January Transfer window 2022

[Bad Boy]

On 10/12/2021 at 23:27, J*B said:

He’s talking about Venkys buying a huge area of land in the Ribble Valley, which they’re hoping to get planning permission for to create a new academy. 

If Rovers manage to do this deal and get planning permission it will make a lot of sense and will benefit the Club for many years to come.  The real stumbling block is planning.  I just hope fans view this with open eyes before coming to an opinion.

[1864roverite]

16 hours ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Shame they can't find some land in blackburn itself, somwhere closer to the fans so they'd be far more part of the blackburn community. 

 

Where in central Blackburn would they find a site covering 150 acres?

[tomphil]

So an attempt to squeeze it all on one site looking like a downgrade and being passed off by the CEO himself as a need to cost cut has now turned into a 150 acre expansion ?

Aye ok !

[1864roverite]

1 minute ago, tomphil said:

So an attempt to squeeze it all on one site looking like a downgrade and being passed off by the CEO himself as a need to cost cut has now turned into a 150 acre expansion ?

Aye ok !

Thing is, its not just me who knows something about it, there are quite a few others who know some of the plans, know most of the plans and know a little less of the plans! 

We cant all be wrong and the source of the information to everyone who does know is not the same person(s)

[Mattyblue]

I’m a mere ‘OTK’ peasant who ‘just wouldn’t understand’, of course…

but the obvious question is - why the total change from the very apparent downgrade in terms of both facilities and footprint that was planned just a few months ago, to now some vast site in terms of acreage?

Edited December 13, 2021 by Mattyblue

[tomphil]

I'll take a punt and say they'll stick the all in one new football complex on a corner of it then build an industrial park or something on the rest. Idea might be income from that goes towards the football site running costs i just cannot see a revolutionary training center set in the middle of 150 acres.

It all started as a need to cut running costs and that was made in public.

Edited December 13, 2021 by tomphil

[Paul Mani]

6 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I’m a mere ‘OTK’ peasant who ‘just wouldn’t understand, of course…

but the obvious question is - why the total change from the very apparent downgrade in terms of both facilities and footprint that was planned just a few months ago, to now some vast site in terms of acreage?

The proposed plans would be a huge asset? Maybe the thinking is that our current model of developing excellent young footballers will reap rewards both on and off the field? Potential ROI is huge….

Just thoughts

[Mattyblue]

5 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

The proposed plans would be a huge asset? Maybe the thinking is that our current model of developing excellent young footballers will reap rewards both on and off the field? Potential ROI is huge….

Just thoughts

Get all that, and prior to the shenanigans earlier this year, then I’d have said fair enough to such a rationale. But it all now seems a very quick volte face from what they were planning earlier in 2021…

Edited December 13, 2021 by Mattyblue

[1864roverite]

Maybe some might have a different view if they thought about a change of operational models rather than cost cutting.

The proposals are a huge investment and a huge boost to BRFC financially - in addition our academy assets will only get better.

[Gav]

We don't need a new plot of land, we need promotion to the Premiership, this season, we'll possibly not have a better chance than this.

Get the players signed to new deals and give the manager significant funds, anything else is a distraction, probably intentional too. 

[47er]

2 hours ago, 1864roverite said:

Despite the negativity on here about this, a purchase of 150.2 acres of land doesn't sound like a downsize to me !

Why do we need it? Why is it the priority? You never say.

[47er]

54 minutes ago, Bad Boy said:

If Rovers manage to do this deal and get planning permission it will make a lot of sense and will benefit the Club for many years to come.  The real stumbling block is planning.  I just hope fans view this with open eyes before coming to an opinion.

But keeping our star players and getting into the Premiership should be the priority wouldn't you say?

 

[JBiz]

6 hours ago, Upside Down said:

If anyone is stupid enough to believe anything that Venkys say then they get everything they deserve.

I'm so sick of hearing all of this bollocks about ffp and how they are pumping in the most money they can or how they were "badly advised".

If they are pumping in all this money then why is Ewood in such a state? Why is the training ground in such a state? Why has the pitch not been sorted out. All of these things are exempt from the FFP analysis.

If you genuinely believe they were taken for mugs so easily then you surely can't think that anyone that fucking simple is in any way fit to run the club. A 10 year old child with only a passing interest in football could see what was going to happen after they appointed the Scottish rat. Did they change course? Did they take the same executive decisions with Kean as they did with Big Sam? Did they boot out all of the agents and other bottom feeding creatures that were hanging around the place? Did they fuck. They doubled down on Kean, sold the backbone of our squad, put the cabal of cunts (official partners of the F.A. by the way) in full control and consigned us to the lower leagues forever more.

But that was nearly ten years ago you say. Well, that makes it worse you hayseed. In the time since then there has been no effort whatever to rectify the initial 'mistakes'. The stadium is in a shocking state, the pitch looks like something from the 80s and they have sold off the training ground.

But but but Waggot....

Well, who gave him the job?

 

It's time people get their heads out of their asses and wake the fuck up to reality.

