Venky's - The Fall of Blackburn Rovers

Filmed in summer 2012, this documentary looks into how the former Premier League champions have declined so rapidly under Venky Ownership.

Credits:

Directed, Produced & Written by Rishi Sikka

Director of Photography - Bentley Perkins
Camera Operator - Michael Booth
Camera Operator - Josh Boswell
Camera Operator - James Bloomfield
Camera Operator - Tim Royle
Sound - Louis Perry
Lighting Technician - Harry Taylor
Lighting Technician - Ingrid Grabler

[TheAdum]

As a Blackburn fan, I watch this in what can only be described as a sadness that fills the heart. Years of frustration and turmoil have plagued Rovers fans from poor club management to relegation from the Barclay's Premier League. Management lies and agent involvement have made the club a laughing stock and turned the media against us honest fans.

Then I remember it could be worse, I could be a Burnley fan.

[barrancetard]

I'm a Portsmouth fan and was disgusted at what happened to Blackburn. My club suffered at the hands of serious mismanagement and to see another proud and traditional club torn apart was sad. Looks like things may just have turned a corner up there now. Good Luck Blackburn.
P.S any comments on here pro Venky's are from Burnley supporters. Its called jealousy.

[VeteranHedonist]

UTC! My mum passed away last Wednesday and I'm watching Blackburn relegation videos to take the pain away. It's the only thing that I find solice in.

[classicsportclassictiyl]

At first glance, one might consider the Venky's to be incompetent owners, lacking direction and understanding. However, the situation is more complex than it appears. The dismissal of Sam Allardyce during the 2010/11 season was not a decision made by the Venky's, but rather by the Kentaro Sports Agency and its leader Jerome Anderson, whom the Venky's had appointed to manage the club. John Williams, Blackburn's CEO at the time, was so alarmed by the sacking and questionable transfer activities that he reported them to the FA, leading to an investigation. Similarly, the appointment of Steve Kean was not a choice of the Venky's; it was influenced by Anderson, as Kean was his client at SEM, which also represented Ian Wright and Marc Overmars. This created the impression that Kentaro was operating the club for its own benefit, not for Blackburn's. In early 2011, when Blackburn was linked with numerous players, sports reporter Nick Harris visited Pune to interview Venky's chairperson Anuradha Desai. She discussed Brazilian players with him, leading to unfounded Ronaldinho rumours due to a leak to the press. The actual reason for Desai's interest in Brazilian players was Venky's intention to expand their core business into Brazil. The acquisition of Blackburn by Venky's was strategic, as owning a Premier League football club can significantly enhance a business person's global recognition which is what happened. The Venky's reliance on Anderson saw several questionable transfers. Mauro Formica was signed from Newell's Old Boys for £3.5 million, though the deal was initially blocked by the FA due to illegal third-party ownership. Similarly, Ruben Rochina arrived from Barcelona B for £372, 000, yet his agent—linked to Anderson—earned a staggering £1.65 million in agent fees, reminiscent of tactics seen in football management simulations. When Anderson appeared on Sky Sports after the situation unraveled, he claimed to have worked tirelessly at the training ground to secure deals. However, his actions led to the resignation of John Williams, a respected football executive disillusioned by the club's direction. By spring 2011 Venky's bought an independent auditor in to look at the books and confirmed is this normal which it isn't and as a result they got rid of Jerome Anderson and he was persona non grata and they no longer trusted anyone because they felt mislead and taken advantage of. As a result they were asking Nick Harris to help them and through his help they got a new Chief Financial Officer but they made Steve Kean unsackable because they told him that when he met them in India. In a desperate bid for divine intervention, the Venky family's elder brother visited a temple near Molineux on the final day of the 2010/11 season, coinciding with Blackburn's crucial 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers that secured Premier League survival.

