[Archived] Just WHY were we bought?

[broadsword]

To paraphrase a (dubbed) Samuel L Jackson from Snakes on a Plane:

"Enough is enough! I have had it with these monkey-fighting Venky's owning my Monday to Friday club."

[Amo]

[Emge]

"Venkys - Good for you" ??

Is that actually their slogan? Rubbishhhhhhh

[sentient]

Throughout the whole Kean debacle i have tried to remain neutral in terms of the mud which has been flung his way. Until such a time that i can see unwavering evidence of foul play i have to adopt the 'innocent until proven guilty' approach. No matter how much it goes against my instinct.

Sorry mate but take the lesson in life! This is not a criminal trial but having an opinion about the events taking place.

If you smelt smoke in the bedroom would you wait for the final evidence of the yellow flames?

Sometimes you have to hold an opinion. Tell you what though ... I can't believe the commons committee thinks that Murdoch is "unconvicted mafia". Absolute slander but they say it from the protection of westminster. Disgrace!

"Give them time!" is a slogan that the corrupt embrace. Too many people with BRFC at heart have given "corrupt people" far too easy a time. So easy that the game may be over even now (hope totally that I am wrong but again its just hope). I hate to think how some people will react when they realise the true reality of how they have been duped and how their compliance/naivety has hastened the destruction. You never know they may even start to get a bit angry.

[patrickvalery]

Sorry mate but take the lesson in life! This is not a criminal trial but having an opinion about the events taking place.

If you smelt smoke in the bedroom would you wait for the final evidence of the yellow flames?

Sometimes you have to hold an opinion. Tell you what though ... I can't believe the commons committee thinks that Murdoch is "unconvicted mafia". Absolute slander but they say it from the protection of westminster. Disgrace!

"Give them time!" is a slogan that the corrupt embrace. Too many people with BRFC at heart have given "corrupt people" far too easy a time. So easy that the game may be over even now (hope totally that I am wrong but again its just hope). I hate to think how some people will react when they realise the true reality of how they have been duped and how their compliance/naivety has hastened the destruction. You never know they may even start to get a bit angry.

Perhaps you're right. Instinct may have served me better, But it would have offered the same level of clarity to this point. I know things at Rovers stink, but it does me less harm beleiving that sometimes roses grow better in piles of sh!te. ...............God i wish i really believed that!

[FourLaneBlue]

No disrespect and I'm not trying to be clever flb but why has it taken you 12 months to get this far? I suppose the irrational love of people for a football club has blinded us all to some extent, and some more than others.

I have been suspicious for a long time and made my feelings known on here.

I've not felt comfortable since Sam's sacking. Despite the awful timing of it, then was their moment to put their own mark on the club and bring in their big name manager to lead the club. They chose Steve Kean. Or, rather, Steve Kean had been chosen for them before they bought the club, as seems to be more likely.

After an initial honeymoon period of a month or so, when a whole 3 of his six Premiership wins came, it has been an unmitigated disaster.

[colin]

FLB,

I think your original post (to paraphase) "why did Venky's buy Rovers?" is pertinant.

Now only Venkys can actually answer that question.

But we may consider that the plethora of foreign owners of British football clubs is a fairly recent phonomenon.

The Glaziers at Manchester United; Randy Learner at Villa; Gillet & Hicks and then John Henry at Liverpool at least had backgrounds in American sports ownership.

Chelsea's owner & Manchester City's owners have just bought them as toys, hobbies if you like. Money no object.

We can perhaps compare ourselves with Birmingham City (Carlson Yeung (sp?)) & Fulham (Mohammed Al Fayed.) We are fully entitled to ask "Why the heck did they want to buy the club?"

My only suggestion is that they did it out of a corporate "dick-swinging" just to prove that they were big enough to prove that they were up with the big boys and could own a Premiership club. Along with an onyx ashtray; an Aston Martin and a holiday home in The Maldives.

The onyx ashtray & the Aston Martin and the home in The Maldives don't come attached with us lot attached.

Perhaps(& I can only hope that this is correct) Venkys will now realise that buying Rovers was not quite as simple as buying an Aston Martin. They may have bought Rovers, but they have bought all of us too.

