East Lancashire derby
Encyclopedia
The East Lancashire Derby (also known as the "Cotton Mills Derby"
) is a football
match between Blackburn Rovers F.C.
and Burnley F.C.
.
The derby is one of the oldest and fiercest derby matches in the game. The first ever competitive league match between these two former English football champions
and founder members of the Football League, took place at Turf Moor
on 3 November 1888, Blackburn won the game 7–1. Blackburn also won the return fixture at Ewood Park
4–2. From a town standpoint there is an obvious geographical reason for the rivalry as the two Lancashire
towns only lie 11 miles (18 km) apart. Accrington Stanley F.C.
stands in the middle, but is not taken seriously as a rival by either. Another alleged reason for the increased hostilities is that Blackburn complained to the Football League about Burnley's illegal number of Scottish players in the 1890s.
Blackburn Rovers were founded in 1875 and in the following years, many other clubs were formed in the region such as Accrington F.C.
in 1886 and Clitheroe Central
in 1877, due to football being passionately taken up by the area. Another such club was Burnley Rovers
, who started out as a rugby club until changing codes in 1882.
and ended all square at 2–2.
These early pre-league ‘friendlies’ were keenly contested affairs, with considerable pride at stake, and there was a refreshing informality in the way they were played and covered by the press. Rovers’ goalscorer in the next match against Burnley was ‘unknown’, some matches were conducted with 10 men and as much as 10 years later in the league itself, two Burnley goals in successive season against Blackburn were credited to ‘Scrimmage’.
The total number of pre-league meetings between the clubs was 13, with Burnley winning seven, Blackburn four and the other two being drawn.
As far as Blackburn and Burnley were concerned there was only one dominant force, as over the first four seasons, before the league was split into two divisions, Blackburn performed the double over the Clarets in each of the initial three seasons scoring plenty of goals in the process. Their first league match against each other was at Turf Moor and produced a 7–1 win for Blackburn and the very next season they won the home fixture by the same margin; Burnley remain the only team Blackburn have beaten home and away by this score line to this day.
The next season of 1890–91 was not much better for Burnley as Rovers managed to score both five and a six in the fixture. The main figure in these defeats was Jack Southworth
, who scored 12 goals in his 10 appearances against Burnley, including Rovers’ first ever hat-trick in the league which came in the 7–1 away win of 1888–89. To this day, no-one in official fixtures between the clubs has matched his goal tally.
Burnley finally recorded their first league victory over Rovers on 12 December 1891. However, it was in circumstances that were controversial to say the least.
In driving snow and wind, Burnley had stormed to a three-goal interval lead at Turf Moor. Emerging for the second half, the Rovers players seemed disinclined to proceed with the contest and their lack of enthusiasm increased considerably when Lofthouse was sent off along with Burnley’s Stewart after a brief altercation, and the rest of the Rovers outfield players went with him! This left the entire Burnley side against Herbie Arthur, Rovers’ goalkeeper who appealed for offside as Burnley bore down on his goal. The referee wisely abandoned the farce and the points were awarded to Burnley.
The next season saw the start of the old First Division and their first meeting in it was goalless: the first of only six matches that have ended that way between them in 89 league and cup pairings. Rovers continued to have the better of their scrapes with the Clarets, registering five consecutive wins at Ewood between 1892–97, which still stands as the record number of straight wins on one ground between the clubs. Burnley’s brightest moment against the old enemy came at Turf Moor in 1895–96 when they won the season’s final game 6–0 with Nicol scoring a hat-trick, the first and last by a Burnley player against Rovers in official competition.
The clubs were temporarily parted by Burnley’s relegation in 1896–97 which was assisted by Rovers completing the double over them, something they have done nine times to Burnley’s seven.
Rovers had finished next to bottom while Burnley had won the Second Division at the first time of asking. They beat Rovers twice in these matches, Wilf Toman scoring in both with a hat-trick in the first. The controversy arose when Burnley met Stoke for the second time as both sides needed to draw to ensure First Division football.
The resultant 0–0 draw was known as the ‘game without a shot’ and questions were asked about each side’s commitment to winning the match. The powers-that-be decided to extend the First Division anyway and so that Test match series proved meaningless and Blackburn, along with Newcastle United, survived.
Burnley won three of the next four games between the clubs before their relegation at the turn of the century meant that it was to be 13 years before the rivals met again in official competition.
English Test Match
League
Burnley experienced initial dominance, winning the league in 1920–21 and doing the double over Rovers in successive seasons before Rovers returned the favour in 1921–22. The mid-20s saw three hat-tricks in two seasons by Rovers players against the old foe; those were from John McIntyre, Arthur Rigby and Ted Harper in his record-breaking season of 1925–26 when he found the net 43 times in 37 league games, a Rovers record that still stands today.
The meetings came to an end in the 1929–30 season when Burnley were relegated to Division 2. The two clubs would not meet again until Blackburn joined them in the second tier in 1935–36.
By this time a Burnley side, patiently developed on defensive principles, was beginning to find an attacking flair too and they won eight and drew three of the 16 meetings between the clubs in this period. It was particularly galling for the Ewood faithful to lose four years in a row at home, especially as it culminated in Rovers relegation in 1965–66.
Burnley definitely had the edge, winning four of the six matches, the popular midfielder Peter Noble
scoring in four of the games. Rovers went down again at the end of the 1978–79 season, but bounced straight back while Burnley moved into the opposite direction entering the Third Division for the first time at the end of 1979–80.
Rovers did the double over Burnley; Simon Garner
was to play the part of hero/villain by scoring all Rovers three goals in the two games, two of which came from the penalty spot. It was left to Derek Scott
to register the last league goal Burnley scored against Rovers for the next 26 years.