Seeking football expertise, the Venky's consulted sports reporter Nick Harris, leading to the appointment of a chief financial officer—though what the club needed most was footballing leadership. Media reports suggested that Harris’s advice reinforced Steve Kean’s continued role, further complicating matters. During the 2011/12 season, the Venky's tried to oversee transfers themselves. They pursued Spanish legend Raul, who was unsettled at Schalke after a fallout with manager Ralf Rangnick. Despite Harris advising against signing the aging forward on a £5 million annual salary, Desai proceeded with an offer, overlooking Shane Long, who ultimately joined West Brom after a 21-goal Championship season at Reading. Also at that time the Venky's also planned to open a Venky's Express outlet in London's Leicester Square, hoping to boost their business profile through foot traffic. However, Blackburn’s struggles on the pitch forced them to shelve the project and refocus on football. Back on the pitch Kean’s tenure grew increasingly controversial. His infamous, drunken remarks in a Hong Kong pub accusing Allardyce of dishonesty led to legal action and an out-of-court settlement. Despite consistent fan protests and poor results, Kean retained significant media sympathy, with criticism often directed at the Venky's instead. Eventually in that 2011/12 despite Yakubu being a shining light scoring 17 goals that season with only Rooney, Van Persie and Aguero scoring more they were relegated with a game to spare after a home defeat against Wigan at Ewood when the Blackburn fans unleashed a chicken on the pitch in protest against the owners. To sum up this whole saga highlights how a lack of footballing experience, combined with manipulation by unscrupulous advisors, led to one of English football’s most infamous declines. While the Venky's made significant mistakes, their downfall was compounded by misplaced trust, deceptive advisors, and a media narrative that often oversimplified the complex reality of their ownership.

[cisseshairdresser]

As a Liverpool fan who went thru something similar with our former Yank Cowboy owners leading us to being 2 hrs away from bankruptcy, I feel huge sympathy for Blackburn & its fans. I have some idea of how you feel and what you're going thru and your club and their fans do not deserve it

I was at Anfield the day Rover's and the King won the Premier League, thus preventing the Mancs from winning a third on the spin, and the celebrations that went on by all in Anfield that day, I will never forget

[cockneybry]

People must watch this, its a warning for every club in Britain, How long can the FA and Football League ignore the situation.

[BRFC]

Credit to those made the documentary, stepping in where the Media have failed

[Klejne]

Very nicely done. As an outsider with only a minor fascination for clubs rotting away, this gave nice concize assessment.

[whatasave]

Great work Rishi, awesome to see such strong football content on YouTube.

[davidfenton]

What Venkys have done to Rovers is a disgrace. The sooner the that they sell up and get out of our club the better. Getting rid of big Sam and appointing that complete and useless Steve Kean was abjectly hopeless. We are top of the Championship but are being linked with selling our best players. Venkys must go.

[johnmucheru]

Venkys are clueless about football and their naivety has ruined blackburn, how do u sack sam alladyce when u want to avoid relegation?

[DS-wzsg]

A shambolic spirit crushing decade of Venkys ownership. I give immense credit to Tony Mowbray but I think we are fucked .

[mirmouzamali]

Gr8 effort Rishi...Hope things go positively and in right direction for Blackburn FC....

[SirClifty]

Probably the most secure we've ever been just before Venky's came in the top division even when Uncle Jack was here we was up and down. We had a great foundation built in every aspect of the club. What hurts the most for me is the fact that they've not only destroyed our club but a massive asset for our town, now our only source of income from visitors is our half decent shopping center.

Don't be surprised if half the businesses in Ewood close down, it's a joke that they're allowed to do this.

[terrybunch]

The question remains: WHY do they still own Blackburn Rovers? Most dodgy foreign owners don't hang around, but for some inexplicable reason the Venkatesh family won't let up. They don't do it out of passion, as they never attend games. They don't do it for the sport, as they barely invest any money into progressing the club. There is clearly something sinister behind it, as their recent investigation for tax evasion would support.

[danardisimracing]

Even as a Bolton fan I feel sorry for the fans of Blackburn Rovers, seeing our biggest rival being run so shambolically is a real shame. It could so easily have been us or another club.

[ThingsStuffAndLike]

"We will try to instil some form of continuity" - Shebby Singh. How did that work out for you Shebby?

[anthonyclarke]

only 20 years ago Blackburn were the Manchester city of the time, breaking the transfer record consistantly on players like flowers, shearer, sutton, le saux, batty, hendry, newell, berg, sherwood. Were challenging United big time and were just about to win the league for the first time in a long time. How things have changed

[brosephyolonarovichstalin]

‘We tried to get a word from Steve Keane but he was busy blowing Lucifer’

[davesmith]

BRFC fan here. I've been in a coma since May 15, 1995. How many more titles have we chalked up? Have we erected a Shearer statue yet?