Best known to American fans as the one time home of former National Team goalkeeper Brad Friedel, Blackburn Rovers picked up US midfielder Jermaine Jones on loan for the rest of the 2010-11 season.
Why Are We Here?
After issues with his manager led to him being demoted to the reserves at Schalke 04, Jermaine Jones needed first team soccer. He found it through a six-month loan deal to Blackburn, his first opportunity with a club outside of Germany. Currently mid-table, Blackburn have given every indication that they believe they can finish in the top 10 this season.
As The Beatles once sang, Blackburn, Lancashire. The city of roughly 100,000 is 30 miles north of Manchester, putting it in a Premier League hotbed that includes Manchester City and Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton, Wigan, Bolton, and Blackpool, all within about an hour's drive of each other.
And The Club?
Though the club dates from 1875 and was a founding member of the Football League, Blackburn Rovers story always references the Jack Walker era and winning the Premier League in the 1994-95 season. They remain the only team other than Manchester United, Arsenal, or Chelsea to win the title. They were runners-up the previous season, only two years after winning promotion. Jack Walker was a local steel tycoon who financed the club. He brought in Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish to manage a squad that included Alan Shearer. The good times didn't last, with Blackburn relegated at the end of the 1998-99 season after finishing 6th the season before. They returned to the Premier League for the 2001-02 season and have been there ever since. The club was sold in November to the India-based VH Group.
How Tough Is The Premier League?
Though Blackburn have never equaled their run in the mid-90's, they've also managed to stay out of trouble since winning promotion. Twice they've finished 6th and they've never finished lower than 15th.
The Stadium?
Three sides of Ewood Park were rebuilt during the club's golden era in the mid-1990's. This turned a stadium built in 1882 into a modern 31,367-seat venue. The Riverside Stand is the oldest part of the stadium, but it was rebuilt in the mid-1980's.
