Yeah that is true. I was just talking to someone earlier today about public houses being a poor investment. Some pretentious ones or those in prime city locations might be exceptions (though even those have probably declined) but otherwise they continue to close all over the place. I also brought up Blockbuster (and the irony considering how many rental stores closed after Blockbuster opened in their neighbourhood) and how their business model had faults. Maybe if they had invested in internet streaming faster they could have stemmed the tide and become what Netflix are but they didn't. Poor business management. Owners can sell what they like as long as its legal. I'm not gonna sneer at West Ham's owners because of their background but you won't see adult XXX sponsorships at football stadiums will you? OK its because the FA won't allow it but hardly prizes for guessing why! Its reminded me of this story actually and there's probably been similar somewhere. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/football-team-sponsored-pornhub-banned-4535745 Back on the chicken subject should point out animal welfare but I can't deny it isn't at the top of my priority list. Its pretty telling that animal welfare hasn't been one of the primary digs for Rovers fans to aim at Venkys. Survival of the fittest and all that at least when it comes to humans v animals. There's no such thing as "humane slaughter" either!

Well he hasn't been convicted yet (has he?) though being charged with importing heroin seems pretty damning. Unless there's some rogue element under his employment its probably completely accurate or a complete setup. I think he was accused of match fixing in Greece before buying the club but like I've said people have to be convicted. Has that happened yet or was there any prior attempt to convict which failed? Legal issues have grey areas not just black and white. Belokon has legal issues in his own country so isn't that double standards? I'm referring to those who sympathise with Blackpool fans (as you probably do K-Hod) but those who think different rules have applied to Forest's owner. Maybe so but the problem is he's an existing owner (who hasn't been convicted) whereas Belokon has been convicted (in absentia) in another country but has never owned Blackpool. I don't think these trafficking charges have been filed outside Greece have they? I'm not saying Belokon's charges are legit as I don't know enough about the case. What I know is he denies them and so does this other guy. Kazakhstan certainly has a reputation for court corruption and Greece probably does as well. They certainly do for owing debt!

Just like they decided they were not going to rebuild the Riverside even though Jack wanted it. Of course he had planned it for 1999 so it was delayed but after promotion it should have happened. Granted its not as important as transfer funds, etc and people might say it wouldn't have been filled (with the club doing a poor job of targeting catchment areas, etc and constantly making small town claims) but Jack wanted it and that's that. Williams said they went against Jack's wishes on this at a fans forum meeting which Revidge attended. Its no wonder I question why Williams, Finn, etc took no issue with this. Guess its easy though when the fans are easily manipulated. I think some on here would hate it if Blackburn becomes a city because they enjoy labelling it a "small town" for some reason. This isn't just some wild theory I saw a poll of the Bolton public and more said they wanted to remain with town status. Bizarre mentality and I believe that's how the Blackburn public would feel. Obviously I'm talking about city status in the modern day not places like Wells and Ripon. As for the 3 million that would have just been the minimum. It might have been dependent on how other companies under the trust fund were performing (those which were supposed to generate funds for beneficiaries, etc) but unless they were really struggling Rovers should have been a beneficiary. Should note once again that they only sold Flybe AFTER offloading the club. Its not a stretch to imagine the Walker family insisted on that so the club wouldn't ask for a handout. Maybe if they had sold Flybe first and the club got nothing who knows? Maybe Rovers fans would have actually complained about it!

Yeah should have mentioned that when referring to bank overdrafts, etc. Anything but funds from the so called trust FUND. Except when they put in 3 million when they felt like it. Probably during brief interludes where the Walker family didn't threaten them with legalities for a couple of days. Or once in a while slightly standing up to them.

