[Archived] An Open Letter

[Stuart]

If the fans were to put together an open letter addressed to the Rao/Desai family, what would be in it?

What do we want Venkys to do for Rovers?

It is very easy to say "leave" but this would need to be managed to avoid Rovers folding. We are dealing with very rich children who will not react well to home truths or insults. So any managed exit would need to have Rovers best interests in mind. Assuming we could simply recover from administration assumes that they would not simply liquidate.

Alternatively there many be a view that we need them to set about doing the right things.

Would we be able to even reach a consensus to be able to write such a letter "On behalf of all Rovers fans"? I would suggest that a #venkysout letter would not receive universal support from the fanbase but a well-worded "plea" might get most - I accept that won't include Abs and possibly GAV.

[ABBEY]

just send them this link

[Dreams of 1995]

- Outline the plight in our finances since the takeover from Venky's and seek an answer to the problem.

- A demand for a UK based CEO - use references to how decisions aren't being made in a timely manner, with previous examples. Players' contracts/lack of funds available/managers previously flying to India for 'conferences' etc.

- Point out the position our club was in when they took over. Fantastic facilities, fantastic ground, top manager/team. Then point out where we are at now.

- Ask for immediate answers regarding the Kean/Andersen fiasco. We need to know EXACTLY what happened in the months they took over the club. This is a section that should be used to embarrass them. Where they taken for a ride by a scummy little man?

- Point out the pride and passion of the town towards this club and how it seems as if they simply don't care about their fans.

At most a letter should aim to embarrass and provoke them without being too 'in-your-face critical'. It's a hard task to pen such a letter in a way that would get our thoughts across and not become a 40-page document. I do think it is possible though.

Also for future posts' sake my points above are simply a starting block. I know that they are but a fraction of the problems we have.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Well I've been reading the comments of Neil Hudgell the Hull KR chairman. As most RL fans will be aware full time Super League Hull KR got beaten at home by part time championship Oldham 22-36 ! That was a massive upset. Giant killing doesn't happen very often if at all in Rugby League these days.

Hudgell said - " Apologies are not enough, actions have to trump words. Too many cheap words by too many people who haven't bought into what we are trying to deliver. We have dishonest people in the club and they will be smoked out ! "

What I'd give for a chairman at the club with his attitude.

[matt83]

Hasn't all this been done before during the kean fiasco. The telegraph wrote one I think. Venkys don't care. Won't read it. Wouldn't understand it even if they did read it. Plus I'm not interested in anything they say heard it all before. It's what they do that matters. Back Lambert with proper money or put the club up for token sale.

Something that puzzles me to this day. On the basis they only bought the club as a trinket something to brag about with the other Indian nouveau riche why do they still continue. What's in it for them now? They have made themselves look foolish and incompetent businessmen. Are hated by large swathes of their fanbase. Why continue?

[arbitro]

We are talking about people who have no humility and are arrogant in the extreme. Why on earth does anybody think they would listen to subservients?

John Williams, Tom Finn and Paul Hunt all tried and were dismissed. And the arrogant Indians paid these people to do just that - give them advice.

[Stuart]

Hasn't all this been done before during the kean fiasco. The telegraph wrote one I think. Venkys don't care. Won't read it. Wouldn't understand it even if they did read it. Plus I'm not interested in anything they say heard it all before. It's what they do that matters. Back Lambert with proper money or put the club up for token sale.

The difference here is that it would involve a full page ad in the broadsheet(s) from the fans, rather than an article by a journo, however respected.

Something that puzzles me to this day. On the basis they only bought the club as a trinket something to brag about with the other Indian nouveau riche why do they still continue. What's in it for them now? They have made themselves look foolish and incompetent businessmen. Are hated by large swathes of their fanbase. Why continue?

The $64,000 question. Now the parachute payments have stopped, and they aren't communicating, perhaps we will find out. They have probably spotted that if they do nothing, nobody in the footballing world remembers they even exist. Maybe they are just so rich that proving they aren't included then it doesn't matter but that would be pretty stupid from a business perspective.

[BlueMonday]

People saying that all protests and actions are pointless because it won't change Venkys behaviour, are missing the point.

The Club is going down the tubes what ever we do(or don't do). I see it more as, we the supporters speaking up to show the world we know what's happening and the WE care.

If Rovers goes t!ts up because of Venkys and we have just meekly sat back and watched it happen, we will be rightly ridiculed.

[1arC]

There is mention on Twitter and I am not sure it is true, that their profits are falling and also shareholder unrest exists. Perhaps getting a letter out now, whilst more bad news is out there for the VH brand would be a good idea.

