Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean is in court today to face a drink driving trial. Kean was stopped on May 14th in Cheshire at around 8.50pm. It is alleged that Kean registered 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath at a roadside test. The legal limit is 35. At a court hearing in June, Kean pleaded not guilty to drink driving and his legal team suggested that someone may have spiked his drink. Kean is being represented by Freemans Solicitors. Its director Nick Freeman, who has represented many high-profile celebrities and sports stars, has become known as "Mr Loophole" due to the number of times he has got clients' cases dismissed due to legal loopholes. Freeman even managed to get Sir Alex Ferguson off a charge of driving on the motorway hard shoulder by claiming that the Manchester United manager had a very bad case of diarrhoea! Kean faces today's one-day trial at Macclesfield Magistrates Court. If Kean is found guilty, it is very unlikely that he will face a custodial sentence, but he would receive a fine and a driving ban. It will be interesting to see how Rovers' owners react to any guilty verdict. They always try to portray a family-friendly image in their businesses in India, promoting family values, so the manager of their football team being found guilty of drink driving and having a criminal record may not sit well with them. Up until now, Venky's have not commented on Steve Kean's drink driving charges. View full article

Bruno Ribeiro Rovers have confirmed today that they have completed the signing of Brazilian full-back Bruno Ribeiro. Ribeiro has joined on a free transfer and has signed a three-year deal after impressing during a pre-season trial period. Rovers are hoping that Ribeiro will be part of the squad on Saturday. Fellow new signing Radosav Petrovic faces a race against time to get all the necessary paperwork done in order to make his debut on Saturday. Kalinic and Andrews Move Rovers have confirmed that striker Niko Kalinic has completed his move to Russian side Dnipro. The fee is undisclosed but BRFCS understand that it is in the region of £6 million. Keith Andrews has also left the club. Andrews has joined Championship side Ipswich Town on a loan deal until January. Team News Rovers kick off their Premier League campaign on Saturday when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Ewood Park. Chris Samba is a doubt with a groin injury which he picked up during the Asia Cup. Ryan Nelsen also misses the match due to still feeling the after effects of his operation. New signing David Goodwillie is expected to play some part on Saturday. Carling Cup Rovers have drawn League One side Sheffield Wednesday in the Carling Cup. The tie will be played at Ewood Park during the week commencing 22 August 2011. New Shirts Rovers have announced that new shirts will go on sale at 9:00am tomorrow. They will be available at the Roverstores at Ewood Park and Blackburn town centre. Due to supporter demand, shirts will go on sale without the sponsor logo. Although fans can purchase the shirts without the logo, they will be able to get the logo put on at a later date if they so wish. In order to do this, supporters will need to produce their receipt. Shirts with the sponsor logo pre-printed will be available in September. View full article

[caption id=attachment_2416" align="alignright" width="223" caption="Picture courtesy of cn174][/caption]So there we have it, the end of another Premier League season for Blackburn Rovers, and my what a season it has been! Victory at Wolves yesterday secured Premier League safety and in the end Rovers were 4 points clear of the relegation and only 3 points behind 14th-placed Bolton, who are meant to have had a good season. But let's not kid ourselves: this has been the season from hell! Mistakes have been made, particularly by the owners Venky's. With any takeover there is bound to be change, but no one expected so much to change so quickly. Promises made prior to the takeover regarding continuity and stability seemed to go out of the window as the new owners put their stamp on the club. The decision to sack Sam Allardyce was the catalyst for the club's relegation battle. Sam was not loved by all the fans, but what he was able to do was to get results on a regular basis which kept the club out of relegation trouble. The owners have every right to choose who manages the club, but the timing of the sacking could not have been worse. It plunged the club into turmoil, which was further compounded by the decision to appoint first-team coach Steve Kean as Sam's successor. It may be that Kean will turn out to be a very good manager, but to put an inexperienced man in charge of team affairs at a crucial stage of the season was only going to lead to problems. To Kean's credit, towards the end of the season he did manage to turn things round when it looked like Rovers were in desperate trouble. The owners have already gone on record saying that Kean is here for the long term; if they are true to their word, then we can only hope that Kean can pick up from where he left off at the end of this season. Off the field, Rovers stalwart John Williams left the club, but, despite what the owners have said, had John been given any encouragement by the owners, then he would have stayed on. That was not forthcoming, however, and so he left. Again, the failure to appoint a successor immediately has led to problems — with the club in the midst of a relegation battle a strong figurehead like John Williams was needed. The result yesterday has given Venky's a second opportunity to get things right. The noises coming out are encouraging: they want to invest in the squad (that will be welcomed by fans) and the Rovers squad is quite strong, so keeping hold of key players and adding quality players can only help push the club forward. Then there is the future of Steve Kean. Constantly there is speculation that he will be sacked, so the owners need to come out and definitively back him and give him the authority to take the club forward. Venky's need to realise that most fans aren't against their ownership of the club, but when they see the club lurching from one crisis to another, with the owners making mistake after mistake, then fans will defend the club. If Venky's can learn from their mistakes, then there is no reason why the relationship with the fans cannot be repaired. The summer is the chance for the club to get its "house in order" off the field. Venky's need to ensure that the people at Ewood are allowed to run the club without having to refer to Pune every time a decision is required. With the arrival of Paul Hunt as Deputy Chief Executive, it is hoped that as he has been appointed by Venky's, he will be given authority to make decisions. There is, however, speculation that Tom Finn will leave the club soon, which will likely cause more upheaval. Whatever happens, it is very important that Rovers have a settled corporate governance structure before the start of the season that is able to show leadership and take the club forward in the direction that Venky's intend. The Premier League roller-coaster has stopped for the summer, but I suspect that it is going to be a busy summer at Ewood Park. Fans will be hoping that, come August, the club is stronger both on and off the field, and if this can be achieved, then just maybe next season will be one of triumph rather than one of fear! Join in the discussion on the main forum here. View full article