In the following 27 years both clubs had very different fortunes. Burnley were relegated to the Third division at the end of the 1982–83 season quickly followed by relegation to the Fourth division in the 1984–85 season. Both clubs would stay in their respective divisions until 1991–92 when Blackburn were promoted to the newly formed Premier league and Burnley were promoted to the third tier of English football which had been renamed Division 2. Burnley were promoted again in the 1993–94 season to the First Division but were relegated the following year. This season also saw Blackburn win the Premier League to further confound the Burnley fans misery.
Blackburn became the first and to this day only, Premier League winners to be relegated in the 1998–99 season and were joined by Burnley in Division One when they were promoted at the end of the 1999–2000 season.
The first meeting of the new millennium between them was at Turf Moor on 16 December. A very predictably bitter encounter went the way of Rovers with goals from Jason McAteer
and Marcus Bent
, Burnley’s chances ending with the sending off of Kevin Ball
. There were a few unpleasant scenes after the game, which some media observers deemed a ‘riot’ and a throwback to earlier scenes of football violence 20 years ago or more.
Rovers made short work of Burnley, in the game at Ewood where the Clarets were cast as April fools, going down 5–0. Craig Short
coming towards the end of his career, opened the scoring for Rovers and it was his cross that enabled them to double the advantage when Steve Davis
turned the ball into his own net. Two second-half goals from Matt Jansen
and a late Craig Hignett
strike completed the scoring in the last league game between the clubs until 2009.
The police and security arrangements on the day of both games told its own story about the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. For the trip to Ewood Park, Burnley fans could only purchase match day tickets if they also bought coach ticket; they were forced to travel on designated buses which set off at 9am on the morning of the game for the 1 o'clock kickoff for only a 15 mile journey. The same arrangements were made for Rovers fans on their way to turf moor with fans being forced to travel on designated buses. This has never been seen before. The commentator for game which was shown live on Sky Sports 1 quoted — "I have never ever in my time of attending football matches seen such a large police presence for a football match". Police cars, police vans, riot vans, riot police, helicopters, mounted police, police dogs, and many more were sent out to ensure the minimum amount of trouble possible. However, despite all these arrangements there was a violent outbreak at a pub not far from the ground after the game had finished.
Robbie Blake gave Burnley an early lead but Blackburn showed quality, pegged them back and goals from local boy David Dunn
, Franco Di Santo
and Pascal Chimbonda
gave them a 3–1 half time lead. Chris Eagles
got a very late consolation for Burnley but the bragging rights remain at Ewood. After the match there was a violent outbreak in a nearby pub. After the lunchtime game,fans from both clubs made their way to a pub named the station hotel as a planned clash was made between the two sets of hooligans. A large police presence including mounted officers, dog units and riot officers made a total of 30 arrests on the scene as violence erupted inside and outside the pub, adding up to the total figure of 55 arrests in the day, sealing the premises off in a bid to prevent the planned violence further erupting. Police described the violence as one of the worst cases of violence they had ever seen. After the game, football intelligence officers noticed fans moving in ones and twos away from the town centre, towards the Cherry Tree pub. As police resources were directed to the Station Hotel they allegedly came under attack from bottles and cans thrown from the beer garden. Some fans were told to leave the area and others were arrested at the time.
Blackburn completed a fine double over their rivals when the two sides meet again in April 2010. David Dunn scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Martin Olsson
was alleged to have dived to win a penalty. Blackburn however clearly felt that the penalty decision resulted in the overall balancing of the match, as Martin Olsson
had a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside when the television replays showed him clearly a yard onside.
In the build up to the match at Turf Moor, Blackburn local boy & legend David Dunn said in the local newspaper that he hopes "Rovers thump Burnley 10–0" , by then going on to say "I hope they stay up" this implying that he would like to keep the derby alive. After the game 150 seats in the away end were ripped up and the sinks in the toilets smashed with 42 arrests made involving both Rovers and Clarets fans, in and around the ground. Police were forced to use batons as fans from both sides tried to get at each other, this was not helped as rovers fans were allowed to drink in the stands due to a crush in the concourse causing bottles to be thrown at Burnley fans and vice versa, an episode that has become too familiar with this fixture in recent times.
Blackburn Rovers 0–1 win over Burnley
continues a 31 year run of Rovers dominance in the area. Burnley were relegated from the top league a few games later meaning the East Lancs Derby is once again on hold.
As of 22:00
18 October 2009
statistics obtained from soccerbase.com
This table excludes pre-season games, friendlies and testimonials.
is the only man to score for both sides against the other. At Burnley, he managed to land 44 goals himself in 176 matches before Rovers broke their transfer record by paying £6,500 in December 1929. He did not take long repaying it, making 344 appearances for Blackburn, scoring 115 goals and also ending up managing the club for a short period after the war. His loss to the Turf Moor side could be glimpsed by the fact that they were relegated that season yet were in mid-table when he departed to Ewood. Bruton played 250 games in total for both clubs.
Keith Newton
, a left-back and a product of Rovers FA Youth Cup winning side of 1959 played 357 times for Blackburn before joining Everton in time to win a Championship medal in 1970. However, Burnley pounced in 1972 to obtain his services and it proved a very successful move into the transfer market as he was an ever-present in his first season which saw Burnley promoted to Division One. In all, he turned out in either a Rovers or Burnley shirt on a record number of 593 occasions in the league and cup.
Another fullback to make the move from Turf Moor to Ewood via another club, Leeds this time, was Kevin Hird
. Converted to a midfielder at Burnley, Hird – a life-long Clarets supporter – was forgiven the Boxing Day goal he scored for Rovers against Burnley in 1978. He found the net 29 times at Burnley from midfield and appeared in 94 games for them to add to his 145 matches for Rovers.
Three Burnley stalwarts of the 1950s and 60s, who all eventually found themselves down the road at Blackburn, were goalkeeper Adam Blacklaw
, defender Walter Joyce
and winger John Connelly
. Blacklaw, a Scottish international, played 110 games for Rovers. Previously he had been a popular figure at Turf Moor where his figure of 374 league and cup games was bettered only by Alan Stevenson
and Jerry Dawson, as far as goalkeepers were concerned. Connelly was bought by Rovers in 1960 when he joined them from Manchester United after obtaining another Championship winners medal to go with the one he secured at Turf Moor in 1960. In those earlier times he had often been the thorn in Rovers’ side, scoring five times against them in League and Cup in his total of 103 in 260 games for Burnley. His Rovers record was 39 goals in 163 matches. At his peak he played 20 times for England and was a member of Englands World Cup squad in 1966.
