17th January 1991

[Anti-Man Utd]

Not a match but the date when Jack Walker officially took control of Blackburn Rovers FC.

What were the expectations when he took over amongst fans? Did you expect anything like what happened?

I've got the book "the club that Jack built" and there was a quote from Jack stating that he wanted the club to be in the first division (I guess the new name hadn't been officially announced by that stage) the following year. Apparently to the people of Blackburn this sounded like raving lunacy. It wasn't until Kenny Dalglish came in that people woke up on a national level to what was happening at Blackburn. Maybe this was the case at local level as well?

Edited May 12, 2006 by Anti-Man Utd

[bob fleming]

Good post AMU. Looking back I think you're right to an extent. If my memory serves me right Jack's involvement came about when we got Bobby Mimms in, which he did on the quiet before January, that was followed up towards the end of the season with the signings of Tony Dobson and Steve Livingston from Coventry who were instrumental in keeping us up. I think those two cost about £750,000 ??

So although pulses weren't exactly racing at this point we'd spent more in the last 6 months than in about 20 years.

Don McKay went and then the master stroke. Kenny Dalglish and Ray Harford were taking over. It was announced on the radio on the morning of our home match against Plymouth Argyle (which we won 5-2 I think (ironically, see elsewhere in this forum)). There was an air of expectation as to who we would get, we'd bid for Gary Lineker in the summer and even Frank Sidebottom was making jokes about that, so we needed a high profile manager.

No one could have predicted that we'd get Dalglish though. It really was unbelievable. They weren't laughing quite as loud now.

(Correct me if 'm wrong on any of these points people, it's been a few years)

[Anti-Man Utd]

It was around christmas 1990 when Jack started making funds available. There's a section in the "club that Jack built" book that said the attempt to sign Teddy Sheringham was treated as a joke in the national papers. "Where does he get his money from" in reference to Don Mackay

I would have thought that was quite obvious.

[Ray-Von]

How I remember the Burnley t-shirt doing the rounds in the Summer of 1991....

Gary Lineker said no

Mike Newell said no

Teddy Sheringham said no

Paul Stewart said no......

Even the man from Del Monte said no!

Good to see the Clarets had their finger on the pulse!

[1864roverite]

you sure their fingers were not up the ar$es ?