This Christopher Schindler mug in the header is one of my Christmas presents. Well, actually, gifts were 3 for 2 and, as I was getting 2 things for Snoots anyway, I couldn't refuse a freebie.   

Blackburn Rovers were formed in 1875 by a couple of former public school boys. They were Arthur Constantine and John Lewis, no connection to the shops. John Lewis actually played in the first game. He helped to create the Lancashire FA in 1878 and was involved with the FA and Football League. He became a referee and officiated at three FA cup finals. He refereed the final for the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. Would someone with links to a club be allowed to referee now?

john Lewis is in this earliest known photo of Blackburn:

It would appear that they have always worn the shirt with the "half and half" colour blocks. I'm sure there's a proper word for the design but my brain won't drag it up!

Fast forward to the present day and you'll see us kicking off on Tuesday evening with them in 11th place with 29 points and us in 14th with 28. Head to head stats aren't brilliant with our wins 24 to their 32 in all competitions. We seem to like a draw as there have been 34 of those. We last played exactly a year to the day on 29th December 2019. We won 2-1 at home. Danny Graham took them ahead in the 7th minute. Then Stankovic equalised in the 25th and Mounie won it in the 71st. Ole, ole, ole, ole. 

Blackburn's form is one win in 5:

Whereas ours:

The two notables who have played for the two clubs are Jon Stead and Jordan Rhodes who both went over the hills from us to them. Jon Stead got us some much needed cash by heading for the premier league but remained a loyal Huddersfielder. Jordan Rhodes joined them as another Championship club so much less honorable in my eyes because he basically put all his eggs in their basket. Well, that didn't get him very far, did it? Just my opinion but I can't think of him as fondly as Steady. In addition, Rhodes' move was some sort of buy now, pay later or hired purchase scheme so I wasn't impressed with that either. 

Manager's prematch comments:

Blackburn have been managed by Tony Mowbray since 2017 which probably makes it as stable an appointment as there has been there for some time.