After four years of testing themselves in dozens of friendly matches and slowly gaining a reputation as a local footballing force, Rovers decided to test their mettle in a competitive manner via the Lancashire Cup They expected their main competition to be from Darwen, a club that they had already managed to have built up a fierce element of competitive and frosty antagonism with. They had also decided to follow in the footsteps of their hated neighbours by entering the FA Cup. They had become the first Lancashire team to enter the competition in 1878 (along with Manchester, a team unrelated to any modern club), although in those times the FA Cup was played over a season, rather than in a calendar year as it is today for full members of the league and from now on I shall refer to the cup competitions by the year in which the final was played to save confusion. The campaign ended after they had beaten the Manchester side before losing out to Sheffield in the second round. The following year Darwen again entered the FA Cup while Rovers stood by and watched. Very shortly Rovers would be looking on with envy.

Darwen were to become the first northern team to make real progress in the FA Cup and although the two Blackburn clubs would build on their achievement and ultimately receive the glory, Darwen should not be forgotten for the significance of their run in the 1879 competition. After beating the rather peculiarly named Birch Manchester in the first round by an unknown final score (it is unsure whether or not Birch got a beating or not…ahem…) they found it more difficult against the Lancashire side Eagley, who took them to a replay before succumbing 4-1. A third round victory over Remnants set up a quarter final tie with the glamour boys of football, the Old Etonians (this is most certainly not the last we shall hear of them!). An amazing 5-5 draw in the first game made headlines and shocked the footballing circles of the time and stunned at the cheek of the upstart northerners challenging the cream of English gentlemen. Although the replay saw the Etonians restore their expected supremacy with a 6-2 win, the game had been shaken. Although they believed all would be well, Darwen would challenge the southern aristocrats once more before passing on the northern, working class baton to the neighbouring sides in Blackburn.

Unsurprisingly, the success of Darwen was hardly celebrated quite so much within Blackburn Rovers. Although no doubt pleased at the progression of the standard of football being played in Lancashire, they thought of themselves as the team to represent the region and did not wish to become accustomed to being cast into the shade by the achievements of Darwen. Hence, the 1879/80 season featured a Blackburn Rovers side in the FA Cup for the first time. Despite this, they still faced competition from local sides that were little inferior to them. Blackburn Park Road, Cob Wall, Blackburn Law and Blackburn Olympic all posed serious competition. Although Rovers were obviously a progressive club, they still had some way to go to leave their rivals behind.