[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[ada2020]

Not sure if this has been posted but....Not close to completion...

A smoke screen in my opinion, how can they have been negotiating for 6 weeks or so and not be close to achieving anything.

If they cannot agree a fee then surely, after a period of negotiation both parties call it a day, this can be achieved in a relativly short amount of time I would have thought.

I still believe this will happen and before then end of this month.

[philipl]

If what has gone into the public domain is all there has been, contact between the club/Trust and Nathaniel/Shah has been very occasional since April.

[ada2020]

Where is it suggested that contact has been very occasional?

Negotiations continue, I would assume this means they are talking face to face. They were at Ewood for the Arsenal match which suggests contact was made on a personal basis at least as far back as May.

A bid has been faxed in by all accounts, surely this would have led to some negotiation had it not been rejected outright.

I cannot imagine if the negotiations were real that these would have been undertaken on a sparodic basis by Royal Mail, this is the purchase of a large company not a local fruit and veg store.

You may indeed be right about all this and maybe there is very little going on behind the scenes, I believe this to not be the case however.

[67splitscreen]

Where is it suggested that contact has been very occasional?

Negotiations continue, I would assume this means they are talking face to face. They were at Ewood for the Arsenal match which suggests contact was made on a personal basis at least as far back as May.

A bid has been faxed in by all accounts, surely this would have led to some negotiation had it not been rejected outright.

I cannot imagine if the negotiations were real that these would have been undertaken on a sparodic basis by Royal Mail, this is the purchase of a large company not a local fruit and veg store.

You may indeed be right about all this and maybe there is very little going on behind the scenes, I believe this to not be the case however.

Wrong end of the stick. Me thinks.

[ada2020]

Wrong end of the stick. Me thinks.

Thats there is something happening?

Yep you could be right, I'm just trying to remain optimistic that something positive will happen.

[Flopsy]

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100720%2FSPORT%2F707209954%2F1004

My friend who knows sport & the people involved in this thinks it's a bad bad idea

[ada2020]

Oh well if your friend says so............

[rovers_rob]

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100720%2FSPORT%2F707209954%2F1004

My friend who knows sport & the people involved in this thinks it's a bad bad idea

why ?

[Flopsy]

His exact quote was, they'll have Bollywood dancing every 15 minutes and an add break every 5.

And i should have said "my friend who knows a lot about Indian sport &The personalities involved" says it's a bad bad idea

[philipl]

A successful bid from Mr Shah could see the introduction of a “high-growth revenue model” along IPL lines, the source added, with cross-marketing between the football club and the IPL through Mr Shah’s Qubic Sports Investment firm.... taken from that anonymous piece which seems now to have been syndicated all across Asia unlike Andy Cryer's denial in the LT!

This interview from 2008 gives some idea of the high growth revenue model of the IPL. It includes the words "highly leveraged" or lots of debt in common parlance.

This Forbes article basically argues that because there are so few IPL franchises, there is always another billionaire waiting to bid even more in five years' time. The IPL is modelled on the EPL but with a key difference- half the number of teams and no relegation as far as I can tell.

Here in a nutshell was the economic and business rationale for IPL just before the financial crunch

A more recent interview about IPL outlining the spread of the concept, where revenue growth comes from and the struggle to make a profit. It all hinges on growing sponsorship.

A recent BBC piece n the IPL.

I think the crunch comes in these paragraphs from the BBC piece:

Rahul Bhattacharya, India's finest cricket writer, says India will accept the IPL with all this and more because it is not a sporting society. "Its [society's] relationship with sport is not of participant but consumer. It holds nothing sacred. The IPL knows that it competes not against sport but general entertainment," he says.

But, amid this hype, there is absolutely no way to verify the spin about the IPL's fortunes. Lalit Modi says it is India's biggest global brand and valued at over $4bn. I have asked many friends in the valuations business and they say they have no clue about the basis of this figure. Mr Modi also insists that the tournament will generate up to $140m, translating into earnings of $18m for each team.

Yet, three editions later, one hears that most teams are not making money. This is despite the fact that the team owners are paying IPL for their teams in 10 yearly instalments. Most agree that to become truly profitable, the teams have to build a loyal city-based fan base.

