Nearly every decision made by the owners, Manager and Board have been decisions which have ultimately got us in this position.

The excuses are beginning already with Kean claiming the loss of experienced players has cost us dear. Well wait a minute, but they didnt just float out the door, you sold them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Every year teams get relegated, its part and parcel of the game, as supporters its hard to take, but we deal with it.

However when Rovers last fell out of the Premiership, there was plenty of optimism that we would bounce back. The clubs infrastructure was solid and of course we had Rovers greatest supporter, Jack Walker. Unfortunately Jack never saw Rovers reclaim their top flight status and the jubilation of the fans that famous day at Deepdale but it was his legacy which gave us that platform, and his love which has given Rovers over a decade in the Premiership this time around.

Our club has been on a downward spiral ever since Venkys came through the door. Piece by piece they have torn the heart out of the club.

There can be no excuses, the three teams that go down are the three teams who over a season have proved to be the worst. The sad thing in rovers case, is had Venkys not replaced the board, and sold half the squad then Rovers would of given themselves a fighting chance.

Who in the right mind would use the January transfer window to not only get rid of the club captain, but also sell the skipper? Why would you get rid of the experienced players, and fail to replace them?

I watched Cisse yesterday as he bagged a last minute winner for QPR, that goal could be worth £50 Million this time next week, and in my opinion that is the difference. When other teams were doing their level best to try and salvage their seasons by strengthening their squads, Rovers were doing the opposite.

Steve Kean has amassed just 13 wins in 18 months as the first team manager, but always the victim is dear Steve. It was Kean who stated “I guarantee we won’t get relegated” it was also Kean who stated that “We have the biggest transfer budget in the clubs history” Yet today he is complaining the lack of finances has handicapped the teams chances.

Don’t you think Steve that your signings, Riberio, Anderson, Petrovic, Simon, Goodwillie, Rochina to name but a few is the reason we are in this position? You have on numerous occasions said these are YOUR signings, and people should judge you when you have your own squad. The ghost are assembling at Ewood, whilst throughout this season many supporters have made their feelings known. Tonight is going to see 18  months of hurt unleashed by many supporters, even the most reserved supporters have finally snapped, at the failed promises and the dour performances.

The sooner Venkys, Kean and the Board leave Rovers, the sooner the rebuilding can start.

In over 30 years as a supporter, I have never felt so disconnected from the club of my birthplace. So many questions unanswered, so many pledges broken, whilst after meeting with people like Paul Hunt this season, only to be lied to in person is frankly unforgivable.

As supporters, we have witnessed people like Jerome Anderson going live on SKY TV and making accusations dark forces were at work due to the level of organisation regarding protest. He even phoned some supporters to try and justify his own role in Rovers decline. I’m still waiting for him to take my call but won’t hold my breath as he and I both know its one conversation he wouldn’t fancy.

I have played musical chairs at Ewood this season as it seems your seat number is available to all. I have been attacked, had death threats not only sent towards me, but also my family.

I have had the club put my name on their website and have discussions about me with third parties which is totally unprofessional. I’m just a member of the BRFC Action Group like thousands of others worldwide, We have a committee, and all decisions go through a committee, we are a group run by supporters for supporters and a group which was formed due to having no voice to fight the supporters corner. Over the last 8 months we have provided a legal and safe environment for supporters to air their concerns, and I’m proud of everyone of those supporters who have taken part and offered support as their conduct has always been exemplory. Their voice has been heard worldwide, the message has been recieved, however its the pure Stubborness of our inept owners which has us still fighting for the clubs long term future today.

It really hurts what has become of our club, and the not knowing if the pain will continue into next season.

As a Town Blackburn relies on its football team, the whole community will feel the tremors which relegation will bring, job losses are almost a certainty as so many local business’s rely on the income which is generated by the tourism the football team brings to the town.

What does Blackburn Rovers mean to me?

The town and club is part of my identity, I was born in Blackburn and have supported the club ever since. My family are all Rovers supporters, My eldest brother has the clubs crest tattoo’d on his arm, its been there for 25 years. My second eldest brother died in 1998, but was laid to rest in Blackburn in his full Rovers kit. I have witnessed promotion and relegation, jubilation and despair but have never had the feelings I have today. I feel massively let down, not because we may go down, but because its been made clear this season, that supporters do not matter to those who hold the keys to our club.

It was a cold day, but at the time it was felt by the group members that it was the natural progression to have a protest away from Ewood.

I arrived at the Training centre where many supporters had already made the choice to brave the sub zero conditions to continue to air their voice that Steve Kean was not the man to take Rovers forward. This week also coincided with the Lancashire Evening Telegraphs move to ask for Steve Kean to be sacked with immediate effect.

The TV crews and Radio Journalist were all there waiting to speak to supporters.

Kean was already inside, and players were arriving to start their final preparations for the Liverpool and Manchester United fixtures.

It was a weird feeling being at the training ground, but one which felt right with what was going on at Rovers.

Two security guards stood on the gate, whilst the Police were present to ensure that supporters remained on the right side of the law, although they left after a couple of hours as it was quite evident that no breach of the peace was going to occur.

Supporters of all ages huddled together as the sleet came, but this did not deter the supporters from showing their disapproval of the current regime, which has ripped the heart out of our club.

The media were blood thirsty looking for a story and I declined all interviews and asked them to speak to the other supporters who were present. They in turn did, as supporters took the opportunity to say a few words. The anguish on those supporters faces and the words they spoke struck a chord with me, which will last forever. The very same sentiments I have witnessed for over 7 months.

As the day went on, we got talking to the nice gentleman who were patrolling the gates, allowing cars in and out. One in particular was very talkative, and looked freezing, although he kept himself stocked up with plenty of warm drinks as the frost set in. We spoke about Steve Kean, and he asked many questions, He said he found Steve alright, and also stated he hated violence. As the hours went by, the security became more relaxed as they guards learnt a little about us, and us about them. It was really friendly and helped the day pass by.

We also got a glimpse of the infamous Myles Anderson, who spent the whole training session carrying boxes to all the players cars, A Rovers player who I’m friendly with reliably told me afterwards these boxes were Christmas Hampers from Harrods, What was quite funny was Grant Hanley appeared to have four boxes for himself, Growing lad and all that.

