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Day: 29/30

Season: 1995/96

Fixture: Rovers 4-1 Rosenborg Ballklub

Highlights

English language highlights of this game are hard to find online. Maybe watch on mute!

Why Chosen

Rovers’ title defence was over before it even started. The glorious highs of May 1995 were the crescendo of Kenny Dalglish’s time as Rovers boss. The magic run from promotion at Wembley, to 4th in the Premiership, then 2nd and eventual champions had cemented his iconic status at the club. A mere 48 days on from Anfield, Dalglish would move to the newly created position of “Director of Football” whilst assistant manager Ray Harford would be tasked with replacing ‘King’ Kenny in the dugout and on the sidelines. This loyalty to Harford, though admirable, would be the first big mistake in Rovers decline, alas it wasn’t the last.

The squad that had come so close to ‘throwing it away’ at the end of the 1994/95 season was bolstered by just two additions. Adam Reed, a £200k, 20-year-old defender from Darlington (who would never play for the club) and Matty Holmes for £1.25m, a 26-year-old backup left winger from West Ham United. Adding quality to try and make the side even better is what almost all clubs do now, Rovers however, felt the same players were good enough to go and do it all again. It has become so apparent in the years since that this was another huge mistake from the clubs hierarchy.

Unsurprisingly Rovers stumbled out of the blocks, 2 wins and 5 defeats in the first 8 games saw fit to any ambitions of a championship repeat and after 15 games Rovers sat closer to the bottom of the table than to the top three!

As for standout moments, we did have them, successful periods over Christmas and down the stretch saved any true humiliation. The game I’ve chosen is our first ever victory in Europe, at the 8th attempt! And a Champions League hat-trick for a Rovers player. 

The European campaigns of the 1990s hold little in the way of fond memories, but for one night in December 95 the Ewood crowd did get to enjoy themselves. Norwegian champions Rosenborg were dispatched in a blistering opening 45 minutes with Rovers winning 4-1. The damage had already been done by that point. Two defeats against Russian champions Spartak Moscow (see Honourable Mentions) and a solitary point from Polish champions Legia Warsaw saw Rovers already eliminated going into the final game.

An Alan Shearer penalty opened the scoring for the home side, before Rosenborg levelled on the half hour mark, Steffan Iversen (who would go on to enjoy spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves and Palace) with a low drive at the Blackburn End. Then came a glorious nine minutes in the career of Mike Newell. A right footed shot from outside the box put Rovers back in front (just 30 seconds after conceding) before the Liverpudlian forward headed in a Holmes cross to make it 3-1 just six minutes later. Newell would complete a nine minute ‘perfect hat-trick’ as Shearer broke down the right and centred for Rovers No.10 whose left footed shot into the corner clinched his place in Champions League history. Paul Warhurst saw red in the second half, but Rovers ran out comfortable winners.

Mike Newell of Blackburn Rovers would hold the record for quickest Champions League hat-trick for 16 years and 1 day, the current record holder is Mohammed Salah.

Aftermath 

Rovers would long hold the title of ‘Worst defence of a Premier League title’ though mercifully Leicester City’s 2016/17 and Chelsea’s 2015/16 seasons have demoted Rovers to 3rd on the list. (Maybe Manchester City 2024/25 might see us down to 4th?).

Mike Newell’s Rovers career would be over by the season's end. The legacy of goals in the 1991/92 promotion season, including the wondergoal in the playoff semi-final at home to Derby County and the winning penalty at Wembley against Leicester City, along with memorable strikes at Highbury and Anfield (both 1-0 wins for Rovers) in the early Premiership seasons means the Scouse striker holds a place in the hearts of the fans.

Rovers haven’t played a Champions League game since that victory against Rosenborg. Though the club remains one of just 11 English clubs to have played in the competition since its re brand in 1992. 

Honourable Mentions 

Rovers 7-0 Nottingham Forest (18/11/95) – Nottingham Forest brought their 25-game unbeaten run in the Premier League to East Lancashire where they ran into Rovers who looked every bit the defending Champions. A hat-trick for Alan Shearer, two for Lars Bohinen (against his former club), one for Mike Newell and a left footed thunderbolt from Graeme Le Saux. Steve Chettle (remember him from the other day?) saw red as the unbeaten run came to an abrupt end!

Spartak Moscow 3-0 Rovers (22/11/95) – Just four days after the glorious victory against Forest the season had its signature moment. In a frigid Luzhniki Stadium, Rovers players David Batty and Graeme Le Saux decided to have a punch up between themselves. The two England internationals embarrassing themselves and the club just moments after kick off. A sorry sight of the disharmony in the squad and lack of real leadership from the top. Batty would depart for Newcastle United in February 96. As for the contest Rovers were humbled, as Colin Hendry saw red late on, a 3-0 defeat and dumped out of Europe in disgrace. 

Rovers 2-1 Newcastle United (8/4/96) – Tyneside born Rovers striker Graham Fenton scored twice in the dying moments (86th and 89th minutes) to all but end Newcastle United’s title hopes. Kevin Keegan’s side were struggling in the closing games (much like Rovers had the year prior) and under relentless pressure from Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United they finally cracked at Ewood. To add to the irony, David Batty had given Newcastle the lead with just 14 minutes to go, before (fellow Geordie) Shearer assisted Fenton for both strikes as Rovers ran out unlikely winners.