A small part of me feels sorry for them because they have tried to punch over their weight. Well sod them. I just wish they would **** OFF

[Miker]

Answer this question as well:

Why would a company like Venky's, and its 4 owners, decide to one day purchase a football club just to asset strip and destroy it?

[FourLaneBlue]

once upon a time, Jerome Anderson had an idea about buying a football club...

What's happened since then?

[Miker]

once upon a time, Jerome Anderson had an idea about buying a football club...

What's happened since then?

Well, you tell me. I want to hear the story of "Jerome Anderson's Big Idea".

[sweeneybrfc]

Going back 12 months, we were hoping that we were about to start a new chapter in the glorious story of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. These Indians millionaires talked of the Champions League, new signings, ambition...

12 months on...and we have, at best, our worst ever manager being offered a new contract. At worst, he has signed the damn thing. Jerome Anderson casts a shadow over the whole place. Some questions -

1. Who really runs Rovers and makes the decisions? It´s obviously not Venky´s. Some might hope that they make some few major decisions. Really? They would decide to sack Sam and replace him with Kean? Nah...not likely. They alone decided he deserves a new contract despite bringing on loads of protests which were starting to turn against them? No, not logical.

2. How much money have Venky´s REALLY put in? Any? Have they purchased the club then put that as debt on the club a la Glazer? Is that possible? They have mortgages out on our future earnings, how much of that cash is for Rovers and how much for outside intests?

3. How much has Jerome Anderson made out of the club? Agent fees, through his son etc. Is he the one saying what is what? I remember when posters on here didn´t see any problem if we only looked for players through one agent. Is Anderson´s role a conflict of interest? Perhaps not, if all the interest is going into his account. How much have Rovers paid out in agent fees in the last year?

4. Just what do Venky´s want Rovers for? PR in the UK? Then it doesn´t make sense to get all your fans hating you by sticking two fingers up as they appearing to be doing now. Just WHAT do they want from Rovers?

5. Getting rid of seasoned, experienced, professional businessmen with invaluable knowledge of Rovers, one of which promptly went to the richest club in the world. How is there any logic in that, unless we assume that they don´t want anyone there to complain about what is going on?

6. Asset stripping. How much could be ripped out of Rovers in a few years, while putting all the debt onto the club, then attempting to walk away/wind the club down? Could substantial money be made in this way?

All of it is bizarre, and we have not yet had a really good answer to...

Just why, exactly, did Venky´s/SEM/Kentaro/whatever buy Rovers?

Got to agree with this chap. I can't think of any justification for continued support for Venky's mismanagement and sinister motives throughout their ownership of the club. People need to stop putting blind faith in Venky's, divert attention from Kean, and put it at the core of the cancer. We need to mobilise to get VENKYS OUT.

[FourLaneBlue]

Well, you tell me. I want to hear the story of "Jerome Anderson's Big Idea".

Nah, much has been said before, and I don't respond to someone on here ordering me to do something. Try the long Jerome Anderson thread if you wish...

[Miker]

Nah, much has been said before, and I don't respond to someone on here ordering me to do something. Try the long Jerome Anderson thread if you wish...

Sorry didn't realize I was ordering you to do something. I'll add a question mark on the end or something next time then, so that I can empathize that it is a simple request and not a stern demand. Piecing the story together from fractured posts on a thread isn't really ideal, I prefer if someone can explain Jerome's plan to me from start to finish in a single post, thanks anyway.

[FourLaneBlue]

Fair enough, perhaps I misunderstood your post, I thought it came across as somewhat mocking. A kind of "Go on then, tell me your conspiracy theory", which I'd respect if you'd had anything other than conjecture to back up your own position.

I posted point-by-point on my first post in this thread, why not start by answering those?

Personally, I think Anderson got into the picture when the Trust were looking for buyers, realised here was a golden opportunity to be part of a club, and subsequently has had the largest say on matters at Rovers. Hence...

1) Sam getting potted and Kean, Anderson's client, getting appointed

2) JW leaving and Desai saying that he didn't agree with Anderson's role in the club.

3)A 1.6 million quid agents fee in the Rochina transfer going to...guess who. Bolton took legal action after a ludicrous 30% fee was charged for the Gavin McCann transfer. What are we doing ignoring a 300% fee?

4) Myles Anderson.

5) John Jensen, a SEM client, being brought in.

