At the beginning of this season, a letter from the Venky’s, Blackburn Rovers Indian owners, was published on the club’s website. It later appeared in local mainstream and social media.
Perhaps the most talked about aspect of this letter was not its text, but there appeared a monogrammed coat of arms at the top of this letter. It inspired a great deal of mirth from many Rovers fans. This heraldic display contained two white chickens on either side of a large golden egg topped by a blue crown.
No doubt, many people will have different interpretations of what this coat of arms actually signifies. Could it be trying to solve that greatest scientific mystery of them all? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Perhaps Venky’s, with their vast knowledge and experience of both, have found the answer.
At the bottom of this coat of arms is their family name – Rao. Upon first sight, this looks pretty obvious. But is it really a secret message? Maybe it is a statement saying: ‘Rovers Are Ours’. Balaji Rao, said to be the letter’s author, also has the same initials as Blackburn Rovers.
Venky’s are known for their vast business empire and lavish wealth. They are also known to be great admirers of Britain’s aristocracy. They even met the queen on one of their very rare visits to Blackburn, preferring to see Her Majesty rather than watching Rovers play at home. This has led to speculation over the Rao family wishing to feather their nests by becoming part of their own Indian establishment.
Mrs Desai, known as Madam, expects not just to be addressed by this title, but she also expects people addressing her to bow first. Madam puts this down to breeding. After all, her family has been breeding chickens for many years.
Perhaps Venky’s see their ownership of a historical English football club as being a way of joining their own Indian aristocracy. Before partition of British India in 1947, into India and Pakistan, there were around 600 princely states during the Indian Raj. Each ruler of these states had their own coats of arms as their royal symbols. If Venky’s wish to see themselves as part of India’s elite, they obviously would need some form of status symbol such as their own coat of arms.
Surprisingly, despite becoming a republic after independence, India still has a fair number of its own royal families dating from the Raj. Some of these have continued where they left off under British rule, with their wealth, power and influence. Balaji Rao already appears to have the lifestyle of an Indian playboy prince. He may one day wish to take things further and create his own title – the Maharaja of Blackburn. Could this herald a new beginning for Rovers?
