WATR (The Rovers Trust)

[Forever Blue]

2 hours ago, We Are The Rovers said:

WATR held their first post AGM board meeting last night and would like to let you know the situation regarding a board reshuffle.

We would like to thank the departing Chair, Mike Graham, for all his hard work and dedication over the last two years.

We would also like to thank Steve Williams for his excellent work as Heritage Lead over the same period. Steve has also decided to stand down from the board at this time.

Both Mike and Steve have our appreciation, respect and best wishes for the future.

Replacing Mike as Chair are Duncan Miller and Glen Mullan who will act as co-Chairs. Supporting Duncan and Glen will be Adam Deshmukh who has been elected Vice-Chair.

In addition to Glen, we would like to officially welcome new board members Jakob Ward, James Hamill, Jamie Hoyles and Dan Worden.

We look forward to serving the best interests of our members and helping to ensure a bright future for Blackburn Rovers.

I look forward to ‘Venky’s Out’ being front and centre of all and every communication from WATR. 

[JamieUK]

We have again reached out to the club today, however given the radio silence since SW left I think it's accepted we'll likely have the same again. The consensus is we may be waiting until the new 'CEO' is appointed but we'll keep pushing in the meantime. 

It's a much changed board - previously I believe there were 10 members and as above, 2 of those have departed with 5 new supporters joining. That, along with a change at the top will see a lot of new ideas discussed. We had a very encouraging meeting last night, there's a lot of enthusiasm on how we can make WATR better for it's members. 

If anybody has comments on what that would/should look like, do feel free to reach out - either here or to me personally.

I expect we'll start communicating more over the coming weeks.

[RoversClitheroe]

59 minutes ago, JamieUK said:

We have again reached out to the club today, however given the radio silence since SW left I think it's accepted we'll likely have the same again. The consensus is we may be waiting until the new 'CEO' is appointed but we'll keep pushing in the meantime. 

It's a much changed board - previously I believe there were 10 members and as above, 2 of those have departed with 5 new supporters joining. That, along with a change at the top will see a lot of new ideas discussed. We had a very encouraging meeting last night, there's a lot of enthusiasm on how we can make WATR better for it's members. 

If anybody has comments on what that would/should look like, do feel free to reach out - either here or to me personally.

I expect we'll start communicating more over the coming weeks.

Communicate as much as possible.

Hold the board to account.

Get Pasha out.

Get the Venkys out, or get a direct line of communication where you gain there trust.

Get Gestede out

[RoversClitheroe]

Question for the trust @JamieUK @glen9mullan can we absolutely ruin the Board e.g. Pasha and Venkys with this bill now being passed? 

[RevidgeBlue]

4 hours ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Question for the trust @JamieUK @glen9mullan can we absolutely ruin the Board e.g. Pasha and Venkys with this bill now being passed? 

What bill?

[Ossydave]

3 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

What bill?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c62gd25ydzwo

Although in the speech I heard she quoted a number of teams who'd been impacted by dreadful owners, no mention of us though. Suppose keeping the lights on, just, means they're OK to some....

[Lancaster Rover]

I think whilst we know the impact Venky's have had on us in terms of visibility in the wider world it's minimal.

The average PL fan has a short memory and our issues with Venky's during our PL years have been reduced to meme's of chickens on the pitch and spun to Rovers fans being annoyed that we were no longer near the top. I'd go so far as saying I imagine most PL fans and media to some extent believe the natural order has been restored getting their favoured 'massive clubs' back in the PL (looking at you Leeds, mad how everyone forgets them getting 16k in League 1).

So to the average fan we've suffered a relegation and a couple of near misses coupled with an instant promotion and a number of play off near misses. To many that doesn't read too differently than half the championship. Yes there might have been some managerial merry go round but that's an accepted part of championship football these days, sadly.

If you look at the clubs she's mentioned they've had point deductions, non-payment of wages, training grounds sold to other clubs and in some cases folded and risen as a phoenix club. Whilst we know the extent of damage to our club and the rumours of impending doom re the finances, viewed in the wider world all they see is a mid table championship club who has sold it's best players, again not too dissimilar from any other mid table championship club. And this is the crux of the issue in getting our story out, the devil is in the details and the nuance to why we've sold out Crown Jewels year on year, why managers have jumped on the merry go round, which is why it is imperative for the new WATR board to bring to the forefront the suspected mismanagement of all aspects of the club and the impact this has on the town and wider region.

[Upside Down]

12 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

I think whilst we know the impact Venky's have had on us in terms of visibility in the wider world it's minimal.

The average PL fan has a short memory and our issues with Venky's during our PL years have been reduced to meme's of chickens on the pitch and spun to Rovers fans being annoyed that we were no longer near the top. I'd go so far as saying I imagine most PL fans and media to some extent believe the natural order has been restored getting their favoured 'massive clubs' back in the PL (looking at you Leeds, mad how everyone forgets them getting 16k in League 1).

So to the average fan we've suffered a relegation and a couple of near misses coupled with an instant promotion and a number of play off near misses. To many that doesn't read too differently than half the championship. Yes there might have been some managerial merry go round but that's an accepted part of championship football these days, sadly.

If you look at the clubs she's mentioned they've had point deductions, non-payment of wages, training grounds sold to other clubs and in some cases folded and risen as a phoenix club. Whilst we know the extent of damage to our club and the rumours of impending doom re the finances, viewed in the wider world all they see is a mid table championship club who has sold it's best players, again not too dissimilar from any other mid table championship club. And this is the crux of the issue in getting our story out, the devil is in the details and the nuance to why we've sold out Crown Jewels year on year, why managers have jumped on the merry go round, which is why it is imperative for the new WATR board to bring to the forefront the suspected mismanagement of all aspects of the club and the impact this has on the town and wider region.

