Comes November and Blackburn Rovers Football Club will finally fall in the hands of the Indians. Pune based Venky’s Hatcheries are the one speculated to take over the club this time. If reports are to be believed, the Venkys have agreed to pay 46 Million Pounds for the 1995 Premier League Champions.
Rovers' Chairman John Williams said: "A series of meetings, including discussions with the Premier League, have followed an extensive due diligence process. Both parties are hopeful that the transaction will be completed in November."
The club, up for sale since the last two years have been linked to many Indians in the past including the Sahara Group and the Mukesh Ambani lead Reliance Group. Then Saurin Shah- a Mumbai based businessmen was speculated to be interested but his interest never saw the light. Lastly an Indian investor based in Bahrain also took keen interest but that too didn’t succeed.
However, the Venky’s are not ready to spend much in the transfer market next season to climb up the league table. "We won't need to buy expensive players, we can always lease them. We don't expect to be in the top five of the Premier League. We will be happy to be in the top 10 to 12,” company chairperson Anuradha J Desai was quoted as saying in newspaper reports. Presently they are just above the relegation spot at 18.
Desai said Venky's, the flagship firm of Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group, was buying Rovers to raise its international profile. "Football is a global craze and as the VH Group globalizes, setting up feed plants and hatcheries around the world, we believe we can benefit from being owners of a major football club. It will help build our brand," she said.
With this take over, the Venky’s will become the first Indian to own an English Premiership Club. However the Mittals own a controlling stake with Championship side Queens Park Rangers, who are hoping to gain promotion to the Premier League this season.
Interestingly most of the English Premier League Clubs are in the foreign hands. Manchester United, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Liverpool are owned by Americans, while Chelsea, Manchester City, Birmingham and Fulham also have non-British owners.
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