[caption id=attachment_2432" align="alignright" width="300" caption=" Picture courtesy cn174 ][/caption]Rovers fans are waking up this morning to learn that the club has made headlines both in the national and local press for all the wrong reasons.Firstly local and national media reports allege that Rovers manager Steve Kean was arrested on Saturday evening for drink driving. It is alleged that Kean was stopped by police and failed a breath test. A spokesman for Cheshire police said: "At 8.50pm on Saturday 14 May, Cheshire officers stopped a Mercedes car on the M6 southbound carriageway, between Junction 19 and 18. The driver, a 43-year-old man, provided a positive breath test. He was subsequently charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol and bailed to appear at Crewe magistrates' court on June 7." In addition to this, The Sun newspaper is running a front page lead story alleging that the FA have opened an investigation on allegations that Rovers defender Gael Givet paid a £50,000 bung to an unlicensed agent or "middle man". The Sun alleges that Paul Black, who is a Manchester-based tailor, was paid £50,000 by Givet for his part in the transfer from Marseille to Rovers. Talking to The Sun, Givet said: "Phil Black was the first person to contact me, texting and asking if I was interested in joining Blackburn." Givet added: "I just thought he was working for Blackburn. But after I'd signed, he started demanding money, saying he was due a slice of the agent's fee agreed by Blackburn with my agent. Black kept on asking me for money. He kept saying he should have been paid and had received nothing. It felt bizarre, it felt wrong and I was very uncomfortable about it, but he was very persistent. I was in a strange country, I didn't know if this was usual — I didn't know who to turn to. Afterwards I felt such a fool." It is important to point out that at this stage there is no suggestion that there has been any wrongdoing by Rovers or that the alleged payments made to Paul Black had anything to do with the club. If there is an FA investigation, then we should all wait for the facts to emerge. However, the headlines that fans and players are waking up to this morning are not pleasant and can only have a negative impact ahead of the crucial game against Wolves on Sunday. With the club involved in a battle for survival, the players' and management's focus should be totally on preparing for the clash with Wolves and it is hoped that these stories do not hinder those preparations. A few weeks back, Steve Kean revealed that Givet had been dropped because mentally he was not focussed due to a tax problem, so the question is: will the alleged bung story cause Givet to lose focus again? If it does and he doesn't play on Sunday, then that could have a huge impact on the team, especially with star defender Samba struggling with a hamstring injury. View full article

[caption id=attachment_2434" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Picture courtesy cn174][/caption]So, Rovers' battle to avoid relegation goes into the final weekend of the season and the final day has already been built up in the media as "Survival Sunday", with Rovers facing fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Here at BRFCS we thought that it was time to look at all the possible permutations for Rovers. As things stand, West Ham have been relegated. Two teams from Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolves and Rovers will join them. Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham are all on 39 points and all have vastly inferior goal differences to Rovers, who are on 40 points along with Wolves. Rovers have a goal difference of minus 14, ahead of Wolves on a goal difference of minus 19. Survival Sunday Rundown First let's take a look at the key fixtures in the battle against relegation: Manchester United v Blackpool Stoke City v Wigan Athletic Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers All games kick off at 4.00pm on Sunday. Wigan and Birmingham both face difficult encounters away from home, with Stoke in need of a result to maintain their position in the top half of the table and Spurs requiring a victory to guarantee themselves fifth spot ahead of Liverpool. Ironically, Blackpool might have the best chance of the three relegation rivals to get a result as the newly crowned Premier League champions don't need the points but do need to keep players injury-free for the forthcoming Champions League final against Barcelona. Finite permutations Rovers Beat Wolves If Rovers beat Wolves, then that will guarantee Premier League safety regardless of what the results of the other games are. This is the most straightforward and the least stressful way of achieving safety for Rovers. Rovers Draw with Wolves If Rovers draw with Wolves, then it opens up the possibility of all the other teams getting past Rovers. However, for this to happen, all three of Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham would have to win, so even one of these teams failing to win would mean that Rovers would avoid relegation. Rovers Lose to Wolves If Rovers lose to Wolves, then this increases the odds of Rovers being relegated dramatically as Wolves would leapfrog Rovers, meaning that if just two of Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham won their matches, then it would see Rovers drop into the relegation zone. Infinite palpitations At the moment it has to be said that of all the teams battling for survival, Rovers are by far in the strongest position, but that is hardly cause for complacency. This season has seen so many twists and turns, and it is only to be expected that we are in for another rollercoaster ride on Sunday. The positives are that Rovers have been playing relatively well recently and are well capable of going to Wolves and getting the result that is needed. But should things go wrong, then Rovers do have the comfort of knowing that their relegation rivals face some very tough away games. One thing is for sure, this week will be tension-filled for all clubs and fans involved in the relegation battle. For a generation of Rovers fans this will be the first time that they will have experienced the nerve-shredding tension of a final day when everything is on the line. For others this is nothing new, as over the decades Rovers have been involved in many of these last-day scenarios! All we as fans can do is support the team. For those lucky 2,800 fans travelling to the game, your backing will be crucial to the team. For the rest, well, let's hope that it doesn't get to the stage where we are all hiding behind the sofa... View full article

