Fan-tastic memento

11:31am Thursday 8th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A SOUVENIR programme commemorating Blackburn Rovers' jubilee dinner, back in 1925, has been passed down through a family of fans.

Worth at least £800, it was originally presented to supporter Frank Smith, who also received a beautifully copper-plated invitation to the special celebrations.

He was advised attire was morning dress and that the dinner would be held in Furness' Rooms, King William Street, on December 8, 73 years ago.

Guests dined on hors-d'oeuvres, soup, fillet of sole, game pie or straw chips, followed by turkey and all the trimmings, Christmas pudding, mince pies.

There were nine toasts and responses, including one for the founders, old players and even the press!

The programme outlines the Rovers' successes and revealed the club's record FA Cup tie attendance, in March 1925, when 60,011 fans paid £4,482 18s 8d to see Rovers play Blackpool in the fourth round.

To complete its historic value Frank also collected three pages of autographs, of guests, club directors, officials and players.