Sunday, June 14, 2009

In defence of the Walker Trust

I was hoping to have a month off football. My post on the lack of action on the sale of Blackburn Rovers was commented on by Vinjay who didn't like my defence of the Walker Trust. As owners go I don't think they're so bad. He disagrees.

Absolutely. Apart from lack of funding, lack of ambition and lack of any communication whatsoever with the supporters they are wonderful.

1. Lack of funding
Basically, the trust stump up £3m a year, which tops up the TV money, the ticket sales and sponsorship. They aren't willing to hand over blank cheques to a manager to pay silly money for players. It has to be self funding and sustainable and sensible. We just aren't able to compete financially with Villa, City and the Big Four. Get used to it. Newcastle were big spenders. Look where it got them.

2. Lack of ambition
Mark Hughes helped Rovers punch above their weight? Paul Ince's appointment was a disaster bit it wasn't without ambition. The Academy set up is good. Some creative ideas to fill the stadium when needed were the envy of football.

3. Lack of communication
I disagree. Rovers chairman John Williams is, if anything, too open and honest.

2 comments:

Vinjay said...

1. 3 million a year which they briefly stopped for no good reason. Jack might have wanted the club to be self funding but not starved of backing. It would be much more than 3 million if he was here. You're saying they can't afford more than that when the club is supposed to benefit from other Walker company profits?

I know their wealth has apparently dropped (like the vast majority of multi millionnaires) but I doubt if it increased by a few hundred million it would change their policy. There's no excuse for a massive reduction in funding.

2. This club is competing where it belongs. As for the academy trophies have been won at youth level but it really means very little. How many players in the last few seasons have become first team regulars though? That's the whole point of the setup.

3. I wasn't talking about Williams. I was referring to the owners themselves.

A takeover is essential.

Michael Taylor said...

Football is a rich man's game now. If there were another like Jack Walker then the trustees would have sold to him by now. But there isn't.

Yes, they did stop it, and start again. After Insider and David Conn in the Guardian started to draw attention to it.

I'd rather have what we have now than almost any alternative currently on offer.

I would love a homegrown team, but while foreign players flood into the Premier League, the standard is raised and opportunities for English players are squeezed. That isn't unique to Rovers, and we have fierce competition for kids from the other clubs in the North West. There are a creditable squad of former Rovers academy players playing all through the system. It's vital that the club continues to invest in this. And it isn't the whole point. Just a large part of the point.

Beware of what you wish for.