The Walker Trust

[Danieljwaterhouse]

Understandable that there is wide spread condemnation for Venkys this morning from Blackburn fans and the media alike but should the trust be also held accountable for the sale to such a enterprise?

Having been involved in the sale of businesses you do have a choice to whom you sell, and you do have a choice to safeguard your employees and business. You do have a choice to take the lesser offer in monetary terms to ensure the future conditions of the business and staff.

There's more than just the Venkys that need to be accountable to this problem!

[dsr]

Problem? I see no problem!

[claretdom]

The rest of the Walker family had / have no interest at all in Rovers.

To say they have a choice who to sell to is true, but the list of potential buyers was a choice of 1. Nobody connected to the town or club had any interest in buying it and with the fans having a lust for anyone wealthy buying they were originally happy, hence them being cheered on to the pitch first game.

The truth is Blackburn are the only club in the country who think they have a divine right to be in the Premier League and are also the only club in the country who expects/demands somebody else pay for it.

[Danieljwaterhouse]

That's not quite the case Leeds immediately spring to mind

[FulledgeClaret]

I don't get why they(supporters) lay the blame for the debacle down the road at the Venky door when they have put money into the club season after season. The real blame lies with whoever gave Venkys the illusion that Rovers were a well run & potentially profitable club which must have been the case or why would they buy it.
The fans became too accustomed to having someone to bankroll them no matter what it cost and now they are struggling with the concept of having to live within their means and find their natural level for income streams available, they are up in arms at the owners who are doing nothing but try to make a silk purse out of a sows ear and the stayaways/boycotters don't seem to realise they are actually doing more harm to the club than good.
Venkys are doing a sterling job in difficult times and long may it continue
LLTV
UTC

[bob-the-scutter]

After JW died it was Richard Matthewman who was in charge of the trust and the football club. I can tell you first hand (having done lots of work for the Walker family for a good few years, even before Jack bought the club) that he was an arrogant turd to deal with, His wife, (Jacks daughter Lynda) was really nice as were most of the Walkers but he treated people like something nasty and brown that he`d stood in, a proper wan*er!
He also couldn`t wait to off-load the club to anyone, no interest in football, only JW really a football fan.

[ClaretAndJew]

We don't half go on about a club we all apparently have no interest in

[Sidney1st]

Rovers fans don't want to talk about the Trust writing off £100 million of debt a few years before the sale.

As far as they're concerned they were a well run, self sustainable club and their current plight is all down to the Venky's.

[Sidney1st]

We don't half go on about a club we all apparently have no interest in

You've said this a few times now.

[gawthorpe_view]

We don't half go on about a club we all apparently have no interest in

You don't half go on about us going on about a club we apparently have no interest in.

[Blackrod]

The Walkers Trust have looked after their interests which they are entitled to. They have done nothing for the Blackburn fans and perhaps Mr Walker should have done something to help safeguard the future of the club.

[randomclaret2]

I think we owe the " Walker Trust " a debt of gratitude. The irony of Saint Jack's name being associated with the very people who sold Blackburn to the magnificent Venkys is just delicious.

[scouseclaret]

Not sure the had much choice did they?

I have heard from more than one source that at least one of them is a Burnley fan. Don't know if it's true but it's a nice thought.

[RocketLawnChair]

Jack Walker ran a town club at levels way way way beyond its means it was complete and utter madness and totally unsustainable.

The Walker Trust are actually a very well run very well organised business consortium that deal in profit. They simply offloaded a basket case within their corporation.

And now Rovers Fans are upset that nobody will actually foot the bill that Jack Walker ran up. Although they've found some mad Indians who are prepared to service the debt to keep the bloody thing afloat, that's totally unappreciated though..

[Winstonswhite]

The venkys have spoken and looks like they re going nowhere- looking to bounce back with Mowbray

http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/20 ... 10905.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Walt]

Can't say I'm well informed on all the bad choices venkys have made but are Rovers fans also missing the fact they've still lost a lot of money keeping them going.

So whilst they may well be justified in a lot of criticism towards Pune they also need to realise without them they'd be even more in the mire.

[Clarets4me]

After JW died it was Richard Matthewman who was in charge of the trust and the football club. I can tell you first hand (having done lots of work for the Walker family for a good few years, even before Jack bought the club) that he was an arrogant turd to deal with, His wife, (Jacks daughter Lynda) was really nice as were most of the Walkers but he treated people like something nasty and brown that he`d stood in, a proper wan*er!
He also couldn`t wait to off-load the club to anyone, no interest in football, only JW really a football fan.