The talkative security guard asked when we would be going, and we stated when Kean goes, Numbers dwindled as the day went on, and I did fear that some of us may suffer from hypothermia as the temperatures dropped.

After a couple of hours training the players began to exit, and were applauded by the supporters, many acknowledged the fans with a thumbs up as the supporters chanted the players names. It was a nice friendly atmosphere which is something I have always enjoyed since becoming part of the Action Group, supporters standing together for the same common cause as equals.

After about 10 hours the security guard went to see Kean, to see if he would talk with the supporters. Kean declined and the player liaison officer came out and said he would try and get Kean to speak with us at a later date. The security Guard said Kean would not go, until we all left. We explained that this seemed quite extreme and he agreed that we was not a danger to anyone, but he was just doing his job. However he was quite happy to talk with us at length, and was a decent guy.

After talking with the supporters who remained , we agreed as a group that we had made our point, and we also felt very sorry for the security guard who had been stood in the cold all day with us.

As we left we saw the security guard drive off at speed in a Jaguar quickly followed by a Mercedes which had Kean in.

That day at Brockhall was the day we met Steve Kean’s bodyguard, who personally manned the gate. He certainly was not the type of individual who you would stereotype as a bodyguard, but he was very courteous, polite and real nice guy.

The meeting with Kean has still never taken place, whilst the need for a bodyguard is still very strange. In seven months of protest the Police and Club have commended the supporters who have protested, in fact the Police have even taken a step back and no longer issue restrictions due to the good nature and spirit they are carried out with.

Kean continues to play the victim card, but the only victims in all this are the people who will be left behind to pick the pieces up, and that is the supporters of Blackburn Rovers Football Club.

Blackburn Rovers supporters yesterday once again took to the streets in protest against the Management of Blackburn Rovers. Its been 7 months since the first protest took place prior to home win against Arsenal, but those 7 months have left more questions than answers.

Supporters worldwide have concerns they wish to be answered, However to date the club have dug their heels in. What started as a campaign to have a Manager removed whose record was appalling, and has continued to be so, has turned into a full scale campaign to get Venkys to sell the club to someone who cares as much as those supporters who have the club flowing through their blood.

You would think that the paying supporter matters? However time and time again the club at all levels has shown that not to be the case.

The BRFC Action group has for months pleaded with the club to open a communication chain which is transparent and benefits all supporters. Meetings have been penciled in ,only for them to be either cancelled, or restrictions attached to them which would result in more secrets. This past week supporters have taken their campaign to the streets handing out leaflets and posters in an attempt to engage with the wider communities. The feedback from supporters was an eye opener, in the sense many supporters who I personally spoke to of all ages, said ” They will never go Rovers again whilst Venkys remain in charge”, Whilst others were resigned to the fact “Nothing can be done Venkys are not listening and do not care”.  There was many good luck wishes also, people saying “They fully support the groups aims” whilst one elderly gentleman with his wife spoke with passion claiming “I’m disgusted, the media are blaming the supporters for all which is wrong at Rovers, they have never forgiven us for winning the league, whilst the owners and Kean are allowed to walk around bullet proof”

Supporters of other clubs also showed sympathy towards the Blackburn faithful, openly admitting if Rovers were to go down, it would have a detrimental effect on the Towns economy and especially employment and regeneration.

Blackburn’s problems are well highlighted amongst the clubs supporters, however yesterday the club stooped to an all time low.

Before the match in the Darwen End of the ground, which has become home to so many supporters who have been protesting against the current administration of the club. Supporters were being frisked and treated like dogs. This was done to all supporters of all ages, and even those who were holding hands of young children, some supporters commented,

(Jimmy Lonsdale)….i will be chasing up on who frisked a young 9 year old lad and ill be getting answers,otherwise ill be taking it to the police….the stewards are a disgrace too….brfc are trying their best to get the protesters out of the ground so lets oblige them by boycotting away from the ground .

(Daniel Doody)  I had to explain to my mrs yesterday why my lil one said Daddy got searched!  he wants to go again but because his first experience was that and we explained to him why it was he is scared to go again…

(Jan Daniels)  they are trying to intimidate us….Why was it only  us frisked yesterday like common criminals? disgraceful behaviour by the club i have loved and supported all my life!

(Paul Keogh) Well done Rovers, How to alienate your own fans. 1. Set up a search policy just for home fans in the Darwen End (No-where else in the ground) 2. Reduce small children to tears by insisting they are searched. 3. Leave Villa fans despite knowing they have smoke bombs etc and banners… 4. Stop Rovers fans from displaying Rovers flags (Not protest but Rovers) 5. Lead fans out in handcuffs for the serious offence of swearing. Well done Mr Newsham on joining in the destruction of our once proud family club.

(Emma Evans) Its disgraceful how we was treated

There was many other comments of this nature banded about before, during and after the match.  The club and the Police on numerous occasions have applauded the supporters for their conduct during protest, and have reported no arrest or public order offences. So why the heavy handed tactics? Was this in an effort to bully supporters into submission?

On the eve of the game, a senior official of the club asked me to cancel the protest in return for a non minuted meeting, which could not be shared with the supporters. 

Many supporters have been protesting because of a lack of transparency, and to accept such a meeting would have been an injustice to those who have supported the group and their actions since September. 

Where do we go from here?

Well the group has lost none of its enthusiasm, Once again the supporters conduct leading up to, during and after the protest was impeccable with no incidents.

3500 leaflets were also handed out at yesterdays match promoting the only alternative viable option to Venkys, Which is the BRSIT supporters takeover being lead by Wayne Wild, a Group Director at Blackburn’s Principle sponsor WEC. Public figure heads and MP’S have endorsed this idea, and its one which the BRFC Action group committee and members are fully behind.

The BRFC Action group will continue in their quest for Unity and Answers, with plans being put place for a meeting with the Sports Minister and the FA, whilst the group has not closed the door on a meeting with the club providing its transparent.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who this week took time off work to canvass the town with leaflets and posters. Attended the protest March, which was a great success, kindly handed out BRSIT leaflets at yesterdays game and have given their unconditional support to me and the BRFC Action group committee for seven months. Its your strength and determination which makes me proud to be a Blackburn Rovers supporter.

