COMMENT: Sam's sacking a sign of things to come (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Venky's out

If only there wasnt so much bull**** flying around all the time!!!

Racing Rover wrote:
If only there wasnt so much bull**** flying around all the time!!!

I think you mean CHICKEN-SH!T

Give up now!berg his own man?he is worse a lot worse than Kean,A total boycott of all games is the only thing that would result in any change likeable,note the spelling,no way berg out berg out

Happy anniversary guys - hope you all have a great day.

Sam did well with hammers, now he is good.

MatthewCA wrote:
Sam did well with hammers, now he is good.

I reckon Bazzer will say that you used one 'O' too many in the final word of your post Matthew!

Anyone who thought that sacking Big Sam was a good idea was a complete idiot.

They were then and they still are now.

Rovers and Allardyce were perfectly matched and it showed.

Good to see him doing so well with a smaller club in West Ham.

Rayzerisaloser wrote:
Give up now!berg his own man?he is worse a lot worse than Kean,A total boycott of all games is the only thing that would result in any change likeable,note the spelling,no way berg out berg out

bye then!

Venkys will NEVER suceed at Rovers - for many many reasons but mainly because they have ailinated so many of their own fans that many will never return, even if we do get an unlikely promotion.

Also, they continually employ, friends and "yes" men rather than people who are best qualified for the job.

I actually rated Paul Hunt who impressed me alot when I had along (40 min) chat with him one day. He had a good knowledge of the problems at the club and also, how to actually run a modern football club etc - and we all know what happened to him as soon as he tried to explain these problems and how to solve them - he got fired, yet we all know that he was bang on right.

Instead they gave us the amusing Shevy - a man who has never lived in England, nor worked in English football nor ever run a £50m turnover business - why, because he is their mate - that is why Venkys will never suceed - total morons who refuse to learn from their mistakes, each and every one of them !

What a Total Joke! the comment from AndyW "good to see Sam Allardyce doing well with a SMALLER CLUB WEST HAM" is that the club who fill their ground each week with 35,000 fans and have one of the best away followings in the Premier League?

AndyW wrote:
Anyone who thought that sacking Big Sam was a good idea was a complete idiot.

They were then and they still are now.

Rovers and Allardyce were perfectly matched and it showed.

Good to see him doing so well with a smaller club in West Ham.

I'm sure Big Sam is wondering why he's at a 34,000-a-week small club and not the mighty 14,000-a-week Blackburn.

Rayzerisaloser wrote:
Give up now!berg his own man?he is worse a lot worse than Kean,A total boycott of all games is the only thing that would result in any change likeable,note the spelling,no way berg out berg out

Hope you ARE boycotting you complete Pratt!!!! Your the kind of people this club can do without!!

J.C - Rishton wrote:
Venkys will NEVER suceed at Rovers - for many many reasons but mainly because they have ailinated so many of their own fans that many will never return, even if we do get an unlikely promotion.

Also, they continually employ, friends and "yes" men rather than people who are best qualified for the job.

I actually rated Paul Hunt who impressed me alot when I had along (40 min) chat with him one day. He had a good knowledge of the problems at the club and also, how to actually run a modern football club etc - and we all know what happened to him as soon as he tried to explain these problems and how to solve them - he got fired, yet we all know that he was bang on right.

Instead they gave us the amusing Shevy - a man who has never lived in England, nor worked in English football nor ever run a £50m turnover business - why, because he is their mate - that is why Venkys will never suceed - total morons who refuse to learn from their mistakes, each and every one of them !

Well said!

blueblooded wrote:

Rayzerisaloser wrote:
Give up now!berg his own man?he is worse a lot worse than Kean,A total boycott of all games is the only thing that would result in any change likeable,note the spelling,no way berg out berg out

bye then!

Dingle... Don't waste your time!

RTID

I believe that most Rovers fans thought another top class manager had already been lined up when Big Sam was sacked, and accepted the decision at the time. HOW WRONG WE WERE!

Utter chaos has reigned ever since, and employing the moron Shebby Singh has rightly made us the laughing stock of English football. He and the other Stooges Agnew and Shaw are totally and utterly incapable of running a chip shop, let alone a football club.

We are on a downward spiral, and the whole incompetent owners and management have absolutely no idea what to do. I really fear for the future of OUR CLUB. The latest balance sheet shows just how desperate the situation really is.

SHYSTERS GET OUT OF OUR CLUB

LOL Blackburn a big club. As Big Sam would say 'you are all deluded and talk ****' ;-)

West Ham are the 8th most supported club in the UK while Blackburn just about manage 40th place

http://www.footballg
roundmap.com/stats/t
eams

seanlw wrote:
LOL Blackburn a big club. As Big Sam would say 'you are all deluded and talk ****' ;-) West Ham are the 8th most supported club in the UK while Blackburn just about manage 40th place http://www.footballg roundmap.com/stats/t eams

I love that you've based your findings on a site where you have to register in order to become a fan!! Obviously only you "true" supporters go on there - We just play at being Rovers fans!!!

roverfoxy wrote:

seanlw wrote:
LOL Blackburn a big club. As Big Sam would say 'you are all deluded and talk ****' ;-) West Ham are the 8th most supported club in the UK while Blackburn just about manage 40th place http://www.footballg roundmap.com/stats/t eams

I love that you've based your findings on a site where you have to register in order to become a fan!! Obviously only you "true" supporters go on there - We just play at being Rovers fans!!!

He's a Dingle of the lowest order.

"There were some at the time who were not totally opposed to the idea"
Somewhat economical with the truth there Andy, there were large swathes of fans clamouring for his departure. You've got to be careful what you wish for, sometimes you get it!!

seanlw wrote:
LOL Blackburn a big club. As Big Sam would say 'you are all deluded and talk ****' ;-) West Ham are the 8th most supported club in the UK while Blackburn just about manage 40th place http://www.footballg roundmap.com/stats/t eams

who gives a sh!te where we are in some poxy statistics....no one is deluded mate except you because you actually think it it makes any difference at all.

I dont go to Ewood because of stats..
I go because its my club ...
born and bred and no poxy stats or inane idiotic comments from a half wit like you is going to make any difference

the only one FACT we care about is...
33 years and counting..... and we will always be a bigger club than the dingles!