[caption id=attachment_1845" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image courtesy of Matthew Wilkinson][/caption]Rovers head into the Lancashire derby against Bolton on Saturday knowing that anything less than a win could mean that they drop into the relegation places. The pressure on the team has increased due to the defeat against Manchester City last Monday, and Rovers sit just one point clear of the relegation zone. This will be a season-defining game for Rovers: a win and Rovers will be on course to retain their Premier League status; however, a draw or a loss could deal a fatal blow to Rovers' hopes of survival. There is, however, reason for hope. The performance against Manchester City was full of passion and commitment, and Rovers were unlucky to lose the match. The players seem totally behind the manager and no one can fault the effort that they put in against Manchester City. They must now show that same passion, commitment and desire against Bolton and desperately need to show more quality in the final third of the pitch. This, combined with a bit of luck, could see Rovers win their first match in eleven. Bolton have only picked up one point from their last 10 away games, although this may be a bad omen as time and again teams on bad runs have come to Ewood and got results. Looking at the battle to avoid relegation, it is now really down to five teams: Rovers, Blackpool, West Ham, Wigan and Wolverhampton Wanderers. A few weeks ago it seemed that 42–43 points would be needed to stay up this season. However, with four games to go it now seems likely that 39 points would be enough to stay up. Rovers' goal difference is superior to that of all the relegation rivals, so a win against Bolton would not only give a huge confidence boost to the players, it will also take the team to within touching distance of safety. Early team news for Rovers is that Junior Hoilett is rated as 50/50 to recover from the slight hamstring strain that he sustained against Birmingham. Roque Santa Cruz is also a doubt after he picked up an injury during training, while David Dunn is out after picking up a calf strain. Meanwhile, Steven N'Zonzi returns from suspension and Keith Andrews is available for selection after overcoming injury. Bolton have injury doubts over Daniel Sturridge, Mark Davies and Gretar Steinsson. At his pre-match press conference, manager Steve Kean acknowledged that Rovers' league position was "very serious", adding that Rovers "are in a position where we need to get points along with other teams" and that players are "determined and know what has to be done". Kean also said that he was very confident that Rovers would beat the drop. Paul Robinson has also been talking ahead of the Bolton game. "We can't keep saying that we didn't get a fair result," he said. "Performances haven't been great for weeks and results have shown that. First of all we've got to concentrate on getting out of this situation we are in and securing our Premier League survival. We've put ourselves in a predicament far too close to it than where we wanted it to be. You look at where we are: results aren't going according to the form guide and it is getting close down there. I think that the performance on Monday night against Manchester City was a lot better, and I genuinely do think that we deserved more than we got out of the game, but we can't keep saying that, we do need to start winning matches now. It has been an uphill battle, we've put ourselves in a situation that isn't ideal, a situation none of us want to be in." Robinson also acknowledged that should the club be relegated, then his future at the club would not be guaranteed. When asked about relegation, he said: "As long as Blackburn Rovers is a Premier League football team I will be here. I will deal with that when it comes, but I don't think it will be the case." Tickets for the Bolton game are still available, priced at £10 for adults and £5 for juniors, so why not get down to Ewood and roar the team to victory in this crucial game. View full article

[caption id=attachment_827" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Picture Courtesy of CN174][/caption]Rovers have been at the centre of more media attention and speculation over the weekend with stories of manager Steve Kean getting sacked and impending financial disaster rounded off by an attack from a Daily Mirror columnist, who suggested that most people will not care if Rovers go down. Friday lunchtime saw a story break that Steve Kean was about to be sacked. It seems that the source for this was speculation on social networking site Twitter, which led to the odds on Steve Kean being sacked falling considerably. This was picked up by media outlets and speculation mounted concerning Steve Kean's position. Venky's were forced to come out for a second time in a matter of weeks and give Kean the dreaded vote of confidence. Co-owner Venkatesh Rao told Sky Sports News that Kean still had their full backing. Sources at Venky's have told BRFCS that it is inconceivable that Kean would be sacked at this stage of the season and that Venky's support him. Sources at Brockhall have also confirmed that the players are "100%" behind the manager. Yesterday journalist Alan Nixon reported in The People that relegation could stretch Venky's financial resources due to players who have recently signed new contracts not having relegation clauses inserted into their contracts and who therefore would not see their wages cut if Rovers were relegated. Venky's sources have again indicated that whilst relegation would be a disaster for the club, it would not result in a financial collapse. Finally, yesterday saw Mirror columnist Michael Calvin issue a harsh critique of the club and the owners and their advisors SEM and Kentaro, highlighting the involvement of Jerome Anderson and then likening manager Steve Kean to a Thunderbirds puppet. In his column he also said: "In an ideal world Wolves, a proper club run by a proper football man, Mick McCarthy, will save themselves by sending Rovers down, on the last day of the season. And no one will care a jot.". While it is true that the way Venky's have handled things since the takeover has been poor, this latest attack shows a total lack of respect for the club, the good people who work at Ewood and the fans. Calvin's suggestion that others will not care a jot about Rovers getting relegated may be there for effect and designed to provoke reaction, yet it underestimates how much Rovers fans do care about the club and their fears for the well-being of the club should Rovers get relegated. With no further breaks for international fixtures until the end of the season, Rovers now face eight weeks of a battle with their destiny firmly in their own hands. Fans will be hoping that Steve Kean and the players can turn the fortunes of the club round so as to secure Premier League survival and allow the club to address its problems in a more stable environment. Discuss View full article

