Just short of two decades ago, Rovers clinched promotion to the Premier League and have since spent all but two seasons in the top flight of English football. Now as they battle against the drop, we start a three-day series on the glorious last 20 years by talking to Mark Atkins, a man who knows more than most about the club’s rags to riches rise...

ARRIVING at Blackburn Rovers from Scunthorpe as an unknown 20-year-old back in 1988, Mark Atkins became one of the few Ewood Park constants during the club’s fairytale rise to the Premier League title.

During a seven-year Rovers career, including more than 300 appearances, the midfield work-horse kept defying the odds to play in play-off finals, the Premier League and the European Champions League as he followed the rise from mediocrity to English champions.

Atkins was no stranger to the big occasion but he admits his most tense 90 minutes during his Rovers love affair was spent on the sidelines with a ‘few drinks’ inside him as he was forced to sit and watch his side’s date with destiny.

Having played 34 times in the league during the 1994/95 season, David Batty’s late return from injury saw him left out of the squad for the season finale at Anfield – the day the club will never forget as they lifted the Premier League title.

“David Batty had come back to fitness and I wasn’t even on the bench because Kenny Dalglish had to name Robbie Slater as cover for Stuart Ripley, who was carrying an injury,” said Atkins.

“Kenny made sure he explained the reasons and that was fine, but that day I found out it is easy to play but very much harder to watch.

“I remember Kenny came to me and Kevin Gallacher before the game and told us to go and get drunk. He said ‘you can’t be expected to have to be put through this sober’.

“So me and Kevin went and had a few drinks but I’m not sure it made it any easier during that 90 minutes. We were on the bench and a guy at the side of the tunnel was keeping us updated with the Manchester United game. It was probably the hardest 90 minutes of my entire Rovers career because I felt helpless.

“Obviously you want to be playing in games like that but at that stage it was not about individuals, it was about the team. I had so much confidence in the team I thought we would be fine but I have to admit that 90 minutes was torture.”

A Premier League winners medal would have been the furthest thing from his mind when Don Mackay brought him to East Lancashire from Scunthorpe for just £45,000.

Money was tight and, despite Mackay & co hovering on the brink of promotion into the top flight, competing with the game’s big guns seemed a distant dream.

Atkins said: “When I signed there was no gym and we were training at Pleasington Field. The changing rooms were falling to bits, bits were dropping off the roof and Ewood Park was a real old looking ground. What a turn around things have been.

“It was always a very friendly club though, as soon as you joined you knew you were wanted and that never changed throughout my time there. That is what made the place so special.

“People perhaps don’t realise what a struggle it was back then. We had to work so hard to compete in the old second division but we did more than that, we almost pulled off the unthinkable even prior to Jack Walker’s money.

“I remember that close play off final against Crystal Palace in 1989. We missed a penalty in the home leg but thinking back it was probably a blessing we didn’t go up because we were not ready for it. We were when Jack Walker came in.”

It was on January 17 1991 that Rovers’ future changed forever when it was announced a steel magnate and Jersey-based millionaire had taken control of his boy hood club. The Jack Walker ‘golden era’ had started.

Kenny Dalglish and Ray Harford were named as the new management dream team and, backed by Walker’s fortunes, promotion to the top flight was achieved in May 1992 as David Speedie’s controversially earned penalty was converted by Mike Newell to defeat Leicester City in the play-off final.

Atkins said: “As soon as Kenny Dalglish was appointed I think you knew something special was about to happen. He was not going to join a club who were not going to be successful.

“New players started to arrive and it was a standing joke every Thursday about who was going to walk into the changing rooms next. We seemed to sign a new player every Thursday.

“That promotion season was very weird. At one point we were walking the league but then we lost six games on the bounce and only sneaked into the play offs thanks to a David Speedie hat trick against Plymouth on the final day.

“We turned our form round though and that play off final win will be remembered up there almost on a par with winning the title. The atmosphere was incredible.

“You look back and think just two or three years ago we were playing in front of six thousand then we were playing in front of 70,000.”

Big name signings quickly followed with the likes of Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton, Tim Flowers and David Batty arriving to turn the Premier League new boys into one of the country’s most feared sides.

Their debut season saw them finish fourth, then runners up next time round, before history was made on May 14 1995 when Tim Sherwood lifted the Premier League crown.

Atkins faced a constant battle to win over the Rovers fans and keep his place in a star-studded side but, looking back with pride, the now Matlock Town boss insists he never wanted to leave.

“For me to have been at the club through all these moments was fantastic,” Atkins said. “People were saying all the way through I would be the next out of the door but I just didn’t listen to them.

“I always had to play 100 per cent to keep up with the players I was playing with and against. I was determined not to be left behind by maybe better quality players and I worked so hard to make sure I stayed with them to enjoy the amazing times.

“Blackburn was my club and still is now. I did not want to go and even when I went to Wolves I didn’t want to leave. I would have loved to have stayed at Rovers forever.”

“The first year in the Premier League I played quite a lot. In the second year they signed David Batty and I didn’t play so much and there was plenty of interest in me and offers from other clubs.

“Not at one stage during that time did Blackburn Rovers ever say they did not want me and that was good enough for me.

"Kenny always made sure he took the time to tell me I was still in his plans.

“Worked out well for me as well didn’t it? David Batty got injured and I ended up playing 34 out of the 42 league games, I could not have dreamt of that.”

Tomorrow: Ian Pearce on how Kenny Dalglish led Rovers to the title.