Dont know how or when but BBurn fans need to stick together and get rid of this Cancer from India,They came and destroyed what was a perfectly well run club, they are completely destroying our town and club week by week.

Andy you quote ''The poultry giants have made such an almighty pigs ear of running a football club'' ---100% correct but what can we do about it , we cant keep on sumarising wot these clowns are doin, how do we change it?

roverfoxy wrote:

Rayzerisaloser wrote:
Give up now!berg his own man?he is worse a lot worse than Kean,A total boycott of all games is the only thing that would result in any change likeable,note the spelling,no way berg out berg out

Hope you ARE boycotting you complete Pratt!!!! Your the kind of people this club can do without!!

Fact Kean was better than berg,you deserve berg another loss beckons the pool will hammer you

Love Venky's, Hate Rovers.

fanny_tickler. wrote:
Love Venky's, Hate Rovers.

Fanny, r u ticklin ur mum in your **** van , go and have a wash

Hindsight is a great thing isnt it? I was shocked in a way as Sam had done a good job but I like lots of others if they are being honest welcomed a change of manager expecting a Glen Hoddle to get appointed.

When Kean was appointed I think every fan was amazed and worried but when we thumped Liverpool it gave us and maybe the owners a false impression of Kean.The fact is after another 3 weeks we fans started moaning on these very pages and it got embarrasing as it turned into a whitch hunt as the hatred for the front man grew and grew and for some unbeknown reason he never got sacked by the owners.Berg was a last minute choice he came cheap and they think the fans worship ex players but we don't at all as only a few wanted Shearer our best ever player as manager we all want a proper recognised manager who knows what he is doing.The Ince and kidd fiascos proved young managers without experience cannot cope and we should go cap in hand to Mark Hughes or the so called good quality applicants to ask them to assist Berg out of this poor mess that Kean & Co have left us in.

I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..
.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

Hi bburnrover.....Venky
s and Singh, for some strange reason, seem happy for things to continue as they are. They gave Berg a three year contract without a second thought of how he might perform.
Let us not dream about Hughes or any other proper recognised manager. It's just not going to happen.

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play. I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan. 10 -13 k fans Average. Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans. Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution into the premiership and 23 k fans I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple.. .! We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right. Hence the current attendances. Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues. & if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with. Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club. It is a small town club and will always be. BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football. The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find. They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!! Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game. Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have. Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club. We never were a big club and never will be. Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent. Its simply not gonna happen. And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced. Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young. If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!! quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!! And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money as Our own local Uncle Jack did. Agree / disagree..?? lets hear your view...??

lots o good points , but its the way its been handled and the patronising way we been talked to. at the end of the days the fans are the paying customers. Venkys are hated due to lies and what they have spoilt

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..

.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

Yes, we are a small town club, nobody is denying that, but we were well run and holding our own easily until two years ago.
The maddening thing is we could still be up there, but for some strange reason which we still don't know, it was all thrown away by Venkys. It was self inflicted.
If it had have been a steady decline due to us being a small town team unable to keep up with the big boys, it would have been more acceptable and understandable.
No wonder Venkys say nothing and are frightened to show their faces.

Champagne tastes with beer money !

The very template BRFC built in running the club with Messrs Williams and Co was obviously a poisoned chalice for the likes of Venky thus they proceed to rip it up and start again. That in itself is no bad thing, but replacing the very fabric of a business doesn't involve trashing it beyond repair, and then attempting in glossing over the facts with NUTS is preposterous !

Dear to goodness stupid we may be, but fools we are not. If pain was/is to be inflicted then at the very least treat us with a little dignity and respect ?

Shebby is beginning in sounding bombastic with his attempts in glossing over this unprecedented 'fine mess we find ourselves in', said Laurel & Hardy !

Give Henning Berg the tools for attempting this grand vision you so blatantly adhere to or forever hold your tongues ?

BRFC needs men(or women) of substance, solid experience, respect, dignity - then again I'm possibly just dreaming, and that such a request will fall on deaf ears seeing as experience now informs us to the contrary.

Sick and tired of attempting in holding our club up in the ways that we see as fit and proper whilst behind the scenes bedlam ensues.

Dejected, rejected, utterly perplexed with these goings on.

Is it fine to hold out for a silver lining ?

Should I abandon my Beautiful Swan notion following only a get down deep and dirty philosophy ?

Whichever it may turn out to be I ask of only one request -

Please don't take my Rovers away !?

Arte et labore

VENKYS OUT THIS BLOG SUMS VENKYS UP.

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

handyamBRFC wrote: I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play. I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan. 10 -13 k fans Average. Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans. Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution into the premiership and 23 k fans I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple.. .! We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right. Hence the current attendances. Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues. & if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with. Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club. It is a small town club and will always be. BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football. The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find. They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!! Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game. Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have. Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club. We never were a big club and never will be. Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent. Its simply not gonna happen. And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced. Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young. If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!! quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!! And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money as Our own local Uncle Jack did. Agree / disagree..?? lets hear your view...??

lots o good points , but its the way its been handled and the patronising way we been talked to. at the end of the days the fans are the paying customers. Venkys are hated due to lies and what they have spoilt

someone with some sense and a dose of reality. Excellent analysis.

THERE won’t be many Blackburn Rovers fans who won’t remember where they were two years ago today, when, like a bolt from the blue, Venky’s announced Sam Allardyce had been sacked as manager.

Oh dear how pathetic and very very embarrassing. Football manager Grintwums, not Elvis or JFK.

jackmetickler wrote:

seanlw wrote:
LOL Blackburn a big club. As Big Sam would say 'you are all deluded and talk ****' ;-) West Ham are the 8th most supported club in the UK while Blackburn just about manage 40th place http://www.footballg roundmap.com/stats/t eams

who gives a sh!te where we are in some poxy statistics....no one is deluded mate except you because you actually think it it makes any difference at all.

I dont go to Ewood because of stats..
I go because its my club ...
born and bred and no poxy stats or inane idiotic comments from a half wit like you is going to make any difference

the only one FACT we care about is...
33 years and counting..... and we will always be a bigger club than the dingles!