Write your MP and demand that the proposals of the FSA fan led review are implemented. We are not the only club in this sort of situation.

A football club is far more than just a sports team it is the heart and soul of our community. They are institutions that have been around long before any of us and they should be preserved for future generations. Venkys haven't just destroyed our club, they have ripped the heart out of our community.

So much nastiness aimed at anyone you perceive “stupid enough” not to agree with you levels of anger.

Of course many of us agree, and will likely never forget or forgive the disaster the owners caused but I can’t help be narked hearing that any discussion of potential improvements is “having your head up your asses”.

[Gone to seed]

1 hour ago, 1864roverite said:

Where in central Blackburn would they find a site covering 150 acres?

Waggot's ego - easily that big, and more.

[JHRover]

We already have an academy that functions very well and in terms of players making the grade in the first team are surely unrivalled in the top 2 divisions. If it ain't broke don't fix it might be something worth thinking about.

I mean realistically how much better and more prolific can our academy get? Is the aim to have our entire squad made up of academy players? A romantic thought maybe but completely unrealistic.

Where Venkys and their associates are concerned I think it is wise to take the concern/suspicion route first and foremost and be pleasantly surprised if they prove us wrong, rather than the opposite which is to tell all and sundry how wonderful things are going to be and then fast forward we've lost our brilliant Brockhall facilities and have ended up with a joke facility elsewhere and lose our Category 1 status.

What I do know is that last set of plans - which emerged via the back door after the Club had sought to keep them quiet - consisted of slashing our size by over 50% and trying to condense everything we currently have on two sites onto one site that was wholly inadequate for the requirements of a modern day facility, Category 1 status and getting remotely close to sustaining what we already have.

I find it implausible that in the space of a few months there has been a complete U turn from attempting to condense everything onto one site that was inadequate for our needs and clearly just an attempt to grab the money from the housing development on the top site to all of a sudden now supposedly investing millions in a massive site.

My prediction is that they will have an option of some land perhaps off the A59 at BAE Salmesbury which will sit between some office blocks.

We are now at what, 7 years since any of the owners bothered even to attend a match, can't afford to replace the pitch at Ewood and the ground is covered in grime yet I am really supposed to believe that they are now eager to improve on what we already have at Brockhall with a new facility? Sorry, I'm not buying it.

As with everything else they can prove me wrong - get it built - show us the plans of what they are trying to do. It should be clear quite quickly that it is an upgrade on Brockhall. Bigger, combined, newer facilities, all singing all dancing.

Keep it shrouded in mystery and uncertainty and I'll stick to my suspicion first approach.

[perthblue02]

 

1 hour ago, 1864roverite said:

Where in central Blackburn would they find a site covering 150 acres?

How confident are you that it is 150 acres and not 130 ? and was the price 2.8 million

https://mapio.co.uk/detail/19374001/

Edited December 13, 2021 by perthblue02

[1864roverite]

1 minute ago, perthblue02 said:

How confident are you that it is 150 acres and not 130 ?

I am comfortable with the information that I was given

[Ulrich]

12 hours ago, JBiz said:

You seemingly assume my thoughts. 

And you assume our owners will sell new proprietors our training ground.

[JBiz]

6 minutes ago, Ulrich said:

And you assume our owners will sell new proprietors our training ground.

This is a pointless discussion.

I didn’t say I knew, and I even described the scenario as unsettling - but carry on making my own mind up for me.

[Ulrich]

1 hour ago, 1864roverite said:

Maybe some might have a different view if they thought about a change of operational models rather than cost cutting.

The proposals are a huge investment and a huge boost to BRFC financially - in addition our academy assets will only get better.

So why don't they go public with their intentions?

[Ulrich]

4 minutes ago, JBiz said:

This is a pointless discussion.

I didn’t say I knew, and I even described the scenario as unsettling - but carry on making my own mind up for me.

So if I reply pointing out issues with your stance, you decide I am making up your mind for you. You do understand that a MB is for discussion, debate and for that to happen people must hold differing views?

[47er]

It seems more likely to me, that having failed to progress their original plan to sell half of Brockhall, Waggot and Co and

presumably the owners, are having another go with a different plan.

Cute to use Rovers fans to help spread the "good"news for them.

[JBiz]

9 minutes ago, Ulrich said:

So if I reply pointing out issues with your stance, you decide I am making up your mind for you. You do understand that a MB is for discussion, debate and for that to happen people must hold differing views?

There’s no need to be patronising, you suggested the club could be sold without the facilities, I said that’s based on the assumption anyone would buy it without it’s main assets.

Leave it at that

[booth]

On 12/12/2021 at 08:28, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

To help the club financially survive? I hope we don’t sell and on current form it would need to take a crazy offer. But if a crazy offer was to be made then the club would need to seriously consider it. It’s the only way we can operate sustainably. 

The club aren't going to financially survive from £25m, or even £50m. The club needs a promotion to get anywhere near survival.

[rigger]

12 hours ago, tomphil said:

It won't kill you.

If you walk from Whitebirk to Ewood in 10 minutes, it probably will.