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So, 1886/87 brought Rovers down to earth with a bump. Yet the next season would be much better. Not much better on the pitch admittedly but there was talk of a league and the name of Blackburn Rovers was often bandied around with it.

In 1887/88 there were again no trophies, although there was no humiliation when they again met Preston North End in the Lancashire Cup. The 4-3 loss was mild compared to the tonking they had received the year before. Their results in friendlies were very mixed. They lost 6-1 to Corinthians for example but then beat them 2-1 the next time they met. The FA Cup run was going well, with victories over local rivals Blackburn Olympic (5-1), Accrington (3-1) and Darwen (3-0) before a shock defeat to Derby Junction (2-1). Although Derby Junction were said to probably be the best team from Derby then it was still a shock and with County being invited to join the new Football League they soon folded. This was despite the addition to the team of yet another Olympic player, centre forward Jack Southworth, as well as his less talented right back of a brother James Southworth (try not to get confused!) also poached from Olympic. Yet another Olympic player was brought over, future England international Edgar Chadwick, although he left after one season sensing better opportunities at Everton. It is unsurprising that Blackburn Olympic would soon cease as a club as they were haemorrhaging all their quality players.

It was the Football League that brought all the good news to Rovers. A friendly against Witton had been advertised as a match to settle who the champions of the town were. How the mighty had fallen. Especially when they lost the flipping thing 4-3 at home!

Thankfully a saviour was around the corner and he came decked in claret and blue. Aston Villa chairman William Mcgregor dreamed of a new Football League for regular games as the FA Cup was only short and unpredictable, the glamorous friendlies no longer attracted the fans as they used to. The twelve founder clubs consisted of six clubs from Lancashire and six clubs from the Midlands. As there was only one club from each town or city chosen it was obvious who was to be the choice of Blackburn. Rovers were probably the first name on the list along with Mcgregor’s own club, Aston Villa. This meant that all the other Blackburn clubs were doomed. Within a few years Olympic, Witton, Cob Wall, Church and Blackburn Park Road had all either collapsed or taken on the status similar to that of a pub team. The twelve founder members were Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. All would go on to win either the Football League or the FA Cup in the future (most would win both a number of times). All except poor Accrington, the only club among those no longer in existence and they didn’t last too long either.

There would no longer be any competition from other teams in the town. They would have to search further afield for rivalry. The consistent appropriation of funds from league games would soon be put to good use as Rovers would once again start on some great FA Cup runs. While Darwen would make it into the first division of the Football League they didn’t stick around long and Blackburn had their eyes on other local rivalries. They would find it in the nearby town teams of Preston North End, Bolton Wanderers and…Burnley.