Club Profile:Blackburn Rovers

Overview
The birth of the Premier League also heralded Blackburn Rovers' return to the top flight for the first time in 26 years. They underlined their ambition by breaking the English transfer record to sign a 22-year-old Alan Shearer for £3.5million. Other expensive signings ensured they finished an impressive fourth.

Owner Jack Walker continued to splash his cash and in their second season, his team were runners-up to arch North Western rivals Manchester United in 1993/94. The positions were reversed the following season as Rovers pipped United to the title on the last day of the season.

The team have failed to reach those heights since then and in 1999, Rovers became the first former Premier League champions to be relegated. The club bounced back in 2001 and progress under Graeme Souness and then Mark Hughes has seen them qualify for Europe four times in six years.

Hughes left the club for Manchester City in June 2008 after helping them to a seventh place finish. He was replaced by Paul Ince later that month.

Club Heritage
Blackburn Rovers were born at a hotel meeting on 5th November 1875, organised by Shrewsbury school old boys Arthur Constantine and John Lewis. The club's patronage by the wealthy middle classes helped it stay afloat and outlive many of the other clubs in the area.

As one of the top clubs, they were approached in 1888 to become one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. They finished the inaugural season in fourth place and unbeaten at home.

Rovers moved into their permanent home at Ewood Park in September 1890 and marked their first season there with a fifth FA Cup win. But a downturn in fortunes saw them narrowly escape relegation on several occasions and the 1928 FA Cup victory was their last major trophy for 67 years.

Rovers were relegated from the top flight for the first time in 1936, signaling the start of their long struggle to regain their status as a top team. Relegation in 1966 saw the beginning of their 26-year exile from the top flight and it was not until Walker and his millions came on board in 1991 that Blackburn returned to their glory days.

Premier League History
1992/93 - Blackburn, recently promoted via the play-offs, break the national transfer record by signing Alan Shearer from Southampton for £3.5million.
1993/94 - Finish runners-up in the FA Carling Premiership
1994/95 - Break the English transfer record again, signing Chris Sutton from Norwich City for £5million. Win the FA Carling Premiership
1995/96 - Manager Kenny Dalglish becomes Director of Football. Former assistant, Ray Harford, becomes manager
1996/97 - Shearer sold to Newcastle United for a record £15million. Harford resigns in October after failing to win any of the ten opening matches. Tony Parkes takes over as caretaker manager
1997/98 - Roy Hodgson appointed as manager
1998/99 - Hodgson sacked in December and replaced by Brian Kidd. Relegated
1999/00 - Kidd sacked. Parkes takes over again until March when the club appoint Graeme Souness
2000/01 - Jack Walker dies. Promoted as runners-up
2001/02 - Break club transfer record with £8million signing of Andy Cole from Manchester United. Win their first-ever League Cup
2004/05 - Souness leaves to join Newcastle United. Replaced by Mark Hughes
2006/07 - July '06 sign South African striker Benni McCarthy from Porto who scores 18 Premier League goals in his debut season
2007/08 - July '07 pay £3.5million to Bayern Munich for Paraguyan striker Roque Santa Cruz
2007/08 - Manager Mark Hughes leaves the club for Manchester City in June, and Rovers name Paul Ince as his replacement
2008/09 - Paul Ince is sacked in December after a run of six successive Barclays Premier League defeats. He was replaced by former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce.