During the 2005–06 season, Blackburn Rovers F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary After relegation struggles during the two previous season, Mark Hughes marked his first full season in club management by taking Blackburn to sixth place - four points off Champions League qualification - and reaching his second successive cup semi-final, in the League Cup, only to be knocked out by the eventual cup winners again, Hughes' old club Manchester United. Blackburn had been in mid-table for much of the season before gathering momentum to put real pressure on Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the crucial fourth place, eventually finishing in a UEFA Cup place. Rovers' good form was largely in part down to the good form of Welsh striker Craig Bellamy, a summer signing from Newcastle United, who scored 13 goals in the league. However, Bellamy would then exercise an option to enable him to move for £6 million to a Champions League club, signing for FA Cup winners Liverpool. As his replacement Hughes signed South African striker Benni McCarthy, who had helped fire Porto to the Champions League title two years earlier.
Final league table
Results Blackburn Rovers' score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League
Results by matchday
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 13 August 2005 West Ham UnitedA1–333,305Todd 20 August 2005 FulhamH2–116,953Pedersen, Tugay 24 August 2005 Tottenham HotspurH0–022,375 27 August 2005 Aston VillaA0–131,010 11 September 2005 Bolton WanderersA0–024,405 18 September 2005 Newcastle UnitedH0–320,725 24 September 2005 Manchester UnitedA2–167,765Pedersen (2) 1 October 2005 West Bromwich AlbionH2–020,721Kuqi (2) 15 October 2005 LiverpoolA0–144,697 22 October 2005 Birmingham CityH2–018,341Dickov (pen), Bellamy 29 October 2005 ChelseaA2–441,553Bellamy (2, 1 pen) 5 November 2005 Charlton AthleticH4–117,691Emerton, Dickov, Pedersen, Bellamy 19 November 2005 Manchester CityA0–044,032 26 November 2005 ArsenalA0–338,192 3 December 2005 EvertonH0–222,064 10 December 2005 West Ham UnitedH3–220,370Dickov (2, 1 pen), Kuqi 17 December 2005 FulhamA1–220,138Knight (own goal) 26 December 2005 MiddlesbroughA2–029,881Kuqi (2) 31 December 2005 Wigan AthleticA3–020,639Pedersen, Reid, Bellamy 2 January 2006 PortsmouthH2–119,521Pedersen, Dickov 14 January 2006 Bolton WanderersH0–018,180 21 January 2006 Newcastle UnitedA1–051,323Pedersen 1 February 2006 Manchester UnitedH4–325,484Bentley (3), Neill (pen) 4 February 2006 West Bromwich AlbionA0–223,993 11 February 2006 EvertonA0–135,615 15 February 2006 SunderlandH2–018,220Bellamy (2) 25 February 2006 ArsenalH1–022,504Pedersen 5 March 2006 Tottenham HotspurA2–336,080Sinama Pongolle, Bellamy 11 March 2006 Aston VillaH2–021,932Todd, Bellamy 18 March 2006 MiddlesbroughH3–218,681Bellamy (2), Pedersen 25 March 2006 SunderlandA1–029,593Reid 3 April 2006 Wigan AthleticH1–120,410Kuqi 8 April 2006 PortsmouthA2–220,048Bellamy (2) 16 April 2006 LiverpoolH0–129,142 19 April 2006 Birmingham CityA1–225,287Savage 29 April 2006 Charlton AthleticA2–026,254Reid, Powell (own goal) 2 May 2006 ChelseaH1–020,243Reid 7 May 2006 Manchester CityH2–025,731Khizanishvili, Kuqi
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR37 January 2006 Queens Park RangersH3–012,705Todd, Bellamy (2)R428 January 2006 West Ham UnitedA2–423,700Bentley, Neill
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR221 September 2005 Huddersfield TownH3–111,755Bellamy (2), KhizanishviliR325 October 2005 Leeds UnitedH3–015,631Emerton, Dickov, NeillR430 November 2005 Charlton AthleticA3–214,093Kuqi, Thompson, BentleyR521 December 2005 MiddlesbroughA1–0 14,710DickovSF 1st Leg11 January 2006 Manchester UnitedH1–1 24,348PedersenSF 2nd Leg25 January 2006 Manchester UnitedA1–2 (lost 2–3 on agg)61,637Reid
First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Statistics Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season
Notes
References