[mhead]

Just GET RID OF YOUR USELESS TRINKET before you kill the most successful Town Club in the World.

Signed

Lancashire and World Supporters of Blackburn Rovers FC

[Jock]

Tell them. ' f__k off '

[tomphil]

When that financial thing appeared on here from the Indian business press as to whether they were a good bet to buy shares in it was almost like it was about the club not the poultry business. Built on huge debt and limping along but still somehow continuing to be a viable business. Reading the comments section could have been from Rovers fans also, arrogant detached management, silly decisions in recruitment and putting faith in inexperienced people were amongst the comments as well as a good few mentions of their loss making English football club.

They'll probably eventually wreck the poultry thing like the club but they also probably have so many other personal business interests that they'll be able to prop that up as well.

Something somewhere will give eventually and IMO it's started right here in Blackburn, in fact it started last summer. They seem to have almost permanently distanced themselves from the club and it won't be long until they're not answering any calls.

[BlueMonday]

When that financial thing appeared on here from the Indian business press as to whether they were a good bet to buy shares in it was almost like it was about the club not the poultry business. Built on huge debt and limping along but still somehow continuing to be a viable business. Reading the comments section could have been from Rovers fans also, arrogant detached management, silly decisions in recruitment and putting faith in inexperienced people were amongst the comments as well as a good few mentions of their loss making English football club.

They'll probably eventually wreck the poultry thing like the club but they also probably have so many other personal business interests that they'll be able to prop that up as well.

Something somewhere will give eventually and IMO it's started right here in Blackburn, in fact it started last summer. They seem to have almost permanently distanced themselves from the club and it won't be long until they're not answering any calls.

They have no business acumen what so ever. Its taken some time, but eventually they are now ruining the business that Daddy built up and handed them on a plate.

Spoilt rich kids with a sense of entitlement, who think they are cleverer than they really are.

I've heard that Madam projects an image of superiority, but talks a lot of Bunkum and is comically clueless.

[McClarky]

F off. A good approach would be for everyone to boycott spending any money in the ground at all.

[tomphil]

F off. A good approach would be for everyone to boycott spending any money in the ground at all.

I called for a boycott of the Bristol game if nothing is clearer by the, just to make a statement that we aren't happy. I call for it again.

[ABBEY]

no chance of it happenning following what i experienced yesterday. Its over . Sit down shut up and let them do whatever they want is teh way it sadly is now.

[Stuart]

I called for a boycott of the Bristol game if nothing is clearer by the, just to make a statement that we aren't happy. I call for it again.

It's all well and good saying that but, like Abs says, I don't think you will ever get a total boycott. At best there would be a couple of hundred.

And this time, not only is there no Venkys and no TV cameras to see it but there is also no manager to aim at. Lambert is on our side, whether by design or by coincidence.

Who would notice our protest? Who would care? What are we protesting against? And why now? Why not when Bowyer was here? When Rhodes was sold? When Jack was here, they couldn't ignore us. Now that Venkys have taken away our platform they barely recognise us as a football club. Nobody cares. Half of Rovers fans have walked away since Kean, half again will go when we are relegated.

In the absence of an alternative, the best we can do is a few rogue fans firing off a two-fingered message in the papers - costing a small fortune - and hope that they are doing the right thing.

[yoda]

Roman says

You fargin sneaky bastages. I'm gonna take your dwork. I'm gonna nail it to the wall. I'm gonna crush your boils in a meat grinder. I'm gonna cut off your arms. I'm gonna shove 'em up your iceholes. Dirty son-a-ma-batches. My own football club!

[OscarRaven]

Great idea. Run a competition, vote on the best letters and then buy a full page in India's biggest newspaper and publish the winner.

Oh... F$#k off won. Scratch that.

[allanncd]

plant a killer virus in their chicken sheds

[Dreams of 1995]

Dear Venky's,

On the 19th of November 2010 we found out the news you had bought our club for 23 million pounds. Anuradah Desai was quoted as saying "we will absolutely respect the Jack Walker legacy will be actively supporting the organisation to ensure that Blackburn Rovers remain one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League". This was a lie. Your company has systematically tore our club apart from top to bottom. Our reputation as 'one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League' now lies in tatters; Blackburn Rovers Football Club is now more synonymous with debt than it is with success. We have heard the news that your business interests in India are seemingly failing also. As your shareholders in India are understandably concerned about their business interests we are similarly concerned about our interests in our club. The only difference is that our interests stem far deeper than the value of money: this club is everything to our town and has been our pride and joy for over 100 years. In under 6 years you have managed to take that away from us. You have essentially stolen our most prized asset in order to "promote your image overseas". You have certainly portrayed an image, Mrs Desai, but perhaps not the one you wished to portray. The angst caused by your lack of decision making is beginning to turn into anger. Our fan base now holds nothing but disdain for the word 'Venky's. Your ownership of this football club has left irreplaceable damage to your name in Britain. The principal aim of this letter is to seek answers to many questions that have fallen on deaf ears over the previous 6 years of tumultuous ownership. What is the truth behind Jerome Andersen's involvement in the few years after your purchase of the football club? What is your answer to the insurmountable debt that is crippling this club? You are on the brink of ruining an important part of our town that has survived since 1875 and you don't even have the tenacity to show up in our town and face the questions we ask of you.

