Blackburn Rovers title-winning teams return to Ewood Park

Players and managers from the 1994-95 and 1974-75 teams toasted their successes at the Blackburn Rovers Former Players Association (BRFPA) Celebration of Champions event at Ewood Park on Thursday night.

Kenny Dalglish, the manager of the Rovers side that were crowned top-flight top champions 20 years ago, said: “Jack Walker came along in 91 and wanted to put his money into the football club of the town where he was born, brought up and made his fortune, because he wanted to take it forward.

“At the start of the season Don Mackay got the sack, I think they were second bottom at the time, and Tony Parkes took over as caretaker and took them up to 17th or 18th before Ray Harford and I came in. And, by the way, I don’t think we should underestimate the importance of Ray Harford. He was absolutely fantastic.

“We came in, played Plymouth Argyle, won 5-2, and we just started to progress from there. It was great to see the whole thing evolve – the stadium, the training ground. We never used to have a training ground, the boys used to have to take their gear home to get it washed. When you go to sign Alan Shearer, you don’t tell him you have to take your training kit home!

“To see the whole thing develop was just like a Cinderella story for everybody, but especially for Jack, Robert Coar, who took over as chairman from the late Bill Fox, and all the directors.

“And the boys were absolutely unbelievable. Even when Jamie Redknapp scored that goal, I never thought we were going to lose it. I just had a feeling that we were going to win it and they thoroughly deserved to win it.

“There’s nobody in that league who had a better dressing room than us and there was nobody who had a better camaraderie.”

Dalglish was interviewed on stage by Match of the Day commentator John Motson, who also posed questions to Gordon Lee, the manager who led Rovers to Third Division glory, 40 years ago.

Lee said: “I thought, ‘here’s an opportunity to develop something better than Port Vale’, and I was proved right.

“In those days the Third Division was tough, what you called back to front football. But I would like to think we were better than that and we played some very, very good football. In fact I was asking the lads tonight if they could remember a game at Crystal Palace. We actually lost 1-0 but it was the best display of football I’ve seen in my career from Blackburn Rovers players. If I want to put it a daft way, we were an old Barcelona.”

Parkes, a member of Lee’s squad 40 years ago and, along with the late Harford, a member of Dalglish’s coaching team 20 years later, is the link between the sides.

And he said: “The best memory for is when we won the Premier League at Anfield. It was a fantastic day. I might forget things of a certain era but I won’t forget that day.”

Rovers legend Bryan Douglas, who is the president of the BRFPA, said: “It was a very special evening welcoming home so many of Rovers’ great players and celebrating the anniversaries of two very memorable eras for our club.

“We are very grateful for all of the support we received in putting the event together and for all of the money raised by our guests on the evening, which will go towards a very important cause. And I must thank all the players who returned.

“The number who have returned says something about the high regard in which they hold their time at Ewood.”

The BRFPA was established with the aim of providing support to former players and their families.

Money was raised on the night to support that cause through a raffle and a secret auction, which included signed football memorabilia and a Monaco Grand Prix package. Limited edition anniversary medals are now on sale at £20, with special commemorative brochures, including a full review and images from the event, going on sale soon.

Premiership winner, and BRFPA committee member, Kevin Gallacher said: “Thursday’s event was not only to celebrate two very special accomplishments, but to help launch the BRFPA, and is just the start of so much more.

“We are aiming to get more players down regularly for events, which fans will hear about and be able to attend.

“Our website, www.brfpa.co.uk, will go live in the next couple of weeks and will promote a series of events that are in the pipeline.”

Meanwhile, Rovers fans can get their hands on items signed by the stars that attended the Celebration of Champions.

There is a signed framed photograph of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton holding the Premiership trophy at Anfield and there is also a football signed by all the legends that attended Thursday night’s event.

The items are being donated by East Lancashire Hospice supporter, John Wyche, in order to raise funds needed to help care for the patients of the hospice.

The items are being offered separately to the highest bidder.

They already have a reserve price of £250 for the football and £100 for the photograph.

Email bids to sharon.crymble@eastlancshospice.org.uk by 2pm on May 22, 2015, marking the subject line either FOOTBALL or PHOTO. All entrants will be notified of the highest bid after this time in order to give the opportunity to increase offers.

The cut-off time will be 4.45pm on the same day and the winner will be notified shortly after.