Club History
Blackburn Rovers share with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea the distinction of being the only winners of the Premier League. Lifelong fan and local steel magnate, Jack Walker, bankrolled manager Kenny Dalglish to build a title-winning team in the early 1990s, and the canny Dalglish brought Walker's dream to stunning reality, disrupting the dominance of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 1994-95. The next challenge was to sustain Rovers as one of England's top teams, and that proved more intractable - particularly after benefactor Walker passed away. The post title-winning decade was mostly a tough one for Rovers, but under current manager Mark Hughes there are signs that they are becoming not only difficult to beat but also a very good footballing side. Hughes guided Blackburn to sixth in the Premiership in 2005-06, which meant a place in this season's Uefa Cup; and current prospects look good – fittingly so for one of the founder members of the Football League. Rovers were founded in 1875 when a group of public school old boys met and formed a football club whose colours would be blue and white. Harder to decide upon was a suitable ground. For their first year all matches were played away. Then in 1876 the attractively-named Oozehead Ground became home, but only temporarily. Pleasington Cricket Ground, Alexandra Meadows and Leamington Road followed until the club adopted Ewood Park in 1890. By then Rovers had joined the new Football League (1888-89), and they remained in the top division until 1936, winning two titles just before the outbreak of the First World War (1911-12 and 1913-14). But Rovers had really made their name in the FA Cup, winning the trophy three seasons running (1884, 1885 and 1886), then again in 1890 and 1891. Another Cup triumph followed in 1928, but apart from some promotions from the old Third and Second Divisions, Rovers had become also-rans until Jack Walker decided to give his hometown club a helping hand. Now an established Premiership club, Blackburn may find it very difficult to become champions again, but seem well-equipped to jostle for position just behind the top four, and to win the odd cup – as they did in 2002 when they defeated Spurs to lift the Football League Cup.