During the 1995–96 English football season, Blackburn Rovers F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary Blackburn had a disappointing title defence in the FA Premier League, dropping to 7th in the standings in the wake of Kenny Dalglish's resignation as manager. Their first half of the season was little short of disastrous, their 5–0 defeat at struggling Coventry City in mid December being their eighth in the league, with relegation a distinct possibility. However, Blackburn improved in the second half of the season, losing just five more games and only narrowly missing out on a UEFA Cup place.
They also got knocked out of the Champions League already in the group stage against comparatively unknown Rosenborg and Legia Warsaw. Compounding the misery was the sale of fan favourite and top scorer Alan Shearer, who went to Newcastle for a British transfer record at the end of July.
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Blackburn Rovers' score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 19 August 1995 Queens Park RangersH1–022,860Shearer (pen) 23 August 1995 Sheffield WednesdayA1–225,544Shearer 26 August 1995 Bolton WanderersA1–220,253Holmes 28 August 1995 Manchester UnitedH1–229,843Shearer 9 September 1995 Aston VillaH1–127,084Shearer 16 September 1995 LiverpoolA0–339,502 23 September 1995 Coventry CityH5–124,382Shearer (3), Hendry, Pearce 30 September 1995 MiddlesbroughA0–229,462 14 October 1995 SouthamptonH2–126,780Bohinen, Shearer 21 October 1995 West Ham UnitedA1–121,776Shearer 28 October 1995 ChelseaH3–027,733Sherwood, Shearer, Newell 5 November 1995 EvertonA0–130,097 8 November 1995 Newcastle UnitedA0–136,473 18 November 1995 Nottingham ForestH7–027,660Shearer (3), Bohinen (2), Newell, Le Saux 26 November 1995 ArsenalA0–037,695 2 December 1995 West Ham UnitedH4–226,638Shearer (3, 1 pen), Newell 9 December 1995 Coventry CityA0–529,469 16 December 1995 MiddlesbroughH1–027,996Shearer 23 December 1995 WimbledonA1–17,105Kimble (own goal) 26 December 1995 Manchester CityH2–028,915Shearer, Batty 30 December 1995 Tottenham HotspurH2–130,004Marker, Shearer 1 January 1996 Leeds UnitedA0–031,285 13 January 1996 Queens Park RangersA1–013,957Shearer 20 January 1996 Sheffield WednesdayH3–024,732Shearer, Bohinen, Gallacher 3 February 1996 Bolton WanderersH3–130,419Shearer (3) 10 February 1996 Manchester UnitedA0–142,681 24 February 1996 LiverpoolH2–330,895Wilcox, Sherwood 28 February 1996 Aston VillaA0–228,008 2 March 1996 Manchester CityA1–129,078Shearer 13 March 1996 Leeds UnitedH1–023,358Fenton 16 March 1996 Tottenham HotspurA3–232,387Shearer (3, 1 pen) 30 March 1996 EvertonH0–329,468 6 April 1996 SouthamptonA0–114,793 8 April 1996 Newcastle UnitedH2–130,717Fenton (2) 13 April 1996 Nottingham ForestA5–125,273Shearer, McKinlay, Wilcox (2), Fenton 17 April 1996 WimbledonH3–224,174Shearer (2), Fenton 27 April 1996 ArsenalH1–129,834Gallacher 5 May 1996 ChelseaA3–228,436Sherwood, McKinlay, Fenton
FA Charity Shield
+DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 13 August 1995 EvertonN0–140,149
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR36 January 1996 Ipswich TownA0–021,236R3R16 January 1996 Ipswich TownH0–119,606
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg 20 September 1995 Swindon TownA3–214,740Sutton, Shearer (2)R2 2nd Leg 4 October 1995 Swindon TownH2–016,924Shearer (2)R324 October 1995 WatfordA2–117,035Shearer, NewellR429 November 1995 Leeds UnitedA1–226,006Kelly (own goal)
UEFA Champions League
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersRefereeGroup B13 September 1995 Spartak MoscowH0–120,940 Michel Piraux (Belgium)Group B27 September 1995 RosenborgA1–212,210Newell Günter Benkö (Austria)Group B18 October 1995 Legia WarsawA0–115,000 Anders Frisk (Sweden)Group B1 November 1995 Legia WarsawH0–020,897 Urs Meier (Switzerland)Group B22 November 1995 Spartak MoscowA0–325,000 Pierluigi Pairetto (Italy)Group B6 December 1995 RosenborgH4–120,677Shearer (pen), Newell (3) Didier Pauchard (France)
Squad
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Transfers
In DatePosNameFromFee9 August 1995DFAdam ReedDarlington£200,00015 August 1995MFMatty HolmesWest Ham United£1,200,0001 October 1995MFLars BohinenNottingham Forest£700,00010 October 1995MFBilly McKinlayDundee United£1,750,00014 October 1995DFGraham CoughlanBray Wanderers£100,0006 November 1995STGraham FentonAston Villa£1,500,00021 December 1995DFChris ColemanCrystal Palace£2,800,0001 March 1996MFNiklas GudmundssonHalmstads BK£750,00028 March 1996MFGarry FlitcroftManchester City£3,500,00029 March 1996DFGary CroftGrimsby Town£1,600,000
Out DatePosNameToFee11 August 1995MFTony CarssDarlingtonFree transfer14 August 1995MFRobbie SlaterWest Ham United£600,00010 September 1995MFMark AtkinsWolverhampton Wanderers£1,000,00013 October 1995MFLee MakelHuddersfield Town£300,0009 November 1995GKFrank TaliaSwindon Town£150,00024 February 1996MFDavid BattyNewcastle United£3,750,000
Transfers in: £5,750,000 Transfers out: £1,050,000 Total spending: £4,700,000
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
References