BRFCS News Editorial Comment [caption id=attachment_73" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Former chairman John Williams. Image courtesy of den][/caption] John Williams arrived at Ewood Park in 1997 and the next thirteen years would see him become not only a highly respected chairman within the game but also an overwhelmingly very popular one. John's tenure and role at Ewood Park has been split into two periods defined by the death of Jack Walker. While Jack was still at the helm, his role was very much one of taking the club forward and making sure that it challenged for honours, although these early years were indeed difficult. The club was in transition after winning the championship, key figures like Dalglish and Shearer had left and Rovers were no longer challenging for the title. The money was still there but the club was not producing results on the pitch. During this period Ray Harford was sacked and Roy Hodgson appointed, but after initially being successful he was sacked the following season to be replaced by Brian Kidd. However, the club was still relegated in May 1999. Back in the Championship there were no immediate worries about finance as Jack continued to bankroll the club. The first season, however, was a disaster as the club never looked like getting promoted. Brian Kidd was sacked and Graeme Souness was brought in. At the start of the following season the club was then rocked by the death of Rovers' number one fan, Jack Walker. Almost overnight John Williams' role changed. After Jack's death, Rovers were effectively run by The Jack Walker Settlement Trust. John's role was now to oversee the running of the club in consultation with the Trust, who would initially provide finance. Rovers managed to get promoted back to the Premiership at the end of the 2000–2001 season. Back in the Premiership, John set about ensuring that the club could compete at English football's top table by running the club in an extremely professional manner that maximised opportunities. Working together with the Trust, the club set about securing their Premier League status. In came players like Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke, while the academy products such as Martin Taylor, David Dunn and Damien Duff flourished. Rovers not only survived in the Premier League in the immediate post-Jack era, they qualifed for Europe and won the League Cup — the Trust, John and Graeme Souness all working as one towards a common objective. Since then, John has presided over the appointments of Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Sam Allardyce, and during that time the way the club came to be financed changed as the Trust decided that they could not invest in the club to the extent that they had done in the past. John's brief changed again but, like he has always done, he adapted with the same air of professionalism that he has shown throughout his time at Ewood and took the club forward on extremely limited resources. Up until the recent sale of the club it was viewed by the Premier League as a "model" club in terms of the way it was run. Operated in a highly professional manner, it was not only commended by the Premier League but also by former managers such as Graeme Souness and Mark Hughes, who when having moved on to other clubs looked back at their time at Ewood and gave due recognition that the club was run to professional standards that were matched by few other clubs at the top level. It is truly a sad day when a person of such integrity as John Williams leaves a club of our standing in the game. He has well and truly become part of the Blackburn Rovers family. There are very few chairmen who are respected and trusted by their fans, but at the Rovers John Williams has the genuine admiration of fans, most of whom know the debt of gratitude that we owe to him. Throughout his time at Ewood his name has been a byword for professionalism and stability. Through happy times and difficult times he has remained as the one constant. Under his stewardship the club off the field has been transformed, key functions such as marketing have won awards and our management practices have become the envy of most other Premier League clubs. John has also ensured through season ticket offers and matchday ticket offers that Jack Walker's promise of providing top class football at affordable prices for the public of Blackburn was achieved. Given his standing in the game and his achievements, it is difficult to appreciate that the new owners, Venky's, seem not to want to tap into the huge wealth of knowledge and experience that he possesses. However, we also have to respect that Venky's are now the owners of the club and are entitled to run the club as they see fit. John Williams' time at the club ends today, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank him for all the help and support that he has offered over the years and, on behalf of BRFCS.com, say to him that I believe the vast majority of our fans owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Jack left his own legacy at our club, but over the last thirteen years you also have built your own very different legacy. History will remember John Williams as one of the greatest servants of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Discuss View full article