So in short, it is entertainment, not sport; it is no respecter of tradition and the entire PROJECTED IPL turnover IS LESS THAN TWICE that of Blackburn Rovers.

Perhaps Flopsy's friend is right.

[67splitscreen]

Just going off the last couple of paragraphs there, perhaps this is why negotiations are progressing slowwwllllyyyy.

Possibly our owners and advisers are not convinced that the overall package is not secure enough for our long term future.

Anyone taken to saying their prayers again at the foot of their bed.

[Majiball]

I'm not liking the sound of this IPL model.

[Iceman]

I'm not liking the sound of this IPL model.

[Paul]

A successful bid from Mr Shah could see the introduction of a "high-growth revenue model" along IPL lines, the source added, with cross-marketing between the football club and the IPL through Mr Shah's Qubic Sports Investment firm.... taken from that anonymous piece which seems now to have been syndicated all across Asia unlike Andy Cryer's denial in the LT!

This interview from 2008 gives some idea of the high growth revenue model of the IPL. It includes the words "highly leveraged" or lots of debt in common parlance.

This Forbes article basically argues that because there are so few IPL franchises, there is always another billionaire waiting to bid even more in five years' time. The IPL is modelled on the EPL but with a key difference- half the number of teams and no relegation as far as I can tell.

Here in a nutshell was the economic and business rationale for IPL just before the financial crunch

A more recent interview about IPL outlining the spread of the concept, where revenue growth comes from and the struggle to make a profit. It all hinges on growing sponsorship.

A recent BBC piece n the IPL.

I think the crunch comes in these paragraphs from the BBC piece:

Rahul Bhattacharya, India's finest cricket writer, says India will accept the IPL with all this and more because it is not a sporting society. "Its [society's] relationship with sport is not of participant but consumer. It holds nothing sacred. The IPL knows that it competes not against sport but general entertainment," he says.

But, amid this hype, there is absolutely no way to verify the spin about the IPL's fortunes. Lalit Modi says it is India's biggest global brand and valued at over $4bn. I have asked many friends in the valuations business and they say they have no clue about the basis of this figure. Mr Modi also insists that the tournament will generate up to $140m, translating into earnings of $18m for each team.

Yet, three editions later, one hears that most teams are not making money. This is despite the fact that the team owners are paying IPL for their teams in 10 yearly instalments. Most agree that to become truly profitable, the teams have to build a loyal city-based fan base.

So in short, it is entertainment, not sport; it is no respecter of tradition and the entire PROJECTED IPL turnover IS LESS THAN TWICE that of Blackburn Rovers.

Perhaps Flopsy's friend is right.

Perhaps it also shows my suggestion that writing a business / marketing plan is the easy bit is right. Some of the content of those articles / interviews is unadulterated hype and means nothing.

If this is where Blackburn Rovers are heading it's scary both for the club and the PL in general. Why? if it works others will follow and the game will suffer as a result.

[jodrell]

I'm not liking the sound of this IPL model.

Which one

Beautiful IPL Franchises Owners

Or the half time RAZZZZAAAMMMAAAA TAAAAAZZZZZZ

Cheer Leaders

[iamarover]

Well, I'm not sure about India but in Singapore, we're all football mad here so potential growth is limited. In Singapore, I would say that Big 4 supporters make up about 90% of all fans while the remaining 10% are divided among spurs, man city, everton, newcastle and rovers fans.

The good news is that we're probably still one of the more popular teams outside the big 4 (a legacy of the 90s) and I'm sure Rovers shirts are more commonly seen here than in London. The bad news is that Rovers supporters are a dying breed and unless we suddenly start playing like barcelona and start winning things, I don't see that changing. From my travels, i would say that probably applies across the Asia-Pacific region.

I come to Singapore once a month. Is there a bar you all meet to watch games, in case I am in town for one!?

On my travels across Asia Pacific, I can honestly say I have seen just the one single Rover. I've watched England, cricket games even Rovers. I met one lad originally from Wilpshire in Causeway Bay for the Burnley game, but was too bladdered from the Sevens to remember his name or where he lived in HK. All in all I would agree that any fans in Asia who are watching football now already have a team. And no IPL tie ups will ever change that. Unfortunately.