So, 2 draws against the mighty Clarets this season and relegation to Division 1 and you will be a happy `man`. And you say we are obsessed. Happy Anniversary to you all.

moh wrote:

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

handyamBRFC wrote: I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play. I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan. 10 -13 k fans Average. Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans. Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution into the premiership and 23 k fans I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple.. .! We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right. Hence the current attendances. Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues. & if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with. Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club. It is a small town club and will always be. BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football. The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find. They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!! Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game. Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have. Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club. We never were a big club and never will be. Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent. Its simply not gonna happen. And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced. Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young. If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!! quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!! And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money as Our own local Uncle Jack did. Agree / disagree..?? lets hear your view...??

lots o good points , but its the way its been handled and the patronising way we been talked to. at the end of the days the fans are the paying customers. Venkys are hated due to lies and what they have spoilt

someone with some sense and a dose of reality. Excellent analysis.

At last, a Rovers fan with a brain. A perfect summary of the modern day history of Blackburn Rovers. The only difference between Blackburn /Bolton and other clubs of similar standing has been Walker/Davies money. Bolton are currently 126 million in debt but Eddie Davies can afford it. Once `Uncle Jack` s gravy train departed so did any realistic hope for Blackburn Rovers. The best that any of the Lancashire town clubs can hope for is to be competitive in the Championship coupled with the odd cup run. The more likely scenario is that they will follow the likes of Oldham,Bury, Rochdale etc. Rovers had there glory years under Uncle Jack just as Burnley did under Bob Lord. Those days are now gone................
.. forever.

FCBurnley wrote:

moh wrote:

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

handyamBRFC wrote: I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play. I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan. 10 -13 k fans Average. Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans. Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution into the premiership and 23 k fans I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple.. .! We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right. Hence the current attendances. Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues. & if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with. Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club. It is a small town club and will always be. BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football. The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find. They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!! Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game. Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have. Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club. We never were a big club and never will be. Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent. Its simply not gonna happen. And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced. Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young. If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!! quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!! And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money as Our own local Uncle Jack did. Agree / disagree..?? lets hear your view...??

lots o good points , but its the way its been handled and the patronising way we been talked to. at the end of the days the fans are the paying customers. Venkys are hated due to lies and what they have spoilt

someone with some sense and a dose of reality. Excellent analysis.

At last, a Rovers fan with a brain. A perfect summary of the modern day history of Blackburn Rovers. The only difference between Blackburn /Bolton and other clubs of similar standing has been Walker/Davies money. Bolton are currently 126 million in debt but Eddie Davies can afford it. Once `Uncle Jack` s gravy train departed so did any realistic hope for Blackburn Rovers. The best that any of the Lancashire town clubs can hope for is to be competitive in the Championship coupled with the odd cup run. The more likely scenario is that they will follow the likes of Oldham,Bury, Rochdale etc. Rovers had there glory years under Uncle Jack just as Burnley did under Bob Lord. Those days are now gone................ .. forever.

Quite right BFC fan, glory days are over, your right - but we had a good structure and well run club , we were never goina be a man utd but we were well managed and football in general has lost a good example of how it shoudl be run, Blackburn gave all clubs a standard to work, just like BFC and how to be sucessful even as a town club.Our demise is typical of football in general and useless foregn greedy investors. Do u and all your fellow few BFC fans really want footblall to go belly up.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if in the spirit of peace and reconciliation and retrospection if the LET and Cryer apologised to the fans for the way they uncritically swallowed the guff from Venkys, Anderson, Kean and the way they studiously avoided professional journalist standards of enquiry, asking challenging questions from day one, demanding some kind of accountabilty on behalf of their readers ?
Yes, I still believe in Santa.

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..

.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

Spot on analysis of the situation. After twenty or so years of punching above our weight we are levelling out.

Happy anniversary to all Burnley fans. Two years ago today a Premier League manager was wrongly dismissed and so began the most calamitous reign in the history of football ownership as the Venky's flying circus came to a small town in Lancashire and began the process of dismantling a stable Premier League club in record time.

I remember the buzz of excitement at the time, Poultry billionaires to bring the good times back to Ewood Park.. New chairman Anuradha Desai spoke of good football, good players and "fourth or fifth in the league or even better ... It is nothing against Sam Allardyce but we have a different vision looking forward and we want the club to grow."

All those big name signings on the horizon, Ronaldinho, Beckham.. And Who will they appoint as manager to guide us into the Champions League the fans asked?? What... Steve who?

Two short years later and the Rovers are a club in free-fall, currently a mid-table championship side, owned by clueless Chicken Farmers with a comedy Malaysian TV pundit running the show. The undisputed laughing stock of English football, a shambles behind the scenes and on the pitch, facing financial ruin and a decade in the wilderness.

Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Sam Allardyce is sitting comfortably in mid table with a good team playing in front of 35,000.

Here's to the next year. In Venky's we trust.

Yes, Uncle Jack's era and its aftermath (now ended) was a blip in a long period of stagantion that set in after the 1880s.
There was a brief blip to from 1958-65 and perhaps when we won thecup in 1928.
No rich Arab, Russian, nor any other footloose trillionaire will invest in Rovers, they'll go for cities -Norwich, Southampton, Bristol, Sheffield,Cardiff or any of the available clubs in London, Palace, Charlton - all better bets for a fan base.
We can't be far off a US baseball situation of buying franchises and no relegations from the Premiership. In effect there are about 6-8 clubs who aren't going to be relegated already.
The only realistic chance for the provincial towns is fans-owned clubs.

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

FCBurnley wrote:

moh wrote:

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

handyamBRFC wrote: I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play. I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan. 10 -13 k fans Average. Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans. Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution into the premiership and 23 k fans I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple.. .! We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right. Hence the current attendances. Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues. & if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with. Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club. It is a small town club and will always be. BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football. The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find. They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!! Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game. Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have. Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club. We never were a big club and never will be. Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent. Its simply not gonna happen. And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced. Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young. If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!! quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!! And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money as Our own local Uncle Jack did. Agree / disagree..?? lets hear your view...??

lots o good points , but its the way its been handled and the patronising way we been talked to. at the end of the days the fans are the paying customers. Venkys are hated due to lies and what they have spoilt

someone with some sense and a dose of reality. Excellent analysis.