Was I surprised because the £5 accumulator I put on for Bolton, Huddersfield, Anderlecht and PAOK  to win had come in, or that Rovers had given themselves a mountain to climb by sticking with Steve Kean when all logic pointed to him being replaced months ago

Blackburn currently sit in the relegation zone and the next 9 days will prove to be the most crucial in over 20 years. I have never been a fan of the transfer window, it has always come across as a window when hero’s and villains are born. All eyes are on Venkys, Do they have the money to dig Rovers out of the most worrying time I have witnessed as a supporter for over 30 years? Do they care? Will they sell our prize assets? Will they re-invest? Will they cut their losses and run?

Its these questions which really annoy me as a supporter, the fear of not knowing. I get told things daily from my club sources only for that information to become obsolete within hours. At a time when we need a leader to emerge, we find ourselves with everyone looking for the life boats, unfortunately like the Titanic there is not enough life boats to go around and its the supporters who are being left to swim. There seems to be a complete lack of understanding on Venkys part on how important the clubs supporter base is. It should not be the supporters, sponsors, MP’s  and local media doing the chasing, we pay our money to support our team, and Venkys are quite happy to collect it each week. How about a bit of customer service? Is it too much to ask?

For over four months now, I like so many others have been in the trench’s fighting for the clubs future, fighting to protect its long history, and fighting for a cause we strongly believe in. Football is not just a sport to many supporters, its a way of life, its our identity, its what makes us proud.

Pride can be a dangerous when coupled with negligence and in my opinion Venkys stubbornness towards their paying customer is only going to end in tears.

I will never give up the fight to protect something I strongly believe in. What started as a mission to get our voices heard, has turned into a battle, where neither party now wants to give an inch. In negotiations we have had with the club over recent months we have made many concessions in a bid to bring unity amongst all those who have Rovers at heart. Sadly those concessions have only been from the supporters, and its becoming more apparent as each day goes by, that its only the supporters who genuinely care. To others, its just a pay cheque or another pound in the bank. I have never measured a man by his bank balance, or put expectations of someone else at the top of a list. I can only strive to be a better person myself and always set my own personal goals high. When I was an apprentice a wise man once told me “A job is never complete until no more can be done”, This statement has stuck with me, especially when you often find yourself in situations were others around you have a “It will do” Mentality.

This has become a long battle, but so many supporters I have met over the last few months have the stomach for the fight, we may be going toe to toe with people with large bank balances, but that is no match for honour and pride. When David beat Goliath he did so by showing courage and guile. It shows you do not have to be the strongest to make a difference, but if you follow your heart you won’t stray to far off your ultimate goals.

Blackburn Rovers is 137 years old, it did not get this old by people being inactive. Many of my happy memories are down to moments I have enjoyed watching my team, Our club needs us now, to ensure that the next generation of supporters can enjoy the club as much as we have and supporters before us. As the song goes “Rovers Til I Die” when I sing this each week I mean every word, If the owners showed just half the dedication that supporters showed then Rovers would be a better place, and perhaps we could sleep more easily.

• Agent Fees are up by 300%
• Operating losses have risen from less that £2 Million to over £18 million in Venkys first 6 months in charge
• Rovers are Bottom of the league
• Barclays hold debentures on ALL rovers assets and future income as security of the increasing debt, which is £26 Million
• Reports of players not playing for financial reasons.
• Reports of mass sales in January
• Reports of NO money

After 7 games of no organised protest, The time has come for all attention to be put on the owners who have not honoured the promises and pledges they made when purchasing the club

Blackburn Rovers Supporters planned 24 Hour Protest 13^th January 2012

A static 24 hour protest has been organised to take place at 12pm on the 13^th January 2012 at Ewood Park, Blackburn. This will be the second non match day protest following the static protest which was held at Brock Hall, the training ground for Blackburn Rovers. One Local MP has already confirmed his attendance during this peaceful protest which will carry the message, “Venkys please engage with the clubs stakeholders, or sell the club”. This protest will run until 12pm the following day.

Blackburn Rovers Supporters planned protest March 14^th January 2012

The supporters of Blackburn Rovers intend to stage a double protest march on Saturday 14^th January 2012 prior to the home match against Fulham.  Protest organisers agreed a truce with the club on the 3^rd December 2011 to stage NO organised protest on the promise the club would organise meetings with a group of supporters to discuss supporter concerns. The club asked the supporters to provide an agenda for this meeting, which was issued to the club on the 19^th November 2011.

The protest March’s will be from the Havelock Inn, and The Brown Cow Public House. Supporters are being asked to assemble at these venues from 13.30 this coming Saturday.

Its vitally important supporters make a stand now, as the club’s future is seriously in jeopardy due to the owners non-appearance in the UK, and their reluctance to invest in the club.

There has been no word from Venkys for over 3 months and supporters are seriously questioning their honour, integrity and intentions. It is also a worry that Venkys passed the fit and proper test by the league prior to the success of their takeover bid from the Walkers Trust in November 2010. Supporters fear that Blackburn Rovers may fall foul like Portsmouth did, if the league does not get clarification of the intentions Venkys have for Blackburn Rovers long term. Although Blackburn Rovers is a private business, supporters are still stakeholders of both the club and league and are somewhat amazed that a regulatory body has not intervened due to the long drawn out process of the concerns already highlighted.

Listed Below (Taken from the Blackburn Rovers official website) is the proposals and promises which were put to the shareholders, board of directors and supporters when Venkys were recommended as viable purchasers of Blackburn Rovers in November 2011.

On the 19^th November 2010 Venkys completed their takeover of the club and as part of the deal laid down these foundations for the future direction of the club

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;

(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).

In line with this, pursuant to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, Venky’s also has entered into the following contractual commitments with BRFCI and the Club:

• The principal activity of Blackburn Rovers will continue at all times to be that of a professional football club;
• 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;
• 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
• 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.

