LONDON: Blackburn Rovers are not for sale, the Indian owners of the club insisted yesterday following the team's relegation from English football's lucrative Premier League.

And they also said deputy chief executive Paul Hunt had left the club as a cost-cutting measure rather than been sacked over a leaked letter which called for the dismissal of manager Steve Kean.

Blackburn were relegated from the Premier League following a 1-0 defeat by Wigan on Monday.

In the latest of a series of protests against Venky's, an angry fan released a chicken wrapped in a Blackburn flag onto the Ewood Park pitch during the Wigan match with a one-word message: "Out."

However, Venky's Venkatesh Rao told the Times of India newspaper yesterday the firm wanted to keep Blackburn and had no intention of selling the north-west side.

"Yes, it is a company of ours and there is nothing whatsoever in (the speculation)," he said.

"These allegations are not correct."

Hunt's letter, written after a home defeat by local rivals Bolton in December, called for Scottish boss Kean to be sacked.