Last year, Luka Modric did the impossible – he broke the Ballon d’Or duopoly which lasted for ten straight years between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
This is the kind of achievement that is associated with Blackburn Rovers, and the reason why they made it into the 20 biggest clubs of the Premier League era – according to Betway following some extensive research.
They turned heads with their Premier League title triumph in 1994/95 season on the back of some very impressive performances from the team in general, especially all-time Premier League goalscoring great, Alan Shearer. This triumph followed a fourth-place finish in the 1992/93 season, and a runner-up finish in the 1993/94 season and is remembered most for breaking the Arsenal-Manchester United duopoly over the English Football league/Premier League.
It has been seven years since they played in the Premier League however, but before their relegation in 2012, they had featured in every edition of the Premier League and have fielded some of the greatest players the league has seen.
How Blackburn Rovers attracted the kind of players they did in their 18 years in the top flight is only down to their history as a club. Players like Tim Sherwood, Brad Friedel, and Chris Sutton have all graced Ewood Park to the delight of fans and the Premier League. They were a one-time favourite for every trophy in England, but a poor run of form following Shearer’s departure to United was the start of their issues in the Premier League.
Their ranking on the list of all-time greatest Premier League clubs is justified; however, it is suspect that clubs like West Ham and Tottenham are above them in the table. The two aforementioned clubs have strong followership – West Ham are among the top clubs in home attendance, and the North London club has done bits with their rebranding which has made them a household name – but they have no trophies in the Premier League era, and do not have many players of note who have given joy to fans, neutrals and rival fans alike. The modern Premier League is the platform on which these clubs have seen their ratings improve, but will face some competition for relevance once Blackburn returns to the top flight.
Blackburn Rovers is a club steeped in history. Their fans are class, and this has endeared them to a lot of neutrals. The fighting spirit they show despite their struggles since relegation also contributes to their status being maintained among lovers of English football.
When you talk about memorable Premier League matches in the earlier stages of the competition, many Blackburn Rovers matches come to mind. The English Premier League would be just another competition without the contributions of this historic club, and that’s a fact.