[Majiball]

The huge debt, sod the pretty girls that we'll never get near enough to charm into our beds. We need players and however we sign is going to have missed pre-season and will just be playing catch-up. Last year it took 6 months (still flabergasted at that) to get our signings playing.

This takeover is going to cause us serious problems unless it gets resolved quickly. If its been banging around since April surely by now an agreement or not could have been reached. No strikers, no midfielders, no left back, it needs a resolution so we can start signing players.

At the rate its all going we really are going to end up with Banjoni and thats akin to putting the nails in the coffin yourself. For the first summer in ages I am really, really worried.

And no Hughesy I won't go back to bed and get out the other side.

[thenodrog]

The huge debt, sod the pretty girls that we'll never get near enough to charm into our beds. We need players and however we sign is going to have missed pre-season and will just be playing catch-up. Last year it took 6 months (still flabergasted at that) to get our signings playing.

Not sure about that. I think it represented common sense. Last year before Christmas SA chose to play Di Santo before Benny, Roberts and Kalinic. imo this was because either...

a. Chelsea insisted he play a certain number of matches as a condition of his initial 6 month loan.

and/or

b. Cos of possible injuries it was sensible to play a loan signing rather than subject our own strikers to possible injury.

There were a number of changes last January. Benny left, Olsson and latterly Jones came in strongly as did Salgado but imo the kick start was Kalinic or / Roberts replacing Di Santo. Di santo flattered to deceive imo.

Anyway how would you speed up the process that flabbergasted you so much? What methods do you feel we were not using and what methods should we have used? I'd be suprised if there are any that our manager and senior coaching staff have not considered.

[Pete1981]

Just came across the bleacher report well worth a read into why we need a takeover to go through...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/422943-how-do-blackburn-rovers-stay-afloat

[Exiled_Rover]

I think it's time to say 'Thanks, but no thanks' and move on here. We can't sit in limbo waiting for a takeover not knowing what our transfer kitty will look like.

[Veevs]

Just came across the bleacher report well worth a read into why we need a takeover to go through...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/422943-how-do-blackburn-rovers-stay-afloat

Great article and very interesting seeing the figures over the years.. how the hell though did wages jump up by so much in 2009.. I am guessing its to do with getting rid of Ince?

39.7m (2008) to 46.1m (2009) and WAY more than our league winning side.. yikes

Anotehr thing to really keep an eye on is that loan we took out.. 12m will need to be raised for 2012.. I can only guess we will have two options either player sales or an extension to the loan.. ick

[ada2020]

Just came across the bleacher report well worth a read into why we need a takeover to go through...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/422943-how-do-blackburn-rovers-stay-afloat

Good article, slightly depressing but as you say highlights the very real need for a takeover and a change of direction.

[Majiball]

Anyway how would you speed up the process that flabbergasted you so much? What methods do you feel we were not using and what methods should we have used? I'd be suprised if there are any that our manager and senior coaching staff have not considered.

In 6 months I could you ready to run the sahara desert race let only 90 minutes of football. Marathon runners get fitter in less time and so on.

[malk]

I still can't see why we have so many players in our squad. We would do well to cut down the numbers of "first team" players in the squad and run a team with more reserves/youngsters. We should have our first eleven with a backup player of relatively proven ability for each position (i.e. 11 + 1 keeper, 1 centre half, 1 full back, 1 centre mid, 1 winger and 1 striker). After that the rest should be filled with youth team players and younger prospects. Of course you need injury cover and general depth in the squad but we swap the Jacobsens and Khizanishvilis and Grellas for youth team players (for the combined 20 games a season they play) and get pretty much the same results.

Sure it'd be a gamble but so is running such a high percentage of turnover on wages. Plus we might find more Jones' along the way.

[Amo]

I still can't see why we have so many players in our squad. We would do well to cut down the numbers of "first team" players in the squad and run a team with more reserves/youngsters.

Oh, we could try, but when the likes of Chimbonda want to stay you know there's something amiss. We're paying over the odds to players who could be easily replaced for half the price.