AllRoversGirl_

Pasha is Venky's advisor. Target him and make it uncomfortable at matches. Pasha has been a constant figure since the owners took over. Has started to be targeted heavily in the last 12 months or so. I'm just going to be completely blunt with you. It's not down to just 1 supporter group to do something about it.

Taking out the coalition, trust, etc I appreciate as supporters that you are looking for direction, etc. The odd wins don't change anything. We still have these owners, and I want them gone, as many of you do. So why do we allow wins to continually paper over the cracks? I'm essentially asking, what do you think is the most appropriate action now to take? We can't stop and start depending on results. Results won't change this ownership.

The coalition can’t win either way.

Sheffield Wednesday are not going to be pushovers Remember, they're going through a tough period, and L1 is certain for them. However, if we can't win against Sheffield Wednesday, I'll be questioning the mentality again. Never mind the embarrassment

You can bet VI will come up with an FA charge for the list

Exactly! Love that he's a fan favourite and no one can say that he doesn't try to get the support going, but his footballing abilityis questionable.

One thing surely people can agree on is the standard of refereeing in this league? It's disgusting, and if I ever see Oliver Langford at Ewood again this season. He'll be getting told what I think of him

I hope Ipswich miss out on the play-offs by 2 points

I understand your POV. Do you think it’s right for people to hold positions on a FF if they don't actually hold the club to account and continue to mislead fans by posting watered down FF

In the chair and secretary of the FF

I hope a no-confidence vote will follow soon 👀

https://www.rovers.co.uk/fans/fans-forum/ Have a read and see what they've left out

Very distasteful that the owners are included in the history book. I think I would rather burn it.

They won't make any comment The FF is not fit for purpose. Surely, the FF is supposed to hold those with powers responsible for the decisions made. The FF has lost all credibility, and fans are losing hope. I personally believe the chair and secretary are not fit for purpose in this role if they continue to allow the club to get away with murder

No accountability.

