Stick to chickens.

The great Bill Shankly, legendary manager of Liverpool Football Club, once said," Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you that it is much, much more important than that." That is real passion, without which you should never get involved with a football club. Men love sports but, among all sports, football fans follow their beloved teams with a passion that no other sport can generate. Blackburn Rovers, taken over by Pune based poultry farmers, Venky's 18 months ago is a club steeped in history, even if its fortunes have been indifferent in recent years. The club was founded in 1875 and was the founding member of the football league in 1888. Although its glory days were before WW11, it managed to win the Premier League in 1995 under manager, Kenny Dalglish, the present manager of Liverpool. On May 7, the club was relegated after being defeated at home by Wigan. Smaller teams with a limited pool of players are always in danger of relegation because injuries to key players can suddenly make the team vulnerable. The charge against Venky's is, not that Blackburn were poor, but that they, as owners, did nothing. The Premier League season is over 10 months and 38 games but in all that time Venky's did not change manager, did not buy new players or show any understanding for the suffering of the fans as they spent hard earned money and traveled across the country in English winter to support their team. Yet it does not take all that much money. Newcastle are fifth in the table on 65 points, just below Spurs on 66 and Arsenal on 67 with one game to go. They are still in with a realistic chance of qualifying for Champions League next season. They have not done so by spending huge amounts. Yohan Cabaye cost 5 million pounds, Papiss Cisse, who cannot stop scoring, cost 10 million, David Santon 5.3 million, Hatem Ben Arfa with dancing feet 5.75 million, Tiote 3.5 million and Denmba Ba was a free transfer. They still have change left over from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool for 35 million pounds. Enraged Blackburn fans released a chicken draped in a team scarf on Ewood Park ground after the defeat by Wigan. Times correspondent Oliver Kay wrote that the club had been " mishandled, mistreated and mismanaged ". TOI, May 9. He also wrote," What shame to watch the fabric of a fine club unraveling in front of your eyes." The Daily Mail said that Rovers fans were right to feel " misled and betrayed ". Indian business people are used to treating customers and staff with disdain. They are mostly dishonest, selfish and mean, wanting to make money any which way. But football is not a product where a customer has the chance to choose a different producer. Fans choose a team in childhood and follow it through life. That is why they feel bitter and betrayed by Venky's and rightly so. Venky's, may not be aware that they have not only damaged Blackburn but have seriously damaged goodwill for Indian businesses in Britain. If they have any shame they should apologise sincerely to Blackburn fans and set about repairing the damage. Question is - do they have any shame?