At last, a Rovers fan with a brain. A perfect summary of the modern day history of Blackburn Rovers. The only difference between Blackburn /Bolton and other clubs of similar standing has been Walker/Davies money. Bolton are currently 126 million in debt but Eddie Davies can afford it. Once `Uncle Jack` s gravy train departed so did any realistic hope for Blackburn Rovers. The best that any of the Lancashire town clubs can hope for is to be competitive in the Championship coupled with the odd cup run. The more likely scenario is that they will follow the likes of Oldham,Bury, Rochdale etc. Rovers had there glory years under Uncle Jack just as Burnley did under Bob Lord. Those days are now gone................ .. forever.

Quite right BFC fan, glory days are over, your right - but we had a good structure and well run club , we were never goina be a man utd but we were well managed and football in general has lost a good example of how it shoudl be run, Blackburn gave all clubs a standard to work, just like BFC and how to be sucessful even as a town club.Our demise is typical of football in general and useless foregn greedy investors. Do u and all your fellow few BFC fans really want footblall to go belly up.

I am sure nobody (BFC or BRFC) wants football to go belly up but, Jack Walker and Eddie Davies have to take some responsibility for upping the financial anti. They both bought the teams they loved Premier League football but they could never compete long term with the Abramoviches of this world. Blackburn are now paying the price for the Jack Walker years. Once he went so did any hope. If I was a Rovers fan I would be directing a lot of my fury at The Walkers Trust who could not cash in quickly enough . They sold to the first buyers who met their asking price and disappeared into the sunset. They gave no thought to the credibility of the buyers, they just wanted out.

Ask yourself, If you had 50 million to invest in a football club which would you buy ? BRFC or BFC, not a chance unless you were a philanthropic supporter of either club a la JW. I guess I would look for a club with a strong geographical location that I could develop over say a decade. Majewski at Reading springs to mind. Portsmouth HAD great potential as does Plymouth. I am afraid to say that Blackburn and Burnley would be a long way down my list. Unless of course I came from India and spotted the opportunity to make a quick profit and then leaving somebody else to clear up the mess.

Some interesting posts and and a few I found provocative. Big Sam never really wanted to be at Rovers in my view, it showed and our football was dreadful at times-it wasnt Kean who was in charge at Old Trafford when we put in possibly our worst performance ever.
Big or small clubs are not judged to be so just on the size of current crowds, Rovers have way more houours than West Ham, are higher in the official "top league all time points" totals and Ive been at Ewood when 50,000 crowds happened half a dozen times a season-nothing lasts for ever, either then or now.
Venkys have been a nightmare but to come out with the idea of getting rid of HB at this juncture is just silly, he needs time and we should judge him a year from now at the earliest.
Maybe Rovers never again will be the power they have been, but we should not forget the history of great teams and great players (not just in the Walker years either), and we should support the whole and not become less than we are just because currently things look bad.

Long time Rover wrote:
Some interesting posts and and a few I found provocative. Big Sam never really wanted to be at Rovers in my view, it showed and our football was dreadful at times-it wasnt Kean who was in charge at Old Trafford when we put in possibly our worst performance ever.
Big or small clubs are not judged to be so just on the size of current crowds, Rovers have way more houours than West Ham, are higher in the official "top league all time points" totals and Ive been at Ewood when 50,000 crowds happened half a dozen times a season-nothing lasts for ever, either then or now.
Venkys have been a nightmare but to come out with the idea of getting rid of HB at this juncture is just silly, he needs time and we should judge him a year from now at the earliest.
Maybe Rovers never again will be the power they have been, but we should not forget the history of great teams and great players (not just in the Walker years either), and we should support the whole and not become less than we are just because currently things look bad.

Things have looked bad since Venky's bought the club. Under their ownership the club is going to fall further. Giving Henning another year as you suggest isn't going to improve things but for that matter any manager installed by these clowns are going to be facing the same problem. The appointments of Singh, Agnew and Shaw says all about their ambition for the club.

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..

.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

You are correct ,however it is possible to remain in the IPL once you are established just as we were( tv money)
What you can't do if you are a small club as we are is be mismanaged.

When the cotton industry finished, it was the end of Rovers but for the wonderful, sentimental and romantic trip that Walker's money took us on. We then overachieved by shrewd management for a while. Reputation, honour, loyalty are all blown away in the modern era. Look at Barings Bank, once known as the fifth European Power - British, French, Austrian, Russian Empire - blown away by a rogue trader. That's what Venkys and Keano are. They thought they was money and fame to be gained in the casino economy that English footie has become. And they are right to a degree, Keano is certainly a much richer man than a footie hack of very modest talent could ever have dreamed of. As I've said all along, Venkys are on a no-loser, they can retreat to their core business and claim at least they raised their profile, they'll get a sympathetic press in the business pages and who cares for Blackburn Rovers. Same for Shabby - out of ESPN obscurity, he can say the collapse was beyond his powers and return to the pundits' sofa in South East Asia and reminisce of his time in England.
Perhaps Venkys were sold a pup, perhaps they were naive, perhaps they're asset strippers, perhaps it is combiantion of all these... the only certainty is that Rovers are finished for any immediate future because they became a plaything for the rich and a vehicule for unscrupulous carpet-baggers to get-rich-quick.
And where's the apology from the LET and Cryer for not have the guts, the usual journalistic curiosity, the responsibilty to the town to do a decent professional job and start asking the obvious questions from the very start.

French Rover wrote:

MatthewCA wrote: Sam did well with hammers, now he is good.

I reckon Bazzer will say that you used one 'O' too many in the final word of your post Matthew!

FR...not even Jesus Christ could work miracles with the current set up. I have observed even your heady optimism crumble lately. I wonder if Morst is enjoying watching Rovers in the Championship. He always said he would prefer it to Big Sam's football in the top flight. Do you?