Three years after the Walker Trust put the club up for sale and after over six months of intense competition between rival bidders, the takeover of Blackburn Rovers was finally completed on Friday when ownership of the club passed from the Trust to Venky's (Venky's London Limited) of the VH Group of India. BRFCS would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new owners to the Blackburn Rovers family and we hope that as custodians of the club they can take it forward in a manner in keeping with our illustrious club's history and its collective values. The deal that Venky's have agreed to in the reported £54 million purchase of Rovers involves the acquisition of the 99.9% shareholding of BRFC Investments Limited at a cost of £23 million, which equates to 17.17 pence per share. (BRFCI is indirectly wholly owned by the Jack Walker 1987 Settlement and has been the vehicle for the Trust's management of the club.) An offer to purchase the remaining shares at the above-stated value has been issued to shareholders, who have until the end of this year to cash in their shares. Further, the deal provides for the settlement of the estimated £16 million of debt that the club had and also includes a retainer for the services of the Trust for the next three years. It is not clear at present as to how the debt will be settled, but we expect that this will be clarified in due course. As for retaining the services of the Trust in an advisory capacity, this is surely a wise move by our new owners, ensuring that the club has a degree of stability during the period of transition. According to the terms of the agreement, Venky's have taken on the ownership of Blackburn Rovers Football and Athletic plc. This means that they now own the club, presumably including its facilities at Ewood Park and the training ground at Brockhall. As part of that agreement, Venky's have undertaken to observe a number of conditions that safeguard the heritage of the club. These are laid out in the Shares Offer statement as follows: a. the principal activity of Blackburn Rovers will continue at all times to be that of a professional football club; b. the current President, Vice Presidents and Honorary Vice Presidents of Blackburn Rovers will not be removed from those positions before June 2011 without the prior written consent of those individuals; c. the statue of Jack Walker outside Ewood Park will be kept in a good state of repair and will not be moved to a different location, obscured or have its prominence diluted without BRFCI’s prior written consent; and d. the name of the stand at Ewood Park currently known as the Jack Walker Stand will not be changed without BRFCI's prior written consent. It is positive news that Venky's have agreed to protect the legacy of Jack Walker. In announcing the deal, Paul Egerton-Vernon, chairman of the Jack Walker Settlement Trustees, said: "We are very pleased to be passing on the Rovers to the Rao family. We have been impressed with their enthusiasm for the club and their plans and ideas for future investment to develop it further as well as their wish and commitment to preserve the legacy of Jack Walker. We are particularly pleased that the club will continue in family ownership and that the existing management team at the Rovers led by John Williams will continue unchanged. We would like to express our gratitude and admiration for the great job John and his team have done for the club whilst it has been part of the Trust." While acknowledging the tremendous work that John Williams and the management team has done to maintain the Rovers' status as a Premier League club, Mr Egerton-Vernon also recognised the changes that have taken place since the Trust assumed its role as the custodian of Jack Walker's legacy, hinting at the need for the change in ownership: "Over the last 10 years, the global appeal of the Premier League has grown significantly and it is only natural that, as we have seen at other clubs, international ownership and investment should increase." In taking on the challenge of ownership of the Rovers and continuing Jack's legacy, Venky's have become the first Indian company to own a Premier League football club. Anuradha J Desai, chairperson of Venky's, issued this carefully worded statement following the purchase: "We are delighted, proud and humbled to be associated with Blackburn Rovers, a team with whom we share many values and ambitions. Going forward we plan to focus on leveraging the global influence in establishing Blackburn Rovers as a truly global brand. We will absolutely respect the Jack Walker legacy and will be actively supporting the organisation to ensure that Blackburn Rovers remains one of the best-run clubs within the Premier League. We are particularly pleased that the deal has the full support of the Walker Trust, the chairman and the management team, who will of course remain in place with our full support. "Blackburn Rovers is an historic institution that has won the Premier League and we want the fans to embrace us so that we are able to do our best in the interests of the club." This will resonate with Rovers' fans and may go some way to placate the anxiety felt in some quarters over the approach that Venky's might have to ownership of the club. Venky's are already committed to fulfilling a number of conditions in regard to their activities as owners, which recognise the value of continuity as well as the need for progress. As outlined in the Shares Offer statement, The Venky's Board has given assurances to BRFCI that Venky's: a. will commit funds on a consistent and systematic basis to future transfer and/or loan activity; b. intends to continue to support the existing management team and staff, and that it is committed to the future development of, and investment in, the Club’s academy and youth infrastructure; c. will continue to support, promote and extend the Club’s local community and CSR activities (VH and its subsidiaries have their own trust engaged in significant charitable work); d. will seek to extend the Blackburn Rovers name and brand into India, the rest of south-east Asia and beyond; e. will seek to develop and improve commercial performance across sponsorship, the Club's kit deal and general merchandising activity; f. will seek to enhance the fan experience at Ewood Park itself on match days (and non match days) and to maximise season ticket sales and any remaining match day ticket sales; and g. intends to improve the Club’s media platforms (for example the Club's TV channel) and to become more active in the social media space). Over the weekend, Ms Desai gave an indication of how the new owners might go about developing the club commercially when she outlined Venky's plans to the Indian media: "We need to improve the brand Blackburn Rovers. The management thus far has done a good job but has not been proactive enough. We are looking to change that." And, she noted, "Arsenal named their stadium 'The Emirates' after their main sponsors. Our stadium could be called the Venky's Stadium or could adopt the name of another sponsor. We are looking to spread the name of Blackburn Rovers wherever we can. India is our major target." Our new owners also plan to create a lasting relationship between Blackburn and football in India. "We will take a look at their calendar and, when it is convenient for them, we will arrange exhibition matches in India," Ms Desai said. Venky's also intend to run training camps for promising young Indian footballers and may bring Blackburn's training staff to India, with the ultimate aim of sending an Indian player to Blackburn: "We are also looking to start workshops where we fly down coaches of the Blackburn academy and arrange training sessions for kids in India. Our aim is to have an Indian footballer in the team, and we will work along these lines." So what does all of this mean for the future of Blackburn Rovers? At the moment it is difficult to say because the new owners have not fully revealed their plans, with Sam Allardyce indicating after the victory over Aston Villa that he is looking forward to sitting down with the new owners to discuss their plans for the club in detail. Of course, the talk of renaming Ewood Park has caused concern among fans and those concerns are fully understandable. If it helps to bring in additional funds that are pumped into the team, and if that brings success on the field, perhaps it will not be regarded as such a bad thing. In the end, it is down to personal opinion and some people will be in favour while others won't be. Regardless of whether the stadium is renamed, however, it will always be known as Ewood Park to fans and the people of the town. As for matters on the pitch, the club got off to a good start under its new ownership, with the win over Villa putting us in a more respectable mid-table position. The indications are that Sam will have around £5 million to spend during the January transfer window, which, while not a huge amount of money, is a lot more than what he has had over the last 18 months. The takeover also should mean that Rovers no longer need to sell players in order to balance the books. So, after a long-drawn-out process, the takeover is finally complete, and the next few weeks will be very interesting as our new owners reveal their plans for the future of our great club. It is a huge positive that John Williams and his management team remain at the club; the owners will be well advised to listen to them. Over the last 10 years since the passing of Jack Walker, John Williams and his team have managed the club in a fantastic way. They have worked with the Trust and have ensured that Rovers remain a Premier League Team despite often being at a huge disadvantage when facing rivals who have far greater spending power. For its part, the Trust is to be thanked for its role in ensuring that the club has managed to maintain its top-flight status since the passing of Jack in the face of an increasingly difficult and hostile financial environment and, we hope, for ensuring that Jack's legacy has the best chance of surviving through the conditions laid down in the sale agreement and its continuing role in guiding the club through a period of transition. Thus, as a new chapter opens, one of the most glorious chapters in the history of Blackburn Rovers closes - that of Jack Walker. Jack took over the club at the start of the 1990s when the team was flirting with relegation to the old Third Division. Within 5 years he had not only got the club promoted but had also managed to bring the Premier League title to his beloved club. Jack was a one-off, a fan just like us who wanted to push the club to the next level. He decided to do that and take us on the journey with him. He was forward-thinking, ambitious and knew where he wanted to take the club. Jack's main interest was the betterment of Rovers, but not only did he regenerate the Rovers, he regenerated the whole town. The town of Blackburn owes Jack a huge debt of gratitude. No matter what happens from here on, one thing is for sure: Jack Walker is and will always remain Rovers' number one and greatest fan. Thanks for the memories, Jack. If our new owners can do justice to your memory, that would be quite some achievement. Discuss Note: The Shares Offer statement quoted in this article is available from the official Rovers.co.uk site. View full article

