Blackburn Rovers F.C.

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Blackburn Rovers
Full name	Blackburn Rovers Football Club
Nickname(s)	Blue Army
Founded	1875
Ground	Ewood Park Blackburn
Capacity	31,367
Chairman	John Williams
Manager	Mark Hughes
League	FA Premier League
2005-06	Premier League, 6th
Home colours 　 Away colours

Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The club was established in 1875, and in 1888 became a founding member of The Football League. In 1890 Rovers moved to its permanent home at Ewood Park. Until the formation of the Premier League in 1992, the majority of the club's success was pre-1930 when they won the league and FA Cup on several occasions.

In 1992, Blackburn were promoted to the new Premier League a year after being taken over by local steel baron Jack Walker, who installed Kenny Dalglish as manager. Three years after winning promotion Blackburn were league champions, having spent millions of pounds on players like Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton. But the title winning team was quickly split up and in 1999 Blackburn were relegated. They were promoted back to the Premiership two years later, just after Jack Walker's death, and have been in the top flight ever since. During this time they have qualified for the UEFA Cup three times, once as League Cup winners and twice as the Premiership's sixth-placed team.

The club's Latin motto "Arte et labore", which was used by the town council even before the club were formed, literally translated means "by art and by labour". However it is more commonly translated as "by skill and hard work".

[edit] History

[edit] The early years

The club Blackburn Rovers was the idea of John Lewis and Arthur Constantine during a seventeen-man meeting at the Leger Hotel, Blackburn in November 1875. The club's first secretary was Walter Duckworth, and Lewis was its first treasurer. Many of the initial members were wealthy and well-connected, and this helped the club survive and rise beyond the large number of other local teams around at the time.

Leaflet advertising a Blackburn Rovers match on the 12th September, 1887 against 'The Wednesday' at Olive Grove.

The first match played by Blackburn Rovers took place in Church, Lancashire on 18 December 1875 -- and was a 1-1 draw. Although the make-up of the team was not recorded it is generally thought to be: Thomas Greenwood (goal), Jack Baldwin, Fred Birtwistle, (full-backs), Arthur Thomas, J. T. Sycelmore (half-backs), Walter Duckworth, John Lewis, Thomas Dean, Arthur Constantine, Harry Greenwood, Richard Birtwistle (forwards), in a 2-2-6 formation.

At the time, the club had no ground of its own and no gate receipts. The only income came from members' subscriptions, which totalled £2 8s 0d during the first season.

During the 1876-1877 season, Rovers finally gained a ground of its own by renting a piece of farmland at Oozehead, on the west side of town facing Preston New Road. The ground was little more than a meadow with a pool in the middle that had to be covered with planks and turf when playing, but it did allow the club to collect gate receipts totalling 6s 6d for the season. Occasional games were also played at Pleasington cricket ground.

Subsequently Blackburn Rovers rented Alexandra Meadows, the home of the East Lancashire Cricket Club , for their matches. The inaugural game at Alexandra Meadows was played against Partick Thistle, the most prestigious club Rovers had played until then. The result was a 2-1 win for Blackburn, with two goals from Richard Birtwistle.

On 28 September 1878, Blackburn Rovers became one of 23 clubs to form the Lancashire Football Association. On 1 November 1879 the club played in the F.A. Cup for the first time, beating the Tyne Association Football Club 5-1. Rovers were eventually put out of the competition in the third round after suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest.

Controversy erupted during 1880 when the club used players not from Blackburn to fill in for unavailable team members — this violated what, at the time, was considered an important principle of the LFA. The situation became worse at the start of the 1881 season when a Darwen player transferred to Blackburn Rovers. The move caused a great deal of bitterness between the clubs and local populations. Accusations of professionalism began to fly, with Darwen accusing Blackburn Rovers of offering the player in question, Fergie Suter, improved terms. However, Suter had initially moved to Darwen from Scotland and given up his trade as stonemason to play for the club. So the professional/amateur divide was already blurred. Nevertheless, subsequent matches between Blackburn Rovers and Darwen were fractious affairs both on and off the pitch. The teams were drawn against each other in the fourth round of the Lancashire Cup, and the clubs refused to agree on a date for the match. As a result the LFA ejected both teams from the competition. This type of controversy would only be resolved five years later in 1885 with the legalisation of professionalism.

