An Open Letter to the Desai Family...

[We Are The Rovers]

An Open Letter to the Desai Family, Owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club

To: The Owners of Blackburn Rovers - 10th May 2021

This is an Open Letter from the Rovers Trust. The Trust is a transparent membership body with the sole aim of protecting the assets, heritage, and future of our Football Club.

Firstly, can we express our concern, sympathy, and support for the ongoing COVID emergency in Maharashtra Province and the whole of India. 

Amidst the global pandemic, another less important, but serious sequence of events has taken place: 

• The disruption to English football caused by the pandemic
• Poorly laid out plans to develop the Brockhall Training Centre, and then the arrogant intentions of PL Clubs to form a European Super League behind our backs and excluding BRFC for ever

The last 10 years has seen a gradual but confusing decline in the fortunes of BRFC, despite large infusions of money from Venkys London Limited, mainly from the Desai family and VH Group. To get promoted back to the Premier League, successful Clubs are always well-run, professionally managed, and co-ordinated from top to bottom. Once again, this season has ended in disappointment with the team severely underachieving on the field. Since our relegation, we have never made the top 6, and on one embarrassing occasion were relegated to the third tier – a scenario that was unthinkable prior to your takeover.

The confusing structure and convoluted decision-making process that appears to be in place continues to be a cause for concern and frustration. In the last decade, we have seen:

• A lack of transparency and an apparent lack of Lancashire-based board meetings 
• No clear strategy with a number of bewildering decisions
• No attendance at Ewood Park by the owners in 6 years
• Slowness of decision-making, indicative of weak communication, and unclear financial management responsibilities.

The Football Industry is unlike any other sector in the British economy, or the Hospitality/Entertainment Sector. The Rovers Trust is a body of largely professional supporters, and while we do not claim expertise in this industry, we are totally and emotionally attached to OUR Club. We could never support another, and the last 10 years has turned many of our members away from football, rather than transferring to a more telegenic team. This is now a trend that is evident across the wider fanbase.

With the Trust identifying a period of significant change, we will maintain our support and pursuit of the following commitments in relation to the wider national picture:

• Protection of the English football pyramid and the ethos of competition
• Fairer financial distribution throughout the pyramid
• A cap to prevent increasingly untenable player wage levels
• Independent Regulation of Football Club ownership and management
• National adoption of the “50+1” ownership model for Football Clubs, with 2 Independent Directors on Club Boards.

We remain active members of the Football Supporters Association (FSA). Additionally, we will be fully co-operating with the British Government’s “Fan Led Review of Football”, headed by Tracy Crouch, MP, who we have already consulted with in her previous role as Minister Of Sport.

The aim of raising all this in an open letter is not to ‘protest’ but to promote moves to ensure that Rovers fans are not turned off their Club, and instead feel not only engaged at a local level, but also have their fears alleviated after the sudden crisis caused by VH Group decisions. We would be grateful for your observations raised in this letter and welcome an opportunity to meet in a suitably safe location at your earliest convenience.  As it is an Open Letter, the Rovers Trust reserves the right to circulate the contents more widely.

Yours Sincerely

John Murray

Chair of Rovers Trust, on behalf of the Trust Board and its Members.

[email protected]   

https://us5.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f646174da39488e19ed1200d3&id=3a7daebcc3

[dallydally]

Excellent letter but I doubt it will bring a meaningful -if any - response 

 

 

[PeteJD13]

i have posted this letter into the rovers and blackburn rovers supporters fb pages, the trust really needs to work on its profile. What good is it sending an open letter without plastering it across social media?. the trust needs a re brand and a complete re vamp. Its not only venkys that need to engage with fans the trust does as well, the letter is an excellent opening approach but if only 200 people see it ?  

Edited May 13, 2021 by PeteJD13

[Sparks Rover]

Seems a bit odd to spend the letter protesting and then say it's not a protest.

Fairly insulting to them really telling them how badly they've fucked up.  

That should get a reply🙄 

 

[broadsword]

50 minutes ago, dallydally said:

Excellent letter but I doubt it will bring a meaningful -if any - response 

 

 

Yeah, I don't wish to be a negative nora, but I doubt it will even get as far as the waste paper basket unfortunately 

. 

 

I think we're being left to rot

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Disappointed there was no

'p.s. and please sack the dickhead manager'

Edited May 13, 2021 by Hoochie Bloochie Mama

[AllRoverAsia]

4 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Seems a bit odd to spend the letter protesting and then say it's not a protest.

Fairly insulting to them really telling them how badly they've fucked up.  

