6 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Nathan Blake bitter about his Time at rovers? 'I can't remember that far back" after they asked about his goal against Liverpool 

I don't think he meant it like that. He was possibly having a laugh at himself for being 'old' now I.e it was that long ago, I can't remember it.

A belting tie. Games against Newcastle have always had a special feel about them for me. Just don't go and do the typical Rovers thing under these owners tomorrow.

9 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Was that the Liverpool game we lost 3-0/3-1 and they had rigobert song playing. I mean seriously WTAF was he trying to do 😅

Yeah, it was that game. We lost 3-1. Brad was in goal for Liverpool that day. That first howler from Peacock gets worse with each viewing. Imagine him trying to play JDT ball 😂.

No messing about from Benni. Clinical.

5 hours ago, NeilInBristol said:

Got to love this guy sometimes. He calls it out

 

"The project has changed totally. Now, there are still days left so we should give the club the chance to bring players in.

"We need players with experience and goal-scorers. It hasn't changed. "It will be exciting, I am looking forward to this week. I am excited to see what the club can bring in."

My initial thought just from reading that is that he's goading them and applying some pressure at the same time. I like it. I get the feeling he views those above him in a similar way that many of us on here do.

The quote reads like how we would sarcastically say "we can't wait to see which exciting things happen in the last few days of the window". Whilst having a fair idea it's going to be a load of shit and nothing to get excited about.

I'll have to watch the interview to see how it was said. Good on him though, for putting the spotlight above him.

Darren Peacock 😱

In an office somewhere, sits Steve Waggott, teary eyed, as he realises that there will be no more kids arriving on loan from Liverpool.

"Don't worry, Suhail. Xabi is a kind man" says Silvester, attempting to lighten the mood.

It's a sad day.

1 hour ago, Miller11 said:

This isn’t absolute gospel, just my understanding of the situation, and I’m no expert. However there is possibly some info that isn’t really widely acknowledged or maybe known:

- The investigations started back in 2021, initially there were no restrictions on them moving money out of India as the RBI had no objections. This changed in August 2022, at which point it became a requirement that any company under investigation required a No Objection Certificate  (NOC) agreed by the entity doing the investigation - the Enforcement Directorate in this case

- We received the NOC for remittances in 2022

- We applied for another on 17th January 2023 which was rejected on 6th March, and a further rejection on the 31st March (for the amount of £26 million). This was rejected on the basis of the “Pedancy of investigation”. After this rejection Venky’s legal team also requested a quick resolution to the ED investigation

- On the 27th April 2023 Venky’s received correspondence from HMRC threatening a winding up order.

- On 24th May Venky’s received a letter from BRFC advising them of the potential consequences of not receiving immediate payments (presumably administration)

- On 23rd June Venky’s were granted permission to transfer £3.5 million based on the potential consequences outlined in the above letter. They were instructed that an equal amount had to be set aside as a guarantee as any future action taken by the ED would be a financial penalty (so presumably they don’t want Venky’s sending over money then pleading poverty if/when they get a fine)

- On 16th August the ED reported that their investigation would be completed within 15 days

- On 31st October Venky’s submitted another application for a NOC in which they highlighted the reason for these funds. As we know, this was allowed with some conditions:

   A further guarantee of an equivalent sum

   Auditors at club have 3 working days to file   an End use Certificate (this certifies club are the end user of these funds and they won’t be transferred elsewhere)

The club must provide bank statements to prove these payments were made

 

- In this hearing it was outlined that club activities were not under suspicion, BUT the investigation was only at a “nascent stage”. This is very much contrary to what was reported on August 16th, and suggests these issues could run and run. It also suggests club finances will come under the microscope at some point

- Wording suggests that future remittances will be allowed, with the same caveats attached, but we’d still need to apply for the NOC, and this would likely not be granted if the club becomes under investigation

 

So while the money remitted has to be used for the specified purpose, it’s not entirely accurate to state Rovers can’t spend anything that hasn’t had court approval. They don’t care about the minutia of Rovers accounts (yet!), and funds generated by the club can be used for activities outside the scope of the court document (which covered Wages, tax, VAT, loan repayments, utilities and agents fees). So our fixture against Chelsea probably covered a chunk of the O’Riordan fee.

This latest round of funding we went for was likely to cover the same expenses from January til the end of the season. I expect there will be some funds available to cover some of those expenses, generated by TV payments, ticket sales, league payments etc. whether that lasts til the hearing in March, we will have to see. It almost certainly means that our very modest transfer budget has disappeared and we will be in another period of extreme austerity. I’m waiting for the announcement that I can’t sit in the Riverside on Monday.

So we will probably muddle through until the next date in March, with threats of winding up orders and missed payments, unless it gets moved again. Our transfer window plans are of no interest to Indian Courts who have cancelled and delayed several hearings already this year. Maybe there is some sort of contingency (player sale, short term loan). A further delay might be catastrophic though. Either way, this situation has become farcical and can’t continue much longer.

