Were you at Anfield in May 1995?

[...]

10 hours ago, GHR said:

This has been a wonderful read for someone who was alive at the time but far too young to experience any of it. I have seen all the footage from the match and all the subsequent interviews and documentaries and whatever, but seldom if ever read about it from the fans' point of view. Thanks all.

You were alive at the time all that matters 😊

[GHR]

8 minutes ago, ... said:

You were alive at the time all that matters 😊

I would be in a very strong position to be 'Last Rovers fan left alive from their 1994-95 title winning season', were it not for the club subsequently taking decades off me already.

Speaking of which, I wonder how many Blackburnians are still around that would have been alive for our FA Cup win in 1928?

[jim mk2]

Tickets for Anfield proved impossible to obtain despite my best efforts so decided to play cricket on the day of the game to try to take my mind off events

Impossible. Team-mates kept sending out false, winding-up messages from the boundary while I was batting as to the scores at Anfield and Upton Park, increasing my anxiety and contributing to my low score.

Celebrations all round at the end of the game though. Many (cricket) "jugs" consumed that evening

 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

23 hours ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Erm, we didn't sign anyone, we finished six, got relegated......

Every new season you replace your two weakest players. Irrespective of what you did the season before. We needed a new centre half ( Pearce ) and a new left winger (Wilcox ). 

[bluebruce]

I wasn't there, much to my chagrin at the time, but my parents were - much to my chagrin at the time! They told me it wasn't possible to get any more tickets and they were lucky to get the two they got, which I didn't accept with grace being 9 at the time but I understand now.

So I had to watch the game at home on the TV, with my grandma, auntie and uncle. I remember feeling like it was all destined to be as we went 1 up and Manure went 1 down. Then of course things changed, with both games drawing level. We kept hearing about all the chances Manure were having, knowing their uncanny propensity for scoring late winners and the refs giving them as much time to do so as needed, so things were getting edgy. Then we conceded that second goal and you knew we weren't getting the points we needed. It was all down to Upton Park and due to that aforementioned knack for late goals the red scum had, it felt like the earlier elation was just the fates fucking with us in order to deliver the cruelest blow at the death. Now the inevitability was that we had tossed it all away.

Then the surreal scenes began of fans celebrating at Anfield, as the final score at Upton Park came through. My grandma, auntie and uncle (not as footy mad as the rest of us) were confused as I started celebrating, and it took me a good ten seconds of frantic shouting to get them to realise that despite losing the battle we had won the war.

I went to bed a very happy lad, and woke up to see my parents had left me a souvenir scarf in my room, from the day, proclaiming us champions.

With the greatest striker in world football (I'd heard about that Ronaldo chap but I really didn't get at the time how good he truly was) and with Uncle Jack's support, it seemed like the world was our oyster and we were only going to go on to more titles, maybe even European ones. We couldn't have known how quickly things were going to collapse after Kenny went upstairs and Jack stopped funding reinforcements thinking the job was done. A real crossroads moment, as serious money was on the way into the game that could have established us as a real force (especially if we'd gone for that Zidane fella) and likely meant we wouldn't one day end up in the hands of these pricks in India.

Nearly every player we built that squad with was sold on for profit down the line because of the way the money trended. Serious investment back then would have made us brilliant on the pitch and future sales could have made the club wash its own face like Jack always wanted. Ah well, you can't be too beat up about it. Jack Walker gave us all our dream, and all dreams end.

[Jackh]

8 hours ago, GHR said:

I would be in a very strong position to be 'Last Rovers fan left alive from their 1994-95 title winning season', were it not for the club subsequently taking decades off me already.

Speaking of which, I wonder how many Blackburnians are still around that would have been alive for our FA Cup win in 1928?

My cousin is a massive Rovers fan, who now lives in Warrington, and was born in 1924. He now rarely gets to Ewood but apart from failed eyesight his other senses are as sharp as ever. At his 100th party last year he gave a very amusing speech, with many references to his early days as a Rover.

 

[Boz]

I was there, a truly magical point in time and my life.

All rather surreal, a warm sunny day, the game felt as if it flew by, not a classic and one which we might easily have been 2 goals up and then have been able to have relaxed, to enjoy the remainder of the match.

I had a small transistor radio pressed against my ear trying to hear the commentary from Upton Park. When the Redknapp free kick went in, I was shouting to all those around me with their heads in the hands, "it doesn't matter what the score is here", as if West Ham kept United out then we were fine. Attempts to quickly get the restart, though next there were shouts all round, of, it's full time, we've done it, with roars round Anfield. Cue mass celebrations, hugging strangers, struggling for breathe.

Memories of being driven back through the outskirts of Liverpool, along the A59 past Aintree, sounding the car horn, with the sun roof open, stood up waving a flag and scarves, by a food and petrol station full of Rovers fans.

Arriving home, with my wife waiting outside to be greeted by her and my four year old eldest son (a big noise on this website) in his Rovers shirt, they had trimmed the outside of our house up with balloons, ribbons, Rovers scarves and a Champions banner. My wife was three months pregnant with our second son (another one with quite a bit to say on here too!).

Edited Thursday at 22:04 by Boz
Spelling correction

[Moptop1]

Coming out of Anfield was a complete blur. Liverpool fans grabbing hold of you and congratulating us - Shaking hands and saying “You’ve done it!” 

It was all surreal.

[Andy]

I was only 11 or 12, so watching it on Sky with my mates was my only option.

But I'll never forget that emotional rollercoaster.
Or walking down to Ewood after the game for the impromptu celebrations!

Rovers in '95, then England's Euro '96 campaign the year after - 2 of the best summers of football I'll probably ever experience.

[SuperBrfc]

Me and my dad couldn't go to Anfield, but we watched it on Sky at his mate's house. A rollercoaster game.

Sutton's shot that didn't have enough power on it...off the line. Shearer blazing one over in front of the Kop. It could have been comfortable, but that's not the Rovers way.

Those legendary words from Martin Tyler at full time have never left me:

"Let me say it once again...Blackburn Rovers are the Champions!"

I was young at the time and thought it was normal for us to have the best striker in the world 😁.

Can still see the scenes from later that evening in Blackburn town centre.

Church St through to Darwen Street was accessible by car back then. I remember waving my Rovers shirt through the sun roof as we drove up that road. There were plenty of fans left and right, on both sides of Church St, running up and down delirious, chanting, horns blaring, waving flags.

"Champions, Champions, Champions".

I was at the trophy presentation night too. Unreal.

Queen - We are the Champions = Blackburn Rovers and Ewood Park for me.

We've seen things they'll never see.

Venky's Out!

[CheshireRover]

I was born 7 months later so I've always been jealous of my Dad and his mates who experienced it all, and I was too young still to appreciate the League Cup win for what it was. But reading this thread and thinking about the state of the club now, just makes me angry. Angry it's happened, angry at Venky's for making it happen, angry at the footballing authorities for letting it happen and angry at the people in the fanbase who continue to watch it happening without question. 

Venky's out.