That should get a reply🙄 

 

Excellent! That made me happy.

Hopefully so insulted they do one.

Edited May 14, 2021 by AllRoverAsia

[AllRoverAsia]

7 hours ago, Rovers Trust said:

An Open Letter to the Desai Family, Owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club

To: The Owners of Blackburn Rovers - 10th May 2021

This is an Open Letter from the Rovers Trust. The Trust is a transparent membership body with the sole aim of protecting the assets, heritage, and future of our Football Club.

Firstly, can we express our concern, sympathy, and support for the ongoing COVID emergency in Maharashtra Province and the whole of India. 

Amidst the global pandemic, another less important, but serious sequence of events has taken place: 

• The disruption to English football caused by the pandemic
• Poorly laid out plans to develop the Brockhall Training Centre, and then the arrogant intentions of PL Clubs to form a European Super League behind our backs and excluding BRFC for ever

The last 10 years has seen a gradual but confusing decline in the fortunes of BRFC, despite large infusions of money from Venkys London Limited, mainly from the Desai family and VH Group. To get promoted back to the Premier League, successful Clubs are always well-run, professionally managed, and co-ordinated from top to bottom. Once again, this season has ended in disappointment with the team severely underachieving on the field. Since our relegation, we have never made the top 6, and on one embarrassing occasion were relegated to the third tier – a scenario that was unthinkable prior to your takeover.

The confusing structure and convoluted decision-making process that appears to be in place continues to be a cause for concern and frustration. In the last decade, we have seen:

• A lack of transparency and an apparent lack of Lancashire-based board meetings 
• No clear strategy with a number of bewildering decisions
• No attendance at Ewood Park by the owners in 6 years
• Slowness of decision-making, indicative of weak communication, and unclear financial management responsibilities.

The Football Industry is unlike any other sector in the British economy, or the Hospitality/Entertainment Sector. The Rovers Trust is a body of largely professional supporters, and while we do not claim expertise in this industry, we are totally and emotionally attached to OUR Club. We could never support another, and the last 10 years has turned many of our members away from football, rather than transferring to a more telegenic team. This is now a trend that is evident across the wider fanbase.

With the Trust identifying a period of significant change, we will maintain our support and pursuit of the following commitments in relation to the wider national picture:

• Protection of the English football pyramid and the ethos of competition
• Fairer financial distribution throughout the pyramid
• A cap to prevent increasingly untenable player wage levels
• Independent Regulation of Football Club ownership and management
• National adoption of the “50+1” ownership model for Football Clubs, with 2 Independent Directors on Club Boards.

We remain active members of the Football Supporters Association (FSA). Additionally, we will be fully co-operating with the British Government’s “Fan Led Review of Football”, headed by Tracy Crouch, MP, who we have already consulted with in her previous role as Minister Of Sport.

The aim of raising all this in an open letter is not to ‘protest’ but to promote moves to ensure that Rovers fans are not turned off their Club, and instead feel not only engaged at a local level, but also have their fears alleviated after the sudden crisis caused by VH Group decisions. We would be grateful for your observations raised in this letter and welcome an opportunity to meet in a suitably safe location at your earliest convenience.  As it is an Open Letter, the Rovers Trust reserves the right to circulate the contents more widely.

Yours Sincerely

John Murray

Chair of Rovers Trust, on behalf of the Trust Board and its Members.

[email protected]   

https://us5.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f646174da39488e19ed1200d3&id=3a7daebcc3

Email it to the Editor on every newspaper in Pune and ask that it be published.

Just maybe one will be brave.

[matt83]

Good letter. Perhaps a mention of an atrocious manager would have been excellent. Either way unfortunately I think I can just about hear the shredder firing up in Pune towers. 

[davulsukur]

I applaud your efforts to open communications with our dreadful owners.

It's something that was attempted many years ago by some supporters groups and even though it was unsuccessful, I'm glad to see that people haven't given up.

It absolutely needs to happen and I really hope that they respond, and not just with some generic letter sent by Waggot's PA.

[arbitro]

Well done for at least doing something. Anything is better than nothing and on the back of the ESL uproar and protests who knows.

 

[1864roverite]

Sadly it will fall on deaf ears. The silence at Ewood is deafening. It as if the club are in the last throes of death🤬🤬

[RevidgeBlue]

What's the point of that letter - "the last ten years have been crap but this is not a protest" - Well it bloody well should be.

"As you were lads - nothing to see here".

Sheesh.

[Mattyblue]

So the LT is immediately running with this (fairly vanilla) statement, yet wouldn’t touch the Brockhall letter with a barge pole... interesting.