Yes they sacked Big Sam and left us thinking that we were going to get a 'first rate Manager' and we finished up with an idiot called Kean - then they got shut of one of the most respected men in Football - John Williams and put in his place the likes of Shabby Singh/Agnew so that no one could question how the Club would be run/accounted for - then they got shut of some of our best players and replaced them with under performing high wage earners such as Murphy and Dann - yes we were totally misled into thinking the Venkys would nurture and invest in the Club - how wrong we were!!!!!
OUT WITH SHAW AGNEW SINGH VENKYS BLACK HENDRY AND MAY BE BERG

dangerous dave wrote:
Yes they sacked Big Sam and left us thinking that we were going to get a 'first rate Manager' and we finished up with an idiot called Kean - then they got shut of one of the most respected men in Football - John Williams and put in his place the likes of Shabby Singh/Agnew so that no one could question how the Club would be run/accounted for - then they got shut of some of our best players and replaced them with under performing high wage earners such as Murphy and Dann - yes we were totally misled into thinking the Venkys would nurture and invest in the Club - how wrong we were!!!!!
OUT WITH SHAW AGNEW SINGH VENKYS BLACK HENDRY AND MAY BE BERG

Agreed and that's why they daren't show their greedy, thi****g faces in the town again.
and BTW they haven't finished yet.

Harwoodstblue wrote:

dangerous dave wrote:
Yes they sacked Big Sam and left us thinking that we were going to get a 'first rate Manager' and we finished up with an idiot called Kean - then they got shut of one of the most respected men in Football - John Williams and put in his place the likes of Shabby Singh/Agnew so that no one could question how the Club would be run/accounted for - then they got shut of some of our best players and replaced them with under performing high wage earners such as Murphy and Dann - yes we were totally misled into thinking the Venkys would nurture and invest in the Club - how wrong we were!!!!!
OUT WITH SHAW AGNEW SINGH VENKYS BLACK HENDRY AND MAY BE BERG

Agreed and that's why they daren't show their greedy, thi****g faces in the town again.
and BTW they haven't finished yet.

I was no fan of Sams I remember the opening game a couple of seasons ago against Everton it was terrible just hoofing everything up field we got lucky when Kalanic seized on a dropped ball by their keeper and scored,so when he was dismissed I wasn't upset because of all the bigging up the Venkys had been spouting we are going to do this that,and the other, I like many more was expecting the announcement of a top managerial appiontment,when they said it was going to be Kean my heart sank,and the rest is history,we have been lied to from day one and I can't see an end to it .

juanbbien wrote:

Harwoodstblue wrote:

dangerous dave wrote:
Yes they sacked Big Sam and left us thinking that we were going to get a 'first rate Manager' and we finished up with an idiot called Kean - then they got shut of one of the most respected men in Football - John Williams and put in his place the likes of Shabby Singh/Agnew so that no one could question how the Club would be run/accounted for - then they got shut of some of our best players and replaced them with under performing high wage earners such as Murphy and Dann - yes we were totally misled into thinking the Venkys would nurture and invest in the Club - how wrong we were!!!!!
OUT WITH SHAW AGNEW SINGH VENKYS BLACK HENDRY AND MAY BE BERG

Agreed and that's why they daren't show their greedy, thi****g faces in the town again.
and BTW they haven't finished yet.

I was no fan of Sams I remember the opening game a couple of seasons ago against Everton it was terrible just hoofing everything up field we got lucky when Kalanic seized on a dropped ball by their keeper and scored,so when he was dismissed I wasn't upset because of all the bigging up the Venkys had been spouting we are going to do this that,and the other, I like many more was expecting the announcement of a top managerial appiontment,when they said it was going to be Kean my heart sank,and the rest is history,we have been lied to from day one and I can't see an end to it .

Exactly spot on......I've never trusted Venkys from the moment they broke every one of their promises.
They're staying away and keeping quiet since they realised they had been sussed.
I still don't trust them as they have done nothing to make me change my mind, Singh either.

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..

.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

Totally agree with everything you've said.
Only difference to add is I remember being on the plc riverside in the late 70's with my dad with gates of 29'000!on a big Friday night man utd cup game then 6000 at home to Grimsby the next.

Football is about generations and the way we are now we could lose out on the next generation of supporters, the kids of today.
Theses kids will become the bread n butter supporters one day if their heads dont get turned by the dismal running of the club now and the horrendous atmosphere.
That is our next big problem as a club, keeping the youngsters interested and turning them blue n white.

If we don't, then we lose a generation of supporters and we will lose our club.

Bazzer wrote:

French Rover wrote:

MatthewCA wrote: Sam did well with hammers, now he is good.

I reckon Bazzer will say that you used one 'O' too many in the final word of your post Matthew!

FR...not even Jesus Christ could work miracles with the current set up. I have observed even your heady optimism crumble lately. I wonder if Morst is enjoying watching Rovers in the Championship. He always said he would prefer it to Big Sam's football in the top flight. Do you?

You know my feelings and thoughts on this Bazzer, I was glad to see the back of BFS and despite his weighty jowls I would gladly have carried him piggy back all the way to London to get shut. I would have had a few thousand other Rovers fans willing to share my burden too...

BUT never in a million zillion years did I expect the replacement to be a no-hope clown like Kean. I expected us to bring-in a proven and experienced manager al la the Souness or Hughes model of manager. The saying - be careful what you wish for - never rang more true than when Kean was appointed.

We would have eventually ended-up in the championship anyway even under BFS - as the investment funds had all but dried-up and we had sold most of our decent players apart from Samba and Nelson anyway. But we would have gone down as a well run club if that would have been any consolation...

bburnrover wrote:
Hindsight is a great thing isnt it? I was shocked in a way as Sam had done a good job but I like lots of others if they are being honest welcomed a change of manager expecting a Glen Hoddle to get appointed.

When Kean was appointed I think every fan was amazed and worried but when we thumped Liverpool it gave us and maybe the owners a false impression of Kean.The fact is after another 3 weeks we fans started moaning on these very pages and it got embarrasing as it turned into a whitch hunt as the hatred for the front man grew and grew and for some unbeknown reason he never got sacked by the owners.Berg was a last minute choice he came cheap and they think the fans worship ex players but we don't at all as only a few wanted Shearer our best ever player as manager we all want a proper recognised manager who knows what he is doing.The Ince and kidd fiascos proved young managers without experience cannot cope and we should go cap in hand to Mark Hughes or the so called good quality applicants to ask them to assist Berg out of this poor mess that Kean & Co have left us in.