After reading these intentions time and time again, it is quite evident that none of these promises have been kept, or honoured:

• To date the club has received more in transfer fee’s than they have actually spent.

• Within a few weeks of completing the takeover the club removed the Manager who had 18 months earlier saved the club from relegation against the odds, and the previous season had secured a top 10 finish with very little investment into the squad. In addition other members of the back room team were also removed including the assistant Manager. Our experienced management team was then replaced by a Rookie Manager with no previous Managerial experience.

• Systematically each and every member of the old board which was the most successful in the clubs history has left the club, under a cloud of confusion. No explanations have been made by the club; whilst their replacements are inexperienced in the roles they have been given.

• The club has refused to communicate with fans, To date the owners have not done a press conference and given the fans answers to why our operations are being run from Pune with no daily presence at the club from the owners in person

• Public relations have been non-existent, the communication to the fans has been non existent

 Protest organisers Statement

“It’s with deep regret that we find ourselves in a position that the organised element of protest has had to return to our match day experience. As organisers who only have the long term future of the club at heart, we have done all we possibly can to allow Venkys and the Board of directors to engage with its supporters and stakeholders. Following an agreement with senior members of the board the last 7 fixtures has seen no organised protest as our word is our bond, Unfortunately organic protest have been beyond our control as Rovers currently sit bottom of the Premier League, whilst media reports over the clubs financial difficulties have seen supporters concerns go from one extreme to another. We have maintained throughout this process that protesting has come about due to all other avenue’s being exhausted. All conversations we have had with the club have delivered the same message, we do not want to protest but want our club to be truthful and the owners to show honour and integrity regarding the pledges they made when they purchased the club. We wish for the clubs heritage and legacy left by the late Jack Walker to be respected and for the club to embrace its supporters in the same way generations of supporters have embraced the club for 137 years. Supporters want to work with the club to bring an end to these concerns and for the Owners, Board and supporters to be as one, Sadly its becoming increasing apparent that only the supporters wish to talk, and the silence and lack of action from the owners is jeopardising the clubs long term future. The attendance against Stoke City was the clubs lowest in the Premier League for over three years as more and more supporters lose the appetite to watch as our club disappears into the abyss. The players of Blackburn Rovers have the supporters 100% support, but Venkys continued absence is seeing the team caught in the cross fire, as the only voice we have is from the stands on match days. We maintain it’s in the owners, club and supporters best interest for open communication and the owners intentions to be clear, so that supporters can concentrate on giving the team its 100% support during these challenging times” (Glen Mullan & Simon Littler)

All season we have heard comments from Manager Steve Kean saying the team is in a false position and we have not had any luck. Is this the truth?

I strongly believe there is 7 or 8 teams in the Premiership who have much worse squads than us, but the table does not lie. We are in this position because we deserve to be. Steve Kean has managed just 7 wins in 37 matches since taking over from Sam Allardyce last season. Rovers had 21 points when Sam was dismissed at this stage last season, and ultimately it was those 21 points we needed to rely on to keep us up last season. 12 months on we are 11 points worse off and in need of a miracle much larger than the one we had when Paul Ince was dismissed by Rovers prior to Sam’s appointment.

I went to the game yesterday against West Brom with no thoughts other than a Rovers victory. I usually wrestle games over in my mind on how I think they will go, but after taking everything into a account I just could not see Rovers losing at home to what I consider a very average Baggies side. I honestly thought worse case scenario would be a draw. Never at one point leading up-to the match did a defeat cross my mind. 24 hours later and I’m sat here wondering just what really happened yesterday. I’m still in a state of shock, as performance wise it was just toothless.

Leading up-to the game, we came to an agreement with the club not to organise any protest for the double header home games against WBA and Bolton. This was agreed on the promise of meetings next week were the clubs off the field concerns could be discussed. It was always obvious that spontaneous protest would occur if the game did not pan out in Rovers favour, and this proved the case as the whole of Ewood Park erupted and called for the Managers head during and after the match. The players looked low on confidence, clueless with the ball and for one of the first times this season did not appear to be playing for the Manager.

Like the Sunderland game before, WBA proved by having a Manager with good tactical awareness Rovers are always there for the taking. For many years Rovers have relied on their home form to secure survival in one of the hardest leagues in the world, but with just 2 wins at Ewood all season teams are coming to Ewood expecting a result.

I spoke with some WBA supporters on the way home and they said they fully expected to beat Rovers. in years gone by if a team left Ewood with a point they would of been thrilled.

Supporters have seen over the last 12 months our club torn apart from top to bottom. Prior to Venkys buying the club we always did very well with little or no resources. Supporters longed for new investment as did the successful board of directors the club had. When Venkys came calling, supporters can be forgiven for getting carried away, as Venkys certainly talked the talk, with pledges and talk of marquee players, it seemed we may have hit Jackpot and after years of squad neglect we would finally have money to compete with so many of our Premier league rival’s

Unfortunately that’s were the fairytale ended, Venkys set about removing the experience from the club in Williams, Finn and Allardyce, whilst little unknown individuals joined the board with no experience in the roles they was given, including the Manager Steve Kean. Venkys continued their promises and statements, but now at the 12 month stage they have shown the can’t walk the walk. Even the bank has now had enough of spool and lack of deliverance on their pledges.

Its common Knowledge when Rovers were purchased Venkys agreed to take on the £18 Million debt the club had. Venkys set up Venkys London LTD, Which was deemed a new business and high risk for Barclays Bank. The bank wanted some assurances and security to safeguard the banks interest in Rovers due to the debt level. The ground and training ground was offered as security against the debt, so the bank had lock and braces on their investment. After 6 months and still no personal pledge of additional investment on the purchase price ,Barclays insisted on extra security. A second Mortgage which secured ALL rovers future TV and Commercial income was taken out against the debt.