In recent years a couple of Blackburn players have had loan spells at Burnley, these being Jay McEveley and Andy Todd. Ex Blackburn player Alan Mahon
joined Burnley in 2006 although he had a spell at Wigan in between. Mahon's Blackburn debut came as a 89th Minute substitute in the Derby match at Turf Moor on 17 December 2000. David May who played for Blackburn between 1988 and 1994, captained Burnley in his one season there in the 2003–04 season. Whilst Andy Cole
who signed for Blackburn for a club record £8 million in 2001 spent six months on loan from Sunderland at Turf Moor towards the end of his career in 2008.
As of 4 October 2009
The Burnley player with the most appearances is goalkeeper Jerry Dawson
, who played between the Clarets sticks until past the age of 40, finally bowing out on Christmas Day 1928 at Turf Moor. Between 1913 and 1926 he faced the Rovers forwards on 19 occasions (18 league and one FA Cup).
The leading Blackburn player on the same score is Ronnie Clayton
who amassed his total during the 1950s and 1960s playing 15 times in the League and four in the FA Cup.
The FA Cup figure is a record held between the clubs that he shares with his old adversary, Jimmy Adamson
of Burnley.
Behind Dawson and Clayton comes Bryan Douglas
with 17 (14 League and 3 FA Cup) and he is followed home by Burnley's Brian Miller
with 16 (13 + 3).
As of 18 October 2009
although he denies this, but does claim to know who was responsible.
Burnley fans gained some revenge after Blackburn Rovers were beaten by the semi-pro Swedish team Trelleborgs FC in the UEFA Cup 1994, where Burnley fans changed a road sign to 'twin' Burnley with Trelleborg.
Prior to the meeting in the Premier League in the 2009-10 season, Burnley fans snuck into Ewood Park and dressed up the statue of former Blackburn owner Jack Walker in a Burnley kit. This led to retaliation by Blackburn fans a few days later when they scrawled graffiti and dressed a cone with a Blackburn shirt. Also, the Blackburn fans hung banners over motorway bridges, one reading “Your Mum’s Your Dad, Inbred Bastards”, when Burnley fans were coached to Ewood .
In the lead up to the corresponding fixture in March 2010, police allegedly foiled a plot by Burnley fans to paint Blackburn midfielder David Dunn
's house Claret & Blue.
) is a football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
match between Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
and Burnley F.C.
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
The derby is one of the oldest and fiercest derby matches in the game. The first ever competitive league match between these two former English football champions
English football champions
The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and FA Cup, or the European Double of League Championship and European Cup in that season.Following the...
and founder members of the Football League, took place at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
on 3 November 1888, Blackburn won the game 7–1. Blackburn also won the return fixture at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
4–2. From a town standpoint there is an obvious geographical reason for the rivalry as the two Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
towns only lie 11 miles (18 km) apart. Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
stands in the middle, but is not taken seriously as a rival by either. Another alleged reason for the increased hostilities is that Blackburn complained to the Football League about Burnley's illegal number of Scottish players in the 1890s.
Blackburn Rovers were founded in 1875 and in the following years, many other clubs were formed in the region such as Accrington F.C.
Accrington F.C.
Accrington Football Club were an English football club from Accrington, Lancashire, who were one of the founder members of The Football League. Accrington F.C. was formed following a meeting at a local public house in 1876...
in 1886 and Clitheroe Central
Clitheroe F.C.
Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...
in 1877, due to football being passionately taken up by the area. Another such club was Burnley Rovers
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, who started out as a rugby club until changing codes in 1882.
Pre-League Friendlies
The two clubs met for the first time at Turf Moor on 27 September in front of a 5,000 crowd, Rovers emerging as 4–2 winners. Burnley quickly gained revenge when they won 5–1 on the same ground the following March. Their first meeting in Blackburn took place at Leamington RoadLeamington Road
Leamington Road was an English football stadium situated in Blackburn, Lancashire. Blackburn Rovers played there from 1881 until 1890, when they relocated to Ewood Park, where they have remained ever since....
and ended all square at 2–2.
These early pre-league ‘friendlies’ were keenly contested affairs, with considerable pride at stake, and there was a refreshing informality in the way they were played and covered by the press. Rovers’ goalscorer in the next match against Burnley was ‘unknown’, some matches were conducted with 10 men and as much as 10 years later in the league itself, two Burnley goals in successive season against Blackburn were credited to ‘Scrimmage’.
The total number of pre-league meetings between the clubs was 13, with Burnley winning seven, Blackburn four and the other two being drawn.
1888–97
Blackburn Rovers and Burnley were among the original 12 members of the Football league and took their places in the inaugural season, which was to be dominated by fellow Lancashire side Preston North End, who completed the league and cup double.As far as Blackburn and Burnley were concerned there was only one dominant force, as over the first four seasons, before the league was split into two divisions, Blackburn performed the double over the Clarets in each of the initial three seasons scoring plenty of goals in the process. Their first league match against each other was at Turf Moor and produced a 7–1 win for Blackburn and the very next season they won the home fixture by the same margin; Burnley remain the only team Blackburn have beaten home and away by this score line to this day.
The next season of 1890–91 was not much better for Burnley as Rovers managed to score both five and a six in the fixture. The main figure in these defeats was Jack Southworth
Jack Southworth
John Southworth , was a footballer who played in the early days of professional football for Blackburn Rovers and Everton as well as being capped three times for England...
, who scored 12 goals in his 10 appearances against Burnley, including Rovers’ first ever hat-trick in the league which came in the 7–1 away win of 1888–89. To this day, no-one in official fixtures between the clubs has matched his goal tally.