During the 1881-1882 season, the club continued to rent the facilities at Alexandra Meadows, but began to look towards a move elsewhere. As the leading club in the area, it was felt that Rovers needed its own ground. A ground was leased at Leamington Street and £500 was spent on a new grandstand capable of seating 600-700 spectators. Boards were placed around the pitch to help prevent a repeat of the crowd troubles with Darwen, and a large ornate entrance arch was erected bearing the name of the club and ground.

Blackburn Rovers cup winners in 1883-1884. The first FA Cup win for the team. The photograph includes the East Lancashire Charity Cup; the FA Cup and the Lancashire Cup. Back row (left to right): J. M. Lofthouse, H. McIntrye, J. Beverly, W. J. H. Arthur, F. Suter, J. Forrest, R. Birtwistle (umpire) Front row (left to right): J. Douglas, J. E. Sowerbutts, J. Brown, G. Avery, J. Hargreaves.

On 25 March 1882 the club won through to the final of the F.A. Cup against the Old Etonians. Blackburn Rovers was the first provincial team to reach the final, but the result was a 1-0 defeat by the Old Etonians. There was no repeat of the previous season's success during the 1882-1883 season, when Rovers suffered a bitter defeat 1-0 at the hands of Darwen in the second-round. Local rivals Blackburn Olympic went on to be the first provincial team to actually win the F.A. Cup. Rovers finally won the F.A. Cup on 29 March 1884 at the Kennington Oval, with a 2-1 victory over the Scottish team Queen's Park F.C. Had it not been for this cup success the club would have folded leaving Blackburn Olympic the primary team in Blackburn. The same teams played the F.A. Cup final again the next season, with Blackburn Rovers again emerging victorious, with a 2-0 score. Rovers repeated this success yet again the next season, winning the final against West Bromwich Albion. For this three-in-a-row of F.A. Cup victories, the club was awarded a specially commissioned silver shield and given the unique privilege of displaying the club crest on its corner flags.

The 1885-1886 season was the birth of the legal professional footballer, and Blackburn Rovers spent £615 on player wages for the season. Despite the new professionalism, it was a disappointing season for the club — an unusually high number of defeats would culminate in Rovers losing its three-year grip on the F.A. Cup when it lost 2-0 in the second round to the Scottish club Renton on 4 December 1886 at the Leamington Street ground. Further defeats followed in the other major cups that season.

[edit] The Football League and Ewood Park

On 2 March 1888, William McGregor, a Birmingham shopkeeper and a committee member of Aston Villa Football Club, sent a letter to five clubs — Blackburn Rovers among them — suggesting that twelve of the leading clubs should organise a series of home and away matches between themselves. With the introduction of professional players, it seemed natural that better organisation should be brought to the complex and chaotic system of friendly and competitive matches prevalent at the time. On 22 March 1888 John Birtwistle represented Blackburn Rovers at a meeting of a number of clubs at the Anderton Hotel in London. This meeting, and subsequent ones, led to the creation of the Football League, with Blackburn Rovers as part of it. Rovers finished the inaugural season of the league in fourth place, and unbeaten at home.

Blackburn Rovers again reached the F.A. Cup final on 29 March 1890 at the Kennington Oval. The club claimed the trophy, for the fourth time, by beating Sheffield Wednesday a hefty 6-1 — with left forward William Townley scoring three goals and becoming the first player to achieve a hat-trick in the F.A. Cup final. The summer of 1890 brought yet another significant event in the history of Blackburn Rovers with the decision to move again. The choice of new home was Ewood Park, and it remained the club's home for the next century or more.

Main article: Ewood Park

F.A. Cup winning side of the 1890-91 season

Ewood Park was built in 1882, the idea of four local businessmen, and it had hosted a number of sporting events. In 1890 Blackburn Rovers purchased the ground and spent a further £1000 on refurbishments to bring it up to standard. The first match was played on 13 September 1890 against Accrington, with a 0-0 draw result.

The 1890-1891 season saw Blackburn Rovers win the F.A. Cup for fifth time against Notts County F.C. with a 3-1 victory — but this success marked beginning of a downturn in the fortunes of the club, and a long lean period would follow. During the 1896-1897 season the club stayed in the first division only as the result of a decision to increase the number of teams. The season did, however, mark the beginning of Bob Crompton's 50-year association with the club, both as a player and eventually as an F.A. Cup winning manager.