News has broke in various media outlets over the last couple of weeks of Barclays demanding £10 Million from Venkys. Its my understanding that the bank is now telling Venkys “show us the money”. A request a week last Wednesday was made for a financial pledge from Venkys to the Bank. However this was not taken well by Venkys who have not taken the question of their integrity very well. This money is needed just to ensure Rovers don’t exceed their overdraft facility when operating cost including wages is paid over the next few months. Rovers are indeed due a payment from Sky in January for just over £4 Million however with Rovers wage bill currently standing at around £47 Million per year and wages will need to be paid between now and the end of the season, If Venkys do not put money into Rovers in this period then the club will then be in danger of the bank taking control of the clubs assets. For many years the clubs turnover has seen 90% of revenue paid out on wages. Rovers are reliant on Sky TV money and relegation would spell disaster for the club. If the worse was to happen and Rovers did go down this season then they would receive a parachute payment of £12 Million plus around another £3 Million in TV Revenue. This would leave the club with a massive £30 Million hole in just money they would need to find to pay players who are on Premier League wages. Mass sales would be inevitable as the clubs gate receipts and commercial revenue is not deemed large enough to run the club on a break even strategy. In addition to this, the debt would still remain and the Rovers would no longer have enough to put up as security against it.

The next couple of weeks are the most important two weeks in the clubs history since Jack Walker purchased the club all those years ago. Venkys are currently in India and have no desire to return and fear the backlash they may get. The family is massively divided, as its my understanding that only Balaji Rao wishes to now keep Rovers. The Rao’s were sold the concept that they would not have to invest any money into Rovers bar the purchase price and even thought they would make a small profit each year. Their lack of knowledge in football had them believing that by buying young players, seeing them blossom then selling them on at a profit that the club would be self sufficient and no more investment would be needed. However most people could of told them that most clubs are not a cash cow, and in Rovers case we are the opposite, any investment would not see a return on that money and its pretty much dead money once invested.

I have been told over the last couple of weeks that Mrs Desai has been advised that any future investment from Venkys would be dead money and she would not see either that money again or any return on it. She has even been advised that it would be better to give the club away than make a go of things unless she is happy to bank roll the club. With this in mind it now seems only Balaji still wants the club, however how can Rovers survive if the people who authorise payments are simply refusing to and have no desire to do so?

Putting finances to one side, its also my understanding that the Managers position is also subject to a difference of opinion within the family. Senior officials at Ewood have been recommending for a number of weeks that Steve Kean should be removed. The Rao brothers are in agreement of this motion, however Mrs Desai is not of the same opinion. The decision process at Venkys requires a four way agreement for any decision to be finalised and the 3-1 ratio does not work in Venkys business circles.

With all these in house disagreements Rovers have been allowed to sink quicker than the Titanic in the last 12 months, its a case of if you snooze you lose. Venkys inability to make quick and decisive decisions has  jeopardised not only the clubs league position but also its future.

Blackburn Supporters world wide have gone through every emotion possible over the last 12 months and I sit here today seriously heartbroken that this has allowed to happen. 136 years of proud history is in the hands of people who are currently in hiding and are shirking away from their responsibilities.

Despite the fear of the unknown many supporters are showing resolve, I can only talk for myself, but as long as there is a Blackburn Rovers to support I will always be there as always. We may be witnessing the final season we see Rovers play top flight football, but if that’s the case, I will never abandon my support or attendance at games.

I have seen us go through the bad times before, but i’m in no doubt if Venkys do not make a financial pledge now that these will be the hardest of all times. Football is now so dependent on Sky Revenue that being out of the elite division spells disaster unless you have an internal infrastructure which is a well oiled machine. Unfortunately for Rovers that infrastructure has been removed by Venkys and with it any real hope.

If we win a section of supporters lay into supporters who have actively been protesting and showing their displeasure at how our club is being run both on and off the pitch. If we lose then another section of supporters have a go at those who actively remain silent at their displeasure.

If we protest and people don’t see immediate action from the board and owners, as a protest organiser I get slated for not raising the bar, or taking people’s idea’s on board which I personally think would lead to arrest and put people’s safety in serious jeopardy. If people chant songs at the Manager which some deem personal, again I get god knows how many tweets and messages slating me for allowing this to happen.

So I think I will put things into perspective a little.

Firstly like every supporter I want whats best for our club, which is a well run club from top to bottom. I want to feel that the clubs cares about me as much I do the club. I want to be able to take my wife and children to the games, and for them to feel safe and enjoy a family day out. I don’t think we should win every week, I don’t think we have a Divine right to be in the Premier league but I do think god helps those who help themselves and over the last 12 months Venkys have made one mistake after another. So much so the majority of the clubs supporters base has not got a clue what is going on, and has a deep concern what our club will be 12 months from now. Personally I fear we may not even have a club this time next year if the current course continues.

For three months a section of our supporters have been protesting, and protesting on their belief. Simon Littler and I have in this time have spoke with the club on numerous occasions. These conversations are usually around health & safety and looking at ways to facilitate the opportunity for supporters to put across their discontent. At all these meetings I aways say, that “We should be looking at the reasons supporters find the need to protest and the solutions to bring all protest to a close“. After all, I don’t particularly enjoy all my spare time being used on organising protest. Each week can become like groundhog day, Especially as the solutions are the way forward, People protest for a reason, If the club addresses those reasons then plain and simple protests would stop, Its not Rocket science!!

This past weekend after weeks of pre and post match protest, for the first real time supporters showed their displeasure at the Manager during the game at a home fixture. Reason being he has constantly said the silent majority support him 100%. There is a very fine line here, supporting the team, supporting the manager, supporting the owners. All together they are Blackburn Rovers as we know it today. I think every supporter wants Rovers to win, some supporters have openly said if a defeat rids the club of Kean then they would happily take a short term loss for a long term gain. Many supporters believe by replacing Kean, it will be giving the club the best possible chance to stay up. 7 wins in 35 games clearly supports this theory, although getting the right replacement in may prove tricky as there is a wide opinion amongst the footballing world that our owners are nothing more than a joke, and are on many peoples black list.

We had three away fixtures prior to the Swansea Match, and no protest were organised for any of those fixtures, We lost 2 drew the other and the crowd vented their anger at Kean and Venkys. In addition supporters also fought with each other, This is something I have always wanted to avoid, chants also occurred during the game. However as an easy target the protesters were blamed even though no protest had been organised.

