The Raos

[JohnD]

We keep slagging off the "Venkys" but it is the Rao family that have ruined the club.

The Rovers manager was prevented from speaking at his regular Friday presser yesterday but has spoken today.

Last summer the "project" that he had agreed with the owners changed completely.

He had just missed the play offs on goal difference but was told there was no money for transfer fees or wages, the budget was considerably reduced.

Under these circumstances he offered to resign and leave the club without any reimbursement. No, the owners wanted him to continue so he moved his family to the Ribble Valley and continued to work long hours.

This current transfer window the budget was cut again and despite selling a 19 year old star player for £18m+ there was no money for transfer fees.

The owners, the Rao family, are being investigated by the Indian government for fraud, perhaps even money laundering.

They are not allowed to transfer money out of India without permission. The court case is ongoing.

When the Rao family bought BRFC they didn't know a club could be relegated. They were allegedly conned by advisors.

The Rao family are stupid, ignorant, dishonest and dishonourable people. They are an embarrassment to their family and country.

Let's forget Venkys and go after the real culprits?

[Upside Down]

They are Venkys though. It's their firm.

I'd be happy to see the whole lot destitute and starving in the gutter.

[JohnD]

Venky are the company, there are no Venkys 

[JHRover]

They're a disgrace and should be ashamed and embarrassed.

They are also cowards, unwilling to face up to and confront what they have done and instead hide behind lackeys.

Their only defence after 13 years is that they pay the bills. Kind of sums it up doesn't it.

I long for the day that they are history and I never have to think about or hear their name again. It would be a bonus if their wealth and status came crashing down around them, and the least they deserve.

[booth]

11 minutes ago, JHRover said:

They are also cowards, unwilling to face up to and confront what they have done and instead hide behind lackeys.

When was the last time they addressed the fans? A decade ago? (as in a TV interview, not Steve Waggott typing something up and typing THE RAO FAMILY underneath it).

Edited February 3, 2024 by booth

[tomphil]

Venkys are one of the companies who are sponsors and  that i believe is Balajis firm who has the biggest say in the running if not the finance etc

[wilsdenrover]

30 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Venkys are one of the companies who are sponsors and  that i believe is Balajis firm who has the biggest say in the running if not the finance etc

He’s the MD of Venky’s India.

[tomphil]

57 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

He’s the MD of Venky’s India.

Which i believe is the one of the logo plastered around the ground and on the shirts.

[Mattyblue]

Always makes me cringe when actual journalists call them ‘The Venky’s’ it’s like calling the Issa brothers ‘The EG’s’

[Old Codger]

If it takes getting personal with these eejits to get them to pack up and leave us to rebuild our way back to some kind of decent standing again, then I'm all for it.  Definitely worth having a Rao about that one.

RAOs OUT!

[scotchrover]

Yesterday was the final straw for me. I’d happily do a Bolton or Portsmouth to get shut of them now.

I think we need to start digging on social media. There are active Facebook accounts and pages like these, which they can be contacted on.

 

[Leonard Venkhater]

7 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Always makes me cringe when actual journalists call them ‘The Venky’s’ it’s like calling the Issa brothers ‘The EG’s’

It makes me feel I am typing a grammatical error.

I think the name of the company is Venky's- a possessive like "Jimmy's" or "Tony's"...

Edited February 4, 2024 by Leonard Venkhater

[Roverall]

Absolutely agree. All of India needs to know what a disgrace the Rao family are.

[andyroversmad]

Any banners need to have their names on it to make it more personal don't let the cowards hide behind the Venky name 

[Upside Down]

On 04/02/2024 at 08:41, JohnD said:

We keep slagging off the "Venkys" but it is the Rao family that have ruined the club.

The Rovers manager was prevented from speaking at his regular Friday presser yesterday but has spoken today.

Last summer the "project" that he had agreed with the owners changed completely.

He had just missed the play offs on goal difference but was told there was no money for transfer fees or wages, the budget was considerably reduced.

Under these circumstances he offered to resign and leave the club without any reimbursement. No, the owners wanted him to continue so he moved his family to the Ribble Valley and continued to work long hours.

This current transfer window the budget was cut again and despite selling a 19 year old star player for £18m+ there was no money for transfer fees.

The owners, the Rao family, are being investigated by the Indian government for fraud, perhaps even money laundering.

They are not allowed to transfer money out of India without permission. The court case is ongoing.

When the Rao family bought BRFC they didn't know a club could be relegated. They were allegedly conned by advisors.

The Rao family are stupid, ignorant, dishonest and dishonourable people. They are an embarrassment to their family and country.

Let's forget Venkys and go after the real culprits?

I think highlight the Rao family themselves is absolutely the way to go.

Make the venkys name totally interchangeable with theirs. I suppose for a lot of us it is already but spread that to the wider diaspora.

[bazza]

On 03/02/2024 at 23:38, tomphil said:

Which i believe is the one of the logo plastered around the ground and on the shirts.