Burnley finally recorded their first league victory over Rovers on 12 December 1891. However, it was in circumstances that were controversial to say the least.
In driving snow and wind, Burnley had stormed to a three-goal interval lead at Turf Moor. Emerging for the second half, the Rovers players seemed disinclined to proceed with the contest and their lack of enthusiasm increased considerably when Lofthouse was sent off along with Burnley’s Stewart after a brief altercation, and the rest of the Rovers outfield players went with him! This left the entire Burnley side against Herbie Arthur, Rovers’ goalkeeper who appealed for offside as Burnley bore down on his goal. The referee wisely abandoned the farce and the points were awarded to Burnley.
The next season saw the start of the old First Division and their first meeting in it was goalless: the first of only six matches that have ended that way between them in 89 league and cup pairings. Rovers continued to have the better of their scrapes with the Clarets, registering five consecutive wins at Ewood between 1892–97, which still stands as the record number of straight wins on one ground between the clubs. Burnley’s brightest moment against the old enemy came at Turf Moor in 1895–96 when they won the season’s final game 6–0 with Nicol scoring a hat-trick, the first and last by a Burnley player against Rovers in official competition.
The clubs were temporarily parted by Burnley’s relegation in 1896–97 which was assisted by Rovers completing the double over them, something they have done nine times to Burnley’s seven.
1897–1900
Their next meetings were destined to be in the notorious Test match series at the end of 1897–98 season. The forerunner of the current play-offs, these were used to determine the composition of the First Division for the next season.Rovers had finished next to bottom while Burnley had won the Second Division at the first time of asking. They beat Rovers twice in these matches, Wilf Toman scoring in both with a hat-trick in the first. The controversy arose when Burnley met Stoke for the second time as both sides needed to draw to ensure First Division football.
The resultant 0–0 draw was known as the ‘game without a shot’ and questions were asked about each side’s commitment to winning the match. The powers-that-be decided to extend the First Division anyway and so that Test match series proved meaningless and Blackburn, along with Newcastle United, survived.
Burnley won three of the next four games between the clubs before their relegation at the turn of the century meant that it was to be 13 years before the rivals met again in official competition.
English Test Match
League
1913–30
Between 1915 and 1919 the league was suspended due to the First World War. When the War ended, the Blackburn v Burnley fixture would enjoy 11 uninterrupted years in the top flight.Burnley experienced initial dominance, winning the league in 1920–21 and doing the double over Rovers in successive seasons before Rovers returned the favour in 1921–22. The mid-20s saw three hat-tricks in two seasons by Rovers players against the old foe; those were from John McIntyre, Arthur Rigby and Ted Harper in his record-breaking season of 1925–26 when he found the net 43 times in 37 league games, a Rovers record that still stands today.
The meetings came to an end in the 1929–30 season when Burnley were relegated to Division 2. The two clubs would not meet again until Blackburn joined them in the second tier in 1935–36.
1936–39
The teams met for the first time in the Second Division on 24 October 1936 in a rare goalless draw. Rovers won the return 3–1 and Jack Bruton scored against his old club in that game and at Ewood again in the next season. He remains the only man to have scored for both clubs against the other, having netted twice for Burnley against Rovers in the 1920s back in the Division One. Rovers won the Second Division Championship in 1938–39 and honours had ended even in their three-year sojourn of Second Division football when the Second World War arrived and the league was suspended between the 1939–40 seasons and 1945–46.1947–48
Burnley won promotion when the league was restarted in 1946–47, when they also reached the FA Cup final, to give another season of First Division matches between the clubs. Burnley taking three of the four points was indicative of differing fortunes to come, with the Clarets consolidating their arrival in Division One by finishing third while Rovers were relegated.1958–66
It was to be another 11 years before Rovers last-gasp promotion bid in 1957–58 brought another unbroken eight years of competition in the top flight.By this time a Burnley side, patiently developed on defensive principles, was beginning to find an attacking flair too and they won eight and drew three of the 16 meetings between the clubs in this period. It was particularly galling for the Ewood faithful to lose four years in a row at home, especially as it culminated in Rovers relegation in 1965–66.
1976–79
When Burnley were relegated in 1970–71 another meeting might have been on the cards, but Rovers went down to the Third Division in the same season and avoided the possibility. Burnley returned to the First Division two years later but upon relegation in 1975–76 they rejoined Rovers who had been promoted in 1974–75, in the Second Division for three years of matches.Burnley definitely had the edge, winning four of the six matches, the popular midfielder Peter Noble
Peter Noble
Peter Noble is a retired football forward.Noble began his career with Consett where he combined a career in painting and decorating with football...
scoring in four of the games. Rovers went down again at the end of the 1978–79 season, but bounced straight back while Burnley moved into the opposite direction entering the Third Division for the first time at the end of 1979–80.
1982–83
Burnley won promotion at the second time of asking in 1981–82 to set up a renewal of the fixture. The games in 1982–83 would ultimately prove to be the last between them in the 20th century.Rovers did the double over Burnley; Simon Garner
Simon Garner
Simon Garner is an English former professional footballer. He is the record goal scorer for the English club Blackburn Rovers....
was to play the part of hero/villain by scoring all Rovers three goals in the two games, two of which came from the penalty spot. It was left to Derek Scott
Derek Scott (footballer)
Derek Edward Scott is an English former professional footballer. He played as a right-sided full-back.-References:* at the Post-War Players Database...
to register the last league goal Burnley scored against Rovers for the next 26 years.
In the following 27 years both clubs had very different fortunes. Burnley were relegated to the Third division at the end of the 1982–83 season quickly followed by relegation to the Fourth division in the 1984–85 season. Both clubs would stay in their respective divisions until 1991–92 when Blackburn were promoted to the newly formed Premier league and Burnley were promoted to the third tier of English football which had been renamed Division 2. Burnley were promoted again in the 1993–94 season to the First Division but were relegated the following year. This season also saw Blackburn win the Premier League to further confound the Burnley fans misery.
