Chapter 5
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Blackburn Rovers FC
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After submitting my travel request, I headed to Blackburn.
It's a city in Lancashire, about 340 km northwest of London. Nearby are Burnley, Blackpool, and Preston, and the next town over is that famous 'Manchester'.
"Blackburn Rovers, huh..."
Mohamed Al-Fayed, the chairman of Harrods, recommended I talk to them, so depending on the negotiations, we might proceed with the acquisition.
"Vice Chairman, there's a rest stop coming up soon. Shall we stop?"
"Sure. We've got plenty of time."
Park Hyun-guk, the section chief doubling as my driver.
He was in his third year as a Daeyang Trading UK resident, loved football passionately, had solid sales performance, and especially knew Blackburn well from handling textile imports and construction contracts there.
We grabbed a cup of tea in the rest area and had a smoke break.
"Which football team do you support, Section Chief Park?"
"I'm an Arsenal fan myself, but if we acquire Blackburn Rovers, I'll become a Blackburn supporter."
"You can't switch teams that easily. Just keep rooting for Arsenal."
"Hahaha, yes, sir."
Park was someone who really enjoyed football while living in the UK, and later, when I returned to headquarters, he was promoted to the secretariat and eventually rose to executive managing director in my circle.
"I must've thrown the remote at the TV so many times watching the World Cup. Especially that Netherlands match! Even if our team wasn't great, what was that 'Odae Young'? More like 'Odae Ppang'!"
Ugh, good thing I didn't rewatch that in my second go-around.
3-1 loss to Mexico, historic 5-0 thrashing by the Netherlands, and a miraculous 1-1 draw against Belgium to scrape together one point.
"But the next World Cup's in our country, right? And my father's the organizing committee chairman."
"Yes, I really hope we make it to the round of 16 in the World Cup hosted here."
"We will."
If I said right now, 'A country that can't even win a single World Cup match will go beyond the round of 16 to the semis,' I'd be called crazy no matter my position and end up preserved in formaldehyde for four years.
"Section Chief Park, do you know much about Blackburn?"
"A fair bit."
"Oh?"
"They were a powerhouse when Alan Shearer was there. Owner Jack Walker invested over ten million pounds every year, taking them from 4th to 2nd to 1st. Now they're in the relegation zone, though."
"Hmm."
Behind that glorious past, they're currently 18th in the league and will actually get relegated this season, leading to the club's collapse.
And I'm here to prevent that by meeting Blackburn owner Jack Walker.
"Worth acquiring?"
"...Can I be honest?"
"Of course."
"I thought we'd start by acquiring an England team like Fulham, maybe from the third or second division and build up gradually. But jumping straight into a Premier League team... negotiations will be tough."
"But it's a recommendation, so this is our chance."
"I'll do everything I can."
After tea time, we set off again for Blackburn.
Blackburn is a small city of about 150,000 people, but the home ground of Blackburn Rovers, Ewood Park, which holds over 40,000 spectators, was impressive.
"Yeah, this is more like it."
I took in Ewood Park, Blackburn's home stadium, breathed in the air deeply, and stepped onto the blue pitch.
"Huuuuh~ Alright, time to go acquire the Rovers."
Upon arriving at Blackburn Rovers' club office, the staff immediately escorted me to the owner's office.
Ten minutes early for our appointment, the door opened to reveal an elderly man with a full head of white hair.
Jack Walker.
A businessman from Blackburn in Lancashire, former chairman of Walkersteel Company, Britain's largest steel firm, and owner of Blackburn Rovers.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Lee Dae-hyun."
"Come in. A young man from a far-off Eastern land."
After the greeting, I felt the piercing gaze of a middle-aged woman.
"Linda, go fetch some tea."
"Yes, Father."
Linda Mattiessen, Jack Walker's daughter, who would succeed him as Blackburn Rovers owner, and her husband, Stanley Mattiessen, the front office president.
I began the conversation, having memorized the info beforehand.
"I've heard the basics from Al-Fayed. A guy from Korea wants to run a Premier League club?"
"Yes."
"And he came here?"
"Yes, exactly."
Moments later, Linda brought the tea, and I sipped the fragrant Darjeeling.
"I want to run a Premier League team. That's why I'm here."
"Do you like my Rovers?"
"I like football. And if you allow the acquisition, I'll like them even more going forward."
"Heh, you're an interesting fellow."