The final years of the 19th century brought little success for Blackburn Rovers and several narrow escapes from relegation.

[edit] Early 20th century

Blackburn Rovers continued to struggle during the early years of the 20th century, but the results began a gradual improvement. Major renovations were made to Ewood Park: in 1905 the Darwen End was covered at a cost of £1680 and the new Nuttall Stand was opened on New Year's Day 1907. During the first three decades of the 20th century, Blackburn Rovers were still considered a top side in the English league. They were league champions in 1912 and 1914, and F.A Cup winners in 1928, but the F.A Cup win was their last major trophy for nearly 70 years.

[edit] Mid 20th century

Blackburn Rovers spent the next four decades bouncing between the top two divisions, seldom making a serious challenge for a major trophy although they did reach the 1960 FA Cup final, losing 3-0 to Wolverhampton after playing most of the game with only 10 men on the field, having lost full back Dave Whelan to a broken leg, the game being played in the days before substitutes were allowed. During the 1960s Blackburn Rovers had several players who made it into National teams. They were finally relegated from the First Division in 1966 and began a 26-year exile from the top division.

[edit] 1970s and 1980s: More frustration

During the 1970s, Blackburn Rovers bounced between the Second and Third Divisions, winning the Third Division title in 1975, but never mounted a challenge for promotion to the First Division despite the efforts of successive managers to put the club back on track. They went up as runners up in the Third Division in 1980 and have remained in the upper two tiers of the English league ever since. In 1988-89 they mounted their first serious promotion challenge for many years, and reached the Second Division playoff final in its last-ever season of the home-away two-legged format - but lost to Crystal Palace. A defeat in the 1989-90 Second Division playoff semi-finals brought more frustration to Ewood Park, but the following season saw the club taken over by local steelworks owner and lifelong supporter Jack Walker (1929-2000).

[edit] 1990s: The Jack Walker revolution

Jack Walker lifts the FA Premier League trophy in 1995.

[edit] Back at the top (1991-1994)

Jack Walker's takeover was too late to save Blackburn from finishing a dismal 19th in the Second Division at the end of the 1990-91 season, but the new owner had made millions of pounds available to spend on new players. Blackburn began the 1991-92 season with Don Mackay still manager, but he was soon sacked to make way for Kenny Dalglish - who had resigned as Liverpool manager some months earlier, after a six-year spell in charge had yielded five major trophies. Dalglish made several substantial signings during the season and Blackburn reached the playoff final where they beat Leicester City 1-0 thanks to a Mike Newell penalty. Newell, a former Leicester striker, had missed most of the 1991-92 season due to a broken leg, but his stylish comeback was enough to book Blackburn's place in the new Premier League for 1992-93 - ending 26 years outside the top flight.

Blackburn made headlines in the summer of 1992 by paying an English record fee of £3.5million for the 22-year-old Southampton and England centre forward Alan Shearer. Other expensive signings during the 1992-93 season included Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux, Middlesbrough winger Stuart Ripley and Coventry striker Kevin Gallacher. An impressive Blackburn side remained in the title challenge for most of the season before finishing fourth in the final table, that season not quite enough for UEFA Cup place. Still, it was a remarkable comeback in the top flight after an absence of almost 30 years. Leeds midfielder David Batty and Southampton goalkeeper Tim Flowers were two key signings who helped Blackburn progress in 1993-94 and finish Premiership runners-up to arch rivals Manchester United. Blackburn broke the English transfer fee record again a few weeks later when paying Norwich City £5million for 21-year-old striker Chris Sutton. Sutton's prolific striking partnership with Alan Shearer would be dubbed the "SAS", a pun on "Sutton and Shearer" and the elite British special forces unit the SAS.

[edit] Championship winners (1994-1995)

Early exits from the UEFA Cup, F.A Cup and League Cup were frustrating for Blackburn in 1994-95, but turned out for the best as they could concentrate on the league and the challenge with arch rivals Manchester United for the Premiership title. Blackburn led for most of the season but a 2-1 defeat at Dalglish's old club Liverpool on the final day of the season looked to have blown the club's dreams to pieces. But the news came through that their arch rivals Manchester United could only manage a 1-1 draw at West Ham United and the league title was back at Blackburn Rovers for the first time since 1914. Jack Walker's dream had come true: within five years of buying the club, he had taken them from strugglers in the old Second Division to champions of the Premier League.

