WATR (The Rovers Trust)

[We Are The Rovers]

Newsletter: October 2023   All change in the hot seat: After five years at the helm of the Trust, during which he has overseen some major changes, John Murray has decided to retire as Trust Chair to enable more time for his business ventures and his family life. He leaves the Trust in a strong position. The Board elected Mike Graham as interim Chair and thanked John for his time, effort and enthusiasm while wishing him well in his next venture.   Next Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Agenda: We have already decided on the following agenda items for our next meeting with the Club. If any member has any suggestions as to other items please email the Chair on [email protected] 'Fans Takeover' v Watford 23rd December 2023 Safe Standing Club Finances (including the impact of Owner funding following the asset seizure) and Communications (eg Cardiff Carabao Cup Game 26th September 2023) 150th Anniversary Celebrations 2025 Trust Open Meeting Post meeting joint communications Season Ticket prices 2024/25   Sponsorship of Blackburn Rovers Women: We are THE Rovers are pleased to have sponsored two of the women players. We also plan to have a Trust stall at their game at Leyland on the 15th October.   'Fans Takeover' We Are THE Rovers have just formally agreed with the Club to work on another 'Fans Takeover' on 23rd December v Watford.  We have a planning meeting with the Club on 19th October and we plan to extend a welcome to brfcs.com along with RoversChat, the South Asian Supporters Group and Proud Rovers.   The theme will be a "Blue & White Christmas" and it will be supplemented with flags and banners and we encourage fans to also bring their own. WATCH THIS SPACE!!   150th Anniversary Celebrations: We have impressed on the Club the need to involve supporters at an early stage in the planning for 2025.  This has been agreed albeit the details of involvement need to be agreed.  We have a Trust Board member, Steve Williams, who leads on heritage issues, if you have any ideas on recognising and promoting our 150 years of heritage please contact him via [email protected]   Trust Open Meeting: Our last Newsletter erroneously stated a meeting would be held involving either Steve Waggott and / or Gregg Broughton in October. This has not been agreed and was news to the Club; our discussions however are now focussed on a Trust open meeting hopefully with John Dahl Tomasson around February 2024.   Safe Standing: We are attending a meeting with the Club on 3rd October to discuss a Safe Standing section. Key issues include: where; when; licensing authority agreement; consultation with fans and of course financing. The Trust have produced a brief paper for the meeting and copies are available to members on request.   BBE Closure: The Trust have expressed our disappointment and disapproval at the closing of the BBE for the Cardiff Carabo Cup game. We expressed concern at the lack of effective communications for the reasons and the fact the closure was 'hidden' in the ticketing announcement. We do not feel the financial case is a strong one and that the decision has sadly alienated a good number of the Rovers fanbase.   We Are THE Rovers Website and Membership System We are acutely aware of the ageing look and navigation of our website and the long term failings in our membership system. We have agreed to invest in a new site and a new membership system which should enable us to better communicate with members. Work starts on this in October. If you have any membership queries about your membership please contact our Membership Secretary Janet Rutter on [email protected]

 

[oldjamfan1]

In case people didn’t see it on the ‘plot thickens’ thread, We Are THE Rovers sent this to SW yesterday:

 

 

Dear Steve,

The Blackburn Rovers Supporters Trust ‘We Are THE Rovers’ are most concerned at the latest Indian Government Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against the owners of our Club.

We understand the investigation relates to “illegal remittances made by the company since 2010, till date, to its wholly owned subsidiary named Venky’s London Limited, Cardiff, UK.”  The ED appears to directly implicate transactions relating to Blackburn Rovers.

Clearly this is of major concern to our Supporters Trust.  At the very least we would like to see a public statement from the Club as to any implications for Blackburn Rovers; we do however recognise you will want to pass any statement before the Club owners.

Our next Trust meeting is not with yourselves until the 14th November, this is over one month away.  If at all possible we would like the opportunity of an earlier meeting to discuss the single issue of the serious enforcement action against the owners, their future commitment to our Club and day-to-day funding. Can this please be arranged with some urgency even if it via Zoom?

Regards,

The We Are The Rovers Board

[Moptop1]

Yeah, like that’s going to happen anytime soon. They need to speak with India first, so they can get ‘Their Story’ together.

 

[wilsdenrover]

On 14/10/2023 at 10:43, Moptop1 said:

Yeah, like that’s going to happen anytime soon. They need to speak with India first, so they can get ‘Their Story’ together.

 

I’m sure the trust wouldn’t object to the owners joining the zoom call…

[Moptop1]

2 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’m sure the trust wouldn’t object to the owners joining the zoom call…

Will they though? We all no the answer to that. 

[oldjamfan1]

21 hours ago, Moptop1 said:

Will they though? We all no the answer to that. 

