“Just In” Venky Family Firmly Rejects Any Idea of Selling Blackbu...

Venky’s Position on the Sale of Blackburn Rovers Amidst Speculation of Potential Offers

The Blackburn Rovers’ owners, the Venky family, have said that they have no plans to sell the franchise, and Suhail

Shaikh and Steve Waggott claim that no proposals have been made to buy the team. The club’s chief operating

officer, Shaikh, stressed that the owners wish to “support us in the best possible way,” even though some fans are

quite unhappy with their ownership.

“I can’t answer the question because obviously they are the owners of the club, and we follow their direction,” Shaikh

said in response to a query about whether the Venky family was aware of the mounting calls for them to sell the club

during an interview with Radio Lancashire. He went on to mention how the Venky family had told him in their most

recent conversation that they did not want to sell the club. Rather, they were eager to keep providing constructive

support to the club’s activities, which Shaikh claims they have been doing.

In addition to acknowledging the displeasure of the supporters, Shaikh highlighted the team’s recent improvements,

pointing out that under Tony Mowbray’s leadership, they had done rather well, finishing eighth in the season prior to

his departure. Rovers moved to seventh place under Jon Dahl Tomasson’s direction, just missing out on a play-off

spot on goal differential. Shaikh emphasised the optimism around the team’s present position despite the hardships

of the 2023–24 season, noting that many supporters had initially predicted the club would struggle and face

relegation but now find themselves just five points off the play-off spots.

Shaikh clarified that while the Venky family used to travel every few months, the COVID-19 outbreak had made

travel more challenging when asked if they would ever be able to attend games at Ewood Park in person. Currently,

Shaikh sees the owners once or twice a year, and they communicate primarily via online platforms like Teams, Zoom,

and FaceTime. Shaikh informed supporters that even though they live far away, the owners keep a close eye on the

team’s performances and share the supporters’ disappointment when they lose.

In a different conversation, Chief Executive Officer Steve Waggott acknowledged that it was hard to forecast the

Venky family’s ownership of the club in the long run. According to him, he does not currently envision the Venky

family selling the club anytime soon. According to Waggott, the Venky family would take into consideration a

genuine and reasonable offer from a possible investor that satisfied their value and paid for their time at the club. He

did clarify, though, that selling a club is not a simple procedure.

Waggott continued by affirming that there had been no firm approaches to purchase Blackburn Rovers throughout

his seven and a half years with the team. Shaikh said that managing the team necessitates a large financial outlay,

with the club spending more than £20 million annually only to pay for transfers and operating expenses. Shaikh

stressed that any prospective purchaser would require significant financial resources to sustain the club’s funding

strategy, which is largely dependent on the financial support of the current owners.

Both Shaikh and Waggott concluded by making it apparent that although they are still open to alternative investors

and are always prepared to look into the best choices for the club’s future, the Venky family does not currently have

any imminent plans to sell Blackburn Rovers.

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