This is just a very brief history of Blackburn Rovers. I also have a page of links that will give more information and news about the club.
The club was formed in 1875, and were founder members of the Football League in 1888. Prior to this the only regular competitive matches were in the FA Cup. A hundred and four years later they were to become founder members of the FA Premier League (now known as The Premiership). They won the League for the first time in the 1911-12 season, and have won it only once since. They also won the Premiership in the 1994-95 season.
One of the first teams to embrace
professionalism, even before it was formally recognised by the FA
in 1885, Rovers were initially one of the most successful clubs
in England. They won the FA cup five times between 1881 and 1891,
including successive wins in 1884, 85 and 86. They last won the
cup in 1928, and have got no further than the 6th round (quarter
finals) since 1960, when they were beaten in the final, 3-0 by
Wolves.
Their league form has was equally woeful since the 1935-36 season, when they were relegated to the second division for the first time. Since then , they had spent only ten seasons in the top flight, prior to the formation of the Premiership. The highest position they reached in any of these seasons was 7th. Their lowest position ever was 13th in Division 3.
Things began to change in 1990, when Jack
Walker started to become financially involved. An extremely
wealthy retired steel magnate from the town, Walker had always
been a devoted fan of the Rovers. He brought Kenny Dalglish in to
manage the team in the 1991-92 season, and a trail of expensive
transfers followed, culminating in £5,000,000 being paid to
bring Chris Sutton from Norwich. This combination brought the
desired success, with Rovers winning promotion to the Premier
League in the same season, and winning the Premership in 1995.
Dalglish left soon afterwards, and things have not been as
impressive since. It remains to be seen whether this brief period
of glory was a flash in the pan, or can be regained and held on
to.
Sadly, after drawing with Manchester United on Wenesday 12 May, Rovers were relegated to the Nationwide League; but for many of us supporters, even if we never get back into the top flight, it's been a good few years, and an experience that, as late as 1990, none of us would have believed possible. And we are favourites with the bookies to go straight back up.