What's truly success though? Venkys have claimed they want to get back to the EPL and will do what it takes. Preston and Bristol City aren't role models to follow at this point. The club had those bank debts under the Walker family influenced trust because they wouldn't contribute a damn thing. The bank + Tv money was the only option. I don't know what guarantees were offered (if they borrowed with potential future Tv revenue as collateral) as I doubt they would have paid any of it off. Any remaining debts Jack hadn't already written off (the money spent initially after promotion was probably via the last of his share capital) were not removed out of generosity. The family had given up trying to get those repaid and just wanted to grab what they could (from whoever they could) before inevitably being relegated. They couldn't stand the risk of losing the club for next to nothing in the Championship. They probably wouldn't have wasted money as Venkys did in 2012 but only because costs would have been cut to the minimum or just enough to be mediocre in the Championship. In that case the club might even have ended up in L1 after 3 or 4 seasons of this. Wigan have been relegated to L1 twice and that's with Whelan still subsidising them.

...and general operative costs.

Not indefinitely and the prime example of that is the illusion of stability under the previous owners. Williams being incapable of being relegated has been proven (well close enough) to be nonsense and the club wouldn't have survived under such restraints for ever. If Venkys want to get back to the EPL fast (especially if they might see that as a chance to cut losses though kinda contradicts my argument) then they will almost certainly need to spend something. I've already made an argument for removing Mowbray in the summer whatever happens and a new manager will probably want something more than "limited" funding. He probably won't be fired if promoted anyway and whatever happens the financial backing remains to be seen. If someone can't be trusted to spend a larger budget can they be trusted with something smaller? OK some managers actually seem to work better with smaller budgets (have to put more thought into their decisions, etc) so there's an argument there perhaps. Tan wrote off about 70 million didn't he some time ago? That's hardly nothing. QPR of course have had their FUP problems (and I simply can't say that's right because the damn rules shouldn't exist) and with likes of Preston North End you could argue a bit more investment is what they need to make a final push. They have lost 2 playoff finals so they could have got into PL via that route but a bit more money might have pushed them all the way. Well probably not in 2001 as Rovers and Fulham were clearly the best 2 teams in the league and they couldn't really have bridged that gap. You have to remember too that Hemmings has still subsidised the club to an extent even if he won't break the bank. Which is fine because its his choice not decided by a greedy family influencing a trust fund. Neil still has upside having only been sacked once (though he's one step away from looking like a typical one EPL promotion wonder) so maybe he will take that final step. Granted they have made some bad decisions in the past with likes of Darren Ferguson, Westley (who seems like a nutcase from what I've read) and of course Derek Shaw who shouldn't be allowed inside Darwen AFC never mind a Championship club.

You're forgetting the wonderful FUP though even that wouldn't explain the sheer extent of starvation compared to now. Unless Venkys were briefly hypnotised by a member of the Walker Family Influenced Trust. At least 20 million and some other changes. Won't hold my breath on either though even with Venkys bizarre logic I can't see them spending next to nothing if promoted.

Ewood, Brockhall and the players combined wouldn't remotely approach 147 million. Certainly yes they could call in that debt at any moment and considering their untrustworthy reputation it can't be ruled out. Logically though they aren't likely to get the money back and the best way of recouping anything significant would be via a return to the EPL. Something which they aren't even close to inspiring confidence for. That's why I've said in the summer if they put out a competent budget that they should sack an unconvincing manager. If they don't (and replace him with someone who's achieved multiple EPL promotions OR gamble on an up and comer) then can you really see anything better than a relegation battle or midtable at best? That's if the club even gets promoted this season though my confidence is still good in that regard. Please note I'm not expecting a second consecutive promotion immediately but the sooner the right building blocks are in place the better. There can't be mistakes or hesitation. Of course the other option is to write off the debt and sell the club for a few million at most. You can't predict these people but judging by this season they aren't planning to do that imminently. Of course sometimes there's the likes of Jack who will write off an entire debt with no conditions attached. Can anyone really trust them to do that? The Bank Of India are clearly content with whatever facility (overdraft, etc) is bring provided at the moment and promises made by Venkys. Barclays were not happy hence why they changed to them in the first place. The Bank Of India of course were probably familiar with them already because of their core business. They obviously feel that Venkys can manage the financial situation.

