Nothing is ever certain in life, yet the speed and extent of Blackburn’s fall has taken even the most hard-nosed supporter by surprise.
How times have changed. 10 years ago, a Blackburn Rovers side of Tugay, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Benni McCarthy travelled to Feyenoord in the Group Stages of the UEFA Cup with confidence on their side. Mark Hughes’ side were an established Premier League team, regularly bloodying the noses of the big boys and proving them worthy of a place alongside Europe’s second-tier elite.
And then came the Venkys. And Steve Kean. And relegation. These days, a Blackburn side led by former Bolton and Burnley manager Owen Coyle is languishing in the relegation zone of the Championship, with a drop into the third tier for the first time since 1980 a lot more realistic than a return to the top flight.
From recurring fan protests and empty stands to on-pitch capitulations, Blackburn are a shadow of the side that were lording it up in continental Europe a decade ago, winning the Premier League title a further ten years back. It’s hard to see any sort of a comeback under the current ownership too, with Coyle the sixth manager to take over at the helm since the Venky’s 2010 takeover. Understandably, the fans are yearning for better days.
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