Blackburn became the first and to this day only, Premier League winners to be relegated in the 1998–99 season and were joined by Burnley in Division One when they were promoted at the end of the 1999–2000 season.
2000–01
The league meetings between the clubs occurred in the 2000–01 season when Rovers did the double over Burnley on their way to promotion to the Premiership.The first meeting of the new millennium between them was at Turf Moor on 16 December. A very predictably bitter encounter went the way of Rovers with goals from Jason McAteer
Jason McAteer
Jason Wynne McAteer is a retired Irish footballer, who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level. He announced his retirement from professional football on 12 June 2007,...
and Marcus Bent
Marcus Bent
Marcus Nathan Bent is an English football striker who plays for Indonesian club Mitra Kukar. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker has played for fourteen different clubs, playing over 570 games and scoring 110 goals in the process.A England under-21 international, he...
, Burnley’s chances ending with the sending off of Kevin Ball
Kevin Ball
Kevin Ball aka 'The Hatchet' is a former professional footballer and now coach. Between 6 March and 8 May 2006 Ball acted as Sunderland caretaker manager for the last ten games of the 2005–06 season following the sacking of Mick McCarthy, taking five points from these games...
. There were a few unpleasant scenes after the game, which some media observers deemed a ‘riot’ and a throwback to earlier scenes of football violence 20 years ago or more.
Rovers made short work of Burnley, in the game at Ewood where the Clarets were cast as April fools, going down 5–0. Craig Short
Craig Short
Craig Jonathan Short is a former football player who played as a central-defender...
coming towards the end of his career, opened the scoring for Rovers and it was his cross that enabled them to double the advantage when Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
turned the ball into his own net. Two second-half goals from Matt Jansen
Matt Jansen
Matthew Brooke "Matt" Jansen is an English footballer, who plays as a striker and currently plays for Chorley. He started his career with hometown club Carlisle United, and also played for Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers as well as a loan spell with Coventry City. He won six...
and a late Craig Hignett
Craig Hignett
Craig Hignett, , is an English former professional footballer who now works as an agent and a commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live...
strike completed the scoring in the last league game between the clubs until 2009.
2009–
Following Burnley's Play-off success in 2009 they were promoted to the Premiership for the first time in their history. This meant that the two teams would meet in the top division of English football for the first time since January 1966. The match was built up in the press.The police and security arrangements on the day of both games told its own story about the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. For the trip to Ewood Park, Burnley fans could only purchase match day tickets if they also bought coach ticket; they were forced to travel on designated buses which set off at 9am on the morning of the game for the 1 o'clock kickoff for only a 15 mile journey. The same arrangements were made for Rovers fans on their way to turf moor with fans being forced to travel on designated buses. This has never been seen before. The commentator for game which was shown live on Sky Sports 1 quoted — "I have never ever in my time of attending football matches seen such a large police presence for a football match". Police cars, police vans, riot vans, riot police, helicopters, mounted police, police dogs, and many more were sent out to ensure the minimum amount of trouble possible. However, despite all these arrangements there was a violent outbreak at a pub not far from the ground after the game had finished.
Robbie Blake gave Burnley an early lead but Blackburn showed quality, pegged them back and goals from local boy David Dunn
David Dunn
David John Ian Dunn is an English footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.-Blackburn Rovers:...
, Franco Di Santo
Franco di Santo
Franco Matías di Santo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Wigan Athletic.- Audax Italiano :Di Santo began his club career in the Chilean team Audax Italiano. In the 2006–07 season he scored 26 goals in 76 matches, including one goal in six matches in the Copa Libertadores...
and Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda is a French footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers, having been released early from a short term deal by Queens Park Rangers...
gave them a 3–1 half time lead. Chris Eagles
Chris Eagles
Christopher Mark "Chris" Eagles is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers...
got a very late consolation for Burnley but the bragging rights remain at Ewood. After the match there was a violent outbreak in a nearby pub. After the lunchtime game,fans from both clubs made their way to a pub named the station hotel as a planned clash was made between the two sets of hooligans. A large police presence including mounted officers, dog units and riot officers made a total of 30 arrests on the scene as violence erupted inside and outside the pub, adding up to the total figure of 55 arrests in the day, sealing the premises off in a bid to prevent the planned violence further erupting. Police described the violence as one of the worst cases of violence they had ever seen. After the game, football intelligence officers noticed fans moving in ones and twos away from the town centre, towards the Cherry Tree pub. As police resources were directed to the Station Hotel they allegedly came under attack from bottles and cans thrown from the beer garden. Some fans were told to leave the area and others were arrested at the time.
Blackburn completed a fine double over their rivals when the two sides meet again in April 2010. David Dunn scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Martin Olsson
Martin Olsson
Martin Tony Waikwa Olsson is a Swedish footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers and the Sweden national football team. He signed from Högaborgs BK for a nominal fee in January 2006 after a trial period.-Högaborgs BK:...
was alleged to have dived to win a penalty. Blackburn however clearly felt that the penalty decision resulted in the overall balancing of the match, as Martin Olsson
Martin Olsson
Martin Tony Waikwa Olsson is a Swedish footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers and the Sweden national football team. He signed from Högaborgs BK for a nominal fee in January 2006 after a trial period.-Högaborgs BK:...
had a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside when the television replays showed him clearly a yard onside.
In the build up to the match at Turf Moor, Blackburn local boy & legend David Dunn said in the local newspaper that he hopes "Rovers thump Burnley 10–0" , by then going on to say "I hope they stay up" this implying that he would like to keep the derby alive. After the game 150 seats in the away end were ripped up and the sinks in the toilets smashed with 42 arrests made involving both Rovers and Clarets fans, in and around the ground. Police were forced to use batons as fans from both sides tried to get at each other, this was not helped as rovers fans were allowed to drink in the stands due to a crush in the concourse causing bottles to be thrown at Burnley fans and vice versa, an episode that has become too familiar with this fixture in recent times.
