The best Olympic players had decamped to Rovers way before then, such as Billy Townley and Jack Southworth. Olympic simply could not compete. They may have revolutionised the world game of football but they just happened to be from the same location as the first dominant side of professional football. The thrashing by Rovers was to be their last FA Cup game. In August 1889, when they had fallen behind not only Rovers but even other local sides such as Witton and Blackburn Park Road, a notice appeared in the Blackburn Times. “This once famous club, it is to be feared, is gone beyond all recovery. There is no attempt to resuscitate it. The ground is now in the hands of the Blackburn Railway Clerks Club.” Despite one last attempt to resurrect the club, Blackburn Olympic were no more. From nothing to national champions then back again to nothing again in just twelve years. The Hall I’th Wall is still there serving pints with various Olympic memorabilia on the walls and what was the ground is now covered mainly by St Mary’s sixth form college.

Just a small town team, not even the biggest club in Blackburn, changed football forever. From them came new tactics, training methods, managers, trophy parades and the first true triumph of the working-class in a game codified by gentlemen. They may now only be a footnote in history but a glorious footnote they will always remain.

Blackburn Olympic results against Blackburn Rovers in major competitions.
1884/85 – FA CUP R2 – Blackburn Rovers 3 Blackburn Olympic 2
1887/88 – FA CUP R2 – Blackburn Rovers 5 Blackburn Olympic 1