[edit] Ray Harford era (1995-1997)

Kenny Dalglish moved upstairs to the position of Director of Football at the end of the championship season, and handed over the reins to his assistant Ray Harford (1945-2003).

Blackburn made a poor start to the 1995-96 season, and found themselves in the bottom half for most of the first half of the season. Rovers also struggled in the Champions League and finished bottom of their group with just 4 points. A 7-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on the day of the official opening of the redeveloped Ewood Park and a 4-1 win over Rosenborg (including a 9 minute Mike Newell hattrick) were two highlights of an otherwise disappointing season. Alan Shearer was instrumental again, becoming the first striker to score more than 30 Premiership goals in three successive season. Blackburn improved as the season went on, finishing seventh in the Premiership and narrowly missing out on a UEFA Cup place. Shearer was sold to hometown club Newcastle United for a then world record fee of £15million in the summer of 1996, and Blackburn were unable to find a suitable replacement.

A terrible start to the 1996-97 Premiership campaign saw Harford resign in late October with the club bottom of the division, having failed to win any of their first ten games. Relegation looked a real possibility, just two seasons after winning the league. But caretaker manager Tony Parkes turned the club's fortunes around and they eventually finished in a secure 13th place in the final table.

On 16 December 1996 with Rovers hovering above the relegation zone, it was announced at an Ewood Park press conference that Sven-Göran Eriksson had signed an "unconditional contract" with Rovers to take over as manager at the end of the season on 1 July 1997 when his contract with Italian Serie A club U.C. Sampdoria expired. The Swede had already visited Ewood Park and the club training facilities at Brockhall as well as sending representatives to watch Rovers' Premiership clashes on his behalf.^[1]

I am pleased and honoured to be coming to Blackburn Rovers next July but I am not in a position to give interviews about the next club I will be working with. I can only comment on the club I am currently employed by and that, of course, is Sampdoria.[2]

The signing of such a high-profile manager (Eriksson had won the UEFA Cup, Portuguese Championship and Coppa Italia with previous clubs) was seen as a coup for Rovers. "We set out our stall to bring in a top man with experience of football on the continent if possible and we believe we have done just that" commented club chairman Robert Coar, "Sven's reputation is widely acknowledged across Europe and it is a major coup for him to agree to come to Blackburn from Serie A in Italy".^[3]

It was hoped that the signing of Eriksson would usher in a new era of success after the continuing difficulties following Ray Harford's disappointing tenure as manager. "Not only do I want us to be a top club in this country, I want European football to be the norm for us", said club owner Jack Walker. "If we get support as high as we want it and the public back us in every way they can then we could even consider [redeveloping] the Walkersteel Stand".^[4]

Eriksson's move to Lancashire would not come to fruition, however. The Swede later opted to stay in Italy to enable him to spend time with his children following a divorce. He would instead go on to join Lazio in 1997, with whom he would later win the Italian Championship and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

[edit] Downfall (1997-1999)

Roy Hodgson was named as Blackburn's new manager in the summer of 1997, and appeared to have had a positive effect on the club as they qualified for the UEFA Cup at the end of his first season in charge. But he was sacked the following December with Rovers struggling near the foot of the Premiership. Brian Kidd, the hugely successful Manchester United assistant manager, was named as his replacement but was unable to stave off relegation and their fate was confirmed in the penultimate game of the season - they drew 0-0 at home to Kidd's old club and did United a favour in their treble glory. Blackburn became the first modern day former Premier League champions to be relegated.

[edit] The new millennium

A ticket for Rovers vs Fulham in 2003. The Londoners would go on to win the game 2-0.

[edit] Fighting for a comeback

1999-00 was a difficult season for Blackburn, who began the season as promotion favourites. Brian Kidd was sacked in October with the club hovering just above the Division One relegation zone, and first-team coach Tony Parkes was named caretaker manager once again. Parkes was eventually given the job on full-time time basis until the end of the season, but only remained in charge until March when the club appointed Graeme Souness as their new manager. Jack Walker died just after the start of the 2000-01 season, and the club dedicated its promotion challenge in memory of their benefactor. Promotion was achieved at the end of 2000-01, as Division One runners-up, behind Fulham F.C.

