Blackburn Rovers' controversial ownership is once again under scrutiny after the publication of a remarkable letter signed by three members of the previous board revealed the depth of their concerns about the way the club was being run as long as a year ago.
The letter, dated 4 January 2011, revealed by the website sportingintelligence.com was written by John Williams, the chairman at the time, Tom Finn, the former managing director, and Martin Goodman, then the finance director. It was sent to Blackburn's co‑owner, Anuradha Desai, less than two months after the takeover by Venky's. Blackburn supporters have been strongly opposed to the club's ownership – as well as the appointment of Steve Kean as manager – and the latest revelations are sure to deepen their anger.
The document lays bare the dismay Williams and the two directors felt at the direction the club was heading under the Indian owners, highlighting Venky's failure to consult with the board over the surprising decision to sack Sam Allardyce and replace him with Kean. They also express their unease that Kean, under instruction from the owners, had no need to report to the board in relation to transfers.
Williams, Finn and Goodman wrote: "We now find the board are not even being consulted on some of the most fundamental decisions this or any other football club ever makes. This includes the termination of the manager's employment [Allardyce] and the appointment of a new manager [Kean]. We have had no input into the terms of this appointment and presumably discussions are taking place with Steve Kean concerning additional staff appointments, again without an input from the board.
"In addition, and of greatest concern, as we enter the transfer window, is your instruction that the manager is to no longer report to the board on transfer matters. The board's role seems to be merely one of processing the transfers as opposed to delivering a strategy based on discussions with you as owners and working to pre-agreed financial budgets."
The letter also asks for clarification on the role being played by the SEM agency – headed by Jerome Anderson, Kean's agent – in transfers. Last week, Anderson defended his involvement and claimed he was "very successful" in bringing players into the club last January.
One of those players was the then 19-year-old Rubén Rochina, who was signed for €450,000 (£372,000) from Barcelona. His agent, Manuel Salamanca Ferrer, received a £1.65m fee. Anderson worked on the deal with Ferrer but has said he made no money from the transfer.