A very well laid out and helpful post. Thanks, Miller.

While it is a bleak situation overall, what gives me hope is that there is a chance that the Court over there might look into the club's finances at some point. That could be the moment that a lot of us have been waiting for.

I would like to think there is a thought over there to find out what this £200m+ that has been sent over the years has been spent on, especially when the club is in a worse state than when they found it. It hasn't got to that stage of the investigation yet, but it could do. I truly hope it does.

If I've got it right, the current situation means that they in effect have to release double the funds via the Indian Court, because they have to provide the authorities with an equivalent guarantee.

If it's £20m being sent to Rovers, they have to put £20m aside for the ED at the same time, meaning it's costing them £40m in total. £25m being sent to Rovers means it's £25m for the ED too, making it £50m they have to put up in total.

This scenario could go on for a long while. Surely this has to become untenable for them at some stage, despite however wealthy they may be.

Thousands of Wrexham fans desperate to be at Ewood on Monday.

Tens of them signing up on here, getting themselves in a tizz and subsequently receiving a ban.

Their forum full of digs at Rovers and our support.

I thought this lot were 'disappointed' when they saw Rovers pulled out of the hat? Could have fooled me. This is a massive game for them.

As for the guy who said Paul Mullin is bigger than our club...only in your Netflix world pal. Nobody without a Netflix account has ever heard of him.

I'm not sure why they are so wound up. It's only a 'small club' they are up against, one with with 'no fans' too. Is it not?

I'd have more respect for these gobby Wrexham fans if they just admitted that they were a bit worried about the game, instead of this bravado they are trying to show by having digs about our support, the Jack Walker days, Shearer and so on.

I think they saw what Chelsea did to Boro the other night and are bricking it as Monday draws nearer. Boro took a big away support there, made a big day of it, but still took a tonking. They know that could be awaiting them too at Ewood. No amount of deflecting onto attendances and numbers they took here and there can hide that fear.

Let's send them packing, as we've done to many 7,000+ away ends over the years.

1 hour ago, simongarnerisgod said:

they thought they were going to be worshipped only to be met with snowballs and well due abuse!!!

They got what they deserved. They are lucky it was just the one snowball that landed.

The club had just been relegated, been turned into a laughing stock and was going through all sorts of chaos and this lot want to make a grand entrance as if they are royalty? F.O and have a bit of shame!

Speedie hat-trick against Newcastle:

Jay McEveley and that clearance:

2 hours ago, phili said:

In the past 12 months there have been 4 enquiries for the club, 2 from American Consortiums, 1 from a Middle Eastern consortium and 1 from a UK based consortium. On each occasion Venky's haven't bothered even responding. There is interest in buying us, unfortunately we have Venky's as owners and they aren't interested in selling.

The only way this purgatory is going to end is if Venky's are forced to put the club into administration other than that there is no chance of them selling their baby sadly.

 

Thanks for sharing, phili. That is a potentially major development and is something for those who think nobody will be interested in buying Rovers to ponder. Do you have any more details on the Middle Eastern consortium? Not asking for names, just curious as we've had interest from over there in the past.

The fact they have responded in typical Venky fashion comes as no surprise. They did the same with the Seneca enquiry.

That reminds me. Back in 2011 when the Qataris were trying to buy us, wasn't the story that they were considering selling up until a certain individual had a lengthy phone call with Barry, begging him not to sell?

Something has felt off about the whole thing from day one. I'm not sure that even a crazy offer for the club would be enough to see them off. I think the only way they leave is by being forced to do so, either by the Indian Authorities (if they find a reason to) or via administration.

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

Good luck to him but yet another signing that will make zero impact or difference to the problems we currently face.

The 'one for the future' column is busting at the seams, the here and now reality is as thin as rice paper and not even as strong.

Not even blinking at that signing. A League Two defender for £500k. Sounds about right for the recruitment team down there.

As a side note, the Crewe lad has the same agent as: Hedges, Brittain, Bloxham, Gilsenan, Jacob Davenport, Dom Samuel and Shane Duffy.

23. David Speedie

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Excellent post.

The now legendary £20m a year investment is almost mentioned as if its a sign of ambition to push the club on. Im sure @RevidgeBlue once suggested that Mowbray had blown £100m of the owners over 5 years in not getting promoted during that time as if it was splashed out on a team of Championship all stars.

This has definitely become a thing. It's the product of crafty PR and it is working, because I have experienced fans of other clubs making the lazy assumption that £20m per year = £20m for transfers/wages. They see the headline figure, they vaguely recall the fees for BBD/Gallagher and assume those kind of things have been a regular occurrence. 'What are you complaining about, they put in £20m a year' has become a stock phrase in some quarters.

That was certainly the view of a few PNE fans that I know. Until one day, when they were complaining about their ownership, I reversed it on them by saying "why can't you be grateful, they pump in £15m a year?".