Who is putting this divide amongst supporters? Is it Simon and I? Is it the protesters? Is it the non protesters? Is it the silent majority? Or is it the Manager for his comments were he promotes one section of supporters to rise up against the other?

The big win on Saturday, saw the majority of supporters go home happy including me. What has happened since has annoyed me a little but as usual I will just take it on the chin. The protesters have been blamed for booing Kean, for out singing the silent majority with their Kean out chants, and then for staying behind despite the win. Well i’m sorry I find all this inaccurate and quite sad. The people singing during the game was a mixture of supporters, from both sides of the fence regarding protest. After the match anything between 500-1000 stopped behind, as one match changes nothing, This is not just about Kean, but is also about Venkys and their mis-management of our club. Had everyone gone home, people would of been saying “You only protest when we lose against teams we should not beat anyway”. Lets not forget in midweek leading up to the match our manager told supporters he had forfeited the cup game. Certainly not the best way to increase public opinion!

Let me be clear on organised protest, Simon and I organise things after speaking with a large group of supporters who have been involved in organised protest. We both take instruction from them to ensure they have a platform to air their opinion safely and lawfully. Once its organised we take a back seat and let supporters do as they wish.  Its the supporters who decide what they will chant, or what they will write on banners, or what they will do on match days. This constant pointing the finger at Simon and I when something occurs which an anti-protester don’t like is just a cheap shot. People should be putting their stance on what supporters are doing to the back of their mind and concentrating on what they want for Blackburn Rovers future. If people have idea’s they should take it upon themselves to organise it instead of expecting just two people to do so, I love interacting with supporters during the week and at games and have got to know so many people through the mess we all find ourselves in.

I heard comments also about T-shirts and scarfs, people saying they either did not see enough of them or it was a bad idea. My questions to them would be, Did you buy one? Or did you come up with an idea? and if you did come up with an idea did you implement it? Its ok having a go at people for trying and failing, if you have tried to do something yourself.

I ask all supporters to put aside their differences agree to disagree, don’t let comments from Steve Kean divide each other, Things are bad enough without supporters taking lumps out of each other. Lets hear solutions, instead of adding to the problems. The club is fully aware that we want to discuss the issue’s which have lead to protest, by discussing these issue’s and giving supporters answers then protest can be ended very quickly. Its in the owners and boards court, Supporters will continue to protest until they have their answers.

All the things that was right about Rovers are now all the things which are wrong about the club.

In a meeting I had with the club a few weeks ago, I asked many questions regarding the clubs almighty fall from grace. The clubs response was, “I crave what they crave, which is communication, they can’t give me the answers because they don’t know the answers either and they are as worried as all the supporters” .

This was not quite the response I was expecting, but it did highlight to me in that one sentence how bad things have got at Ewood Park. It was quite clear that our current board which is minus a Chief Executive and Chairperson cannot get direct contact with the owners to get answers. Our board also makes no decisions, and all decisions at the club are made over in Pune. It begs the question what difference would it be if we had no board at all?

More alarmingly it was also revealed that club Manager Steve Kean refuses to communicate with the board here in Blackburn as he does not answer to them, so does not feel he has a duty to relay any conversations he may have with Venkys whilst on his monthly trips to India.

After speaking with many leading journalist over the last couple of months its become clear that they also can’t get a clear link with the clubs owners.

So my questions:

1. If no-one speaks with Venkys bar Steve Kean then who is advising them?
2. If our depleted board are not allowed to make day to day decisions, what is their role?
3. If Venkys are indeed the sole decision makers why do they not have a daily presence at the club?
4. Why are our club accounts over in Pune, when our financial director is based here?
5. Why have our owners took out Mortgages on ALL future income, including Sky and commercial Revenue?
6. Why was the players signed in the summer bought on the never never when the club had raised massive funds in sales and taken Mortgages out?
7. What has happened to funds raised from sales and the Mortgages?

These are just a few of the unanswered questions which I still can’t quite get my head around.

Putting all the off the field stuff to one side, Rovers have now won just 1 game out of 13 this season and sit rock bottom of the league. This is the worst start we have ever made to a Premier league season yet this week it was confirmed that Manager Steve Kean had been given a revised contract. Now how does that work? Supporters have been publicly calling for his dismissal for nearly 3 months as his record of 6 wins out of 34 is shocking to say the least. What makes it worse, Kean has set about trying to divide supporters with his timely statements. He maintains that only a minority of supporters are against him, whilst he retains the support of 99% of the Rovers fan base. He has pointed to the thousands of letters he has received which he claims are all positive. He said “Supporters think the team is playing the best football that they have seen in years” He also claims when he is out and about the training ground that supporters he meets, only have praise for the job he is doing at Blackburn Rovers.

What makes it worse, each week someone comes out and offers support to back up his theory, This is usually an ex-player or pundit, it seems everyone bar the supporters think Steve Kean is the right man for Rovers and he is more than up to the job. Venkys have publicly backed their man on numerous occasions although it was quite interesting this week no words of support came attached to the news he had signed the new contract. Some may say the contract says a thousand words, but is it really that cut and dry? Why would our owners who have described Blackburn Rovers as “Their Baby” award a Manager who has been a complete failure to date? Steve Kean has also been busy with his one liners, stating in an interview with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that “He can guarantee Rovers will not be relegated”. Now I find it hard to work out who is more deluded Steve Kean or Venkys? Surely they understand that we now only have 75 points to play for and if we don’t get at least half of them then Rovers stand to lose millions when they are ultimately relegated. The individuals who were named “The Pune 9″ Following their trip to India a few weeks ago, stated that Venkys plans for the future was all dependent on Rovers being in the Premiership.

The words “Asset Strip” has been muttered and mentioned by many supporters over the last 12 months, however in the last week more and more supporters are questioning Venkys intentions. Bar the purchase price there is very little evidence that the Poultry giants have pumped any of their own wealth into the club, with sales and Mortgages you could understand people being worried that our club could potentially be stripped of everything. With a clear lack of communication from Owners to Board and Board to supporters its only helping fuel these rumours.

