Blackburn Rovers: 1980s

I've never understood the line (a line particularly spun by Dingles) that Rovers were a struggling nowhere club in the 1980s. The awkward truth for Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool fans (who were Wigan back then?) is that they were the struggling nowhere clubs in nowhere land. Rovers barely enjoyed a Lancashire mill town derby throughout most of the 1980s and the 1990's because these clubs were scraping by on meager crowds of less that 2,000 and facing bankruptcy in Division 3 and 4 while Rovers were enjoying FA Cup runs, live TV appearances, Match of the Day appearances, a Full Members Cup Victory, Play-Off qualifications and world class signings and a promotion.

No wonder they have to lie. No wonder they hate us.

Some of my fondest footballing memories are of supporting Rovers in Division 2 during the 1980s, before the Jack Walker revolution.

We had good vocal support and danced with delight on the slopes of Ewood Park as Burnley plummeted through the English football leagues like a heaving hot bucket of steaming shit.

This fact makes the cogs of the Burnley myth machine click into high gear with the claim that Burnley were actually on a "level playing field" with Rovers before Jack Walker and that they were superior to us before Uncle Jack's money.

That pathological self deception only works in the school yards, back streets and stinking ale houses around Turf Moor. In the real world, beyond the dog shit littered streets of Burnley, this kind of mental illness is merely looked upon with bemusement.

During the 1980s, Rovers generally played an attractive attacking game of football with some good young players progressing through the ranks such as Simon Barker and Mark Paterson.

The town was buzzing too: the casual scene; Blackburn's famous New Order following; the Peppermint Place night club, which was one of the biggest and most popular in the north west region and by the end of the decade the town had become the centre of the rave scene, so much so that Blackburn acquired the moniker, "Home of the Rave".

Jack Walker discreetly began funding the club from 1987 onwards having seen the potential that still existed at the club following Rovers Full Members Cup triumph in 1987 and the huge travelling support of 30,000 that made the trip to Wembley.

This resulted in exciting signings for Rovers such as Steve Archibald from Barcelona in 1987 and Osvaldo Ardiles from Tottenham Hotspur in 1988.

There were several good FA Cup runs during the 1980s resulting in live TV matches which were rare in those days; Rovers challenged for promotion most seasons and won the Full Members Cup in 1987 by beating Division 1 opposition Charlton Athletic in the final with 12,000 fans in the town centre outside the Town Hall on the following Monday for the civic reception - that was more than Charlton - a London club - took to to Wembley.

Everything was primed for what was to follow after Jack Walker bought the club in 1991.

Rovers shirt 79-81. Eventful times. Rovers relegated 78-79 to Division 3 with Ron Pickering as Manager; promoted to Division 2 79-80 and narrowly missed out on promotion by GD in 80-81 with Howard Kendal as Player Manager.

Howard Kendall pictured with former Blackburn Rovers chairman David Brown back in 1980.

Promotion at Bury, 1980. Simon Garner: "It was the first moment I believed Blackburn Rovers could be big again. It may not be as sexy as some of the times that followed but ask anyone who was there and they will tell you it was a defining point in the club’s history.”

“You just don’t get scenes like that any more. We must have had more than 10,000 fans at Gigg Lane. They put the 2,000 odd home fans in the away end and then we had the rest."

Fans favourite: Mick 'Basil' Rathbone. 1979-1987. 273 appearances. Full back.

Rovers v Brighton, Division 2, 10/11/1984.

Rovers end of Wembley, Full Members Cup Final: 29/03/1987.

12,000 delerious Rovers fans outside Blackburn Town Hall for the civic reception held in honour of the 1987 Full Members Cup triumph.

Legendary football grounds: The Blackburn End as it was in the 1980s. Pictured here in the late 1980s.

Legendary football grounds: The Riverside looking from The Blackburn End. Pictured here in the early 1980s.

Simon Barker celebrates a Rovers goal with Simon Garner. Barker left Rovers for QPR in July 1988 for £400,000, it was the largest fee that Rovers had received for a player at that time and a club record signing for the Loftus Road club.

Simon Garner, Rovers legend and darling of The Blackburn End: 1987ish.

Club legend Colin Hendry signed for Rovers in 1987. Pictured here in 1989.

Taken in 1991 but illustrates how much joy Rovers fans had at Burnley's near terminal decline.

The 1970s ended with Rovers in Division 3 but better times lay ahead.

1979-1980: Rovers won promotion from Division 3 and reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup after beating Division 1 Coventry City in the 4th Round and taking Division 1 Aston Villa to a 5th Round replay; Villa went on to Win Division 1 the following season and the season after that the European Cup. Burnley were relegated from Division 2 waving goodbye to Rovers on the way back down.

11/02/1978. Rovers 2 - 0 Luton Town. Att: 11,511.

1980s

1980-1981: Rovers finished 4th behind Swansea City on GD with 50 points each; Swansea went up with a +20 GD to Rovers +13. Rovers finished above Bolton, Preston who were relegated whilst Burnley were in Division 3 and Blackpool in Division 4.

1981-1982: Rovers finished 10th in Division 2 above Bolton while Preston North End and Burnley were in Division 3 and Blackpool in Division 4.

1982-1983: Rovers finished above Burnley and Bolton who were both relegated to Division 3 with Rovers performing a memorable double over Burnley helping to send them straight back down; Preston and Blackpool were also in lower divisions

1983-1984: Rovers win the Lancashire-Manx Cup during pre-season beating Bury 3-1 on penalties. Rovers finished 6th in Division 2 with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions. Rovers also reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup losing at Ewood Park to Division 1 Southampton in a rare live TV appearance.

1984-1985: Rovers finished 5th in Division 2 with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions. Rovers also reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup losing at Ewood Park to Division 1 Manchester United in a rare live TV appearance.

Noel Brotherston in action for Blackburn Rovers during their FA Cup 5th round match v Manchester United at Ewood Park, 15th February 1985.

1985-1986: Rovers win the Lancashire-Manx Cup during pre-season beating Burnley 1-0. Rovers narrowly avoided relegation finishing 19th with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions.

1986-1987: Rovers finished 12th with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions. Rovers famously won the Full Members Cup at Wembley taking 30,000 to Wembley with them.

1987-1988: Rovers win the Lancashire-Manx Cup during pre-season beating Wigan Athletic 4-3 on penalties. Rovers finished 5th and qualified for the Play-Offs losing to Division 1 Chelsea in the Semi Final with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions. Rovers signed Steve Archibald on loan from Barcelona. Reconstruction of The Riverside stand began.

1988-1989: Rovers finished 5th and qualified for the Play-Offs losing to Division 2 Crystal Palace in the Final with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions. Rovers signed Osvaldo Ardiles on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

1989-1990: Rovers win the Lancashire-Manx Cup during pre-season beating Blackpool 0-1.Rovers finished 5th and qualified for the Play-Offs losing to Division 2 Swindon Town in the Semi Final with no Mill Town Derbies as Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in lower Divisions.