Jack Walker took a sip of his sugared black tea and spoke slowly.
"I've heard the name Daeyang a few times. Real estate investments and textile exports in Lancashire."
"The current chairman is my father."
"I know you've been in business here a while and love football. Does Korea not have its own league?"
"We do. The K-League, with ten teams."
"Then why doesn't a Korean buy and run a Korean team instead of coming here for a Premier League one?"
Whoa, tough question.
Jack Walker might look like a kindly old grandfather, but he was sharp—selling Walkersteel to British Steel for 360 million pounds in a big government deal, then expanding into airlines and real estate in the '90s. He had incredible business sense and an eye for people.
"If a Korean loves football, shouldn't he start by building up a team in the Korean league?"
"Other companies like ours did that, running corporate teams, but the results weren't great."
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember this year's '98 France World Cup? Korea suffered a humiliating 5-0 loss to the Netherlands."
"A painful tale for a weak team."
"It made us realize Korean football is like a frog in a well. We want to learn advanced football. So, I want to run a Premier League club—the world's best league—and bring that infrastructure back to Korea."
"Why not start from the third division like Mohamed Al-Fayed and climb up gradually?"
"Preventing a fall from the top is a bigger lesson than rising from the bottom."
"!"
Jack Walker's eyes sharpened.
Linda swallowed hard, sweating, and his gaze grew even keener.
"I want to learn how to overcome that fear. Staying up is a greater experience and proof than promotion from below."
"!"
"Just like Blackburn Rovers right now."
18th in the relegation zone, in crisis after sacking manager Roy Hodgson, desperate to escape relegation in the second half.
I targeted that vulnerability.
Jack Walker's expression definitely changed, and he asked a more serious question.
"What do you think is the problem with Rovers now?"
"Selling off key players and parting with the manager after the '94-'95 championship season."
"That's old history. Anything else?"
"Failing to develop local Lancashire franchise stars."
"Oh!"
"In simple terms, the 'roots' of the franchise are gone."
This one hit home.
Linda, who had been eyeing me like a con artist, kept glancing at her father, and Jack's teacup trembled.
"You talk a good game."
"And without filling that gap, Rovers could plummet to the bottom after this season."
"What are you saying?"
Linda bristled, but Jack quietly raised a hand to silence her.
Honestly, I could say more—I know Blackburn gets relegated.
And afterward, they become just another mediocre shell, truly crashing in the 2010s.
"One more question. What would you do to save Rovers now?"
"Sign new winning players in the winter transfer window and appoint a manager who can rack up points."
"The manager's already decided. Brian Kidd, Manchester United's first-team coach, is coming as the new manager."
Ah, I know that name well.
In my previous life, he was Man City's assistant under Pep Guardiola.
But Brian Kidd as manager? That's why Blackburn got relegated, and I know it.
"I'd recruit him as first-team coach instead. He's a great strategist, but not cut out to be a manager."
"Hahaha—is there a reason?"
"If he were real manager material, Ferguson wouldn't have let him go so easily."
Brian Kidd had just fought with Ferguson and left Man United after nearly a decade.
Relegation-threatened Blackburn snapped him up as manager and regretted it... I know all this.
Things these people who don't know the future could never know.
"Makes sense. But too bad—he's already left United and is coming as Rovers' manager."
"Offer him 20% more salary as first-team coach. For manager, appoint someone with a 'winning mentality'."
"Hmmm."
Jack Walker sipped his tea, staring me down.
Is the interview over?
At least we've broken the ice.
Honestly, I don't have much acquisition capital prepared, so I need to win him over first, then broach the price carefully.
"I've heard enough from you, young man. You're no clueless fool."
"Father?"
Jack gripped Linda's hand again, nodded, and spoke.
"I had a health check earlier this year. Not good. Who knows how many years I've got left."
Jack was actually battling cancer and, sadly, wouldn't last much longer, leaving the club to Linda.
"So, how much for the team I've poured my heart into?"
"I've prepared two envelopes."
I pulled the envelopes from my pocket and quietly placed them on the table.
Jack picked up the white one and opened it, revealing Queen Elizabeth's bright smile.
"Ten... pounds?"
"Fresh notes from the Bank of England."
Suddenly, Linda's face flushed with anger, and even kindly old Jack looked red with fury.
Of course they'd react like that.
But this is the turning point.
I clenched my fists tight, bracing for even a thrown teaspoon, and prepared for what came next.