TWO East Lancashire businessmen and lifelong Blackburn Rovers fans have called for an “olive branch” to be offered to under fire owners Venky’s to help them start rescuing the club from their current dire straits.

Ian Battersby, who met co-owner Anurada Desai in Pune in October, and Wayne Wild, group director of Rovers’ main sponsor WEC Group, have appealed for a temporary peace around Ewood Park to encourage Venky’s to start engaging with their football club.

Both though have underlined the need for immediate action to stop Rovers sliding into the Championship and have warned the owners ‘this would be their last chance’ to put their wrongs right.

The duo believe their suggested truce would make Venky’s feel welcome to return to Blackburn to start a period of “consultation” with fans to ease growing fears about the club’s future.

They have also called for the power structure at the club to be improved and for cash to be invested in January to boost the club’s Premier League survival hopes.

Talks between the protesters and Rovers officials are ongoing in an attempt to ease the hostile atmosphere around Ewood Park, ahead of a crucial home double header against West Brom on Saturday and Bolton on Tuesday.

Battersby, of wealth management business Seneca Partners, and Wild believe this would produce a more conducive atmosphere for Venky’s to start sorting out the current crisis around the club.

Battersby, who enjoyed a three-hour meeting with Anuradha Desai in Pune in October, said: “We need to all take stock and give Venky’s this opportunity to come back in and re-engage on a peaceful basis.

“If we could for two or three weeks ease off, reign back and allow a period of consultation. When you reach the point when the owners don’t dare come back into town because of the vitriol it is a pretty hideous set of circumstances.

“It is a ridiculous set of circumstances for every stakeholder in the club. Whether a board member, owner, supporter, manager or player. No-one can at any level be happy with what is happening. It is torture going to a game.”

Owners the Rao family have been conspicuous by their absence over the past few months, leaving supporters frustrated by the lack of communication.

Wild, who has been seeking a meeting with their owners for months now, said: “The owners have made a lot of errors, it has to be said so have some of the supporters, so there have been mistakes all the way but now is the time for people to ease off the booing and protests.

“They need to stop and the owners have to get here, stand in front of the people and show they are here to run the club. They need to be at the front.

“They have to show they are in for the long haul with a commitment, first with cash and then with a commitment to getting people in on the board of directors who have an affinity for the club.”

Battersby has stressed the need to improve the dialogue between the club and the supporters and believes the current board structure makes this impossible.

“January is as much about a declaration of intent,” he said. “If they can’t put significant money up in January then we are all wasting our time.”

“So are you prepared to come to the party and try and save this thing in the last four or five months of the season? Because if you are not able, or willing to commit to this financially in January then it tells us everything we need to know.

“The club is in a state of utter paralysis.”