Blackburn Rovers could be close to breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules again. But club owners, the Venky’s, may have found a novel way of getting round these regulations.
As well as owning Blackburn Rovers, it seems Venky’s are also big fans of Scottish singer, Susan Boyle. Although many Rovers fans would argue the song which brought her fame was from Les Miserables and quite a good description of our club owners.
Venky’s thought things were getting even better for them when they heard she came from Blackburn. Unfortunately what they didn’t realise was the town she lived in wasn’t Blackburn, Lancashire. It was the one near Edinburgh, in West Lothian, Scotland.
When they had this explained to them about our town’s namesake, north of the border, it made Venky’s think how they could gain from this unusual situation. As they say in Scotland: ‘Mony a mickle maks a muckle’. They came up with an idea of moving our Rovers lock, stock and barrel to that other Blackburn.
Moving to Scotland could help deliver their early promise of European football every season. They also noticed Scottish football is a bit too top-heavy, being dominated by the Old Firm. Maybe opportunities could arise allowing another team to come along and take up the slack.
There have been cases of English teams playing in the Scottish League before. Up until recently, Berwick Rangers comes to mind. Along with Scottish border side, Gretna, travelling in the other direction. It is also worth noting Rovers’ first two FA Cup triumphs, in 1884 and 1885, were against Scottish football pioneers and Hampden Park custodians, Queens Park of Glasgow.
Actually demolishing Ewood Park and rebuilding it in West Lothian could become a way to gain entry to European football by joining the Scottish League. It could also be a clever way of getting round possible breach of FFP sanctions in England which could be coming Rovers’ way. Instead of selling our ground on paper, like Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday, why not move it somewhere else instead? Where else could be better than a place called Blackburn? This would be way beyond the Football League’s thinking capacity.
The possibilities are endless. Blackburn Rovers could even become champions of Scotland and gain entry into European football every season. They would make Venky’s much derided promise of this a genuine reality.
As Susan Boyle famously sang: ‘I dreamed a dream’. Maybe Rovers fans can also dream a dream one day and sing another of her songs – ‘Auld Lang Syne’ – to Venky’s.
