands up, admitting they have made a huge mess and entertaining lowly peasants who want to offer their advice and take the club for themselves.

The knock on impact as they do this is that the club ends up as a tin pot lower league outfit with woeful gates and no investment. A stadium and pitch that sees no spending and over the next few years ends up falling to bits as it already has with mould on the Blackburn End etc.

Continued scaling down of standards and expectations in similar fashion to the last 5 years so we're now in a state where we're just about surviving in the Championship alongside the likes of Rotherham, Huddersfield and Bristol City. Soon we'll be swapping those illustrious clubs for Northampton, Shrewsbury and Fleetwood.

[Iceman]

The letter would never be opened

[martonrover]

The letter would never be opened

Best place to put it would be as an advert in an Indian newspaper, (as has previously been suggested).That would cause embarrassment for them.

[Iceman]

Best place to put it would be as an advert in an Indian newspaper, (as has previously been suggested).That would cause embarrassment for them.

So somebody should do it. These people are just not bothered with their club, so why should the fans be bothered with them. They are an utter disgrace to this club, the history, the fans, the town and to Uncle Jack. Enough is enough, and they should pack it in and sell the club.

[ABBEY]

Do you realise how much a full page ad in a broadsheet newspaper would cost ?

And in view of their past indifference why do you think the owners would take any notice of it ?

how much?

[Ivorsemion]

Just done a quick google search and it looks like the cost varies massively depending on which cities you want the ad to be seen in. Not 100% sure but it looks like it would be thousands of £££ to go out to the whole of India. This is all based on Times of India - I guess there are much cheaper options though.

[tomphil]

Or there's the middle option. Venkys maintain their steadfast refusal to communicate, sell the club or even entertain potential buyers or investors, but attempt to continue to reduce running costs down to the bare bones to ensure their yearly losses are slashed down to a more manageable level. Sell off any players of any value every window for a cash boost, filling the squad with loanees and short term contracts. That way they can continue to save face by maintaining ownership of 'their baby', not have to suffer the indignation of admitting they have got things wrong and should step aside, whilst ensuring that all they have to do is stump up around £5 million a year from their other profits to subsidise the club for the forseeable future. £5 million a year for this lot is probably a lot more preferable than holding their hands up, admitting they have made a huge mess and entertaining lowly peasants who want to offer their advice and take the club for themselves.

The knock on impact as they do this is that the club ends up as a tin pot lower league outfit with woeful gates and no investment. A stadium and pitch that sees no spending and over the next few years ends up falling to bits as it already has with mould on the Blackburn End etc.

Continued scaling down of standards and expectations in similar fashion to the last 5 years so we're now in a state where we're just about surviving in the Championship alongside the likes of Rotherham, Huddersfield and Bristol City. Soon we'll be swapping those illustrious clubs for Northampton, Shrewsbury and Fleetwood.

I think that's already been embarked upon starting with the sale of TC, dressed up as a step towards getting out of the embargo when really it was to pay the bills !

[Gav]

Do you realise how much a full page ad in a broadsheet newspaper would cost ?

And in view of their past indifference why do you think the owners would take any notice of it ?

No tell us Jim?

Such an option isn't just aimed at Venkys it's aimed at everyone that knows them also. Get people talking about the debacle they've created.

[yoda]

Just done a quick google search and it looks like the cost varies massively depending on which cities you want the ad to be seen in. Not 100% sure but it looks like it would be thousands of £££ to go out to the whole of India. This is all based on Times of India - I guess there are much cheaper options though.

You would need Mumbai, Pune and Nashik, the Indian golden triangle

[Gav]

You can take out a page in the Metro, which is given out for free around the country, for a few thousand, Yoda carries that much in his back pocket

The daily newspapers in this country are a different proposition, 10's of thousands I'd imagine, but nowhere near that much in India surely.

We need Pune Rovers help.

[VinjayV4]

Well there's crowdfund and the likes of Wild, Battersby, etc could probably find the money. Papers make their profits through advertising so its obviously not cheap. The Rovers Trust claim ambitions to buy the club I'm sure they will have the means to fund an advert.

Not exactly an original idea but anti-venkys plane over Pune so as many people see it as possible?

[yoda]

You can take out a page in the Metro, which is given out for free around the country, for a few thousand, Yoda carries that much in his back pocket

The daily newspapers in this country are a different proposition, 10's of thousands I'd imagine, but nowhere near that much in India surely.

We need Pune Rovers help.

Bunkum Gav

I am married

Already asked Pune rover a question on the subject, no reply as yet

[Kamy100]

I have been on a self imposed posting sabbatical from here but will make an exception for this.

I would suggest that you guys contact Binoy Prabhakar, he works for the economic times of India and see how much it will cost to run a advertisement in there. They are the sister paper of Times of India. Binoy is very sympathetic to plight of Rovers under Venky's and has in the past done articles on how Venky's have messed up Rovers.

I suggest the economic times of india because it is the most widely read newspaper within the business community and if you want to get Venky's attention humiliating them in front of their peers is the best way forward. I would also suggest you run the advert on a Sunday as that is when their circulation is at it's highest so likely to get maximum impact, also if it is a slow newsday it might get picked up by one of the India based business channels.

If any of you use twitter you can contact Binoy via his twitter handle: @BinoyET