Yeah.  Totally Wicked Venky's.  Very suitable name.

[Ianrally]

What I can’t get my head round is how initially this despicable Rao family passed the so called “Fit and Proper” test with the Premier League. Now as we are in the EFL, and the same despicable Rao family are under investigation in India for money laundering etc., why can’t the EFL say you are not fit and proper to own one of Englands oldest clubs therefore you must relinquish control. The “Fit and Proper” scenario is a total paper tiger. What is the point of it?

[NeilInBristol]

Wanted

[jim mk2]

17 minutes ago, Ianrally said:

What I can’t get my head round is how initially this despicable Rao family passed the so called “Fit and Proper” test with the Premier League. Now as we are in the EFL, and the same despicable Rao family are under investigation in India for money laundering etc., why can’t the EFL say you are not fit and proper to own one of Englands oldest clubs therefore you must relinquish control. The “Fit and Proper” scenario is a total paper tiger. What is the point of it?

We’re not the first club to suffer as a result of the infamous “fit and proper test” and we won’t be the last. The pretence that the authorities actually do any due diligence on these unsuitable owners is laughable.

All they appear to be concerned with is if prospective buyers of clubs have the money. If that box is ticked then the sale of clubs are in the vast majority of cases are waved through.

You have to ask how many club sales been rejected over the years and the answer is very, very few, and certainly not because the buyers are “fit and proper”.

The whole system is a joke and clubs like Rovers are destroyed because of it. 

[tomphil]

30 minutes ago, Ianrally said:

What I can’t get my head round is how initially this despicable Rao family passed the so called “Fit and Proper” test with the Premier League. Now as we are in the EFL, and the same despicable Rao family are under investigation in India for money laundering etc., why can’t the EFL say you are not fit and proper to own one of Englands oldest clubs therefore you must relinquish control. The “Fit and Proper” scenario is a total paper tiger. What is the point of it?

All they really had to do was prove they have suitable legal cash flow to run the club and cash at hand as back up.

That's it 

[philipl]

According to Scudamore, the then CEO of the PL, the Raos passed fit and proper better than any other new owner.

Given fit and proper did not include questions such as

1) what do you know about football?

2) who is advising you?

3) is there a wannabe playboy in the family who wants a new toy?

 I can say with extensive corroboraion of Richard Scudamore's comment that Raos did indeed shine in the fit and proper examination.

I come back to the following fundamentals

- the Raos are in the small multi billionaire class so what possessed them to apparently fraudulently mis classify a property and a birthday party in their filings in India back in 2011?

- the entire shit show that is Rovers 2023/24 stems from what the Raos apparently signed off in 2011.

This mess is as personal to them as the decision to rely on Jerome Anderson and the total destruction of the club as a Premier League operation as a consequence.

[philipl]

7 hours ago, tomphil said:

All they really had to do was prove they have suitable legal cash flow to run the club and cash at hand as back up.

That's it 

Nope, their record of charitable giving and evidence of wealth plus testimonials including banking referenced, police records and other things were and are part of the test.

[tomphil]

5 hours ago, philipl said:

Nope, their record of charitable giving and evidence of wealth plus testimonials including banking referenced, police records and other things were and are part of the test.

Surely that goes without saying although i doubt charitable giving evidence comes anywhere near it but obviously criminality checks are needed it shouldn't need stating.

However the central thing to it when the obvious basics are passed is the actual evidence a buyer can afford it, it's their money and they aren't just doing it all on borrowings.

So venkys fly through that bit.

Incidentally though Ali Sayed got his foot through the door and showed evidence of 100 million which certainly wasn't his and there are a plethora of others who've flown through fit and proper then turned out to be dodgy or useless.

Must be all that charity donating and strict police checks that got them through eh.

[Dreams of 1995]

5 hours ago, philipl said:

According to Scudamore, the then CEO of the PL, the Raos passed fit and proper better than any other new owner.

Given fit and proper did not include questions such as

1) what do you know about football?

2) who is advising you?

3) is there a wannabe playboy in the family who wants a new toy?

 I can say with extensive corroboraion of Richard Scudamore's comment that Raos did indeed shine in the fit and proper examination.

I come back to the following fundamentals

- the Raos are in the small multi billionaire class so what possessed them to apparently fraudulently mis classify a property and a birthday party in their filings in India back in 2011?

- the entire shit show that is Rovers 2023/24 stems from what the Raos apparently signed off in 2011.

This mess is as personal to them as the decision to rely on Jerome Anderson and the total destruction of the club as a Premier League operation as a consequence.

The Rao family would not pass the fit and proper test at this very moment in time 

That is why it is completely ridiculous that they don’t regularly audit club owners. Nobody seems to be talking about this and I don’t know why

[yoda]

The Venkies should be a banned word, they will never leave the club until it gets personal and losing face in India is a major event. It’s the Raos that should be targeted/referred as