A FOOTBALL club is only as good as the people who work for it and that is why Blackburn Rovers have been one of the best over the past two decades.

After chairman John Williams quit his role earlier this year, it was always inevitable that managing director Tom Finn would soon follow suit – but that didn’t make yesterday’s news of his departure any less sad.

Williams and Finn got Blackburn Rovers, it was as simple as that.

They realised the importance of the community and they fought valiantly for 15 years for the underdog in the increasingly commercialised world of Premier League football.

Finn never got the headlines. While Williams was Rovers’ public face, Finn was happy in the background but don’t for a minute think he wasn’t working as hard or that his role was any less important.

They complimented each other perfectly and Rovers’ loss will surely one day be another club’s gain. Football needs people like this.

Steve Kean and David Dunn yesterday paid tribute to the role Finn played in setting up the club’s academy, with the likes of Martin Olsson, Phil Jones and Junior Hoilett leaving a lasting legacy of his efforts.

Life moves on and soon Williams and Finn will be nothing but memories as new owners Venky’s continue to put their own stamp on the club.

New owners inevitably mean a new way of doing things and neither Finn nor Williams will harbour grudges over their departures. They will know that is just football.

Venky’s were one of the few prepared to invest in Blackburn Rovers when the club needed to be bought and they are entitled to run their club exactly as they see fit.

New deputy chief executive Paul Hunt starts in his position, after joining from Leicester, this week and there is no reason why he can’t carry on the good work done by the departees.

This is a new era, a new way of doing things and a chance for the club to build on an incredible sound base that Williams and Finn built in a financially difficult times.

With money comes responsibility though and there is a huge responsibility on Venky’s and their representatives to make sure Blackburn Rovers keep that ‘X factor’.

They wouldn’t go far wrong from learning a few lessons on the old regime.