Ryan quit Rovers after failure to grab ‘deal of the century’

Ryan resigned as chairman on Saturday after a 15-year stint.

The 63-year-old had been at odds with fellow major shareholder Bramall for several months about the club’s future direction.

Bramall suggested earlier this week he could be ready to accept Sequentia Capital’s renewed offer to buy the club.

As it stands, Rovers director David Blunt – the man likely to become the club’s interim chairman after Ryan’s exit – is handling negotiations with the Irish-based consortium on behalf of Bramall and Rovers.

It remains an “ongoing process”, according to Bramall.

Realistically, a deal with Sequentia, allied to the exit of Bramall, represents the only chance of Ryan returning to the club’s boardroom.

Ryan, currently on a break, has confirmed he will not be attending next Friday’s televised game with Yeovil Town at Keepmoat Stadium as a fan, but will watch the action on TV.

Ryan, who first approached Sequentia about investing in the club in June with a heads of agreement subsequently signed by Rovers and the consortium, said: “I think if Sequentia do own it, I would think one of the first calls they make is to me. But as long as Bramall is there, I am out.”

Ryan estimates the personal cost of financially backing Rovers since taking the helm in 1998 to be “at least £8m or £9m”.

The former chairman is scathing of fellow majority shareholders Bramall and Dick Watson’s failure to agree what he has labelled as the “deal of the century’ when Sequentia were ready to take over in the summer.

Ryan says that top-flight stars Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and Shay Given had agreed to join if the deal went through – with a number of other leading players lined up. He has criticised his colleagues’ decision to ignore the opportunity – and what he sees as a chronic lack of ambition.

Ryan said: “I got the deal of the century for them. No one else could have got that deal. We met them all, along with the manager (Paul Dickov) and Kevin (Phelan) from Sequentia. We met Richard Dunne and outlined a deal with him. He would have signed for us.

“We had Shay Given, although (Ross) Turnbull has turned out to be a good goalkeeper.

“We also got Stephen Ireland and Richie Wellens – and he is only there by the skin of his teeth and will probably leave.

“I feel I was the only one with ambition for the club. I’ve spent at least £8m or £9m on the club and I’d have liked a crack at the Premier League, but you need back-up. The other two couldn’t believe we’d got back to the Championship and I think they were content with being in League One.

“But for me, if you go on a downward spiral you soon will be in League Two. And, if you are not careful, you are back in the Conference.

“If you are not going forward, you are going back. I feel sorry for Paul Dickov now because he is not going to get any money. Spending the money on the rugby (Rovers have purchased Doncaster RLFC) is a waste of time.”