[edit] Cup glory and European adventures

In 2001-02, the club marked their first season back in the Premiership with a tenth-place finish. More significantly, Blackburn won their first-ever League Cup by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Blackburn's progress under Souness continued in 2002-03 when they finished sixth (on the last day) to qualify for the UEFA Cup for the second season running.

[edit] Setback

Souness's job was put on the line by a disappointing 15th-place finish in 2003-04. He left just after the start of the following season to take charge at Newcastle. Rovers appointed Welsh national coach Mark Hughes as his successor, a key player in the club's promotion and League Cup successes a few seasons earlier. Hughes secured Blackburn's Premiership survival for the 2004-05 season as well as an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, with Rovers finishing 15th, and strengthened the setup for 2005-06 with the £4.5 million transfer of much sought-after Wales international striker Craig Bellamy from Newcastle United.

[edit] Return to Europe

Following a 1-0 victory over league champions Chelsea F.C., Blackburn secured the 6th place in the league and a spot in the UEFA Cup for the 2006-07 season - their third European qualification in five years, and their sixth foray into Europe since 1994. Fans will be hoping for this success to continue and for Blackburn to finally be a success in Europe.

[edit] 2006-07

After qualifying for Europe, much was expected of the Blackburn team as they travelled down to Portsmouth but after a fine display by Portsmouth and some bad Blackburn defending they were beaten 3-0. Rovers than earned a 1-1 draw with Everton in midweek but lost 2-0 to champions Chelsea the following Sunday which meant a disappointing start to the season with just one point picked up from a possible nine.

On 25 August 2006 the UEFA Cup draw pitted Blackburn against Red Bull Salzburg. The first leg was played at Salzburg's ground, on an artificial pitch, on 14 September 2006. The game ended 2-2 with goals from Robbie Savage and Benni McCarthy. The return leg was played on 29 September 2006 and saw Blackburn advance to the next round, courtesy of a 2-0 victory (a 4-2 aggregate win) with a goal from Benni McCarthy and a spectacular 30-yard volley from David Bentley.

As of 5 December 2006, they have won four, drawn four and lost seven of their fifteen Premiership games, to occupy 14th place in the table.

Blackburn were drawn into Group E of the UEFA Cup group stages alongside Wisla Krakow, FC Basel, Feyenoord Rotterdam, and AS Nancy. The group stages began on 19 October. Blackburn played Wisla Krakow of Poland and won 1-2 at the Wisła Stadium and then defeated FC Basle at Ewood Park 3-0 to put them top of the group and needing 1 point from thier remaining 2 games to qualify. Blackburn drew with Feyenoord Rotterdam 0-0 and qualified successfully for the UEFA Cup.

[edit] Current squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Brad Friedel 2 DF Lucas Neill (captain) 3 DF Zurab Khizanishvili 4 DF Andy Todd 5 MF Tugay Kerimoğlu 6 DF Ryan Nelsen 7 MF Brett Emerton 8 MF Robbie Savage 9 FW Shabani Nonda (on loan from A.S. Roma) 10 FW Benni McCarthy 11 MF David Bentley 12 MF Morten Gamst Pedersen 13 GK Peter Enckelman 14 MF Steven Reid 15 MF Aaron Mokoena

No. Position Player 16 DF Stéphane Henchoz 17 FW Francis Jeffers 18 FW Paul Gallagher 20 DF André Ooijer 21 DF Dominic Matteo 23 GK Jason Brown 24 MF James McEveley 26 DF Andy Taylor 27 FW Matt Derbyshire 29 MF Keith Treacy 30 FW Jason Roberts 31 MF Sergio Peter 32 DF Eddie Nolan 33 DF Michael Gray

[edit] Players out on loan

No. Position Player 34 DF Tony Kane (on loan to Stockport County) -- FW Keith Barker (on loan to Rochdale)

[edit] Grounds

[edit] Club honours

[edit] Performance in the top division

Blackburn Rovers have spent a total of sixty-five seasons in the national top division, finishing in these positions:

Along with Chelsea and Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers have, over the years, finished the season in every league position.

[edit] Club managers

[edit] Notable former players

[edit] League history

[edit] Records

• Record attendance at Ewood Park:

62,255 v Bolton Wanderers, FA Cup 6th round, 2nd March 1929.

