IT would be easy for me to use this column as a rant about how shockingly unprepared Blackburn Rovers’ squad was for the start of the Premier League season on Saturday.
I could ask why owners Venky’s have collected more than £20million in transfer fees and yet spent just in the region of £5m thus far this summer – having previously vowed to end the club’s selling days.
I could ask why every single transfer, in and out of the club, seems to become a farce of epic proportions and why there is so little experience around the club to help the inexperienced owners along the way.
Some things though are more important than that.
These issues will still need to be addressed if nothing has changed before the end of the transfer window but, for now, a club great deserves all our attention.
Yesterday marked the 11th year since Jack Walker’s death and just a glance around Ewood for Saturday’s Premier League opener should remind everyone of the impact he made on the club and the town.
This was a man who pumped his own money into his beloved Rovers to pull off a rags to riches fairytale, ultimately culminating in that incredible afternoon at Anfield when they lifted the Premier League title in 1995.
Uncle Jack will never and should never be forgotten. It was his money that created the state-of-the-art Ewood Park, his money that created Rovers’ now flourishing academy and his money that saw Rovers’ fans dreams come true.
It wasn’t his money that brought about these glory days though. It was his passion, belief and determination to get Blackburn Rovers to the very top.
Those fortunate to have witnessed those days got the chance to see the likes of Alan Shearer, Tim Flowers, Colin Hendry and Tim Sherwood grace the Rovers’ shirt.
Through their glory days, ‘Uncle Jack’ made sure Rovers retained that family touch. Everyone was welcome and that is not always prevalent at some clubs these days.
So what would ‘Rovers’ greatest ever supporter’ make of what was happening at Ewood Park today?
I think he would just be desperate for the new owners to succeed.
Football is a different beast to the game that Jack Walker was involved in, and you can imagine him telling some of these power-crazy players and agents exactly where to go.
I’m sure he will be watching over Ewood wanting a united, successful and stable club and would applaud the decisions by Venky’s to put a charity on the front of this season’s shirts and to honour Ronnie Clayton by renaming the Blackburn End.
It would be unfair to expect Venky’s to live up to Jack Walker’s legacy, in fact it would be impossible. But they do have a duty to make sure they respect his memory by running the club on a stable footing.
Blackburn Rovers need to be a Premier League football club and you get the feeling the next fortnight will have a huge bearing on what the new Venky’s era really has in store.
See today's Lancashire Telegraph's newspaper for the Blackburn Rovers jury.
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