Today's date is 18th April 2016. We have finally had enough. All of our pleas, protests and demands have fallen on deaf ears. You have stolen from this town and you have betrayed everyone that lives in it. As we are all essentially shareholders of Blackburn Rovers Football Club we have called a vote of no confidence. Your inability to make correct business decisions has driven our most valuable staff members from our club, our most beloved supporters from our terraces and the hope from within us. We sincerely hope that your final actions as the owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club will be the honorable ones - you can still save some dignity.

Regards, Fans of BRFC.


A letter template drawn up in about 10 minutes. Obviously nowhere near a finished article. However I believe something along those lines would go nicely.

[LewisF]

To say that was done in 10 minutes it's very very good. I think this is a project that us Rovers supporters should pursue, and attract attention to it from all areas to try and finally get rid of these jokers

[JHRover]

Dear Venky's,

On the 19th of November 2010 we found out the news you had bought our club for 23 million pounds. Anuradah Desai was quoted as saying "we will absolutely respect the Jack Walker legacy will be actively supporting the organisation to ensure that Blackburn Rovers remain one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League". This was a lie. Your company has systematically tore our club apart from top to bottom. Our reputation as 'one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League' now lies in tatters; Blackburn Rovers Football Club is now more synonymous with debt than it is with success. We have heard the news that your business interests in India are seemingly failing also. As your shareholders in India are understandably concerned about their business interests we are similarly concerned about our interests in our club. The only difference is that our interests stem far deeper than the value of money: this club is everything to our town and has been our pride and joy for over 100 years. In under 6 years you have managed to take that away from us. You have essentially stolen our most prized asset in order to "promote your image overseas". You have certainly portrayed an image, Mrs Desai, but perhaps not the one you wished to portray. The angst caused by your lack of decision making is beginning to turn into anger. Our fan base now holds nothing but disdain for the word 'Venky's. Your ownership of this football club has left irreplaceable damage to your name in Britain. The principal aim of this letter is to seek answers to many questions that have fallen on deaf ears over the previous 6 years of tumultuous ownership. What is the truth behind Jerome Andersen's involvement in the few years after your purchase of the football club? What is your answer to the insurmountable debt that is crippling this club? You are on the brink of ruining an important part of our town that has survived since 1875 and you don't even have the tenacity to show up in our town and face the questions we ask of you.

Today's date is 18th April 2016. We have finally had enough. All of our pleas, protests and demands have fallen on deaf ears. You have stolen from this town and you have betrayed everyone that lives in it. As we are all essentially shareholders of Blackburn Rovers Football Club we have called a vote of no confidence. Your inability to make correct business decisions has driven our most valuable staff members from our club, our most beloved supporters from our terraces and the hope from within us. We sincerely hope that your final actions as the owners of Blackburn Rovers Football Club will be the honorable ones - you can still save some dignity.

Regards, Fans of BRFC.

A letter template drawn up in about 10 minutes. Obviously nowhere near a finished article. However I believe something along those lines would go nicely.

Its very good but unfortunately I doubt Venkys would even have the decency to read it, nevermind actually pay serious attention to it and act on it.

There's nobody left at the club with a link to the owners. Even the manager they appointed in November can't get anywhere, so the chances of fans getting a letter delivered to Desai and her paying attention to it are non existent.

[Dreams of 1995]

To say that was done in 10 minutes it's very very good. I think this is a project that us Rovers supporters should pursue, and attract attention to it from all areas to try and finally get rid of these jokers

Thank-you. I noticed a few errors after reading it a third and fourth time but it is certainly a starting point.

I think we have to take into consideration their culture. To shame them as a family would be devastating for them but we should also leave them a lifeline for some honour. Their unsavvy business decisions and severe loss of money would be of great shame to them in India.

[Ivorsemion]

Great idea. Run a competition, vote on the best letters and then buy a full page in India's biggest newspaper and publish the winner.

Oh... F$#k off won. Scratch that.

Would be much more effective than any protest at Ewood is likely to be - obviously without the 'F' off bit!