WHEN Blackburn Rovers run out against Wolves in their Premier League opener next week, you can be sure an expectant Ewood Park will be full to the rafters.

Perhaps more unexpectedly though a little pocket of Blackburn Rovers fans will be gathering to watch the game from the other side of the world, after a week in Hong Kong saw them quickly established as the people’s favourites.

Rovers, Chelsea and Aston Villa joined with Hong Kong side Kitchee in the Premier League Asia Trophy last week but, while the action on the field was enthralling, it was off the field where Rovers were really able to make an impression.

Rovers’ press officer Paul Agnew admitted that he was astounded by the interest in Premier League football in the area and believes the efforts made by the club’s manager, coaching staff, players and fans gives them the chance to explore a whole new untapped market.

He said: “The Premier League’s chief executive Richard Scud-amore talked about the impact of taking the Premier League to Hong Kong for a week.

“Wherever we went the interest was phenomenal.

“What happened was Chelsea had a fan base in that part of the world before they went and we had a fan base when we came away. We had a definite attachment to us because we were so accessible and we made it easy for people to get to know us. I have said all along we have to try harder than the big clubs.

“We try and satisfy as many people as we can and over there it was appreciated.

“I genuinely think our result will be looked for in Hong Kong now and I think we have genuine support there.

“Who knows what we might achieve in India now?

“This was just from a standing start, and I think it has done a fantastic amount of good of spreading the gospel of Blackburn Rovers far and wide.”

Rovers are set to become to the first Premier League club to visit India in a couple of months’ time, when they visit their owners Venky’s in Pune, providing more opportunity to spread the Rovers name.

Agnew said: “We made a fantastic impression out there. I think there is no better ind-ication than the Asia Trophy of the global appeal of the Premier League.

“The Premier League moves its entire operation to Hong Kong for a week. They have identified a fanatical football interest and a commercial opportunity.

“What we saw was they are right on both counts. We saw TV channels playing Premier League matches continuously all day every day. You can sit down and watch six or seven games in a row but they never get to see one live.

“So when the Premier League goes out there it is great and in our case the first game was a Premier League game. The interest in it was phenomenal.

“When we arrived there were fans at the airport. People with Rovers scarves, shirts, Hong Kong football supporters, police presence, big security. We were marched through, posed for pictures and you really felt you were arriving at something people could relate to.”

A defeat to Aston Villa in the opening match and a win against Kitchee in the tournament finale saw Rovers finish third in the four-team event, leaving Kean content with his pre-season preparations.

But it was off the field where they made their real impact, using all their star names to make sure Blackburn Rovers left Hong Kong having made a lasting impression.

Agnew said: “It was a massive PR opportunity with some football in it. It was one of those rare things where the peripheral things were actually more important than the main event.

“It was such a fantastic, huge global opportunity. The public want to see the players in the flesh. They do a Premier skills festival, the launch of the Asia Trophy Barclays tour, which is an interactive thing.

“They want players to attend the opening of that to attend the community festivals, there was a gala reception where the great and good of Hong Kong come. This was on top of the normal press conferences.

“We made a conscious decision, and this isn’t being disrespectful to other members of the squad, but if you are representing your club abroad people want to see the names they really know.

“We used players like Ryan Nelsen, Paul Robinson, Michel Salgado, Jason Roberts, David Dunn, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Junior Hoilett, Martin Olsson and Chris Samba. We put up first team people because we thought it was right for such a prestigious event.

“One the back of it we came out of it with great acclaim and credit because we went a little bit further than most did. If you add to that we probably have the most receptive manager in the football league to making sure whatever we do is done properly.

“What we successfully achieved was to promote the name of Blackburn Rovers in a territory that Blackburn Rovers wouldn’t have got to in the past.

“I think we have created some more Blackburn Rovers fans.

"We aren’t going to sell any more season tickets but there is a general interest in the club out there now.”