• Transfer Fee Paid:

£8m to Manchester United for Andrew Cole, December 2001

• Transfer Fee Received:

£17m from Chelsea for Damien Duff, July 2003

• Record win:

11-0 v Rossendale United, Ewood Park, FA Cup 1st round October 13th 1884

• Record League win:

9-0 v Middlesbrough, Ewood Park, Division 2, November 6th 1954

• Record away win:

8-2 v West Ham United, Division 1, December 26th 1963

• Record League defeat:

0-8 v Arsenal, Division 1, February 25th 1933 0-8 v Lincoln City, Division 2, August 29th 1953

• Record home League defeat:

1-7 v Notts County, March 14th 1891 1-7 v Middlesbrough, November 29th 1947

• Record aggregate League score:

13: 5-8 v Derby County (away), September 6th 1890

• Record aggregate home League score:

12: 7-5 v Birmingham City, Division 1, September 28th 1929

• Most points gained in a season (2pts):

60 (1974/75)

• Most points gained in a season (3pts):

91 (2000/01)

• Least points gained in a season (2pts):

20 (1965/66)

• Least points gained in a season (3pts):

35 (1998/99)

• Most League appearances:

Derek Fazackerley, 593+3sub, 1970/71 to 1986/87

• Most capped player with club:

Henning Berg, Norway

• Most consecutive League appearances:

Walter Crook, 208 (1934-46)

• Record goalscorer:

Simon Garner, 194 goals (168 league), 1978/79 to 1991/92

• Most goals scored by a player in a season:

Ted Harper, 43, Division 1, 1925/26

• Most goals scored by a player in a match:

Tommy Briggs, 7 v Bristol Rovers, Ewood Park, Division 2, February 5th 1955

• Most hat-tricks in a season:

8, 1963/64

• Most individual hat-tricks in a season:

5, John Southworth, 1890/91 5, Andy McEvoy, 1963/64 5, Alan Shearer, 1995/96

• Most individual hat-tricks:

13, John Southworth, 1887-1893

• Most League appearances by a goalkeeper:

Terry Gennoe, 289, 1981/82 - 1990/91

• Most consecutive League appearances by a goalkeeper:

Reg Elvy, 152

• Most clean sheets by a goalkeeper in a League season:

19, Jim Arnold, Division 3, 1979/80 19, Bobby Mimms, Premier League, 1992/93

• Most FA Cup appearances:

Ronnie Clayton, 56, 1949-1969

• Most League Cup appearances:

Derek Fazackerley, 38, 1969-87

• Youngest player to appear for Rovers:

Harry Dennison, aged 16yrs, 155 days v Bristol City (h) Division 1, 8th April 1911

• Oldest player to appear for Rovers:

Bob Crompton, 40yrs, 150 days v Bradford (a) Division 1, 23rd February 1920

• Only goalkeeper to ever score a goal for Rovers:

Brad Friedel, Charlton Athletic 3-2 Blackburn Rovers Premiership, 21st February 2004

[edit] Trivia

• One of only three teams to be founder members of both the Football League and the Premier League, the other two being Aston Villa and Everton.
• Once beat arch rivals Manchester United 18-0 in a pre-season friendly
• Margaret Thatcher was made an honorary director
• Their first ground was called Oozehead.
• Famous fans include MP Jack Straw, fashion designer Wayne Hemingway and television legend Jim Bowen.
• As a reward for winning the FA Cup three years in a row (1884-6), the FA - unable to afford a new Cup - gave the club the honour of being allowed to have the club crest on the corner flags. However, the FA now deny this and nowadays many clubs have their crest on the corner flags of their pitch.
• In 1995 Zinedine Zidane may have become another high profile signing for Blackburn during the Jack Walker era. Kenny Dalglish had wanted to sign both Zidane and Christophe Dugarry who were playing in France for FC Girondins de Bordeaux, however Walker reportedly said to Dalglish: "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"

[edit] Main Rivals

Burnley F.C.

Preston North End

Bolton Wanderers

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

James Vincent et al 1985 (Blackburn Rovers on the radio, 2006)

[edit] External links

• Blackburn Rovers official website
• Blackburn Rovers Independent Supporters Association website
• Blackburn Rovers F.C. on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats
• Blackburn Rovers - Premierleague.com*
• Blackburn Rovers Team News from Carling