Richard Matthewman is currently Chairman of Northcote Leisure, owners of the michelin starred Northcote Restauarnt and Hotel in Langho, and the Ribble Valley Inns... 3 Fishes at Mitton, The Bull at Broughton,near Skipton and three others.
Interestingly, he is also a non Executive Director of Seneca Partners. Two of the Secena Directors, Ian Currie and Ian Battersby fronted the last attempt to offer to take over t'Roverrrs from our Indian friends.

To be fair to the Trust, the Venkys had money, run a successful business, and had no convictions etc. The Trust were open with the Rovers books, left the new owners with two of the most respected administrators in English football ( John Williams & Tom Finn ), a team 9th in the Premiership, a safe pair of hands in Sam Allerdyce with a quality squad and a great youth set up.

Only one problem, the Venky's thought they knew better and have, to our joy, royally f****d up !!!

[Goalposts]

whats the difference between the venkys at Blackburn and the whelans at wigan ?

[boyyanno]

I'll never forget the pleasure Rovers fans got from being linked with Beckham and Ronaldinho etc. I remember watching them revelling in their new owners millions and thinking that the footballing gods had granted all of their wishes, all they had to do was get rid of Big Sam.

The ironic thing is that the Rovers fans themselves have a good portion of blame. They all say they should have never sacked Big Sam, but they would have piggy backed him across the country at the time. Turns out they screwed themselves.

[minnieclaret]

whats the difference between the venkys at Blackburn and the whelans at wigan ?

venkys have chicken wings, whelan had chicken legs?

[minnieclaret]

As was posted on another thread the Venkys are in the clear with the FA.
Nothing to see here, move along , please.

[Clarets4me]

Ronaldhino to Rochdale, in less than 7 years !!

[VJ2018]

After JW died it was Richard Matthewman who was in charge of the trust and the football club. I can tell you first hand (having done lots of work for the Walker family for a good few years, even before Jack bought the club) that he was an arrogant turd to deal with, His wife, (Jacks daughter Lynda) was really nice as were most of the Walkers but he treated people like something nasty and brown that he`d stood in, a proper wan*er!
He also couldn`t wait to off-load the club to anyone, no interest in football, only JW really a football fan.

Add a bit of adultery in there (apparently part of the reason he moved to Monaco so his wife could "keep an eye" on him though maybe divorce could have been a better answer) and you have some real family values right?

Any other stories on Matthewman you may care to share? He's on twitter actually if there's history good opportunity for a confrontation perhaps either yourself or someone else he treated like garbage? Irony is he's not even the worst of that family. Also look at the people who run that pretentious hotel he owns day to day. There was a story about minimum wage deficiencies and the sheer arrogance of their response was incredible. Talk about egotism.

[BurningBeard]

Is this the anti - c-c-c-combo breaker??

[Woodleyclaret]

Jack Walker was a Rovers fan who turned a back street metalwork shop into a multi million pound enterprise pouring millions into the team he'd always supported.
His kids were spoilt rich kids happy to spend Jacks fortune just not on a football team that haemorrhaged cash.
Rovers will never get back to the dizzy heights ,like Wigan without a sugar daddy they are doomed to watch as the real.power in East Lancs the Super Clarets looks forward to another successful season in the Sun.

[Clarets4me]

Walker Trust has sold off all but one of the " Ribble Valley Inns " group of Pub Restaurants, including the Three Fishes at Mitton, Clog and Billycock at Pleasington, and the Bull at Broughton ( Nr.Skipton ) to Brunning & Price, the Pub division of the Stock market listed Company " The Restaurant Group PLC "... Brunning and Price also own the Aspinall Arms which is a stone's throw from the 3 Fishes..

The Press release stated that they wished to concentrate on the " Northcote " at Langho, it's most prestigous Restaurant/Hotel !

I do know that 18 months or so ago, one of the asst.managers left the 3 Fishes to work at a certain Carvery pub in Rosegrove ( no prizes ! ) and told me the pay & terms were considerably better, as well as being nearer to home..

[Claretforever]

Welcome to the board Vinjay.

What Walker did wasn’t a first. Lawrence Cotton was a huge benefactor to Blackburn in the 1910’s, breaking transfer records and paying large wages in pursuit of two league titles prior Ron World War One. He was the first in that era though, and Blackburn can consider themselves rather fortunate to have had sugar daddies littered though their history to buy them silverware, although considering the middle class background to the club in a working class game it’s not surprising the models they’ve employed.