Agnew hits out over Blackburn Rovers exit

The club announced on Friday that Agnew was ‘no longer employed by Blackburn Rovers’, in a brief statement that gave no reason for the operations director’s exit and did not even clarify whether he had resigned or had been sacked.

Agnew has told the Lancashire Telegraph that he was informed his services were no longer required at the club in a brief phone call from managing director Derek Shaw.

Shaw had been brought to the club on Agnew’s recommendation a year ago, and the pair had been close allies on the Rovers board.

Agnew’s exit came only days after he had been appointed as the new chairman of the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust.

It had been known for some time that owners Venky’s had been considering changes at boardroom level, but Agnew says the news that he had been dismissed came as a bolt from the blue.

“I am totally mystified and deeply shocked by what has happened to me after nearly 20 years of employment with the club, most recently at director level,” he said, issuing a statement to the Lancashire Telegraph.

“I feel that to be dealt with in this manner is at the very best bitterly disappointing.

“My long professional association with the club was ended with a quick phone call from the managing director and a follow up e-mail from a solicitor with no reason or any explanation for the decision.

“I feel it would be perhaps inappropriate to make further comment at this stage.”

Agnew first started to work for Rovers in 1996, operating in a media and PR capacity before joining the board last summer. He currently remains in Portugal on a family holiday.

He had been due to travel to the Algarve with managing director Derek Shaw for the Football League AGM at the end of last week, before staying in the country for a week’s holiday.

As it turned out, the news of Agnew’s Rovers exit meant Shaw attended the AGM on his own. Agnew went to his holiday location instead.