BRFCS News Editorial After a number of years of speculation and countless rumours, the hunt to find a new owner of Blackburn Rovers Football Club is nearly over, with Indian poultry giants Venky's of the VH Group thought to be close to buying the club in a deal worth a reported £46 million. Over the next week or so BRFCS will be publishing a series of editorials that look at various aspects of the projected takeover. The first of these takes a look at the VH Group and who Venky's are. The business was initially set up as Venkateshwara Hatcheries P. Ltd. in 1971 by Dr B V Rao, who previously had been working on a project to set up a poultry farm at Osmania University in Hyderabad. Despite making a success of this project, Dr Rao was shocked to be released. After a period of uncertainty, however, Dr Rao and his wife Uttaradevi set up a 7-acre farm on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The new venture took off straightaway and managed to get a 70% market share within one year. Nearly four decades on, Venky's is now the largest poultry group in Southeast Asia. Venky's portfolio today includes animal health products, pellet feeds, processed chicken products, solvent oil extraction and specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs. It now also manufactures nutritional health products for humans and is the preferred supplier to McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza in India. In 1996 Dr Rao passed away, but his philosophy still dominates every aspect of Venky's business. This is largely due to his daughter, Anuradha Desai, who assumed her father's mantle in 1998. According to finance and stock advisor Vikram Kapoor, who works out of Mumbai and Delhi, "Anuradha Desai is Venky's." Moreover, Mr Kapoor claims, "Without her leadership the company would have split apart due to infighting. Initially it was thought that she was not strong enough to manage such a company, but she proved them all wrong. Not only has she successfully managed the business, she has managed to diversify its activities." And, Mr Kapoor adds, "Mrs Desai is obsessed with maintaining her father's business ideologies. This has meant that the business is still very much a family affair, although the impression is that her brothers are not the driving force and that it is their sister who should be credited for the huge developments that the business has made over the last 12 years." Mr Kapoor also provided BRFCS with an insight into Venky's reputation: "Venky's are a hugely respected business in India. It is well run and profitable. They have many different sub-divisions and each and every one without exception is profitable. Over recent years they have started to branch out into other parts of Southeast Asia." Mr Kapoor believes that their reasons for buying the Rovers would be to increase brand recognition on a global basis: "I can see why they have bought a football club. It will be to increase brand recognition on the global markets. They also will want to penetrate the lucrative pharmaceutical industry in the UK. In terms of finance, this kind of deal will not present any problems for them. People also need to realise that many of the profitable sub-divisions are not listed companies and therefore their earnings are not publicly listed." On the subject of the running of the club by our prospective new owners, Mr Kapoor offered the following insight: "I don't think this purchase will be funded by the Venky's Group. I would say that the purchase is being funded by the family itself, from its own finances. It is most likely that Balaji Rao is the one who is driving this — it is the kind of venture that he has been pushing for over a number of years. The worry for Blackburn fans should be: how much of a role is Anuradha Desai going to take? If she is hands-on, then you will see your club grow and progress as she has the business acumen to take this type of project forward positively. The uncertainty will come if she decides not to be hands-on with this venture and leaves her brothers to run this — the jury is very much out on their ability to drive forward a business. It is a little unfair, because they have always taken a backseat in the past, but the concern would be: are they able to cope with making decisions in a pressurised environment, particularly in an environment (the Premier League) which is alien to them." In forthcoming editorials we will look at what the deal means for Rovers (pros and cons) and the stories behing the other, rival bidders and we will also take a look back at the legacy of Rovers' number one fan Jack Walker as arguably the most successful period in the history of Blackburn Rovers comes to a close. Discuss * BRFCS would like to extend a special thanks to Vikram Kapoor for his time and invaluable input. View full article