I was one who became exasperated with those fans complaining about big sam and then glad that he was sacked. I never thought they would get a reputable manager in. It was obvious why they sacked him. He wasn't the type to cow tow nd that's what they wanted. It was obvious they had no experience running a club. The most annoying thing about all this is that it took 12 months too long for a lot of fans to cotton on to what was happening. We have some very short sighted fans at Ewood. The complaining fans and media contributed to Sams sacking. Venkys on that occasion listened.

merlinrabbit wrote:

bburnrover wrote:
Hindsight is a great thing isnt it? I was shocked in a way as Sam had done a good job but I like lots of others if they are being honest welcomed a change of manager expecting a Glen Hoddle to get appointed.

When Kean was appointed I think every fan was amazed and worried but when we thumped Liverpool it gave us and maybe the owners a false impression of Kean.The fact is after another 3 weeks we fans started moaning on these very pages and it got embarrasing as it turned into a whitch hunt as the hatred for the front man grew and grew and for some unbeknown reason he never got sacked by the owners.Berg was a last minute choice he came cheap and they think the fans worship ex players but we don't at all as only a few wanted Shearer our best ever player as manager we all want a proper recognised manager who knows what he is doing.The Ince and kidd fiascos proved young managers without experience cannot cope and we should go cap in hand to Mark Hughes or the so called good quality applicants to ask them to assist Berg out of this poor mess that Kean & Co have left us in.

I was one who became exasperated with those fans complaining about big sam and then glad that he was sacked. I never thought they would get a reputable manager in. It was obvious why they sacked him. He wasn't the type to cow tow nd that's what they wanted. It was obvious they had no experience running a club. The most annoying thing about all this is that it took 12 months too long for a lot of fans to cotton on to what was happening. We have some very short sighted fans at Ewood. The complaining fans and media contributed to Sams sacking. Venkys on that occasion listened.

I don,t think Venkys have ever listened to the fans or have any intention of doing so,the agenda of sacking Big Sam was already in place the moment they bought the club,they wanted a weasel to run the club and kow tow to every whim, and they new that weasel was Kean. I have not been down to Ewood since the day he was sacked,we were punching above our weight and had been for several years because the club had been in the hands of trusted custodians,John Williams, and the several managers that he spotted the potential in (including BS) we were in a place we had no right to be in but I enjoyed every last second of it disregarding the sort of hoof ball that was wrongly attributed to Sam, you cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear, but BS managed to get very near to it.
Prior to the golden years in the prem I had watched them in the dark old days of the 2nd and 3rd divisions so I was not along just for the EPL years but the damage now done I think is irrepairable ,whilst the Venkys are here,there is to much poison around the club, and a total lack of trust,I don,t even listen to the radio commentaries let alone go down there giving them my hard earned cash.

pepperpot2296 wrote:

merlinrabbit wrote:

bburnrover wrote:
Hindsight is a great thing isnt it? I was shocked in a way as Sam had done a good job but I like lots of others if they are being honest welcomed a change of manager expecting a Glen Hoddle to get appointed.

When Kean was appointed I think every fan was amazed and worried but when we thumped Liverpool it gave us and maybe the owners a false impression of Kean.The fact is after another 3 weeks we fans started moaning on these very pages and it got embarrasing as it turned into a whitch hunt as the hatred for the front man grew and grew and for some unbeknown reason he never got sacked by the owners.Berg was a last minute choice he came cheap and they think the fans worship ex players but we don't at all as only a few wanted Shearer our best ever player as manager we all want a proper recognised manager who knows what he is doing.The Ince and kidd fiascos proved young managers without experience cannot cope and we should go cap in hand to Mark Hughes or the so called good quality applicants to ask them to assist Berg out of this poor mess that Kean & Co have left us in.

I was one who became exasperated with those fans complaining about big sam and then glad that he was sacked. I never thought they would get a reputable manager in. It was obvious why they sacked him. He wasn't the type to cow tow nd that's what they wanted. It was obvious they had no experience running a club. The most annoying thing about all this is that it took 12 months too long for a lot of fans to cotton on to what was happening. We have some very short sighted fans at Ewood. The complaining fans and media contributed to Sams sacking. Venkys on that occasion listened.

I don,t think Venkys have ever listened to the fans or have any intention of doing so,the agenda of sacking Big Sam was already in place the moment they bought the club,they wanted a weasel to run the club and kow tow to every whim, and they new that weasel was Kean. I have not been down to Ewood since the day he was sacked,we were punching above our weight and had been for several years because the club had been in the hands of trusted custodians,John Williams, and the several managers that he spotted the potential in (including BS) we were in a place we had no right to be in but I enjoyed every last second of it disregarding the sort of hoof ball that was wrongly attributed to Sam, you cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear, but BS managed to get very near to it.
Prior to the golden years in the prem I had watched them in the dark old days of the 2nd and 3rd divisions so I was not along just for the EPL years but the damage now done I think is irrepairable ,whilst the Venkys are here,there is to much poison around the club, and a total lack of trust,I don,t even listen to the radio commentaries let alone go down there giving them my hard earned cash.

But you read the news articles and still debate it? Iv always thought the Steve Kean plan was a plan and it wasnt that he happened to be in the right place at the right time, it was more than a coincidence but I also believe that in trying to impress as they initially did, Venkys thought they would get the fans on side sacking Sam who at that time had not only got rovers fans moaning but he was heavily criticised by some high profile managers, he was always being quoted in the media who ridiculed him. Those fans were so stupid. As soon as he was sacked, we said relegation beckoned. The damage is irreparable but I still have my season ticket though find it harder to motivate myself these days. They've ruined the club.

No need to be mad at Walker Trust... BRFC was on the market for a long time, so when a buyer came they were long past the point of caring who it was. Anyone who has struggled to sell a house or car can relate to that.

