TOMORROW will mark the end of a turbulent first year since Venky’s completed their takeover of Blackburn Rovers, but Don Mackay recalls the Jack Walker era when he insists it is still too early to judge the club’s owners.

The protests of recent weeks have done much to illustrate the fact that many supporters have already reached their verdict on the Venky’s regime.

Vast popularity among the club’s fan base is certainly not something that has been achieved during their first 12 months at the helm, which has seen Rovers narrowly avoid relegation during 2010/11 and then slip to second bottom this season.

It is all a far cry at the moment from the hugely successful Walker era, which saw Rovers claim the Premier League title in 1995, but former Blackburn manager Mackay knows all too well that even in those days results did not come instantly.

Walker took control of Rovers on January 17, 1991, eight months after Rovers had missed out on promotion to the top flight with defeat to Swindon in the Second Division play-offs.

Following his takeover Walker immediately gave Mackay, the boss at the time, money to spend. A total of £750,000 was spent on Steve Livingstone and Tony Dobson.

Rovers avoided relegation that season, having been teetering above the drop zone when Walker gained ownership, but a 19th-placed finish was not considered a success.

One point from their first three games during the 1991/92 season led to Mackay’s exit.

“These things don’t happen overnight,” recalled the Scot.

“Jack Walker thought it would happen overnight and we had to tell him that it would take time.

“When new owners come in you have to put a five-year plan in place.

“Venky’s will have a five-year plan and it’s still very early days, they’re only a year in and it will take time.

“Under Jack Walker the club didn’t get promoted straight away but they got promoted the year after and then went on to win the league in about five years, so it was pretty much a five-year plan.

“Some stupid Scotsman came up with it, I don’t know who that was!”

That he can joke about what was undoubtedly a difficult period for him say much about Mackay’s continuing affection for Rovers.

“I was there for four-and-a-half years and it was the happiest time of my career, even though there were plenty of tears shed,” he admits.

Indeed, he has even offered his assistance should the club need an experienced head to help boss Steve Kean.

“Maybe they could bring some experience in to help him, someone to bounce ideas off, an ex-manager who knows the club,” said Mackay, only half joking.

“If I could ever help all they would need to do is ask me.”

Rovers have been the subject of interest from Middle East giants Qatar Petroleum in the last few days but Venky’s have vehemently insisted that they do not want to sell and Mackay says there is no guarantee in any case that a takeover would lead to a sudden rise up the table.

“Even if new owners came in now they’re not going to make a massive difference this season,” he said.

“They might save them from relegation possibly, but it could go the other way.

“If new owners came in now great, if not, maybe even better.

“It could go the other way as well, it could be unsettling.

“But you can’t forget how long Blackburn have been in the Premier League now. It’s been a long time and it’s important they stay there.

“Bill Fox (Rovers’ former chairman) upset people when he said that some years Blackburn will be in the First Division, some years they’ll be in the Second Division and some years they’ll be in the Third Division. But that’s the nature of the beast because of the size of the club.

“It’s important that the club stays in the Premier League and that will have been important to the owners when they came in, too.

“The club can maybe spend money in January but that can work both ways.

“You can bring players in who can unsettle the team, although when I was at Blackburn we brought in Steve Archibald and Ossie Ardiles in the middle of the season and they made a difference.

“But first they have to get two or three results before they get to January.”