Their treatment of the women's team sums them up perfectly. 

The level of disrespect and disregard shown is the standard throughout everything they've done since day one. 

I don't even really care that much about us going down the leagues, that happens it's part of the game. The effect they've had on the town and the Rovers community is catastrophic and is something they should never be forgiven for.

As I've said previously, this isn't an issue just for Rovers it's endemic throughout English football. This needs radical changes to be put into place. I for one believe that private entities should not be allowed to outright own our national culture and heritage. That is the real issue here.

[RoversClitheroe]

7 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

Their treatment of the women's team sums them up perfectly. 

The level of disrespect and disregard shown is the standard throughout everything they've done since day one. 

I don't even really care that much about us going down the leagues, that happens it's part of the game. The effect they've had on the town and the Rovers community is catastrophic and is something they should never be forgiven for.

As I've said previously, this isn't an issue just for Rovers it's endemic throughout English football. This needs radical changes to be put into place. I for one believe that private entities should not be allowed to outright own our national culture and heritage. That is the real issue here.

Spot on.

Does this governance bill impact current owners?

There's so many red flags that surely Venkys will have issues?

"Shadow" CEO (is that even legal?)

This court case in India, Neville property?

Kentaro?

[Lancaster Rover]

And this is the problem they face, ultimately Football clubs are private businesses and the government/fans can kick and scream all they want but the business can do as it pleases. Until there is a 50+1 style ruling, (which will ever happen in a market driven capitalist country like England) the bill is like a dog with no dick 

[Mattyblue]

The death by a thousand cuts/slow boil of a frog, what ever analogy you want to use is why this lot will always get away with it, as they’ve always done just enough to keep the show on the road, be it wages or whatever else. They’ve always been canny enough to not let it all explode into the open, a la Sheff Wed.

It is the worst possible situation to be in as it allows them to run the club down without any scrutiny until they’ve reduced us to god knows what level… with a good percentage of the fanbase applauding them as they do it, by the way.

[Wheelton Blue]

The one thing which will cause the fanbase to vent is results on the pitch.

We were close to that situation last season, until Ismael got a few results towards the end to divert attentions.

Looking at the state of the squad, it could go south fairly quickly into the new season.

[Mattyblue]

But in reality, what will happen? ‘We want Venky’s out’ some bedsheets about Suhail? 

A midweek match will probably have about 6k in the ground next season. Of course, the fact there will be 6k in the ground for said games tells you what the wider fanbase has done - walked away in their droves, no better show of dissent than that to panic the owners of a business… but this lot couldn’t give a flying fuck about that.

Edited Wednesday at 08:51 by Mattyblue

[chaddyrovers]

The bill will have no affect on Venkys. 

The EFL and FA don't have a problem with the way Venkys are running the club. They are using money generated to pay the season debt off, wages are being paid and bills are paid on time. 

[Upside Down]

15 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

The bill will have no affect on Venkys. 

The EFL and FA don't have a problem with the way Venkys are running the club. They are using money generated to pay the season debt off, wages are being paid and bills are paid on time. 

Exactly, which is why we need to campaign for fundamental changes to the way our heritage is owned.

It should not be allowed that private entities own our culture.

[Mashed Potatoes]

8 hours ago, Upside Down said:

Exactly, which is why we need to campaign for fundamental changes to the way our heritage is owned.

It should not be allowed that private entities own our culture.

I'm not too sure what you mean by "private entities" but on the face of it you seem to be saying that Jack Walker should not have been allowed to buy the club.

[Upside Down]

3 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

I'm not too sure what you mean by "private entities" but on the face of it you seem to be saying that Jack Walker should not have been allowed to buy the club.

Yes. He shouldn't have been able to buy the club outright.

That is a large part of why we're in the situation we're in now. 

[Mashed Potatoes]

2 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

Yes. He shouldn't have been able to buy the club outright.

That is a large part of why we're in the situation we're in now. 

Well, it's a point of view I suppose.

[JBiz]

35 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

Yes. He shouldn't have been able to buy the club outright.

That is a large part of why we're in the situation we're in now. 

Jack Walker, aka someone invested in the town prior to owning the club? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to own it?

[chaddyrovers]

3 hours ago, JBiz said:

Jack Walker, aka someone invested in the town prior to owning the club? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to own it?

Exactly. 

These are private businesses at the end of the day. 

 

[lraC]

I think the biggest problem really here is what appears to be the lack of due diligence, being carried out by the authorities, when it comes to the fit and proper test.

I know we think we have it bad, but look at how Ken Anderson was allowed to buy Bolton and Bassini was then very close after that and given their track record, why was that allowed?

There are plenty more examples too.

[Hasta]

22 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

The bill will have no affect on Venkys. 

The EFL and FA don't have a problem with the way Venkys are running the club. They are using money generated to pay the season debt off, wages are being paid and bills are paid on time. 

Yep. The leaked letters showed that an agent was running the transfer side of the club and over-ruling the board, completely against FA rules, and yet they turned a blind eye.

When they ignored something so blatant, that told me the authorities have no appetite to get involved with problem owners breaking their rules.

[Upside Down]

13 hours ago, JBiz said:

Jack Walker, aka someone invested in the town prior to owning the club? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to own it?

Why should they? This club is a part of the towns culture and heritage, why should a private business be allowed to own it?

 

[JBiz]

1 hour ago, Upside Down said:

Why should they? This club is a part of the towns culture and heritage, why should a private business be allowed to own it?

 

Because they’ve given time and hours to the town? 

[Upside Down]

14 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Because they’ve given time and hours to the town? 

So what about when they haven't al la venkys ?