subject: Indian Company Buys English Premier League Club [print this page] Indian Company Buys English Premier League Club
English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that Indian company Venky's has completed its takeover of the club.
According to ESPN, the BRFC Investments group, part of the settlement of the club's late former owner, Jack Walker, sold its 99.9 percent shareholding to Venky's London Limited for 23 million pounds. The company will make an unconditional offer for the remaining 0.1 percent of shares.
Venky's chairperson Anuradha J Desai told the club's official website that current manager Sam Allardyce and his team have the company's full support.
"We are delighted, proud and humbled to be associated with Blackburn Rovers, a team with whom we share many values and ambitions," she said. "Going forward we plan to focus on leveraging the global influence in establishing Blackburn Rovers as a truly global brand. We will absolutely respect the Jack Walker legacy and will be actively supporting the organization to ensure that Blackburn Rovers remains one of the best run Clubs within the Premier League.
"We are particularly pleased that the deal has the full support of the Walker Trust, the chairman and the management team, who will of course remain in place with our full support. Blackburn Rovers is an historic institution that has won the Premier League and we want the fans to embrace us so that we are able to do our best in the interests of the club."
Blackburn was established in 1875, becoming a founding member of the Football League in 1888. It is one of only three clubs to have been both a founder member of the Football League and the Premier League (the others being Aston Villa and Everton). The club won the Premiership in 1995 and have won the FA Cup on six occasions.
Rovers are currently 14th in the Premiership table and play Aston Villa at home tomorrow.
