Opinion From Lancashire,with love
The Blackburn Rovers play in Pune today. Heres why that matters for football in India
The Blackburn Rovers are set to make their presence felt in Pune with a friendly game against FC Pune on October 7. This tour may lack the glitter of the uber-stars in the Argentine squad at Argentina-Venezuela friendly at Kolkata. But,from a historical standpoint,the first-ever friendly featuring an English Premier League team against an I-League club could be a watershed moment for football in India. With the latest viewership ratings showing football with 155 million viewers as opposed to crickets 176 million,it will be a legitimate challenger for the top spot in India sooner than you think. Given cricket saturation consider the Champions League T20 snooze-fest football,through club and FIFA events,will likely contend for viewers with cricket. Always excluding the cricket mainstays such as the world cups,competitive series such as against England or Australia,and certain stages of the IPL.
This is the first foray for India into EPL territory,and could be the start of some very serious moves for Indian football. First of all,by having a direct presence within the EPL,the possibility of borrowing star players from European clubs becomes realistic. The transfer windows could open up,and lead to the eventual lending of players for the domestic I-league,which will be a significant push for Indian football. The biggest boost however,would be if Indian players in the next five to seven years were contracted and sent out to European clubs and actually given opportunities to play in televised games. Blackburn being a middle-of-the-pack club in the Premiership,this is a real possibility; and the clubs Indian ownership is extremely active and keen to promote football in India.
Selling the Rovers as an Indian team would be a lot more difficult if the ownership had maintained a hands-off policy,with few interactions with India. However,this has not been the case,and the Blackburn Rovers have become a much better-known brand in India albeit at times for controversial reasons. Much to the chagrin of fans in England,Venkys has taken a somewhat unorthodox path towards building brand familiarity consider the by-now infamous ad featuring the team eating chicken.
The fact remains,however,that an Indian owner in a traditional league ownership setting will always face challenges,especially among those who feel that Indias lack of ability in football makes an Indian owner a misnomer. Given that background,it was always a difficult sell to convince the Rovers traditional fan base and British football enthusiasts overall that Venkys was in this for the long haul,and had a cross-border goal to maximise the tag that comes with owning a Premiership club. Hopefully that will change.
Lets be honest: The Rovers may not have many Indian fans today,and unless they perform somewhat better,there wont be any Indian fans of the Big Four who will be crossing over to support Blackburn merely because of the ownerships origin. However,by consistently blurring the lines between the EPL and India,what should happen is that the platform is being laid for the creation of a fan following in the future. If Blackburn becomes an Indian club with new and young Indian fans treating it as their own,it could have huge effects. Waiting otherwise for the Indian team to become world beaters,or for the I-League to become a chosen destination for world-class players is a pipe dream.
So,as a property with significant upside,Venkys moves with the Blackburn Rovers should change the way the Indian fan perceives football and the EPL and should eventually make enthusiasts and fans of casual Indian observers. The ancillary movements that will accompany this visit will have ripple effects on various aspects of football as well. There are many who want to support football in India,but until they realise that the future of football in India begins with recreational participation,and viewership related fan following,football is going nowhere in a hurry.
I am convinced that the acquisition is the best move by any Indian corporate house in the sports domain primarily because of the affordable price-tag,and the limited expectations that come with the ownership of a lower-order Premiership club with a storied history,rather than a high-profile acquisition of,say,a Liverpool. It could turn out to be a failed investment in the long run,especially if the teams performance overall doesnt improve in the next few years,or if they dont make any high-profile purchases in the player market. However,when it comes to giving themselves a fighting chance to build a brand in the EPL with an Indian link,the Blackburn Rovers have put themselves in striking distance of building fan loyalty in India for a club that many may yet call their own.
Lets hope the EPL,the team management,and Indian corporates in the sports domain are taking notice,because when it comes to a low-cost,high-upside risk in a sport that in India will always be dependent on viewership,collaterals and international leagues,the Blackburn Rovers may yet end up burning the competition.
The writer is a Delhi-based sports attorney
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