 

23 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’m sure the trust wouldn’t object to the owners joining the zoom call…

The Trust has stated very clearly to SW that one of our short term aims in these meetings with the club is to open up a direct communication with the owners, preferably of a positive nature. It beggars belief that they have not shown face or spoken directly to their 'customers' for years.

[Moptop1]

What are they worried about if they are such honest people. I believe they have a lot to worry about and ‘scare’ of letting us know the real truth and what has really happened.

Unless they open the lines of communication, we are never going to move forward in any way, shape or form. They are creating mess after mess.  
 

They think Stevie Maggott is trustworthy? He doesn’t have the clubs best interests at heart. Just his own. With the fans onboard, we can move things forward for the better. They don’t think this, but it’s true.

So, why aren’t they? 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Moptop1

[Leonard Venkhater]

On 14/10/2023 at 10:43, Moptop1 said:

Yeah, like that’s going to happen anytime soon. They need to speak with India first, so they can get ‘Their Story’ together.

 

The headmaster has been suspended. Let's ask one of the year six prefects ....

[oldjamfan1]

Of course, without hearing directly from the owners, people will naturally fill in their own gaps and inevitably come up with a worst case scenario. And who can blame them?

[47er]

9 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

 

The Trust has stated very clearly to SW that one of our short term aims in these meetings with the club is to open up a direct communication with the owners, preferably of a positive nature. It beggars belief that they have not shown face or spoken directly to their 'customers' for years.

I blame the bloke who threw the snowball!

[RoversClitheroe]

On 05/10/2023 at 08:21, Rovers Trust said:

Newsletter: October 2023   All change in the hot seat: After five years at the helm of the Trust, during which he has overseen some major changes, John Murray has decided to retire as Trust Chair to enable more time for his business ventures and his family life. He leaves the Trust in a strong position. The Board elected Mike Graham as interim Chair and thanked John for his time, effort and enthusiasm while wishing him well in his next venture.   Next Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Agenda: We have already decided on the following agenda items for our next meeting with the Club. If any member has any suggestions as to other items please email the Chair on [email protected] 'Fans Takeover' v Watford 23rd December 2023 Safe Standing Club Finances (including the impact of Owner funding following the asset seizure) and Communications (eg Cardiff Carabao Cup Game 26th September 2023) 150th Anniversary Celebrations 2025 Trust Open Meeting Post meeting joint communications Season Ticket prices 2024/25   Sponsorship of Blackburn Rovers Women: We are THE Rovers are pleased to have sponsored two of the women players. We also plan to have a Trust stall at their game at Leyland on the 15th October.   'Fans Takeover' We Are THE Rovers have just formally agreed with the Club to work on another 'Fans Takeover' on 23rd December v Watford.  We have a planning meeting with the Club on 19th October and we plan to extend a welcome to brfcs.com along with RoversChat, the South Asian Supporters Group and Proud Rovers.   The theme will be a "Blue & White Christmas" and it will be supplemented with flags and banners and we encourage fans to also bring their own. WATCH THIS SPACE!!   150th Anniversary Celebrations: We have impressed on the Club the need to involve supporters at an early stage in the planning for 2025.  This has been agreed albeit the details of involvement need to be agreed.  We have a Trust Board member, Steve Williams, who leads on heritage issues, if you have any ideas on recognising and promoting our 150 years of heritage please contact him via [email protected]   Trust Open Meeting: Our last Newsletter erroneously stated a meeting would be held involving either Steve Waggott and / or Gregg Broughton in October. This has not been agreed and was news to the Club; our discussions however are now focussed on a Trust open meeting hopefully with John Dahl Tomasson around February 2024.   Safe Standing: We are attending a meeting with the Club on 3rd October to discuss a Safe Standing section. Key issues include: where; when; licensing authority agreement; consultation with fans and of course financing. The Trust have produced a brief paper for the meeting and copies are available to members on request.   BBE Closure: The Trust have expressed our disappointment and disapproval at the closing of the BBE for the Cardiff Carabo Cup game. We expressed concern at the lack of effective communications for the reasons and the fact the closure was 'hidden' in the ticketing announcement. We do not feel the financial case is a strong one and that the decision has sadly alienated a good number of the Rovers fanbase.   We Are THE Rovers Website and Membership System We are acutely aware of the ageing look and navigation of our website and the long term failings in our membership system. We have agreed to invest in a new site and a new membership system which should enable us to better communicate with members. Work starts on this in October. If you have any membership queries about your membership please contact our Membership Secretary Janet Rutter on [email protected]

 

Any update?

[PLJPB]

The finances chap at the trust might want to have a look at this before the next meeting with the club. My initial guess is that this venkys company which was set up to buy the training ground has now borrowed money against said asset.

