Court case on Blackburn Rovers funding future delayed again
A third delay to a court hearing in India means Championship football club Blackburn Rovers still face uncertainty over their finances.
A case was due to be heard on 20 August in the High Court in Delhi, but was adjourned until November.
Earlier this year theBusinessDesk.com reported that the Lancashire club’s financial destiny hung in the balance.
It had emerged that in June 2023, the poultry and pharma group Venky’s, which has owned Rovers since 2011, had to apply to the High Court in the capital New Delhi for emergency permission to pay an outstanding tax bill. An earlier application to send £26m to Blackburn was turned down when the Indian government’s Economic Directorate refused to issue a ‘No Objection Certificate’ to payments to Rovers.
Venky’s achieved permission to settle the tax bill which they argued would have caused “a huge loss to the reputation.”
In a statement, the club once again described the case as “ongoing technical and legal issues” but recognised the widespread alarm the delays are having.
“The start to the 2024-25 season has been extremely encouraging, not only in terms of results on the pitch, but also from a commercial perspective, with regards to new partnerships and replica shirt sales, and with how the new staffing structure introduced over the summer is identifying key areas of improvement from the senior player setup down to the Academy.
“Despite all of the above positive aspects, we know that there is also a growing concern over the ongoing legal and technical issues the Club Ownership Group, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt Ltd, are facing in India,” the statement said.
“The Ownership Group are working as hard as they can within the judicial process to get a resolution as soon as possible, however we have full and unequivocal assurance that these issues will not impact on the operational aspects of the club and will not prohibit or prevent the Owners from financially supporting the club in whatever way on and off the pitch as and when required, now and in the future.
“The Owners have already secured required permissions to give full financial support to the club and this will not have any impact of the ongoing litigation which is more of a legal technical process now.
“They have always been fully committed and supportive of the club, even in the most difficult days, and will continue to do so going forward in the hope of future success for all those connected to this wonderful and historic football club.”
