We've known it for a while. We've known it but this season has confirmed it by being a microcosm of the last thirty or so years. Burnley and Blackburn are extraordinarily similar, as teams and as towns, with proud histories, lodged in the most condense football environment in the country. But it's in a Burnley supporter's DNA to understand the differences. And the key one being that Burnley have a humble, pragmatic approach whereas Rovers have been inflated and polished.

For many supporters, of both sides, the rivalry is a big part of what defines our passion and it's been based upon Burnley being the plucky paupers and Rovers being the Premier League outfit. For so long, most supporters - whether you were born in the 70s, 80s or 90s - have been given that hand.

Now however, as Burnley are transformed on and off the pitch - Rovers are sinking. And what's neat and pleasing is that the success of one and the demise of the other are direct exhibits of those decade-old identities. Burnley's frugality, modesty and sense have been rewarded at the exact same time that the previous enormous and evidently unsustainable investment of Jack Walker is coming back to bite Blackburn Rovers.

Everything Burnley spend has been earned. That principle might not produce points alone, it might not be tangible and it has sometimes triggered frustration but overall, Burnley fans know that any achievement has been the reward for graft and planning. It's organic.

The training facilities - earned. The record transfers - earned. The stadium developments - earned. A place in the Premier League - earned.

They'll never admit it but Blackburn fans can't claim any of that.

And now, as Burnley's internationals settle into their new training facilities and as the board look to strengthen what is already the best Burnley team in decades... Blackburn are relegated to the third tier amongst spiralling debts from a carcass they can't ignore.

And both clubs are reaping what they've sown.

Dont forget a certain Mr Coyle

Great post, my friend, it seems that the " House that Jack built " was constructed on foundations of sand....

Top post.

Excellent summary!

UTC

Funny thing is they were relegated from the prem 5 years ago today. Great 5 year plan from the Venkys!!

It's never nice to see a fellow north west team get relegated, so I hope they bounce straight back to the championship.
























WIGAN!

Maybe we'll be accused of being bad winners but today really is special.
I know that some people will say 'stop your gloating' and 'these are fans just like ourselves'

Anyone who had the misfortune to work and socialize with Rovers fans during the Jack Walker era will know how sweet today really is. The icing on the cake for me is that 'those' Rovers fans will know it too and understand why they won't be getting any sympathy.

Excellent post!

boiledclaret wrote:Maybe we'll be accused of being bad winners but today really is special.
I know that some people will say 'stop your gloating' and 'these are fans just like ourselves'

Anyone who had the misfortune to work and socialize with Rovers fans during the Jack Walker era will know how sweet today really is. The icing on the cake for me is that 'those' Rovers fans will know it too and understand why they won't be getting any sympathy.

And anyone who was at Ewood park during the 5-0 demolition

One of the best posts ever written on this forum, should be pinned

Their fans used to look down their noses at teams in the championship. They mocked it by calling it the "chumpionship" and when it was the coca cola championship they sneeringly called it the "fizzy pop league"

Oh how they'd love to be starting their season in the "chumpionship" or the "fizzy pop league "!

You do , indeed, reap what you saw......

That post sums it all up.

It's pleasing to think that I, as a child of 86, have seen my small town team rise from the depths of despair at the foot of Division Four to the point we now sit. As a kid it was just common knowledge to me that Blackburn were up there with loads of money, and we were down here with none - that was the hand I had been dealt and it didn't really bother me. I classed Preston as our rivals as we were similarly sized clubs on the same financial footing, whereas Blackburn, at the time, were light years away signing the likes of Sutton and Shearer.

My fiancee is pregnant, due to give birth to our first child on the 4th of August, and I cannot say how happy it makes me to realise that my daughter will never know of the times when Blackburn were 'the' Lancashire team. She will be born into supporting a club which is a media darling for being a well run, progressive, financially sound and successful club that is the toast of the county. When I explain the intricacies of rivalries, and mention Blackburn Rovers, it will seem laughable to think of how that same conversation went when my Dad explained the same to me. At the time, it seemed irrelevant as the chasm was so large between the two that I never even acknowledged the 'rivalry'.

The same will be true of now, but from a very different perspective. What a difference 30 years makes.

at 86 years of age should'nt you be more careful

S0S-1971 wrote:And anyone who was at Ewood park during the 5-0 demolition

To this day I hate James Brown's "I feel good" and those stupid blow up flappy dancing abominations.

Remember when in the mid-1990s when JW arrived, their fans used to wave banknotes
at rival fans and sing "we've loads and loads o' money."?

Brilliant. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch.

Amazingly the verdict on radio Lancs at the end of the match today was that the Venkys need to throw millions at it...
They seem un aware that that has already been done and has warded off worse predicaments than today's
They will soon be advocating signings that we'd know we're still out of our league
They'll be saying they should have gotten Benitez

As a fan of football I hope they bounce back collectively we need to have well placed teams in Lancashire for the benefit of all.
As a Claret I want us to beat local teams home and away every season.

HelloHiGoodbye wrote: Blackburn are relegated to the third tier amongst spiralling debts from a carcass they can't ignore.

And both clubs are reaping what they've sown.

"Carcass" - what a great choice of a killer and descriptive word. Sums them up perfectly.

pureclaret wrote:As a fan of football I hope they bounce back collectively we need to have well placed teams in Lancashire for the benefit of all.
As a Claret I want us to beat local teams home and away every season.

I hope they bounce straight into division two. Ba*****s.

I would love them to do a Stockport..

Man of Kent wrote:"Carcass" - what a great choice of a killer and descriptive word. Sums them up perfectly.

Thanks - was spoilt for choice really. Shipwreck, ghost, carrion, corpse, shitstorm...