Supporters anger has now turned to Venkys who said  when they bought the club “Judge us in 12 months”. Well in my opinion the last 12 months have been a disaster from start to finish, I don’t trust the Owners, Board or Manager. They have spun so many lies in the last 12 months that even when an official club statement is made, I have to question if its the truth or just a rumour.

Where do we go from here?

Over the last few weeks Rovers have strategically put out statements which has caused a massive divide amongst supporters. Fans have had their right to protest seriously handicapped as the club has put measures in place to make it as difficult as possible for supporters to have their voice heard. Violence has erupted in the stands as supporters frustrations have been taken out on each other. Its time for all this fighting amongst supporters to stop, everyone wants the same things  and only by working together in harmony will supporters make a difference. If supporters cannot unite then things will get much worse in the stands and the closure everyone seeks will just get further and further away. I know as a protest organiser how difficult it has been to try and engage in meaningful conversations with the club. In each meeting Simon Littler and I had with the club regarding protest, we was always willing to work with the club and the Police to ensure all demonstrations were carried out peacefully and with peoples safety at the forefront. We also took part in a meeting with the club and 6 other supporters as we put across some concerns. These were minuted by the club and the result of that meeting was that it was recommended by the club that the meeting needed to go up a level and that a meeting with the board was beneficial to all parties. However to date those minutes have not been publicly released to the supporters of Blackburn Rovers by the club, and the further meeting has not been scheduled. Naturally we are disappointed that talks have broke down and despite our best efforts in the last three weeks the club has refused to come back to the table to resume these discussions.

Without communication we are on a sinking ship both on and off the pitch, some supporters have accepted our fate and are refusing to go back to Ewood Park until Venkys sell and Steve Kean is sacked. This is a bold move by many supporters especially as some are season ticket holders who have already got guaranteed seats for the rest of the season.  Other sections of the home crowd are calling for fans to boycott games, and hit the owners in the pocket. Some supporters have been protesting and will continue to do so, whilst other supporters are just undecided on what to do for the best. Each supporter is an individual and will make whatever decision they feel most comfortable with, but one thing which is unified amongst every single supporters is that they are seriously worried about both on and off the pitch activities and unless the club addresses its customer base and rapidly then our club is in danger of falling off the map and becoming another footballing tragedy.

I woke up yesterday in buoyant mood, looking forward to going to the DW stadium. With Wigan on an 8 game losing streak, and struggling for goals, I genuinely thought that no other outcome than a Rovers victory was possible.

I met up with lots of supporters around 12pm as a massive following from Blackburn took over Wigan Town Centre. The supporters were in good spirits although a bad taste in people’s mouths was evident after more crazy comments from the Manager with his statement saying “Genuine fans who watch the team, week in, week out home and away, was fully behind him” .I read this as anyone who does not support him is not a genuine fan, and anyone who does not attend every match can also take themselves off the “Genuine Fan List” too.

However there was no way I was going to allow the Managers comments spoil my day, This match was all about Blackburn Rovers Football Club the team we all love and support regardless. The priority of getting three points was all I could think about, Yes I want Steve Kean out and Yes I want Venkys to go with him, as their contempt for supporters is unforgivable, but like every other Rovers game the result comes first.

Over the last few weeks tensions have mounted amongst supporters as their frustrations have spilled onto each other. Arguing on different social network sites is starting to become a daily thing, as the divide on people’s ways of dealing with things has brought unhealthy debate.

On Thursday I was made aware of a banner which had been put on the fence at Ewood Park, it read “GLENN SCUM PROTEST MULLAN RIP” . Its not the nicest thing that you want to read, but it did not really effect me personally. However it deeply effected my Wife, Three Daughters and my Eldest brother. I saw a post my brother wrote on the Lancashire Evening Telegraph comment section. He said “I already have one dead brother resting in Pleasington and this has angered me deeply, and is nothing more than an act of faceless cowards”. My wife was in a similar mood and felt that Blackburn Rovers was tearing our family apart. We had already received threats of violence from one individual and these were aimed at my Wife and Children also. My wife was deeply concerned that personal information about us had been handed over by someone who was out to do us no favours. Where this leak has come from, I still do not know, However for the club to put the statement out before the Chelsea match, claiming people was looking to cause issues against protesters at that match, I thought it was calculated and a serious own goal. After speaking with my father-in-law who is a Police officer, he said “That there was an open invitation to encourage supporters to turn on each other with violence”.I had received no threats prior to these statements, and but had them within a couple of hours of their release. All previous protest had been carried out peacefully and no supporter had approached me in a negative manner regarding protest at any match.

Over the last couple of weeks similar statements have been made by the Manager in a move I find appalling. at 2pm yesterday afternoon these threats became more than threats when I was attacked by a fellow Rovers supporter who admitted it was he who had been issuing threats, he said he would harm both me and my family should protest not end immediately. He said he was embarrassed to walk around Oswaldtwistle, and the supporters who protest has brought shame on the club and we was the reason that Blackburn Rovers are in such a bad position. He did not want to reason with me, and had no animosity to any other protester. He made it clear that he only wanted to do harm to the organisers. He took a swing put never made a real connection with only his ring catching me, Which caused a scratch and nothing more. He then put his hand through a mirror in the public house were we came face to face, and required 5 or 6 people to hold him back to prevent him making a further assault. The Police arrived on the scene but he had escaped through the rear exit.

I understood his frustrations, as believe me, I don’t want to be protesting either, however I’m unfazed by his attack and will continue to do what I think is right. There is many supporters behind what we are doing and until these concerns the protesters all have are not only answered but rectified we will continue what we have started.

After getting to the DW stadium and hearing the team, my 4-0 prediction was looking rather too optimistic, and suddenly I thought this could go either way.

In truth I never saw any violence on the stands, There was quite a few conversations exchanged with some supporters around me, regarding protest and people were saying to me” Its not Steve Kean’s fault its the players”. This rather confused me, as we have always backed the players for 90 minutes and some non-protesters have always used the players to support their argument of what we are doing is wrong.