6) Kean...is, at the very least, considered for a new contract after a less than 10% win rate this season.

You're right Miker...nothing's concrete. Let's not speculate.

All is well with Rovers and the world as it can't be proved. Hurrah!

...and only 5 points from safety, too!

[glen9mullan]

http://image.guardia...rtscribddoc.pdf

This has just made my physically sick (Investment £100 Million Mortgages? excluding August Cash)

Finance guru would be good about now

[PLJPB]

http://image.guardia...rtscribddoc.pdf

This has just made my physically sick (Investment £100 Million Mortgages? excluding August Cash)

Finance guru would be good about now

The figures are as at 30th June 2010 i.e. Before Venkys bought the club.

The £100 million is the total money put into the club by Jack and the Waller Trust during their ownership.

We won't know for sure the debts under Venkys until the 30th June 2011 accounts are published which may not be until March next year

[glen9mullan]

Cheers for clearing it up

[PLJPB]

I think the table is badly presented and confusing. All the figures are taken from the accounts at June 2010. However they are showing who the owners were at the time the article was written - may 2011.

[beatrix]

As per previous posts and taking into account podcast 14 our situation is relatively becoming clearer.

The venkys are not football fans never mind Rovers fans, they are business people first and foremost with no allegiance or

previous connections to blackburn at all. Therefore their decision to buy Rovers was obviously nothing to do with football

it was to do with their expansion plans for venkys europe, brand awareness, publicity, PR all are positives for them. Add

the recent mortgage facility against the clubs revenues going forward, £100m at low interest rates, which can be used by them

to fund their european expansion plans and the overall situation is a winner for them, NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH FOOTBALL.

Kean is a front man / puppet with a football background to take the flack and remove the venkys from the day to day aggravation

of the worsening situation from a football point of view.

Despite what the puners reported back they are not interested in football, dont understand football. they are interested in their

expansion plans for europe. I doubt whether they are bothered about us being relegated, we are owned by venkys london they could

liquidate that company if the financial situation became dire, and walk away.

[AndyC]

I doubt whether they are bothered about us being relegated, we are owned by venkys london they could

liquidate that company if the financial situation became dire, and walk away.

and therein lies the key to this who fiasco.

I think that certain agents could walk away after 18 months steering things behind the scenes, having netted over £10MILLION in personal wealth.

Venkys could borrow huge sums at much lower interest rates than they could in India.

Venkys could sell players to recoup the £25M they paid for the club. (will only take another couple of sales.)

Venkys could then put the club into liquidation and walk away from the debt mountain they are building up.

Nothing they have done do so far suggests they are in it for the long term.

All they have done is make contradictory statements from the very beginning.

[AggyBlue]

and therein lies the key to this who fiasco.

I think that certain agents could walk away after 18 months steering things behind the scenes, having netted over £10MILLION in personal wealth.

Venkys could borrow huge sums at much lower interest rates than they could in India.

Venkys could sell players to recoup the £25M they paid for the club. (will only take another couple of sales.)

Venkys could then put the club into liquidation and walk away from the debt mountain they are building up.

Nothing they have done do so far suggests they are in it for the long term.

All they have done is make contradictory statements from the very beginning.

They've already done that bit

[True Blue & White]

Maybe we're the subject of India's version of Beadles About. Any day now Baliji will rip of that fake pony tail and beard (to reveal another beard underneath) and we'll find out this was all one big joke.

[philipl]

On the Guardian table, they are showing the Trust's net invested share capital rounded down to £100m, not Venky's.

As for Venky's involvement- I am simply confused and bemused. No idea why they did buy and the numbers such as we know them don't make any sense in terms of running a small town football club in the PL.

[Mr Maureen]

and therein lies the key to this who fiasco.

I think that certain agents could walk away after 18 months steering things behind the scenes, having netted over £10MILLION in personal wealth.

Venkys could borrow huge sums at much lower interest rates than they could in India.

Venkys could sell players to recoup the £25M they paid for the club. (will only take another couple of sales.)

Venkys could then put the club into liquidation and walk away from the debt mountain they are building up.

Nothing they have done do so far suggests they are in it for the long term.

All they have done is make contradictory statements from the very beginning.

Very well summarised Andy.

The FA will get involved when its too late,change the rules and vow to never let this happen again.