Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers were formed in 1875 and were one of the 12 founding members of the English Football League when it was first established in 1888. The Real EFL will guide you through the history of the club, historic players and achievements across that time and what the team looks like now and possibly could look in the future.

Blackburn Rovers Updates

Rovers are embarking on their 7th successive season in the Championship following their promotion from League One in 2018. It has been an interesting season so far, with a brilliant opening to their season spearheaded by Yuki Ohashi making them the early top scorers in the division. However this form has tailed off as of late, but the club are still in play-off contention as the season reaches the November international break.

Last season was a difficult season for the club, being their closest shave with relegation since being in the second tier. Manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was sacked in February, with John Eustace taking charge afterwards. It was his work and the impact of star midfielder Sammie Szmodics that saved Rovers from relegation, with the Irish international earning a move to the Premier League and Ipswich Town over the summer as a result.

Blackburn Rovers Transfer News and Rumours

The Championship's transfer window is closed until the summer so Rovers are not active in the market currently. Reports have shown that the club made a profit with transfers over last season, recording a £22.8 million gain over the period. The figures were largely made up from the sales of Adam Wharton, Tom Kaminski and Ash Phillips. The sale of Szmodics and other transfers made over the summer are included in next year's statement.

Much of the transfer activity around Blackburn is linked to recalling loan players, particularly Dilan Markanday from Chesterfield. The youngster has thrived with the Spirites but murmurs of him returning to Ewood Park in January sparked into life when he was pulled from the League Two club's FA Cup match. Eustace admitted he would also keep tabs on Jake Garrett and Connor O'Riordan who are both at League One sides.

Blackburn Rovers Signings

After recieving a hefty fee for Adam Wharton on deadline day in winter, Rovers were able to spend a lot more than usual over the summer. The sale of Sammie Szmodics late in that window will enable further spending as 2025 is ushered in. This summer, 10 new faces joined the club.

Player	Age	Nationality	Left	Fee	Contract Duration
Makhtar Gueye	26	Senegalese	RWDM Belgian Challenger League	£1,500,000	3 years
Balazs Toth	26	Hungarian	Fehervar Hungarian Premier Division	£1,000,000	3 years
Todd Cantwell	26	English	Rangers Scottish Premiership	£490,000	3 years
Andreas Weimann	32	Austrian	Bristol City Championship	Free Transfer	1 year
Danny Batth	33	English	Norwich City Championship	Free Transfer	1 year
Yuki Ohashi	28	Japanese	Sanfrecce Hiroshima J1 League	Undisclosed	3 years
Amario Cozier-Duberry	19	English	Brighton and Hove Albion Premier League	Loan Deal	End of season
Owen Beck	22	Welsh	Liverpool Premier League	Loan Deal	End of season

Blackburn Rovers Key Matches Of The Season

Blackburn Rovers are looking to get back on track after their relegation near miss after last season. The club have never really challenged for play-off football since their return to the Championship but a good start to the season under John Eustace has given the Lancashire side a good shot of placing in the top six. This is a list of important and target fixtures that if Rovers do well in, they could have a shot of play-off football.

You can view Blackburn Rovers' full fixture list, alongside every other English Football League side's, on The EFL official website.

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Blackburn Rovers Key Achievements

Blackburn Rovers have been a successful side in their history, with the late 1800's and the early 1900's being their golden age. They are six time FA Cup Winners, with five coming between 1884 and 1891, with the most recent being in 1927/28. They have lifted the First Division trophy twice, in 1911/12 and 1913/14 and were winners of the Premier League in 1994/95 under the guidance of Kenny Dalglish.

Rovers have won the EFL Cup once in 2001/02 and the Second Division in 1938/39.

Blackburn Rovers Current Squad

11 Nationalities make up the 34 first team players that Blackburn Rovers have. Whilst not all of these players will be included in the Championship squad, some are exempt due to meeting the EFL's homegrown or youth player rules.

Blackburn Rovers Attackers

Blackburn Rovers have nine different attackers in their dressing room. Yuki Ohashi was the standout performer for the early part of the season, with his goals putting Rovers at the sharp end of the Championship. Andi Weimann was a summer signing from Bristol City and has already fitted in well at Ewood Park. Arnor Sigurdsson is an option on the left wing but has found his time more limited with Ryan Hedges being a favoured option by John Eustace.

Blackburn Rovers Midfielders

John Eustace opts for a 4-2-3-1 formation so there is plenty of spaces for Blackburn Rovers' seven midfield options. Former Norwich City man Todd Cantwell is the first choice attacking midfielder, with Tyrhys Dolan a solid backup. The two midfielders that sit further back can include Sondre Tonstad, Lewis Travis, Lewis Baker and Joe Rankin.