No wrestling at Blackburn Arena next month as the company promoting it has folded. They were supposed to be running Manchester Arena tomorrow night and I was still 50/50 on whether to go last minute. Save the money I suppose. I can't imagine this will encourage Blackburn Arena (or Silver Blades whatever they call it) to put more events besides ice skating/hockey on. Unless WWE ever ask them again they did hold an event there around 93/94. Probably makes far more sense for them to tour the biggest arenas in UK though.

While it seems like there some kind of annual review system could be enforced on new owners some fans just don't understand legal complexities, etc. The comments on Owen Oyston for instance who owned the club prior to 2004 conviction rules, etc. Can you imagine the lawsuit that would have come at them had they tried to ban him? I don't think they were ever popular but at that time they had rebuilt the stadium. etc which was a complete and utter dump beforehand. So they could have brought that up to the Football League. I don't really know why they actually invested that money or how much came from grants, etc. On the other hand such rules could probably be brought up in court by incoming or post 04 owners stating that its unfair and prejudiced against them when older owners don't apply. Criminal acts now though whether by long term, incoming, whatever, etc should be grounds for an imminent ban. For instance what they did to Belokon. Owen Oyston being removed wouldn't have stopped Karl Oyston anyway if they just did some kind of ownership switch. Karl Oyston of course was the chairman though he's recently been replaced and seems to be feuding with his Father now. Of course there's the question of protests with certain owners not working. In this case its obviously down to Belokon (the foreigner GASP!) ultimately. I think Blackpool fans could have done all kinds of things just to make their lifes as inconvenient as possible. Even things like "slipping" on water in the concourse people can fake back injuries pretty easily. Just pile up the litigation on them though of course it depends how many fans would be willing to get involved. Wasn't there a fire or something in the DE a few years ago? Its a shame fans didn't make a big deal of it and file some kind of safety lawsuit against Venkys.

Lets see if that will "Stam" the relegation threat. Get it...stem/stam? Where's my coat?

Speaking of that keeper Rojas he had a liver transplant 3 years ago in a Brazilian hospital of all places. For those unfamiliar with his plot to get Brazil kicked out of Italia 90 for Chile's gain... https://thesefootballtimes.co/2017/04/14/the-sensational-plot-of-roberto-condor-rojas-to-eliminate-brazil-from-world-cup-qualification/ From that site I also noticed a link to this story. Wonder if he gave Souness a call after that Ali Dia incident lol? Titled the "most audacious conman" so initially I thought it was an article about Steve Kean or Jason Lowe until catching the rest of the title. Actually this guy was pretty likable and harmless compared to some of the conmen who make a living from football. https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/05/30/carlos-henrique-raposo-footballs-most-audacious-con-man/

I don't know which game it was from (it was from a video called "Fast Football" years back and there was a clip montage of dives, etc) but one player defending a corner pretended to be elbowed in the face. Then there was that keeper who pretended he had been hit by a firework or something and I don't mean the one on "Dream Team". I guess they aren't dives in the more "traditional" sense but anyhow... Not heard much since but it looks like the PAOK owner will be banned from stadiums for 5 years and hit with a heavy fine. While I can't help liking his crazy act I'm surprised either FIFA or UEFA haven't stepped in with a lifetime ban. Apparently he's also been asked to testify wouldn't want to be his lawyer! Then again some will take a cheque to defend anyone.

While the racism probably shouldn't be laughed at (though political correctness goes way too far with stuff like editing "only fools and horses" BBC repeats because of an Asian shop joke) its pretty funny that someone tagged this as "citation needed". From Gimhae FC's (South Korea) Wikipedia page. I had a bet on their game and was trying to find out via their site why it hadn't started at the (UK) time listed. "The Gimhae Round Eyes" are the club's hooligan firm consisting of entirely foreign members. The name "round eyes" stems from the spherical appearance of the group's eyes, which they use to see rival fans during skirmishes."