Blackburn Rovers have officially confirmed that they have held detailed discussions with VH Group (Venky's) regarding the sale of the club. Rovers Chairman John Williams said: "A series of meetings, including discussions with the Premier League, have followed an extensive due diligence process. Both parties are hopeful that the transaction will be completed in November." Venky's Chairperson Anuradha J. Desai commented on her company's involvement: "We expect to be the first Indian company to acquire a Premier League team and we are particularly delighted that the team is Blackburn Rovers, with whom we believe we have many shared values and ambitions." Both parties are hopeful that the sale of the club can be completed in November. Meanwhile, Ahsan Ali Syed's spokeswoman, talking exclusively to BRFCS, has confirmed that WGA are still interested in purchasing the club: "We are not commenting on the current situation at this stage but can confirm that we are still interested in the purchase." Keep your eyes peeled to BRFCS over the coming days as we hope to have an interview with Venky's, as well as an editorial on what the potential purchase by Venky's means for Rovers. We will also continue to monitor the situation with regard to Mr Ali's bid to purchase the club. Discuss View full article

This week has seen frantic activity behind the scenes at Ewood Park, with a number of unexpected developments bringing radical change to the landscape in the ongoing bid to assume ownership of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Doubts over the respective bids of Syed Ali and the reported mystery bidders have led to a new twist in the long-running saga, which first became widely known in June when Saurin Shah made his interest public. While it is believed that Saurin Shah still remains on the scene, BRFCS have learnt that yet another party from India has made its interest in the purchase of Blackburn Rovers known. Reliable sources have informed BRFCS that VH Group from Pune, India, have now entered the race. VH Group have an annual turnover of 17 billion Indian rupees and are the largest manufacturer and distributor of poultry products in India, with their initial profits coming from manufacture of chicken feed. BRFCS have contacted VH Group for a statement regarding their reported involvement, but at the time of publication they had not yet responded. BRFCS also believe that Syed Ali's bid to purchase Rovers is close to breakdown. There still remain a number of issues which Mr Ali has not been able to clear. Sources at Ewood have also indicated that if all the current takeover talks fail, then it is likely that the club will be taken off the market and the Trust will look at an alternative method of financing the club. Discuss View full article

Syed Ali's bid to purchase Rovers appears to be faltering as time is running out for the tycoon to conclude the purchase. Despite Mr Ali's representatives suggesting to BRFCS at the end of last week that everything was on track, BRFCS now understand from sources at Ewood Park that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that Mr Ali will purchase the club. Sources have indicated that there are several outstanding issues which have not been resolved despite six weeks of talks. BRFCS now believe that Rovers are now seriously considering other options and it looks likely that the mystery bidder will move ahead in the takeover process. BRFCS now also understand from sources at Ewood that despite reports yesterday that the mystery bidder is not the Mahindra Group, the possibility cannot yet be ruled out that one of the Mahindra family members is pursuing this on a private basis. At the time of publication, representatives of Mr Ali's WGA were not available for comment. Discuss View full article

The long-drawn-out takeover saga is, according to sources, drawing to a conclusion, with a decision possible within the next two weeks. BRFCS believe that the identity of the mystery bidders is the "Mahindra Group". Mahindra is a huge company based in India but it has interests all over the world which include sporting interests. The group has an annual turnover of $6 billion dollars. The Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. It is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India and made a milestone entry into the passenger car sector with the Logan. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top tractor brands in the world. The Group has a leading presence in key sectors of the Indian economy, including financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, after-market, information technology and infrastructure development. BRFCS believe that Mahindra is the mystery bidder who has been trying to purchase Rovers for the last four weeks. This information has not been confirmed, but a spokesperson for Mahindra has told BRFCS that "they are unable to comment on this matter at present". In the meantime, Syed Ali is continuing with his due diligence and sources have indicated that he has made very good progress over the last week or so. A spokesperson for Mr Ali has asked for fans to remain patient, as a hugely complex financial decision is involved and it takes time for these types of deals to be concluded. There has been speculation earlier this week that Mr Ali was also looking at Everton as an alternative to Rovers. This rumour has neither been confirmed nor denied by Mr Ali's team. Meanwhile, Saurin Shah remains in the hunt to purchase Rovers and his representatives have confirmed that they have held more talks with Rovers representatives over the last few weeks. However, Mr Shah has not as yet reached the stage of due diligence whereby a fee of £250,000 is payable. All evidence seems to suggest that a decision on whether Rovers will be sold will be made very soon. Discuss View full article

Syed Ali's bid to purchase Blackburn Rovers remains on track despite reports of trade problems that he faces in Bahrain. Sources close to takeover have revealed to BRFCS that Mr Ali has completed due diligence and is now ready to purchase the club. Sources have indicated that legal procedures relating to the sale are well under way and Mr Ali hopes to complete the deal by the third week of September. Sources have also indicated that Mr Ali is now preparing to undergo the Premier League fit and proper test; no problems are envisaged with regards to this as Rovers' own checks are much more rigorous than the Premier League test. In a separate development, sources have revealed that Rovers representatives held serious talks with a new unnamed bidder this week in London. It is believed that the new bidder has potentially greater financial resources than Mr Ali. BRFCS understand that whilst Mr Ali remains in pole position to purchase Rovers, the Trustees want to fully evaluate all bidders before selling the club. View full article

Syed Ali's proposed takeover of Blackburn Rovers moved a step closer today. Mr Ali's spokeswoman has confirmed to BRFCS.com that they have a "4-week exclusive period of due diligence. This gives us the necessary time frame to conduct our due diligence; however, we hope to proceed faster than that." View full article

Rovers have announced that the Morten Gamst Pedersen contract saga is finally over, with the midfielder signing a new 4-year deal which will keep him at the club until 2014. Chairman John Williams told the club's official website (www.rovers.co.uk) he was delighted that Morten had signed a new deal. Sam Allardyce, who is on holiday, will be delighted, as he sees Pedersen as a key member of the squad. John Williams also confirmed that finding a striker was now the "summer priority". Pedersen has made 240 appearances for Rovers, scoring 38 goals. View full article

