[Archived] Can Anybody Answer This Question.

[ewoodblue]

Somebody as asked this question to any Rovers historians.

wonder if there's any Rovers historians whom can help me with a query,

The first league fixtures were played om 8th September 1888 yet Rovers did not play their first league match until the following Saturday the 15th September vs. Accrington

Is there a reason why Rovers didn't kickoff on the 8th?

All I know is the day the rest of the league kicked off on the 8th September, that Rovers played a friendly against Newton Heath,and lost,but no mention as to why we kicked off a week later.

Any reasons.

[M-K]

TV schedules?

[USRoverME]

Preposterous....

must have been traffic and policing concerns

[ewoodblue]

Well reading the wikipedia section on the history of Blackburn Rovers,on the brfcs.com site,then I can only assume that in them days the friendlies were deemed more prestigious than a league that was a gamble in terms of drawing in fans.So,it seems(maybe I'm wrong),that Rovers were not prepared to give up a friedly against Newton Heath ,and risk losing some well needed revenue.

[Wolverine]

And not two days later Blackburn were punished for missing the opening weekend with a record two shilling and sixpence fine which the FA imposed instead of their first ruling of relegation before they realised they only had one league. The media loved it.

[Jordan]

Somebody as asked this question to any Rovers historians.

wonder if there's any Rovers historians whom can help me with a query,

The first league fixtures were played om 8th September 1888 yet Rovers did not play their first league match until the following Saturday the 15th September vs. Accrington

Is there a reason why Rovers didn't kickoff on the 8th?

All I know is the day the rest of the league kicked off on the 8th September, that Rovers played a friendly against Newton Heath,and lost,but no mention as to why we kicked off a week later.

Any reasons.

Maybe there was a odd number of teams in the league therefore one team had to miss out.

Or if there was an even number then another team would had to of missed the opening game and maybe it was their fault.

[ewoodblue]

And not two days later Blackburn were punished for missing the opening weekend with a record two shilling and sixpence fine which the FA imposed instead of their first ruling of relegation before they realised they only had one league. The media loved it.

So we must of been doing a 'boro then.It's hard to believe that the league was classed so inferior than a friendly match.

So,the game against Newton Heath really must of been more important than what was then deemed to be a meaningless league game,to the point of incurring a fine.

Are you serious,Wolverine,or are you making that up lol(the media loved it ).

2 AND 6 was a lot money then.

[bluebruce]

Slightly off topic but, incidentally Darwen F.C. missed out on being founder members of the Football League by one vote. The primary reason was apparently that the officials making the decision thought that Blackburn and Darwen were the same place, and therefore it wasn't right to allow two teams in from one town! Darwen never recovered from the financial fallout.

Just a nice early example of southern ignorance. Another being that Darwen had to replay a semi final against Old Etonians three times- all of them at the Oval down south. The cost of travelling almost ruined the club too.

[cn174]

So we must of been doing a 'boro then.It's hard to believe that the league was classed so inferior than a friendly match.

And both were much inferior to the FA Cup, which was everyone's main priority

[ewoodblue]

And both were much inferior to the FA Cup, which was everyone's main priority

It must of been the Champs League of the time,the FA Cup.

I was just reading the article concerning the match against Accrington,and I didn't know it was a different team to Accrington Stanley.The Accrington we drew 5-5 with(the owd reds),went out of business in 1893,and Accrington Stanley wasn't formed until 1921.I've learn't something today,plus an interesting article relating to Dawen FC ,from Blue Bruce.

I'm still curious about the 2 shilling and six pence fine,rather than relegation lol(text talk,oops).Fact or fiction,or just mischief.

[pksrover]

Maybe there was a odd number of teams in the league therefore one team had to miss out.

Or if there was an even number then another team would had to of missed the opening game and maybe it was their fault.

it was 12 teams who formed the english league wasn't it?

[b12_simon]

Well reading the wikipedia section on the history of Blackburn Rovers,on the brfcs.com site,then I can only assume that in them days the friendlies were deemed more prestigious than a league that was a gamble in terms of drawing in fans.So,it seems(maybe I'm wrong),that Rovers were not prepared to give up a friedly against Newton Heath ,and risk losing some well needed revenue.

I'm no Rovers historian but it's my understanding that the friendlies, being against local opposition (ok as were a lot of our early league fixtures), so attracted larger crowds. So they'd mean more to the club's funds.

[Alex Rover]

Slightly off topic but, incidentally Darwen F.C. missed out on being founder members of the Football League by one vote. The primary reason was apparently that the officials making the decision thought that Blackburn and Darwen were the same place, and therefore it wasn't right to allow two teams in from one town! Darwen never recovered from the financial fallout.

Just a nice early example of southern ignorance. Another being that Darwen had to replay a semi final against Old Etonians three times- all of them at the Oval down south. The cost of travelling almost ruined the club too.

Not sure the southern bias quite applies. I think Wolves are the most southerly club to form the league but maybe there was a midlands bias

[1864roverite]

There was not enough referees to officiate all 6 games at the time so the Rovers game was scheduled for the following week after sustaining a fine as it was compulsory for the home team to be the ones deemed punishable.

This is what I have been told by a Rovers upporters of some 85 years tonight and an ex referee to put.

I dont know if he is senile but he seemed to know a hel of a lot about BRFC.

[colin]

Somebody as asked this question to any Rovers historians.

wonder if there's any Rovers historians whom can help me with a query,

The first league fixtures were played om 8th September 1888 yet Rovers did not play their first league match until the following Saturday the 15th September vs. Accrington

Is there a reason why Rovers didn't kickoff on the 8th?

All I know is the day the rest of the league kicked off on the 8th September, that Rovers played a friendly against Newton Heath,and lost,but no mention as to why we kicked off a week later.

Any reasons.

Blimey, that's a good one which will probably be lost in the mists of time.

The league started in September 1888. Before that there were only friendlies; The FA Cup; The Lancashire Cup; & the The East Lancashire Charity Cup.

There were 12 clubs in the first league so no reason for an odd team to be out.

Accy 5 - 5 Rovers

15th September 1888

Attendence about 5,000

[Ewood Spark]

Not sure the southern bias quite applies. I think Wolves are the most southerly club to form the league but maybe there was a midlands bias

Sorry for being pedantic but Aston Villa and West Brom are both founder members of the league .... and both are south of Wolverhampton.