[PeteJD13]

It’s gone down like a lead balloon on fb, can someone from the trust please chime in on the posts, in the rovers group and blackburn rovers supporters. 

[OldEwoodBlue]

So exactly how has this letter been transmitted to Madame?

A post box ?

A fax ? 🤣

An email ?

or via this message board ?

 

Can't imagine a read receipt.

Can't imagine the Trust posting the open response letter on here.

 

[AaronHolt01]

1 minute ago, PeteJD13 said:

It’s gone down like a lead balloon on fb, can someone from the trust please chime in on the posts, in the rovers group and blackburn rovers supporters. 

TheRovers group is always a heavy opinionated group... 

[TruRover]

Good letter but dissapointing that nothing about the manager situation was included.Would of like to seen something along the lines of ‘fans have been greatly frustrated at the lack of action taken over the shockingly poor 2nd half of the season and massive underachievement of the management team’

[Dreams of 1995]

46 minutes ago, PeteJD13 said:

It’s gone down like a lead balloon on fb, can someone from the trust please chime in on the posts, in the rovers group and blackburn rovers supporters. 

Things like this will. It is because those people don't understand there are methods which may work and methods which may not work.

Had this letter been a slanging match in which Mowbray, Waggot and Venus took pelters, I am sure it would have gone down better. It certainly would not have gone down better with the people that are important in this - Venkys. Like it or not any communication with them has to appeal to them. It has to make sense for them to engage.

I saw a gentleman post on Facebook about how it was "poorly written". Given how he delivered his message I thought "pot kettle black". It does go to show though that people will find faults if they want even where there aren't any.

I think it is a good letter. Well written and succinct. The only thing I will say is that I still don't know what the objective of it is. Do they want the Venkys to write back? Adopt 50+1? It is a bit ambiguous in that sense 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

1 hour ago, PeteJD13 said:

It’s gone down like a lead balloon on fb, can someone from the trust please chime in on the posts, in the rovers group and blackburn rovers supporters. 

Same with the LT comments....sadly some of our fans are dead above the waist.

[blondie]

If the whole process of decision making, communication etc is having a detrimental effect on the situation at BRFC ,which most people agree with.

Then surely it is down to the senior employees of BRFC to demand a more professional and responsive process, and we know that will not happen.

The whole atmosphere reeks of complacency.

 

[Mhead2]

11 hours ago, PeteJD13 said:

i have posted this letter into the rovers and blackburn rovers supporters fb pages, the trust really needs to work on its profile. What good is it sending an open letter without plastering it across social media?. the trust needs a re brand and a complete re vamp. Its not only venkys that need to engage with fans the trust does as well, the letter is an excellent opening approach but if only 200 people see it ?  

Sorry Pete. We have a sequence for any of our Newsletters, which starts with the Members and Subscribers of Rovers Trust and then(because of our long term love of brfcs) to put it on www.brfcs.com. Twitter and Facebook comes today but takes a lot of curating.

We have 2,300 Members and Subscribers(750 Members) so it does reach a lot, with a high rate of opening, but this Open Letter has also gone to our press list. Personally, get fed up of the Agenda being hi-jacked by the 'Big6' especially ManUre.

[bringdunnback]

It is poorly written in language and structure. Only my opinion of course, but I say that as someone who writes for a living.

More importantly, the objective is not clear either nor does it offer any form of solution.

Letters as such only serve to undermine their cause.

 

 

 

 

[Mhead2]

2 hours ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

So exactly how has this letter been transmitted to Madame?

A post box ?

A fax ? 🤣

An email ?

or via this message board ?

 

Can't imagine a read receipt.

Can't imagine the Trust posting the open response letter on here.

 

Multiple methods....Directors at Ewood Park; Letter to Pune; Letter and email to Sohail Pasha; Venkys London Limited and one other more secretive avenue.

They may be "humble and loyal" but they are multiple times more secretive than the "Big 6 " Owners.

[PeteJD13]

1 hour ago, Mhead2 said:

Sorry Pete. We have a sequence for any of our Newsletters, which starts with the Members and Subscribers of Rovers Trust and then(because of our long term love of brfcs) to put it on www.brfcs.com. Twitter and Facebook comes today but takes a lot of curating.

We have 2,300 Members and Subscribers(750 Members) so it does reach a lot, with a high rate of opening, but this Open Letter has also gone to our press list. Personally, get fed up of the Agenda being hi-jacked by the 'Big6' especially ManUre.

That’s really good I’m not being critical for the sake of it, I posted it on fb last night. There’s quite a lot of negative comments and no one to engage them as the trust