Also, lets not forget that Venkys were surprised about relegation - so clearly they had thought that they could asset/expense strip the club down so it was run for less than the annual TV rights, make a profit and forever be a lower table club with no financial risk - in that light, buying BRFC was a sound investment.

The only hope from here is that a supporter trust can eventually raise enough cash that the exit door makes financial sense to Venkys.

FCBurnley wrote:

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

FCBurnley wrote:

moh wrote:

Keen O to Get Kean Out wrote:

handyamBRFC wrote: I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play. I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan. 10 -13 k fans Average. Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans. Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution into the premiership and 23 k fans I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple.. .! We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right. Hence the current attendances. Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues. & if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with. Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club. It is a small town club and will always be. BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football. The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find. They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!! Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game. Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have. Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club. We never were a big club and never will be. Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent. Its simply not gonna happen. And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced. Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young. If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!! quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!! And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money as Our own local Uncle Jack did. Agree / disagree..?? lets hear your view...??

lots o good points , but its the way its been handled and the patronising way we been talked to. at the end of the days the fans are the paying customers. Venkys are hated due to lies and what they have spoilt

someone with some sense and a dose of reality. Excellent analysis.

At last, a Rovers fan with a brain. A perfect summary of the modern day history of Blackburn Rovers. The only difference between Blackburn /Bolton and other clubs of similar standing has been Walker/Davies money. Bolton are currently 126 million in debt but Eddie Davies can afford it. Once `Uncle Jack` s gravy train departed so did any realistic hope for Blackburn Rovers. The best that any of the Lancashire town clubs can hope for is to be competitive in the Championship coupled with the odd cup run. The more likely scenario is that they will follow the likes of Oldham,Bury, Rochdale etc. Rovers had there glory years under Uncle Jack just as Burnley did under Bob Lord. Those days are now gone................ .. forever.

Quite right BFC fan, glory days are over, your right - but we had a good structure and well run club , we were never goina be a man utd but we were well managed and football in general has lost a good example of how it shoudl be run, Blackburn gave all clubs a standard to work, just like BFC and how to be sucessful even as a town club.Our demise is typical of football in general and useless foregn greedy investors. Do u and all your fellow few BFC fans really want footblall to go belly up.

I am sure nobody (BFC or BRFC) wants football to go belly up but, Jack Walker and Eddie Davies have to take some responsibility for upping the financial anti. They both bought the teams they loved Premier League football but they could never compete long term with the Abramoviches of this world. Blackburn are now paying the price for the Jack Walker years. Once he went so did any hope. If I was a Rovers fan I would be directing a lot of my fury at The Walkers Trust who could not cash in quickly enough . They sold to the first buyers who met their asking price and disappeared into the sunset. They gave no thought to the credibility of the buyers, they just wanted out. Ask yourself, If you had 50 million to invest in a football club which would you buy ? BRFC or BFC, not a chance unless you were a philanthropic supporter of either club a la JW. I guess I would look for a club with a strong geographical location that I could develop over say a decade. Majewski at Reading springs to mind. Portsmouth HAD great potential as does Plymouth. I am afraid to say that Blackburn and Burnley would be a long way down my list. Unless of course I came from India and spotted the opportunity to make a quick profit and then leaving somebody else to clear up the mess.

Did you ever imagine PL football reaching the financial heights it has? JW (RIP) was the Abramovic of the nineties; in relative terms at least, if not pounds and pence.

Players are getting paid over a 200 grand a week at City and Chelsea, the clubs you could say were the equivalent of Rovers in the early - mid 90's in terms of rising from nowhere to where they are now.

Of course it would end for Rovers at some stage insofar as we would have been relegated at some stage; point is it shouldn't have ended so dramatically and for the reasons it did. Venkys are the sole reason for for this club being on the point of no return rather than a natural, comparatively graceful and acceptable decline which befalls clubs of our size, end of.

Lot of sage-like comments from the suddenly all-knowing dingles on here; they have discovered how to think - be afraid, be very afraid.

French Rover wrote:

Bazzer wrote:

French Rover wrote:

MatthewCA wrote: Sam did well with hammers, now he is good.

I reckon Bazzer will say that you used one 'O' too many in the final word of your post Matthew!

FR...not even Jesus Christ could work miracles with the current set up. I have observed even your heady optimism crumble lately. I wonder if Morst is enjoying watching Rovers in the Championship. He always said he would prefer it to Big Sam's football in the top flight. Do you?

You know my feelings and thoughts on this Bazzer, I was glad to see the back of BFS and despite his weighty jowls I would gladly have carried him piggy back all the way to London to get shut. I would have had a few thousand other Rovers fans willing to share my burden too... BUT never in a million zillion years did I expect the replacement to be a no-hope clown like Kean. I expected us to bring-in a proven and experienced manager al la the Souness or Hughes model of manager. The saying - be careful what you wish for - never rang more true than when Kean was appointed. We would have eventually ended-up in the championship anyway even under BFS - as the investment funds had all but dried-up and we had sold most of our decent players apart from Samba and Nelson anyway. But we would have gone down as a well run club if that would have been any consolation...

Good points, but not only has the "investment money" dried up but so will the TV money now - and we are caught in a perfect and vicious downward spiral. You repeat that Big Sam's replacement was the problem. I will never accept that. It was his sacking in the first place. Big Sam's undeniable mastery of making the best of what he has got was our only hope of continuing to punch above our weight.

Bazzer wrote:

French Rover wrote:

Bazzer wrote:

French Rover wrote:

MatthewCA wrote: Sam did well with hammers, now he is good.

I reckon Bazzer will say that you used one 'O' too many in the final word of your post Matthew!

FR...not even Jesus Christ could work miracles with the current set up. I have observed even your heady optimism crumble lately. I wonder if Morst is enjoying watching Rovers in the Championship. He always said he would prefer it to Big Sam's football in the top flight. Do you?