Fans deserve the truth Minutes of the Blackburn Rovers Fans’ Forum Meeting Monday 20th October 2025 – 6.30pm Present – Fans’ Forum Mark Hitchen John Wareing Savio Mathias Bharat Parmar Annette Birkbeck Steve Birtwell Terry Crawford Megan Longworth Duncan Miller Neil Duckworth Katie Hull Anne-Marie Riach Jakob Ward Present from BRFC Suhail Shaikh Chief Operating Officer Lynsey TalbotHead of Operations Yasir SufiHead of Commercial & Partnerships Adam OwenHead of Technical Development Matt WrightChief Financial Officer Rob GillHead of Media & Communications Rudy GestedeHead of Football operations Brett BakerHead of Football administration 1.Apologies for Absence Ray Williamson Zubair Bassa Tristan Stock Peter Bolton Zayd Rawoot 2.Matters Arising from the minutes of the previous meeting 14th July 2025 None. 3.Club Kits 2027-28 MH stated that he would pass the fan survey on kit design to the club’s kit supplier. DM asked why the adidas deal had been turned down YS asked where that information had come from DM stated Gary Aspden had stated in an interview with Soccer Bible YS stated we are still in a contract with Macron and cannot comment DM stated that report/rumours were rife that Castore/Umbro would be selected as the Issa brothers are their biggest investor and it was part of a wider attempt to engage them. Both YS and SS stated they didn’t believe it to be true that they were the largest investor. DM disagreed and asked if there was any truth to reports that Macron were seeking to take legal action against the club. SS asked where this information had come from and it may represent a breach the other way. YS stated that there are lots of rumours from fans and we must deal with facts – the facts are we are in a deal with Macron and the results of the tender process must be kept confidential. DM stated he knew adidas had put a good deal forward. SS replied that he didn’t believe the deal was good enough. DM asked if this was a purely financial opinion based on upfront payments and felt it was potentially short sighted. YS asked if he felt our supporters would be happy to pay 80 for a shirt. DM stated that he felt they would be happy to pay 80 for a quality product than 60 for an off the peg or substandard product. YS stated that many factors had to be considered. DM stated that it was disappointing in relation to Adidas Spezial given a Rovers Season ticket holder was the curator of that range. SS stated that we were never promised a Spezial range and without it being put in writing it cannot be considered. DM stated that given his relationship with the club and community Gary’s verbal assurances should count for something given Spezial is his brand. SS stated it is adidas’s brand and YS stated that as a great supporter of the club he wouldn’t be disclosing financial information (DM assured he wasn’t). SS stated that Gary was an employee of adidas and that a Spezial range wasn’t committed and offered to phone him to verify. SS stated that there is a template pattern that can’t be deviated from, but any new supplier will give us bespoke kits. 4.Pitch Maintenance / Drainage ND reported that he had investigated water levels on the River Darwen over the 13 years that public records are available. During that time the club had had four games postponed or abandoned and of the top 5 recorded river levels, Rovers had had home games on three of them. ND asked whether the outflow from the ground into the river had been checked on the day of the Ipswich game. LT replied that it had been checked a number of times, the last around 4.30pm, when the outflow was still above the river level. Rainfall records had shown that 77.2mm of rain had fallen at Ewood, compared to 57.7mm at Burnley and 54.1mm at Manchester United. LT stated that, after the postponement of the game at home to Portsmouth last season, the club had spoken to United Utilities and the Environment Agency. The club had proposed adding a sleeve to the drain and after some discussion it had been agreed that this could be done but that the club would need to fund the work. The work was actually plannedto be done that week. 5.Ipswich Game Abandonment Update MH noted that the abandoned game against Ipswich had now been re-arranged for Tuesday 2nd December, with season ticket holders having free access and anyone who had purchased tickets for the original fixture able to buy tickets at half price. YS confirmed that the decision was in line with the Club’s Charter 6.Lancashire Telegraph Communications MH asked what had led the club to ban reporters from the Lancashire Telegraph from attending the club. RobG replied that the relationship had been difficult for some time and the leaking of team news was the final straw for the club. He really would have preferred not to have to do this and he still hoped to get back to a normal relationship as soon as possible, although there was no immediate prospect of that. JW stated that it appears a growing trend at the club regarding unclear communication siting Jon Dahl Tomasson and Valerian Ismael being silenced or censored on certain topics, the club threatening fans with bans, and rumours and social media fallout surrounding Rudy Gestede which is not a good look for the club. 7.Court Case Update MW stated that the requirement by the Indian courts for the club’s owners to guarantee that a fund equal to any monies sent to the club be logged had now been removed. Responding to a question from JaW, this would not mean any increase in funds available, as they were already backing the club to agreed budgets. RudyG added that the club had brought in 10 new signings and there was a possibility of further signings in the January 2026 transfer window. DM asked if this would potentially give RG more room for new recruits and improved contracts, particularly given we have some headroom under FFP rules for a finite time. RG stated we had recruited 10 players this summer. MW stated the owners had funded the club to the level requested and will continue to do so, and with regards to FFP we clearly have some headroom due to the good business the club had done with the likes of Sam Szmodics and Adam Wharton, but JaW expressed concern about the number of players who had left the club in the Summer and subsequent team performances and the real possibility of a relegation fight. RG disagreed – Dominic Hyam, Lewis Travis, Callum Brittain and Harry Leonard had all wanted to leave the club. SM asked if there was any intention to recruit more players experienced in the Championship. RudyG replied that experience costs a lot of money and it was difficult to hire players ready to immediately compete in the league. DM stated that in the last meeting SS stated they were looking to get closer to a break even model where they wouldn’t be as reliant on owner funding. SS asked if DM thought this was possible, which he responded not if we want to stay in this division. MW stated that the budget from the owners had increased and was committed to around 20 million a season.which was the required amount in this division and all clubs faced the same problem. DM stated that while the FFP headroom exists why can’t the owners commit more and push for promotion, particularly given we finished 7th last year, relatively minimal investment could make all the difference, instead we appear to have cut back. DM stated that the disappointing thing from a fans point of view is that the legacy of the sale of a generational talent in Adam Wharton has been to keep us afloat while the owners battled a legal issue, whereas it should have meant reinvestment into new playing assets who could help take us to the next level. MW agreed and says he would also like to have seen that, but the reality is even with these sales we rely on owner funding. DM asked if 20 million was their ceiling, because we have been told for a long time that Venky’s CAN’T invest any more under P&S/FFP rules, whereas now it is clear they could invest more but they don’t