THE BRFC Action Group has released a statement expressing their disappointment and concern over manager Paul Lambert’s decision to leave Blackburn Rovers – and calling on the club’s owners Venky’s to speak out.

Lambert will walk away at the end of the season after failing to get the assurances he wanted from the club’s India-based owners.

The statement reads: “The BRFC Action Group is disappointed and deeply concerned, albeit unsurprised at the announcement that manager Paul Lambert has opted to leave the club at the end of the season.

“This famous old football club, a founder member of both the Football league and of the Premier League, is the centre of its local community, yet in less than six years of Venky’s ownership it has been systematically dismantled. 

“A club that was admired and respected as a finely run football club enjoying regular and deserved Premier League football is now a club that is a pale shadow of its former self.

“With debts in excess of £100 million, a dwindling disillusioned supporter base, a club with only Mike Cheston and Robert Coar as UK-based directors and a club whose manager has felt the need to walk away after only five months in charge, following the recently departed directors Derek Shaw and Alan Myers through the Ewood Park exit door.

“When Venkateshwara Hatcheries purchased Blackburn Rovers Football Club they promised to ‘preserve the legacy of Jack Walker’, yet since this promise was made the club has stumbled from one catastrophe to another and the silence from Pune is deafening with the club lacking direction, leadership or hope.

“At a time when other clubs across the country are busy planning for transfers, contracts and season tickets for next season, Blackburn Rovers are looking for a manager and a board of directors once again. 

“How many times can the same mistakes be made? When the club exited its FFP embargo and appointed an experienced management team earlier this season, many supporters believed or hoped that at long last lessons had been learned and the club could look forwards once more with optimism.

“There was an air of belief that the club had turned a corner and that a business plan had been put in place with an internal structure to support it. Instead Blackburn Rovers are once again faced with an uncertain future, with nobody available to answer the concerns of the club’s long-suffering supporters.

“This entire situation has been created by the Rao family and their chosen advisors, Paul Lambert was very vocal in his concerns at the lack of communication and direction from the owners, whilst supporters are left to look on as one dark day in the history of their club is simply replaced by another.

“The BRFC Action Group calls once more for open communication from the clubs owners.

“The message from the supporters of Blackburn Rovers Football Club today is resounding in that if the Rao family cannot run our football club in an open, transparent and responsible manner then they should seek a new owner who will protect the heritage and proud history of this community football club and allow it to rebuild from a disastrous five-and-a-half year Venky’s reign.”