According to them, Hemmings and Ridsdale aren't interested in promotion and they need a change at the top. 'What about the £15m transfer budget though, what more do you want?' "Eh, what budget?". Yeah. Precisely.

They understand our situation now after seeing the state of our transfers, how JDT has been treated, hearing about the Court issue, plus seeing Travis being loaned out etc. That £20m yearly 'investment' isn't as is made out, is it?

Obviously, there's a difference between pumping £20m in for transfers and what has been happening here. The PR machine sneakily links that figure to ambition though by way of repetition.

We've got agents and a financial expert talking about how their financial support has been "phenomenal". So "phenomenal" that they have lost £200m turning a solid Premier League club into this shell? Yeah. Phenomenal. We saw an article not so long ago in the Daily Mail on how "Venky's have finally got it right" after a decade of chaos. That piece, incredibly, described them as the "saviours of Rovers". Sickening! From the same journo who said it would have been madness for Venky's NOT to have sacked Henning Berg. Hold on, what!? Let that sink in. We also had that fluff piece about how they were putting up a £10m promotion bonus. The hack behind that has, over the past week, been spinning a pro Venky line by suggesting they have money to spend, the only issue being getting it sent over. Aargh, that blasted Court hearing getting in the way of things! Next window, sorry folks, the summer, it's a promise!

What better way to feed the ever generous Venky narrative than linking us with a striker for £4m. Hmm, let's look at that. Not having a pot to pee in, little wiggle room on wages, bringing in kids on loan - Versus - the owners have money, just need to get it sent over and you want a striker for £4m. If the latter isn't pro Venky spin, I don't know what is.

The reality is they have almost killed this club. They have let players walk for nothing, have ignored two promising January windows by doing sod all and have left JDT a mess to deal with. One signing for over £2m since 2019 is also telling.

None of that suits the agenda though. Better to just keep on repeating £20m and let the ignorant do the rest of the work.

Oh and yes, I remember that post. Reading that, one could be forgiven for thinking that Mowbray had £100m available to him for transfers over a five year period. Maybe he meant that their 'investment' in covering five years worth of bills etc was wasted on Mowbray, who should have 'rewarded' them with promotion. I'm not sure, but still, the original wording took me by surprise. Them losing £100m during that time and Mowbray not getting promotion are two separate things for me, as he did not blow a £100m budget and fail.

We were fortunate to get a point as Huddersfield missed a couple of great chances. We huffed and puffed but never looked like winning it, as we did not create a real chance.

What is alarming is how open we look at the back when our attacks break down. It's wild football at times, piling too many forward and not being able to get back in sufficient numbers.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing as a Huddersfield forward went rampaging down our left on the counter, free as you like, a completely free run into the box! He was played in on goal but luckily for us, skewed it wide.

We look extremely vulnerable to counter attacks. Look at the Huddersfield chance in the first half. One ball puts their striker through just inside the halfway line and he runs clear into our box! Any half decent team in the Championship will take advantage of this bad setup.

JDT has to walk, imo. It's just not working out. The whole environment from the top down is wrong. A toxic, aimless, gutless setup. An agents playground, where winning means little.

JDT arrived here in the wrong era and under the wrong people. Not his fault on that front. The club is not what he probably remembers it as being from his playing days in England.

I don't know if he is reluctant to walk away because he walked away at a previous club. Maybe he doesn't want to gain a reputation for quitting?

I wouldn't blame him for walking. It's probably best all round that he does. Well, it's not, because we will still have the same shit owners and yes men in the Boardroom, but something has to give to try and change these poor results.

5 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

We're playing bonkers football.

I can't work out if he's playing 3 at the back with JRC as a CB (who wanders into CM) and Sigurdsson as a LWB (who is getting roasted every time by Thomas) or if we're just not playing without a LB in a back 4. 

I have no idea who is meant to be at left back. There's just an empty space there. If Siggy is meant to be covering that area we are asking for trouble.

Massive let off. Huddersfield should have scored. They had acres of space down our left on the break. This doesn't look promising.

I don't think Chrisene has managed to put a cross in yet. Every attempt has hit a Huddersfield defender. Not impressed, but we really can't expect much from such loan signings, imo.

Pickering's game is over. Hamstring.

4 minutes ago, Cherry Blue said:

Gallagher talking to ref on way off illustrating his shirt was being pulled and should have had a penalty. Ref was laughing probably saying that's not how he saw it. Anyway watching on TV give an opinion?

He wasn't going to get to the ball, but their defender was all over him.

There's little tempo to our play. The frustrating thing is we are going from side to side across the final third, without having any idea how to break through. Our players are looking to give the ball to Adam Wharton at every opportunity.

Huddersfield have that 'one chance, one goal', look about them here so far. They are happy to let us have the ball as we aren't troubling them.