want to. If so how long will they remain happy to lose 20 million year on year, and what is the end game for them as owners and us as supporters. There seems to be no point or end to it. MH stated that we accept big sales are needed but an opportunity to reinvest into the team isn’t made. DM stated that if they want to break the cycle of just losing 20 million each year something needs to change, and if they aren’t willing to do that the advice SS must give them as their trusted advisor is to sell the club. SS stated that there is no potential buyer and he came in at the time of the acquisition of the club. Both SS and MW stated that every football club is for sale, and if any of them can find a buyer they are willing to have a conversation. DM asked RG that while he had stated he thinks we will have a good season, what if we don’t? Since Steve Waggott left the structure at the club is unclear and if there is a decision to be made on the future of the head coach, who is responsible for that? SS stated it would be the owners decision, but they would propose it. DM asked specifically who would propose this as it is unclear where people’s remit starts and ends, and it was unclear who was assessing the performance of RG/SS or VI. RG stated that AO was responsible for assessing all coaching staff at the club, which extended to ValerienIsmael. KH asked if it is a concern that we may be relegated. RG stated that it is a concern but they believe it will be addressed and the statistics show that we are creating sufficient chances to score enough goals. 8.Fan Engagement Plan – Forum Constitution MH asked for any comments from fan groups about the current situation with the only communication route between fans and the club is through the Fans Forum. A constitution for the Forum was in the process of completion to sit alongside the club’s Fan Engagement Plan. ML stated that for Her Game Too the main issues were the lack of communications about the women’s team such that fans don’t even know when the fixtures are. SB and SM suggested that more open engagement was needed with the wider fan base. JaW said that We Are The Rovers was concerned about the reduction in the number of Forums and the fact the MOU signed by WATR has been ignored by the club since SW left. JaW felt that given the current mood the club should be welcoming more engagement rather than scaling back. DM pointed out that the 2 fan engagement plans from last season and this season when read side by side show all previous opportunities to grow and develop fan engagement have been scaled back, which will be a potential issue with the incoming football regulator. YS sited club interviews with VI, Rg and AO as examples of fan engagement. DM disputed this as engagement must be a 2 way process. DM stated that we need assurances the club is committed to fan engagement as during WATR discussions with the football regulator they highlighted real concerns with the direction in which the club have gone. AMR suggested that supporters want to feel a sense of inclusion. There was a wide ranging discussion about how consultation could attract a wider range of fans whilst still remaining a practical body. SS was open to receiving questions in advance from the fan base. YS added that the club would be happy to consider recording Forum meetings. DM suggested that there should be an affiliation process by the club for supporter groups. DM suggested that the FF needs to develop in line with regulatory advice on forming a Fan Engagement/Shadow Board. 9.Club Academy AO stated that the club had retained its Category 1 status in February with no issues. Renewal is one a 3 year schedule but with annual reviews in February. DM stated that it had been disappointing that there had been no Academy player on the pitch in the Swansea game, breaking a long continuous record. AO replied that both Scott Wharton and Hayden Carter being unavailable had been the issue at that game. AO stated that it was difficult to integrate young players into an unstable environment JaW stated he felt this was contradictory as Ismael was reportedly appointed on the back of his willingness to increase academy minutes, and questioned why the club had chosen to transition so heavily this summer. AO stated it became a transitional year because players wanted to leave. (Add para with AO’s stats) 10.Women’s Team ML asked why there was such a lack of information available about the women’s team for supporters following the radical changes over the Summer. MW replied that the changes regarding the women’s team were a result of the authorities trying to up the status of the two top divisions to fully professional contracts, aiming for 85% of occupancy at grounds. Costs would have to balloon with no prospect of any income form TV and media rights for at least a couple of years. Meeting this change would have resulted in a substantial increase in budgets which would have inevitably affected the funding of the men’s team and there was no evidence of support from fans for the women’s team in terms at attendances. The team had had a difficult start to the season because of all the changes over the Summer but were now set up to be competitive in League 4. ML stated that there appeared to be a lack of support for the team but MW disputed that and stated that the staffing for the new team that was asked for had been put in place. RobG stated that there had been a designated press officer for the women’s team for the last 7 or 8 years but no longer. The reality was that the team was now an amateur operation. 11.150th Anniversary Update DM asked why the planning meetings had stopped abruptly in the Summer. YS stated that the situation had moved on from planning to action and that more meetings were never planned. DM stated that this was not the premise these meetings were set up for and members of the committee had frequently been tasked with additional ongoing tasks, and YS should check the email correspondence regarding this which would confirm that supporter involvement was supposed to be ongoing. SS confirmed that 150 people had been nominated for honour caps and it was intended to issue all of them through the season. 85 of the nominees were dead and of the remaining, many were involved with the football business and therefore often busy elsewhere on match days. There were a significant number planned to attend the Derby game. These caps have been selected by the club and the fans on the committee had no input. DM asked for an update on behalf of Paul Salmon regarding a letter he wrote which it was agreed would be sent to FIFA, the FA, EFL and The Royal Family. SS stated this letter had been sent. DM expressed disappointment that Paul hadn’t been notified of this. (At the end of the meeting SS clarified that the letter had been sent to Mike Jackman, and not to any of the intended recipients.) 12.Equality, Diversity & Inclusion LT stated that the club had been awarded a Silver Code of Practice for EDI and were working towards a Gold award. LT reported that there had been a few reports of abuse by fans regarding discrimination. JaW asked whether anything had happened with these reports – LT agreed to check. 13.Any Other Business a) AMR asked about the poor TV service on screens in the Blues Bar. YS agreed to check the situation. b) JaW asked about progress in appointing a new Chief Executive Officer. SS stated that he had no update to give. DM asked if the fact Steve Waggott was still employed and on gardening leave was holding up a new appointment, and might this improve in the coming weeks. SS stated SW’s period of gardening leave was 12 months and it had no impact on any new appointment. He also highlighted that between Derek Shaw leaving and Steve Waggott joining the club operated without a CEO for 2 years. c) MH asked whether it would be appropriate to bring the February meeting forward to December or January. LT stated that it was very unlikely that December would be possible.