• Premier League

Rovers chairman quits Ewood Park

ESPN staff
February 4, 2011
John Williams had a good working relationship with Sam Allardyce © Getty Images
Enlarge

Blackburn Rovers chairman John Williams became the latest casualty of the upheaval at Ewood Park after he walked out of the club on Thursday night.

After 13 years as chairman, the highly-respected Williams followed manager Sam Allardyce out of the club, less than three months after negotiating the sale of the club to Indian poultry firm Venky's.

"After 14 years' service with Blackburn Rovers (13 years as chairman), John Williams has decided to stand down and leave the club," said a statement on the club website.

Williams, who was appointed to the board 14 years ago and steered the club through a difficult financial era following the death of former chairman Jack Walker, was reportedly unhappy at the dismissal of Allardyce in December.

"With our new owners the Venky's Group, I have no doubt this is a new dawn for the club," Williams said. "There is a new order, a new way of doing this and I beliebe the time is right for me now to move on."

He is reported to have discussed severance packages with chairperson Anuradha Desai on Thursday. With Gandhi Babu and Mahesh Gupta already holding positions on the Rovers board, Desai is expected to appoint a new chairman from within Venky's group.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices