Nickname(s): Rovers, Blue & Whites
2008/2009 Position: 19th
2007/2008 Finish: 7th
Coach: Paul Ince (England)
Stadium: Ewood Park (31,367 capacity)
Key Players: Paul Robinson, Matt Derbyshire, Brett Emerton
History:
Blackburn Rovers were established in 1875 and were founding members of the Football League and the Premier League. However, they have had trouble staying in those divisions. After being relegated in 1966, Blackburn did not return to the top division until 1992. A 1999 player sell-off also resulted in relegation, but Blackburn has now been back in the EPL since 2001.
Jack Walker bought the team in 1991 and immediately spent his millions on trying to win a title. The money fueled a historic turnaround for Blackburn, who quickly won the league title in 1994/1995 after Kenny Dalglish brought in (or shall I say “bought in”) Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton. The team faltered though the very next season, and by 1999 was relegated.
After the elder Walker’s death in 2001, Rovers made an emotional run to return to the top division and have not been back down since. While their attendance numbers have been low, they play in a city with a population of only 100,000, and it is estimated that nearly one in every five people who live nearby attend games. If that happened in NYC, they would need a stadium of around 2.5 million capacity.
Legends: Alan Shearer, Brad Friedel, Tim Sherwood
American Sports Doppelganger: The Green Bay Packers
2008/2009 Prediction: 16th