 

[lraC]

9 minutes ago, PLJPB said:

The finances chap at the trust might want to have a look at this before the next meeting with the club. My initial guess is that this venkys company which was set up to buy the training ground has now borrowed money against said asset.

 

Hope it isn’t another insignificant mortgage fraud.

Any idea, who the charge is in favor of?

My guess would be Barclays 

[lraC]

 

I just got this from Companies House. Not too sure about that address and I do wonder if the activities, namely "Activities of head offices" is an allowable one in India, given the recent problems with ED.

According to the Companies House, the company with company number 13452736 is VENKATESHWARA LONDON LIMITED ¹. The company is a private limited company and was incorporated on 11 June 2021 ¹. Its registered office address is located at Squire Patton Boggs (Uk) Llp (Ref: Csu), 60 London Wall, London, England, EC2M 5TQ ¹. The company’s nature of business is “Activities of head offices” ¹.

[PLJPB]

Another post with more information has just been posted over on the Plot thickens thread 

[den]

https://x.com/kieranmaguire/status/1716472141812551695?s=46&t=wT27yUdXILU0s10X6MNvTQ

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, den said:

https://x.com/kieranmaguire/status/1716472141812551695?s=46&t=wT27yUdXILU0s10X6MNvTQ

The Trust is well aware of the latest reports and has reacted accordingly.

Edit: This may have come across as a pop at you den. It isn’t. Perhaps you meant to post it on the “The Plot Thickens” thread?

Edited October 23, 2023 by oldjamfan1

[den]

40 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

The Trust is well aware of the latest reports and has reacted accordingly.

Edit: This may have come across as a pop at you den. It isn’t. Perhaps you meant to post it on the “The Plot Thickens” thread?

Thanks for that oldjamfan. I wasn’t aware it was on there.

[Leonard Venkhater]

On 16/10/2023 at 16:09, oldjamfan1 said:

Of course, without hearing directly from the owners, people will naturally fill in their own gaps and inevitably come up with a worst case scenario. And who can blame them?

.." without hearing directly from the owners.."

Oh, the irony!

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

.." without hearing directly from the owners.."

Oh, the irony!

Yeah it’s difficult to hide the sarcasm sometimes Lennie 😁

[Leonard Venkhater]

16 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Yeah it’s difficult to hide the sarcasm sometimes Lennie 😁

It gave me a laugh, so thanks, but to borrow from Mr Cohen, it didn't help at all. 

[bazza]

Will someone please tell Venkys that it is a local custom here to throw snowballs in winter and that if you get hit by one it means the thrower loves you and wishes you good luck.

[roverblue]

On 13/10/2023 at 18:22, oldjamfan1 said:

In case people didn’t see it on the ‘plot thickens’ thread, We Are THE Rovers sent this to SW yesterday:

 

 

 

Dear Steve,

The Blackburn Rovers Supporters Trust ‘We Are THE Rovers’ are most concerned at the latest Indian Government Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against the owners of our Club.

We understand the investigation relates to “illegal remittances made by the company since 2010, till date, to its wholly owned subsidiary named Venky’s London Limited, Cardiff, UK.”  The ED appears to directly implicate transactions relating to Blackburn Rovers.

Clearly this is of major concern to our Supporters Trust.  At the very least we would like to see a public statement from the Club as to any implications for Blackburn Rovers; we do however recognise you will want to pass any statement before the Club owners.

Our next Trust meeting is not with yourselves until the 14th November, this is over one month away.  If at all possible we would like the opportunity of an earlier meeting to discuss the single issue of the serious enforcement action against the owners, their future commitment to our Club and day-to-day funding. Can this please be arranged with some urgency even if it via Zoom?

Regards,

The We Are The Rovers Board

Hi did anything come of this or are they making you wait for the 14th Nov?

[RoversClitheroe]

21 hours ago, roverblue said:

Hi did anything come of this or are they making you wait for the 14th Nov?

Asked for an update and got nothing too 

[Miller11]

21 hours ago, roverblue said:

Hi did anything come of this or are they making you wait for the 14th Nov?

 

21 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Asked for an update and got nothing too 

We met with Waggott specifically on this, short news is nothing to report.

Waggott found out about the asset seizures in the same way everyone else did. From his point of view the situation hasn’t progressed since he last gave an update. The funds from India are still on hold, Venkys are telling him they are working hard to remedy the situation and remain committed. As a director he needs to be assured that there is nothing problematic in the accounts or that would come out in an audit, and he’s happy that’s the case. The issue is cash flow, that’s the reason for the BBE closure in the last league cup game, things are tight. Venky’s told him “not yet” in terms of a statement - so I doubt we will get one unless there is a change for the better.

Personally I’m very concerned about January because if the tap isn’t turned on by then it’s going to mean sales.