A Tale of Two Takeovers: Odd Goings-On at Blackburn and Watford

A Friend of a Friend

“I was offered Blackburn Rovers, as Jerome Anderson is a good friend of mine.” The words belong to Laurence Bassini, a man whose primary claim to fame is his attempt to take control of Watford. That a players’ agent like Anderson might be involved in hawking a Premier League club around to his friends should have set alarm bells ringing across Lancashire. Instead, when the local paper reported the quote, the online reaction descended into the usual pointless squabbling between Blackburn and Burnley partisans. Only four of forty-odd commenters stopped to question the propriety of it all.

Perhaps Blackburn fans are simply tired. After the long months of Sam Allardyce’s particular brand of football, anything feels like a relief. The club’s new owners, Venky’s, have certainly provided a distraction, drawing up a fantasy shopping list of Brazilian superstars. Representatives for Robinho, Kaka, and Luis Fabiano have apparently been contacted to see if their clients fancy a move to Ewood Park. Venkatesh Rao, one of the owning brothers, has declared that “money will not be a problem.”

He may find it is not the solution, either. Offering Ronaldinho a reported seven million pounds a year was not enough to entice him into a relegation battle. It seems unlikely that Kaka or Robinho, who could scarcely get away from the North West fast enough, would be tempted by a similar proposition. In the late 1980s, lazy columnists would suggest a struggling club sign half a dozen world-class players; it seems the Raos have taken this advice to heart. Amidst this circus, the idea that Jerome Anderson was quietly offering the club to his mates long before the chicken magnates arrived seems almost plausible.

The Elstree Mystery

Watford’s own ownership saga is no less bizarre, a continuing tradition of attracting investors who require a quick check of their deed poll history. Last month, the club ceased negotiations with a consortium fronted by a Paul Anthony, who turned out to be Paul Anthony Garland, a convicted fraudster once associated with Leeds United. Attention then shifted to a bid from a respected orthopaedic surgeon, Panos Thomas, and his partner, the aforementioned Laurence Bassini.

The mystery deepened when the Watford Observer revealed Bassini was formerly Lawrence Bazini, a man made bankrupt as recently as October 2007. In a lengthy interview, Bassini attempted to explain his past. He changed his name, he said, for a “fresh start” after a business venture with his father went sour. The logic of changing two letters to achieve anonymity remains his own.

His financial recovery is equally opaque. From claiming benefits for “five or six months” to co-owning a Championship club in under three years is quite a turnaround. He credits support from his “very wealthy and successful” family and other unnamed business associates. He calls himself an “equity investor” and confirms, “I deal in property,” but offers no specifics. When asked about his plans for Watford, he was magnificently vague: “Should an offer come in there will be a plan.” At least he dismissed rumours of a move to a new ground in nearby Elstree, a story that had been circulating on fan forums.

Reasonable Doubt

Despite the lack of clarity, some fans seem willing to place their trust in the process. Arguments are made that chairman Graham Taylor and the board must know what they are doing, and that Stock Exchange rules prevent Bassini from being more open. One contributor to a forum even suggested that questions should wait until after a deal goes through.

This faith seems misplaced. Watford’s need for investment is urgent; the club has been borrowing from directors for years. But any investment must be clean and credible. Bassini, with his hazy past, obscure finances, and non-existent plan, oozes reasonable doubt from every pore. The idea that a football agent might offer a Premier League club to a recently bankrupt acquaintance with no visible means of funding such a purchase stretches credulity to its absolute limit.

After all, what responsible football authority would ever let that happen?