Blackburn Rovers 0–1 win over Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
continues a 31 year run of Rovers dominance in the area. Burnley were relegated from the top league a few games later meaning the East Lancs Derby is once again on hold.
FA Cup
Head To Head
Eligible competitions - Football League, Premier League, FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
As of 22:00
24-hour clock
The 24-hour clock is a convention of time keeping in which the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours, indicated by the hours passed since midnight, from 0 to 23. This system is the most commonly used time notation in the world today...
18 October 2009
| Competition | Games Played |
Blackburn Wins |
Drawn Games |
Burnley Wins |
Blackburn Goals |
Burnley Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | 84 | 36 | 13 | 35 | 159 | 143 |
| FA Cup | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 8 |
| Totals | 91 | 39 | 15 | 37 | 160 | 151 |
statistics obtained from soccerbase.com
This table excludes pre-season games, friendlies and testimonials.
Crossing the divide
Jack BrutonJack Bruton
Jack Bruton was a professional footballer and manager who spent the major part of his career in both capacities with Blackburn Rovers.-Playing career:...
is the only man to score for both sides against the other. At Burnley, he managed to land 44 goals himself in 176 matches before Rovers broke their transfer record by paying £6,500 in December 1929. He did not take long repaying it, making 344 appearances for Blackburn, scoring 115 goals and also ending up managing the club for a short period after the war. His loss to the Turf Moor side could be glimpsed by the fact that they were relegated that season yet were in mid-table when he departed to Ewood. Bruton played 250 games in total for both clubs.
Keith Newton
Keith Newton
Keith Robert Newton was an English international footballer who played as a defender in The Football League in the 1960s and 1970s.Newton was born 1941 in Manchester...
, a left-back and a product of Rovers FA Youth Cup winning side of 1959 played 357 times for Blackburn before joining Everton in time to win a Championship medal in 1970. However, Burnley pounced in 1972 to obtain his services and it proved a very successful move into the transfer market as he was an ever-present in his first season which saw Burnley promoted to Division One. In all, he turned out in either a Rovers or Burnley shirt on a record number of 593 occasions in the league and cup.
Another fullback to make the move from Turf Moor to Ewood via another club, Leeds this time, was Kevin Hird
Kevin Hird
Kevin Hird is a retired English football player. He played for Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Burnley. He played mostly as a midfielder. After retiring from the professional game, he spent several seasons playing for amateur side Kelbrook F.C...
. Converted to a midfielder at Burnley, Hird – a life-long Clarets supporter – was forgiven the Boxing Day goal he scored for Rovers against Burnley in 1978. He found the net 29 times at Burnley from midfield and appeared in 94 games for them to add to his 145 matches for Rovers.
Three Burnley stalwarts of the 1950s and 60s, who all eventually found themselves down the road at Blackburn, were goalkeeper Adam Blacklaw
Adam Blacklaw
Adam Smith Blacklaw was a Scottish professional football player who played as a goalkeeper.Blacklaw joined the Burnley ground staff as a schoolboy apprentice in 1954, directly from Frederick Street School in Aberdeen, earning a professional contract in October of that year...
, defender Walter Joyce
Walter Joyce
Walter Joyce was an English professional footballer and manager who played as a wing half, born in Oldham, Lancashire. His son, Warren Joyce, also played for Burnley.-External links:...
and winger John Connelly
John Connelly
John Michael Connelly is an English former footballer. He played as an outside forward and was capped 20 times for his country.-Career with Burnley:...
. Blacklaw, a Scottish international, played 110 games for Rovers. Previously he had been a popular figure at Turf Moor where his figure of 374 league and cup games was bettered only by Alan Stevenson
Alan Stevenson
Alan Stevenson FRSE MInstCE was a Scottish lighthouse engineer who was Engineer to the Board of Northern Lighthouses...
and Jerry Dawson, as far as goalkeepers were concerned. Connelly was bought by Rovers in 1960 when he joined them from Manchester United after obtaining another Championship winners medal to go with the one he secured at Turf Moor in 1960. In those earlier times he had often been the thorn in Rovers’ side, scoring five times against them in League and Cup in his total of 103 in 260 games for Burnley. His Rovers record was 39 goals in 163 matches. At his peak he played 20 times for England and was a member of Englands World Cup squad in 1966.
In recent years a couple of Blackburn players have had loan spells at Burnley, these being Jay McEveley and Andy Todd. Ex Blackburn player Alan Mahon
Alan Mahon
Alan Joseph Mahon is an Irish footballer who plays a midfielder and has been capped by the Republic of Ireland.-Early career: Tranmere Rovers and Sporting Clube de Portugal:...
joined Burnley in 2006 although he had a spell at Wigan in between. Mahon's Blackburn debut came as a 89th Minute substitute in the Derby match at Turf Moor on 17 December 2000. David May who played for Blackburn between 1988 and 1994, captained Burnley in his one season there in the 2003–04 season. Whilst Andy Cole
Andy Cole
Andrew Alexander Cole is a retired English footballer. He is most well known by the name Andy Cole , but in 2000, he reputedly asked to be known as Andrew Cole...
who signed for Blackburn for a club record £8 million in 2001 spent six months on loan from Sunderland at Turf Moor towards the end of his career in 2008.