You know my feelings and thoughts on this Bazzer, I was glad to see the back of BFS and despite his weighty jowls I would gladly have carried him piggy back all the way to London to get shut. I would have had a few thousand other Rovers fans willing to share my burden too... BUT never in a million zillion years did I expect the replacement to be a no-hope clown like Kean. I expected us to bring-in a proven and experienced manager al la the Souness or Hughes model of manager. The saying - be careful what you wish for - never rang more true than when Kean was appointed. We would have eventually ended-up in the championship anyway even under BFS - as the investment funds had all but dried-up and we had sold most of our decent players apart from Samba and Nelson anyway. But we would have gone down as a well run club if that would have been any consolation...

Good points, but not only has the "investment money" dried up but so will the TV money now - and we are caught in a perfect and vicious downward spiral. You repeat that Big Sam's replacement was the problem. I will never accept that. It was his sacking in the first place. Big Sam's undeniable mastery of making the best of what he has got was our only hope of continuing to punch above our weight.

we must agree to disagree on that point Bazzer but its all good banter in difficult times..

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..

.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

A very good post. Very realistic viewpoint. Better marketing is the answer though, as I see it here in the States.

Philadelphiarover wrote:

handyamBRFC wrote:
I am a loyal supporter of BRFC , bred in BLackburn and will always support BRFC no matter where they play.
I remember we were in the old 3rd division but still was a fan.
10 -13 k fans Average.

Blackburn is a small town club similar and comparable to Preston, Bolton, Blackpool and Burnley. Historically we have had similar levels of residents and fans.

Then followed the ''Uncle jacks revolution
into the premiership and 23 k fans

I would just like to say here that these 10k extra were not BRFC fans but Football fans simply wanting to see premiership football....Simple..


.!

We know know BRFC have only about 12 k fans which is about right.
Hence the current attendances.

Maybe 2 or up to 3 k fans staying away because of their personal issues.
& if theyre true BRFC fans then they need ti get to grips with.

Also, people are deluded if they think BRFC was or is a big club.
It is a small town club and will always be.
BRFC were lucky they had Uncle Jack to give them many years of premiership football.
The Walker family desperately sold out to anyone they could find.
They could have given the club to Blackburn people to run themselves but they the walker family would have got nothing. ..!!

Some people compare BRFC to Westham who get gates of 35k every home game.
Westham are a far bigger club and above all else they have the fan base which BRFC dont have.

Blackburn is a poor locality with much poverty and this also reflects on the fan base. We simply don't have the fans to sustain us into being a big club.
We never were a big club and never will be.
Unless we can find Loyal 30 k plus fans every match or the people of Blackburn start breeding faster and become more affluent.
Its simply not gonna happen.
And in my view, our fan base will diminish over the next decade as the young ones will have less money to spend with welfare benefits being reduced.
Yes too many in Blackburn on benefits and no jobs for local people especially young.
If they dont have a job how can they pay to be a fan....!!
quite a number are becoming less likely to attend due to goings on and will probably leave or not be fans anymore .....anymore...!!!

And we cant expect foreign owners to give us handouts - money
as Our own local Uncle Jack did.

Agree / disagree..??
lets hear your view...??

A very good post. Very realistic viewpoint. Better marketing is the answer though, as I see it here in the States.

A very honest post and bang on the money. It is not how big a club you are or we would all support Manchester United (dread the thought) It's about passion, loyalty and achievement within your means & fan base. As a West Ham fan I have no problem with Blackburn Rovers fans and wish you well. You have been poorly treated as fans since Sam's sacking. Most of us are very grateful to have Sam and despite some fans who complain about hoof ball & direct football. He has build a team spirit not seen At West ham for many years. The story above is warning to other clubs and fans to be careful what you wish for. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Sometimes you are better off with the owners and manager you have. Good luck for the season and hope you can nick a play off place to have a glorious day at Wembley like we did last May. It really is the only way to be promoted in style ;-)

As a Rovers fan now living in the US, I would like to thank all the contributors to this blog for keeping me up to date on everything that is happening at Ewood, (good or bad) over the last few years. The reports that some of you who actually go to the games are like a lifeblood to us ex-pats. Thank you.

For the Rovers fans who live abroad and I know there are a few on here that comment, this blog is really the only way to keep in touch.

It is so sad to see what has happened to the Rovers over the last couple of years, but we are where we are and all we can do is hope that the new manager has the time to change things. Like many others though, I think he has one hand tied behind his back and does not have all the control he needs to have.

I cannot ever see a so called good experience manager wanting to take up the job at Blackburn, with what seems like impossible conditions imposed on them.

It is apparent that the Venky's only bought the club to purely further their business interests and promote the Venky brand. The structure that they seem to have been trying to set up is to run it like an extension or sub division of that business, not a football club, as we would like to know it.
Henning Berg is just like a general manager of the company, not a football manager. He takes his instructions from head office in India, but is there to oversee the day to day running of the club.

It could have worked and still could, the idea of opening up a product (Blackburn Rovers a Premier League Football Club at the time) to millions of millions of people in India, should have been a exciting prospect. It could have and still could, generate huge financial rewards, both for the Venky brand and the club with the addition of many more supporters of the club.

Somebody though along the way dropped the ball, so to speak. They totally missed the point of the strength of tradition, rivalry and loyalty that every fan of every club in the UK has. Loyalty that has passed down through generations of families, whoever you support.

It is obvious that they were so badly advised that it was never mentioned to them. I think the truth is, is that they just did not know and still don't, about the depth of feeling that supporters have for a football club. Maybe they thought it was like a cricket club, where supporters just support the County club because that is where they are from?

That is what happens here in the States. Everyone around here supports the team where they live, there is no loyalty to it, if you come from Philadelphia, you support Philadelphia, if they win they win, if they lose they lose. Were Venky's told that Blackburn was a club in Lancashire, so they assumed everyone in Lancashire supports them? Were they not told that in Lancashire, (I think, but may be wrong), it has the most football clubs in a 50 mile area in England all fighting for customers, some of them less than 7 miles apart!

Maybe they would have been better investing in a club that is more remote with a fan base that does not have such a choice, Plymouth, Norwich, Ipswich for example. If any of these clubs were run well and had some success they will surely get good support, purely based on less competition around them.

We can only hope that they abandon the venture and cut their losses, or someone quickly informs them about the passion of football supporters and how much it is part of the community.

Wishing all football supporters, whoever you support, all the best for Christmas. Keep the reports coming!