Sam Allardyce has become increasingly frustrated by the continuing saga involving Morten Gamst Pedersen and signing a new contract. He has now issued the player with an ultimatum. Speaking to the press, Sam said: "I'm sick of it. Speak to the chairman. It's his baby, not mine. He deals with the finances. To be honest, they'll sort it out between them, and if he makes a decision, then I'll find out. Hopefully it will be the right decision, but we're going to need one — and in the next few days — because it can't keep lingering on and on and on." Asked whether he felt that Morten would be at the club next season, Allardyce simply said: "No". View full article

The FA have announced that Barclays Premier League fixtures for Season 2010-2011 will be released on Thursday 17th June 2010 at 9am. View full article

Reports in the national media are linking Newcastle with a £1 million move for Rovers striker Jason Roberts. Last week Roberts expressed dissatisfaction at not getting regular first team football at Rovers this season. In other news Morten Gamst Pedersen's agent has told the Lancashire Telegraph that his client is happy at Ewood Park but would not be drawn on whether he would sign a new contract. Rovers are hoping to get a decision from Morten ahead of the Arsenal game. View full article

Rovers have completed their first signing of the current transfer window. Turkish international Yildiray Basturk has signed initially until the end of the season. The 31-year-old playmaker has been signed from Stuttgart. Talking to the official Rovers website (www.rovers.co.uk) Basturk expressed his delight at signing for Rovers: "I had contact with Blackburn for three months and I spoke to Tugay and he said it is a very good club and to come here and try the last few years." Rovers fans will be hoping that Basturk can have the same impact that Tugay had on the club. View full article

Rovers' Carling Cup run came to an end after a night of high drama at Villa Park last night. Trailing 1-0 after the first leg, Rovers faced an uphill task against Villa. However, 26 minutes into the game Rovers' fans dared to dream as 2 goals from the impressive Kalinic put Rovers on course for an amazing victory. Villa looked nervous and ponderous, whilst Rovers were inspired. The game-changing moment arrived on 30 minutes. Ashley Young's speculative cross was heading towards Nelsen, and he was pushed from behind by Agbonlahor. Inexplicably the referee allowed play to go on and former Rover Stephen Warnock poked the ball home to draw Villa level on aggregate. Warnock's muted celebration was a credit to him. Things got worse for Rovers on 36 minutes when Samba's rash challenge resulted in him being sent off and Villa awarded a penalty, which was converted by Milner. The second half began with Villa rampant. They were soon 5-2 as Rovers crumbled and it seemed that this would turn into a real rout. However, Rovers dug deep and goals from Olsson and Emerton made it 5-4 on the night and Villa nerves started to jangle again. Alas, though, as Rovers pushed forward they were hit on the break and Ashley Young finished the tie as a contest with a well-taken goal. So, a night of high drama sees Rovers bow out at the Semi-Final stage again. Fans can be proud of the team last night and who knows what could have happened had decisions gone Rovers' way in the first half. Congratulations to Villa on reaching the final — they just about deserved to win it over the two legs. MANAGERS' COMMENTS Sam Allardyce: "It's a bit difficult to take, scoring four goals and not getting through to the final," reflected Allardyce. "We were in complete control of the game, and if anybody was going to score again it was us. "But then the referee allows a blatant foul on Ryan Nelsen to go unpunished, and at this level you have to make sure the referee gets those decisions right. "We are out of a cup final because of that decision perhaps. It is a major decision that has stopped us having the chance to go to Wembley. "Whatever anybody might say, we were put in a position we should not have been put in. "It lifted the crowd, it lifted Villa because they were playing very poorly, and then they are on their game. "You could look at the fourth goal and say Agbonlahor had two arms on it and deflected it into the net for 4-2. "Everybody thinks it's over, we're down to 10 men anyway, but then we managed to get back to 5-4. "But the major part of us not getting through to the final is the referee, no question about it. "Unfortunately, we have to suffer that. There's nothing we can do about it and we can't go to where we want to go, which is Wembley, and he is the major factor." "There are obviously some areas where we can shoulder the blame for giving the goals away," added Allardyce. "We've conceded six goals, and some of those we could have stopped, but the critical stage of the game is there for everybody to see. "The big problem is that if a big decision goes against you at a critical time in the game, it makes a massive difference. "It was a gallant effort. "They didn't feel sorry for themselves and kept going to the very end. "I've nothing but praise for the way they've applied themselves in the end." Martin O'Neill: "There were two games to play and I have to say, overall, I thought that we thoroughly deserved to go to Wembley," O'Neill told reporters. "And I am genuinely delighted for the players. They showed tremendous character to come from two goals down. "The team really grew up, because that was certainly not the way we planned things to happen," added O'Neill, whose side are now a match away from winning Villa's first major trophy since they last lifted the League Cup in 1996. "Blackburn gave us a real jolt and we were very nervous and anxious. I don't think we were complacent at all." View full article

Rovers have confirmed the new date for the 1st leg of the Carling Cup Semi-Final. The Carling Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg game against Aston Villa to be played at Ewood Park has now been re-arranged to take place on Thursday 14th January and will kick-off at 8pm. Consequently, our Premier League game at home against Fulham has moved to Sunday 17th January, with a 3pm kick-off. The Carling Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg game at Villa Park will remain on the 20th January with a 7.45pm kick-off. Please note that the Premier League fixture at Manchester City will remain on Monday 11th January 2010, 8pm kick-off. View full article