Blackburn Rovers Defenders

Eight defenders make up the Blackburn Rovers defensive unit. Harry Pickering has been their standout performer at left-back, whilst Liverpool loanee Owen Beck is a great depth option. Callum Brittain plays on the other flank with centre-back Hayden Carter able to fill in should he be needed. In the middle of the pitch, Scott Wharton, brother of England midfielder Adam, has been at the club since 2016. Other defenders include Danny Batth, Kyle McFadzean and Dominic Hyam.

Blackburn Rovers Goalkeepers

Aynsley Pears is the first choice goalkeeper for Blackburn Rovers and has played all 15 of their Championship games so far. Both summer signings Balazs Toth and Joe Barrett are yet to play for the club (as at the time of writing). Joe Hilton has played once for the club but not since he returned from his loan at Macclesfield.

Blackburn Rovers Managing and Coaching Staff

John Eustace

John Eustace is the manager of Blackburn Rovers and has been in charge of the club since February 2024. The former Watford player had previously been dismissed by Birmingham City upon their takeover in October 2023 and eventually succeeded Jon Dahl Tomasson at Ewood Park. So far he has guided the club to safety and has a 31% win rate at the club.

Rudy Gestede

Former Rovers and Middlesbrough striker Gestede is the Head of Football Operations at Ewood Park. He was appointed in June of this year.

Keith Downing

Downing followed John Eustace to Lancashire after the pair were sacked at Birmingham City. The 59-year-old has worked across the Championship after leaving the England youth setup.

Blackburn Rovers Former Managers and Key Coaches

• Thomas Mitchell was the first ever manager of Blackburn Rovers and across his 12 years in charge of the club he lifted the FA Cup five times.
• Robert Middleton was the man who brought the two First Division titles to the club in the 1910s.
• Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish took charge of the club in 1991 after the club had been taken over by the wealthy Jack Walker. He took the club out of the Second Division and into the Premier League. He challenged Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, losing out on the title in the 1993/94 season. The next season, with some heavy investement they finally took the Premier League title to Ewood Park.
• Owen Coyle was appointed ahead of the 2016/17 season but was sacked by February of that season, with the club ending up being relegated into League One.
• Tony Mowbray would get the club promoted in his first full season and would manage the club into 2022.
• Jon Dahl Tomasson took charge of the club afterwards and led the club to a promising finish in his first season in charge. 2023/24 however started much more poorly and he was sacked by the club in February 2024.
• John Eustace is now in charge of Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn Rovers Legends

The history of Blackburn Rovers means there are plenty of legends across the nearly 150 years of the club's existence.

Derek Fazackerley

Blackburn Rovers' all-time record appearance holder is Derek Fazackerley, who played 596 times between 1970 and 1987 and won promotion from the Third Division twice in that time.

Simon Garner

Simon Garner is the record goalscorer at Blackburn Rovers, who scored 194 times in all competitions for the club between 1978 and 1992. That final season saw the club promoted into the Premier League.

Ronnie Clayton

He made 581 appearances for Blackburn Rovers and it was the only professional club he ever played for. He played for England 35 times during his spell at Ewood Park. The Blackburn End at Ewood Park is named after him.

Bob Crompton

Crompton was a one-club player for his career, playing 530 times in league competition for Blackburn Rovers. He also holds the record for being the oldest player that has represented the club at the age of 40 years oldin 1920. He managed Blackburn in two different stints before his death in 1941 after an East Lancashire Derby.

Bryan Douglas

Like Crompton, Bryan Douglas also represented Rovers across his entire career. He grew up in the town and played 438 times for the club as a winger. The Darwen End stand at Ewood Park is named in his honour.

Alan Shearer

Premier League Icons of Blackburn Rovers include Alan Shearer, who was bought by the club from Southampton for £3.5 milion, a British record at the time. He played 171 times for the club and lifted the title as the club and league's top scorer. He left in 1996 for hometown club Newcastle United.

Brad Friedel

Brad Friedel played 288 times for Blackburn between 2000 and 2008 and is the all-time record holder for consecutive appearances in the Premier League. His streak started at the end of the 2003/04 season and would end in 2012 whilst the American was at Spurs.

Blackburn Rovers Team Metrics and Performance

Blackburn Rovers faced a relegation battle last season, with the club ending up in 19th place. Whilst the club never entered the relegation zone once, the threat still loomed. Sammie Szmodics was the standout player across the season, with his 27 goals securing the Championship Golden Boot. They won 14 times, drew 11 times and lost 21 times to secure 53 points, three ahead of Birmingham City in 22nd.

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Blackburn Rovers Pitch and Amenities

Blackburn Rovers have called Ewood Park home since 1890. The stadium is to the south of the town centre and can hold a capacity of 31,367. The stadium was most recently redeveloped in 1995 following their Premier League win. This season has seen Blackburn Rovers Ladies become permanent residents at the stadium.