As of 4 October 2009
| Nat | Player | Position | Blackburn Apps | Burnley Apps | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Jim Appleby Jim Appleby James Park "Jim" Appleby is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender.Appleby started his career with Burnley and made his debut for the club on 1 May 1957 in the 0–1 home defeat to Blackpool. He then moved to local rivals Blackburn Rovers but played only two league... |
Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
2 | 1 | 3 |
| |
Eric Binns Eric Binns Eric Binns is an English former professional association football player who played as a defender.-External links:* at playerhistory.com... |
Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
23 | 15 | 38 |
 |
Adam Blacklaw Adam Blacklaw Adam Smith Blacklaw was a Scottish professional football player who played as a goalkeeper.Blacklaw joined the Burnley ground staff as a schoolboy apprentice in 1954, directly from Frederick Street School in Aberdeen, earning a professional contract in October of that year... |
Goalkeeper | 110 | 374 | 484 |
| |
Jack Bruton Jack Bruton Jack Bruton was a professional footballer and manager who spent the major part of his career in both capacities with Blackburn Rovers.-Playing career:... |
Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
344 | 176 | 520 |
| |
Marshall Burke Marshall Burke Marshall Burke is a Scottish former footballer.He played for Burnley, Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Lincoln City, Cardiff City, Tranmere Rovers and Scarborough.-External links:*... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
39 | 24 | 63 |
| |
Andrew Cole | Forward | 83 | 13 | 96 |
| |
Paul Comstive Paul Comstive Paul Comstive is a former English professional footballer who mainly played as a midfielder. He played in The Football League for seven different clubs and also played non-league football.-Playing career:... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
6 | 82 | 88 |
| |
John Connelly John Connelly John Michael Connelly is an English former footballer. He played as an outside forward and was capped 20 times for his country.-Career with Burnley:... |
Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
163 | 260 | 423 |
| |Graham Coughlan Graham Coughlan Graham Coughlan is an Irish footballer who plays as a centre back for Southend United.He began his career in his native Ireland with Bray Wanderers before being signed by Blackburn Rovers. He joined Livingston in 1999 and his performances for the Scottish club led to a transfer to Plymouth Argyle... |
Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
0 | 2 | 2 | |
| |
Gordon Cowans Gordon Cowans Gordon Sidney Cowans is an English retired football player and coach.Cowans started his career at Aston Villa as an apprentice in 1974, and signed as a professional in 1976... |
Forward | 50 | 6 | 56 |
| |
Arthur Cunliffe Arthur Cunliffe Arthur Cunliffe was an English professional footballer who played as a winger. In 1932 he was awarded two caps for the England national football team.-External links:* * at thefa.com... |
Winger | 129 | 9 | 138 |
| |
Peter Devine Peter Devine Peter Devine is an English former professional association footballer who played as a winger. While playing for Lancaster City, Devine became infamous for a missed penalty kick attempt during the 1991 HFS Northern Premier League Division One Cup Final against Whitley Bay... |
Winger | 8 | 56 | 64 |
| |
David Hamilton David Hamilton (footballer) David Hamilton is an English former professional association football player who played as a midfielder. He won caps for the England national under-19 football team. He is currently a scout for Championship side Ipswich Town, which he joined in February 2011. He was born in South Shields and was... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
114 | 15 | 129 |
| |
Kevin Hird Kevin Hird Kevin Hird is a retired English football player. He played for Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Burnley. He played mostly as a midfielder. After retiring from the professional game, he spent several seasons playing for amateur side Kelbrook F.C... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
145 | 94 | 239 |
| |
Lenny Johnrose Lenny Johnrose Leonard "Lenny" Johnrose was an English professional football player who during his career played for several clubs including Burnley, Bury and Swansea City. Johnrose is best known as a tough-tackling defensive midfielder.... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
42 | 85 | 127 |
| |
Walter Joyce Walter Joyce Walter Joyce was an English professional footballer and manager who played as a wing half, born in Oldham, Lancashire. His son, Warren Joyce, also played for Burnley.-External links:... |
Wing half Wing half In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries... |
120 | 70 | 190 |
| |Alan Mahon Alan Mahon Alan Joseph Mahon is an Irish footballer who plays a midfielder and has been capped by the Republic of Ireland.-Early career: Tranmere Rovers and Sporting Clube de Portugal:... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
36 | 59 | 95 | |
 |
Andy Marriott Andy Marriott Andrew Marriott is an English-born Welsh professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. He is a journeyman player, having represented a large number of different clubs, and has also played for the Welsh national team.... |
Goalkeeper | 2 | 15 | 17 |
| |
David May | Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
123 | 35 | 158 |
| |
Jay McEveley | Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
18 | 4 | 22 |
| |
Keith Newton Keith Newton Keith Robert Newton was an English international footballer who played as a defender in The Football League in the 1960s and 1970s.Newton was born 1941 in Manchester... |
Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
357 | 236 | 593 |
| |
Johnny Price Johnny Price John "Johnny" Price was an English professional footballer who played as a winger.-External links:*... |
Winger | 76 | 21 | 97 |
| |
Roy Stephenson | Outside Right | 21 | 78 | 99 |
| |
Andy Todd | Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
88 | 7 | 95 |
Appearances
As far as appearances in local derbies go, the honours are shared between two highly respected players from each side.The Burnley player with the most appearances is goalkeeper Jerry Dawson
Jerry Dawson (English footballer)
Jeremiah "Jerry" Dawson was an English professional football goalkeeper. Dawson is most notable for holding the record of having played the most ever league games for Burnley.-Playing career:...
, who played between the Clarets sticks until past the age of 40, finally bowing out on Christmas Day 1928 at Turf Moor. Between 1913 and 1926 he faced the Rovers forwards on 19 occasions (18 league and one FA Cup).
The leading Blackburn player on the same score is Ronnie Clayton
Ronnie Clayton (footballer)
Ronald "Ronnie" Clayton was an English footballer who made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Blackburn Rovers. He was capped 35 times for England between 1955 and 1960, although he failed to score....
who amassed his total during the 1950s and 1960s playing 15 times in the League and four in the FA Cup.
The FA Cup figure is a record held between the clubs that he shares with his old adversary, Jimmy Adamson
Jimmy Adamson
James "Jimmy" Adamson was an English professional footballer and football manager. He was born in Ashington, Northumberland...
of Burnley.
Behind Dawson and Clayton comes Bryan Douglas
Bryan Douglas
Bryan Douglas is a former English footballer.During his career, he played for Blackburn Rovers from 1954 to 1969, totalling 438 league appearances and 100 goals. He also earned 36 caps and scored 11 goals for England. He appeared in two World Cups, in 1958 and 1962, appearing in all of England's...
with 17 (14 League and 3 FA Cup) and he is followed home by Burnley's Brian Miller
Brian Miller (footballer)
Brian George Miller was a former professional footballer and England international who played as a wing back....
with 16 (13 + 3).