I would say 50-60% of the away support which was over 4000, were calling for the removal of Kean during and after the game. The same number was also calling for Venkys to go too. This minority card Kean keeps playing is now beginning to infuriate many supporters. I would be first to admit that only 5-10% of attending supporters have been protesting, however just because people don’t choose to protest does not mean they want Kean as the Manager. I would comfortably say the Majority want him gone and have done for many weeks.

After the match Kean appeared to send all the players down the tunnel to stop them acknowledging the away support in the ground. Only Paul Robinson came over to the travelling faithful, and Kean took this opportunity to use Robinson’s applause as his own, in another attempt to belittle supporters.

I can never remember an employee of Blackburn Rovers being more hated than our current Manager. When these protest started out it was based on facts and results. The truth is the Manager was not getting them and was showing no signs of learning from his mistakes. Following the March at home to Arsenal, Steve Kean accepted live on Sky Television an invitation to meet with me and discuss the concerns I had. 2 months later this meeting has not taken place. In addition instead of the club trying to put an end to protest in the proper way by opening up a proper communication channel, they have gone about trying to divide supporters and allowed protest to continue. Surely its in the clubs best interest to find the route of the problem and end these protest amicably? Kean’s permanent statements to various media outlets has shown a total lack of respect for supporters who are the paying customer and the heartbeat of any club. Without supporters, a team cannot continue. Instead of solving all problems, we are deemed the problem, our opinions don’t matter and our concerns are also of no consequence with anyone involved with Blackburn Rovers Football club. I get the impression that they just want supporters who are unhappy to just go away and not darken the doors of Ewood Park again. I’m also of the opinion that they would also prefer people to become vigilantes and rid the club of all those who oppose the goings on over the last 12 months since Venkys bought the club.

So is it personal? Your damn right it is, The club has allowed the safety of supporters to become questionable and one assault to me has already occurred. I can handle that, but what I will not accept is threats to my family. I really do think Steve Kean, Venkys and the people at the club who have allowed these things to escalate should hang their heads in shame. It is they who have planted these seeds into the stands and unless there is a serious change of direction from the club and with immediate effect then i’m fearful that people are going to get seriously hurt and our club will be hitting the back pages for the wrong reasons.

I plead with Blackburn Rovers Football Club to address their supporters concerns, Its bad enough that the club lacks leadership within, and the teams is not getting the points on the board, Please don’t add Violence to the ever wall of shame CV that our new Owners Venkys have built up over the last 12 months

Jack Walker seems a long distant memory, as every value he rebuilt our club on, has had the life strangled out of it.

I have been going to watch Rovers since 1983, but it was not until around 1987 that I really understood how special it was to support the team from the town I was born. I used to love standing their on the Blackburn End waiting for me hero’s to come out of the tunnel, holding the autographed balls ready to kick into the crowd. Each week I would run around trying to get one of these prized balls until finally I got one, and put it up my jumper. I took it home and kissed it each night, I always vowed that for as long as I live Blackburn Rovers would be part of my life. Through the good times and the bad times, be that Premier league or non-league, I felt that connection. I used to see players in the street and my legs would turn to jelly, i’d go all shy and nervous. I would go to the supermarket with my mum and see them out doing their shopping and want my mum to push the trolley down the same aisle so I could take a closer look. Football has never just been a game to me, its always been an obsession.

Since Venkys have arrived, the distance between supporters and club has just escalated. This is no longer the club we have grown to be attached to. A serious lack of compassion is shown to supporters and when we have concerns we are just branded trouble makers, or negative.

Has the club once stopped to think why as supporters we have found the need to Protest?

Has the club looked at ways of bringing these Protest to a close?

This week the club banned all banners and stated that there was fraction groups being set up to protest against protesters. I read this as an open invitation for supporters to turn on each other. All protest to date had been done peacefully and without incident, so to suddenly pull this card. It left me with serious questions to what the motives of the club was?

Within 24 hours I found myself receiving threats about my safety but more worrying the safety of my family. Other protest Organisers were also receiving similar threats,  yet at all previous protest there had been no confrontation with any supporter. Previously I had not received any emails, phone calls, text or tweets regarding my safety.

Throughout this process we have kept our integrity whilst offering our full co-operation with the club to find a democratic way of bringing protest to a close. Supporters have so many worries and there is so many unanswered questions. Surely its in the best interest of everyone for all these issues to be dealt with behind closed doors sat around a table, than through a public display and in the media?

People say the Protest are bringing embarrassment on the club and town, but my answer to those individuals is, The club has the power to put an end to all protest by talking. Communication is a wonderful thing and is one trait the human race excels in. Steve Kean said weeks ago he would meet with me to discuss the protest, but to date my phone has not rang, despite me on numerous occasions asking the club when this meeting will take place.

Last week we held a supporters meeting with the club which went well. It was felt by the people who chaired that meeting that it should be raised to another level. It was their recommendation that we should be speaking to members of the board, due to the level of concern.

It does not matter what side of the fence you sit on regarding Rovers and protest, are we not all equal? Don’t we all deserve to be treated as equal? As customers don’t we have a right to be concerned? After all we have gone from one of the best run teams in the land to a team which has become a National joke. This happened long before any protest took place. In addition we have gone from a team chasing top 10 finishes to a team which is fighting for survival.

Its Supporter pride, which has us protesting, we do it because we care about the long term future of the club. Both on and off the pitch, and although the Managers results have been terrible, its off the pitch which has me far more worried.

Venkys, Jerome Anderson. Steve Kean. agent fee’s and club debts are all issues which have given me serious concerns about the clubs long term future. Football has turned into a rich man’s toy, and one where people become casualties. Blackburn’s current course currently has the supporters on path to be the biggest casualties. How come things have come to this? Surely the fans are the heartbeat of any club?

Blackburn Rovers supporters are turning on each other and the owners just seem to be watching on like a sick version of “Big Brother”.

I vow if its the last thing I do, I will not let Blackburn Rovers disappear off the map, and there is thousands of supporters like me who feel the same. We will not be silenced and we will not go away quietly.We are Rover through and through and as the song goes “Rovers Til I Die”. Its time for Venkys to come and face the supporters and give us the full chapter and verse of where this club is heading. Whilst they continue to hide in India it just adds to the concerns and the black clouds which are gathering over Ewood Park.