Blackburn Rovers Fanbase and Support

Blackburn have a passionate and loud fanbase. For much of the 2000's nearly 20,000 people would regularly attend games at Ewood Park, which equated to nearly a quarter of the town's population. Many famous faces support the club, such as seven-time World Snooker Champion Stephen Hendry, former Doctor Who actor Matt Smith and comedian Lee Mack. The club's fanzine is called 4,000 Holes, a reference to The Beatles song 'A Day In The Life'.

Blackburn Rovers Rivalries and Notable Matches

Blackburn's long-standing rivalry is against Burnley, with the pair contesting the East Lancashire Derby. Both were founder members of the English Football League, so the first competitive league match between the two was played in 1888. The Clarets are the leading team in the derby, with 44 wins to Blackburn's 41.

Other rivals include Preston North End, another member of the original 12 Football League sides. Preston won their first clash in 1888, with the Deepdale club running out Invincible champions in that inaugral season.

Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic are also local rivals with all the sides based in Lancashire, however these matches are not as fiercely contested as the ones against Burnley and Preston.

Blackburn Rovers Facts

Blackburn Rovers History

Blackburn Rovers were founded in 1875 by two former students of the Shrewsbury School. In it's early years the club would compete in the Lancashire League and would be one of the best teams in the North of England. They were the first non-southern club to reach the final of the FA Cup in 1882 and would claim the first of their six titles two years later against the Scottish club Queen's Park.

They would win the FA Cup four more times in the 1800's and became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League back in 1888. It would take until 1912 until the club won the First Division for the first time and would repeat that feat two season later. Their sixth and most recent FA Cup came in 1928 when they beat Huddersfield Town.

For much of the 20th century the club would be largely a Second Division side with a brief stint back in the top flight in the 1960s. The next seismic event at Rovers would be the takeover of local businessman Jack Walker, who invested heavily in the club and brought Liverpool's iconic player/manager Sir Kenny Dalglish to take charge of the side.

He would get the club into the Premier League and signed big names like Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton for record transfers to make the club title challengers. This culminated in the 1994/95 season, when they would bring the Premier League trophy to Ewood Park over Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United which dominated the era.

Rovers were relegated back into the Championship in 2013 and haven't returned since and with the exception of a one-year spell in League One have remained there ever since.

Blackburn Rovers Social Media Links

Fans should follow the club's social media pages and the club's official website to keep up to date with the latest developments at the club. The website is particularly important as supporters will be able to buy their tickets for home and away games, as well as access exclusive content with a membership.

Website: https://www.rovers.co.uk/

X/Twitter: https://x.com/Rovers

Blackburn Rovers Outlook and Forecast

Blackburn Rovers had an uncharacteristically bad season last season, having usually been midtable finishers in the Championship. Their 53 points last season put them in 19th place in the league, three points above the relegation zone. This season sees the club try and return to their usually solid finishes with John Eustace at the helm.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blackburn Rovers Football Club

How much would it cost to buy Blackburn Rovers Football Club?

Current owners Venky's bought Blackburn Rovers in November 2010 for £23 million and agreed to take on £20 million of the club's debt, totalling the deal to £43 million. The current owners, based in India,  are currently in the midst of court battles with the Government there for the past year and a half. Fans of Blackburn are largely angry with the owners due to their mismanagement with the operation of the team.

What happened to Blackburn Rovers?

Blackburn Rovers were relegated from the Premier League in 2013 and have been in the EFL Championship for every season bar one ever since. Blackburn have solidified themselves as a mainstay in the division with regular midtable finishes.

Who is the best Blackburn Rovers player?

Blackburn Rovers have had many great players over their existence. Premier League all-time top scorer Alan Shearer played for the club when they won the league in 1994/95. Recently Sammie Szmodics was the Championship top scorer last season and was a large part in securing their survival from relegation.

Who owns Blackburn Rovers now?

Blackburn Rovers are owned by V H Group, commonly known as Venky's. They bought the club from the Jack Walker Trust in 2010 for £23 million and an agreement to take on £20 million of the club's debt for exchange of 99.9% of the shares of the club.

How many fans do Blackburn Rovers hold?

Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park stadium can hold 31,367 fans. It has held football matches since 1881 and has been Blackburn Rovers' permanent home since 1890. The stadium was most recently developed in 1995.

Is Blackburn Rovers a big club?

Blackburn Rovers are one of the most successful sides in England and rank 10th overall in the all-time domestic trophy standings. In the historic county of Lancashire, only Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City are more successful than Blackburn Rovers. They are also the eighth most successful side in FA Cup history with six wins.

Where to watch Blackburn Rovers FC?

Blackburn Rovers play at Ewood Park and fans can watch the club at the stadium. They can buy tickets through the club's official website and that is where fans can also get tickets for away games. Fans who can't go to the stadium can watch Blackburn Rovers on Sky Sports, with a minimum of 20 games being shown on their Sky Sports+ service.