I was planning on finding a stream (yes its being televised) but this postponement has distracted me!

Especially not for the comedy circuit though Bowen's primary recognition of course came as a gameshow host. Actually Stephen Hawking even appeared in a fair number of comedic roles.

Jim Bowen has died aged 80. As most will know he was a supporter of Rovers so posted in this section.

Showdown at the PAOK corral. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43369490 Fixtures suspended too in this case by the Greek government.

Can't really blame the FA in this instance especially considering the amount of lawsuits that would head their way. Why should they be used as a propaganda tool for the government in this manner? Have to say don't Russia have more effective ways of murder than a nerve agent with wider scale risks? I've not read enough about the specifics but surely they must have known others could be caught up in such an attack? What's the point of that is it just sheer arrogance and they didn't care about the additional fallout? Not to mention their target is still alive at least for now. The guy killed a few years ago was killed by polonium wasn't he? It was certainly detected afterwards (on cups, etc) but it didn't kill or incapacitate anybody else. Can't imagine any of the other countries pulling out somehow as some MP's intend to try. I'm sure their answer will be NO even if the country had voted to stay in the EU. Just looked up a bit more on nerve agents and as this points out they are generally not used in assassinations. They are used in warfare. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-russia-nerveagent/complex-and-dangerous-nerve-agents-are-rarely-used-for-assassinations-idUSKCN1GK2JR Couldn't they have just pinned this on ISIS or someone else? Russia are denying it so what's their reasoning? Someone trying to drive a wedge in relations using a convenient Russian target to pin the blame on? Maybe that's too much conspiracy talking but others have said the timing does not make sense. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/09/europe/salisbury-conspiracy-russia-intl/index.html Maybe this was done in the hope of eliminating Russia's main threat to the World Cup. They can't be that scared of Southgate can they? I don't think even the most outlandish conspiracy theorist would come up with that one!

MARTIN LIPTON: England boycott the World Cup in Russia? What an utterly stupid and ultimately pointless idea

It's All Rover Asia's fault! That being said his general point was accurate.

Goodness knows what you call Wigan's situation if Rovers have a "fixture pile-up". If they wanted to treat it like a training session then have a bloody training session. Not playing in a fixture at the expense of others (players in earlier rounds and the fans who showed up) plus you can invite local opposition to Brockhall and play behind closed doors since it's supposedly so essential. What a load of garbage the official sites report is compared to the "no spin zone" on here. It even referred to the opponents as "the shakers" four times quit giving such acknowledgement to the opposition. I couldn't give a rats posterior what their nickname is refer to the opposition in a formal narrative tone.

Its not often people react with this kind of criticism for a fringe tournament so that speaks volumes. I noted also that it isn't officially a youth tournament (unlike the previous night at Ewood) though my post was removed probably for remarks about our illustrious site founder. As for certain players being dumped how many of those (from the earlier LSC stages) played at Ewood the night before? That could be a major part of the reason. In Cup competitions its only fair to use the same players from start to finish. Look at some leading clubs they might let a generally sub keeper play in a LC final if he's the one who played the earlier rounds. There's a difference between that and my argument about Downing/Lenihan though while the latter was still injured. The business then is simply too serious not to go with the better and certainly more valuable asset.

I wish every bloody club would break FUP rules. JH we discussed this on twitter. How can you not have a gripe with these rules? That's what you're saying here that there's nothing wrong in principle not just alleged inconsistency of any punishments, etc. To use an extreme analogy imagine a lawyer complaining about their defendant being rightly convicted for murder. Reason being because someone else got away (in a virtually identical case) on a court technicality mistake or OJ Simpson style. Like I said "cutting your nose off to spite your face" and where FUP is concerned I refuse to do it.