The sale of Blackburn Rovers to an Indian company means that for the first time there are as many foreign as English owners of Barclays Premier League clubs, although the Spurs chairman, Joe Lewis, is based in the Bahamas. Venky’s, a poultry company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, completed the purchase of Blackburn Rovers for £23m, making them the first Premiership club owner from India.
The sale of Blackburn Rovers to an Indian company means that for the first time there are as many foreign as English owners of Barclays Premier League clubs, although the Spurs chairman, Joe Lewis, is based in the Bahamas. Venky’s, a poultry company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, completed the purchase of Blackburn Rovers for £23m, making them the first Premiership club owner from India.
The Rao family, which owns Venky’s, said its aim was to establish the club as a ‘truly global brand’, which will be quite something for a club based in a medium-sized town in Lancashire. Balaji Rao of the Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group said, ‘We intend to exploit our in-depth knowledge of the Indian market and … the whole of Asia.’
The deal as a whole is worth about £46m, with half that figure going towards the purchase of the club and a further £8m being made available to manager Sam Allardyce to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window. That figure could be topped up if he sells any of his squad.
Allardyce commented before the deal was signed, ‘We haven’t spoken about budgets yet. But I’m looking for a player who would improve the squad dramatically. I’m looking for an impact player.’