As of 18 October 2009
| P. | Player | Club | League | Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerry Dawson Jerry Dawson (English footballer) Jeremiah "Jerry" Dawson was an English professional football goalkeeper. Dawson is most notable for holding the record of having played the most ever league games for Burnley.-Playing career:... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
18 | 1 | 19 |
| 1 | Ronnie Clayton Ronnie Clayton (footballer) Ronald "Ronnie" Clayton was an English footballer who made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Blackburn Rovers. He was capped 35 times for England between 1955 and 1960, although he failed to score.... |
Blackburn | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 3 | John Angus John Angus (footballer) John Angus is a retired English footballer who played his entire club career as a right back for Burnley between 1956 and 1972, helping them win the Football League title in 1960... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
15 | 2 | 17 |
| 3 | Bryan Douglas Bryan Douglas Bryan Douglas is a former English footballer.During his career, he played for Blackburn Rovers from 1954 to 1969, totalling 438 league appearances and 100 goals. He also earned 36 caps and scored 11 goals for England. He appeared in two World Cups, in 1958 and 1962, appearing in all of England's... |
Blackburn | 14 | 3 | 17 |
| 5 | Adam Blacklaw Adam Blacklaw Adam Smith Blacklaw was a Scottish professional football player who played as a goalkeeper.Blacklaw joined the Burnley ground staff as a schoolboy apprentice in 1954, directly from Frederick Street School in Aberdeen, earning a professional contract in October of that year... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
14 | 2 | 16 |
| 5 | Brian Miller Brian Miller (footballer) Brian George Miller was a former professional footballer and England international who played as a wing back.... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
13 | 3 | 16 |
| 5 | Billy Bowes Billy Bowes William "Billy" Bowes was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward.-References:... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
16 | 0 | 16 |
| 8 | Tom Brandon |
Blackburn | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| 9 |  Mick McGrathMick McGrath Michael "Mick" McGrath is an Irish former professional footballer.He was a left half and began his career with Dublin club Home Farm F.C. before moving to England to join Blackburn Rovers in August 1954. He made 269 Football League appearances over the next ten years at Ewood Park. and played... |
Blackburn | 11 | 3 | 14 |
| 9 | Tom McLintock Tom McLintock Thomas "Tom" McLintock was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full back. He played well over 200 matches in the Football League for Burnley.-References:... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
14 | 0 | 14 |
| 9 | Walter Place Walter Place (footballer born 1872) Walter Place was an English professional footballer who played as a winger. His older cousin, also called Walter Place, was also a professional footballer.-References:... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
14 | 0 | 14 |
| 9 | Billy Watson Billy Watson (footballer) Billy Watson was a Scottish-American soccer left half. He began his career in Scotland before moving to England and then the United States where he played in both the American Soccer League and St. Louis Soccer League.... |
Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
14 | 0 | 14 |
Records
- Most appearances: 19, Jerry Dawson (Burnley) and Ronnie ClaytonRonnie Clayton (footballer)Ronald "Ronnie" Clayton was an English footballer who made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Blackburn Rovers. He was capped 35 times for England between 1955 and 1960, although he failed to score....
(Blackburn)
- Record goal scorer: 12, Jack SouthworthJack SouthworthJohn Southworth , was a footballer who played in the early days of professional football for Blackburn Rovers and Everton as well as being capped three times for England...
- Highest attendance at Ewood Park: 53,839, 8 October 1960
- Highest attendance at Turf Moor: 51,501, 5 March 1960
- Highest Scoring Game:Blackburn 8–3 Burnley, 9 November 1929
- Blackburn Largest Home win: 7–1, 3 November 1888
- Burnley Largest Home win: 6–0, 18 April 1896
- Blackburn Largest away win: 7–1, 26 October 1889
- Burnley Largest away win: 5–1, 16 October 1926
- Most consecutive League wins Blackburn: 6, (3 November 1888 – 22 November 1890)
- Most consecutive League wins Burnley: 5 (3 April 1915 – 22 January 1921)
- Longest undefeated run: 7 Blackburn (3 November 1888 – 26 September 1891)
- Most goals scored by a player in a match: 4 Percy DawsonPercy DawsonPercival "Percy" Dawson was an English footballer who played as a striker. He was born in Cullercoats....
(Blackburn) 28 November 1914
Pranks
In the 1990–91 season Burnley lost in the Division 4 play offs to Torquay consigning them to another season in the lowest league in English football. After the match a plane flew over Turf Moor with a banner saying "Staying down forever luv Rovers Ha Ha Ha". This prank has largely been attributed to former Blackburn striker Simon GarnerSimon Garner
Simon Garner is an English former professional footballer. He is the record goal scorer for the English club Blackburn Rovers....
although he denies this, but does claim to know who was responsible.
Burnley fans gained some revenge after Blackburn Rovers were beaten by the semi-pro Swedish team Trelleborgs FC in the UEFA Cup 1994, where Burnley fans changed a road sign to 'twin' Burnley with Trelleborg.
Prior to the meeting in the Premier League in the 2009-10 season, Burnley fans snuck into Ewood Park and dressed up the statue of former Blackburn owner Jack Walker in a Burnley kit. This led to retaliation by Blackburn fans a few days later when they scrawled graffiti and dressed a cone with a Blackburn shirt. Also, the Blackburn fans hung banners over motorway bridges, one reading “Your Mum’s Your Dad, Inbred Bastards”, when Burnley fans were coached to Ewood .
In the lead up to the corresponding fixture in March 2010, police allegedly foiled a plot by Burnley fans to paint Blackburn midfielder David Dunn
David Dunn
David John Ian Dunn is an English footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.-Blackburn Rovers:...
's house Claret & Blue.