Rovers would not get their first actual team manager until the 1920s but before then they had a succession of Club Secretaries who had responsibility for team affairs. Before 1884 there had been no single, consistent board member who had been solely in charge of football matters. The more dominant and enthusiastic officials, such as John Lewis, Arthur Constantine and A.N. Hornby, had tended to be the foremost of those picking the team at various times.

In 1884 Rovers looked to Thomas Mitchell, a Scot, to provide them with some stability. As secretary he would be responsible for not only picking the team but also scouting for new talent. This reign as club secretary would see Rovers win five FA Cups and establish themselves as a league club.

Before his appointment in 1884 at the age of 41 Mitchell had been one of those fans whose life revolved around the club and he followed the team all over the country. As an enthusiast of football, he had extensive knowledge of the game in Britain and as a referee had been involved in games in all of the home countries. It was to his homeland where he looked mainly to reinforce the team. Early English football had as many Scots as English involved and Rovers were to have more than most. Mitchell discovered the likes of Geordie Anderson, Hugh Marshall and Tommy Brandon plying their trade in Scottish football and lured them south to put some grit and desire into the side and power along their FA Cup campaigns.

The league campaigns were generally quite successful. In his eight full league seasons Rovers never finished below ninth and actually finished fourth on two occasions. The most successful of all the seasons under Mitchell was probably 1889/90. Rovers finished in third place in the league (they wouldn't finish so high in any season for the next two decades) and won the FA Cup in fine style, rolling over the hapless Sheffield Wednesday 6-1. It was the most one-sided final up to that time and only one subsequent final (1903 when Bury hammered Derby 6-0) has seen a more comprehensive victory. Billy Townley scored the first FA Cup Final hat trick that day as well to add to the records.

Unfortunately in 1896 Rovers were in decline. By the end of the season they had only avoided being dragged into the relegation playoffs by one place yet Mitchell was no longer there to oversee it. In October 1896, after twelve years in charge of team affairs at Rovers, Thomas Mitchell resigned. There would never again be a period of such dominant cup glory for the club. Five FA Cup wins in eight seasons is an amazing record which has not since been equalled. Joseph Walmsley was appointed as Mitchell's successor.

After leaving Rovers, Mitchell went on to become the first professional manager of Arsenal (who then had the prefix Woolwich) although he only lasted nine months in that capacity. Mitchell continued to be fascinated by football and involved in numerous ways until his death at the age of 78 in 1921. Although he never had the title of manager, Mitchell was the first man to be responsible for Blackburn Rovers and watched over an unprecedented period of success for the club of his adopted hometown.