Historical Crests Blackburn Rovers FC

Name: ​ ​ ​​​Blackburn Rovers FC

Nickname(s): ​ ​The Riversiders

Founded: ​ ​ ​1875

Stadium: ​ ​ ​Ewood Park (Blackburn)

Capacity: ​ ​​​​31,367

Blackburn Rovers FC Crest History

Founded in 1875, Blackburn Rovers Football Club has used a variety of badges throughout its history, but no symbol has been more closely associated with the club than the Red Rose of Lancashire. The rose, together with the club’s motto “Arte et Labore” (“By Skill and Hard Work”), has formed the foundation of Blackburn Rovers’ identity for well over a century and remains at the heart of the club’s crest today.

The origins of Blackburn Rovers’ visual identity can be traced to the club’s roots in Lancashire. As one of the county’s most successful football clubs during the nineteenth century, Blackburn naturally adopted the Red Rose, the historic symbol of Lancashire. 

A more structured identity emerged during the twentieth century as football clubs increasingly adopted permanent crests. Blackburn developed a circular badge featuring the Lancashire Rose at its centre, surrounded by the club name and the Latin motto “Arte et Labore.” The motto reflected the values of discipline, craftsmanship and hard work that had long been associated with both the club and the industrial heritage of Lancashire.

Unlike several clubs that radically redesigned their badges during the branding trends of the 1990s and 2000s, Blackburn Rovers largely preserved the traditional structure of their crest. 

Blackburn Rovers FC Club History

Blackburn Rovers Football Club was founded in 1875 by John Lewis and Arthur Constantine following a meeting at the St Leger Hotel in Blackburn, Lancashire. Established during the formative years of association football, the club quickly became one of the strongest teams in the region and played a significant role in the development of the professional game in England.

Blackburn Rovers were among the pioneers of organised football. The club became one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888 and had already established itself as a national force through its success in the FA Cup. Between 1884 and 1886, Blackburn won three consecutive FA Cups, becoming one of the dominant clubs of the Victorian era and helping to cement Lancashire’s reputation as a centre of English football.

The period between the 1880s and the First World War is widely regarded as Blackburn Rovers’ first golden era. In addition to their early FA Cup triumphs, the club won the First Division championship in 1911–12 and again in 1913–14. These successes established Blackburn as one of the leading clubs in England during the early decades of league football.

A major milestone came in 1890 when the club moved to Ewood Park, a stadium that has remained Blackburn Rovers’ permanent home ever since. Over more than a century, Ewood Park has witnessed the club’s greatest triumphs and remains one of the most historic football grounds in English football.

Throughout much of the twentieth century, Blackburn experienced mixed fortunes. The club continued to compete at a high level and won the FA Cup for a sixth time in 1928, but the decades that followed brought periods of decline, including relegation from the top flight and extended spells outside English football’s highest division.

A remarkable revival began in the early 1990s following investment from local businessman Jack Walker. Walker’s ambition transformed Blackburn Rovers into one of the most competitive teams in the country. Under manager Kenny Dalglish, the club secured promotion to the newly formed Premier League in 1992 and quickly emerged as title challengers.

The greatest achievement in Blackburn Rovers’ modern history came during the 1994–95 season. Inspired by players such as Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, Blackburn won the Premier League title, securing their first league championship for eighty-one years. The triumph made Blackburn only the second club to win the Premier League and remains one of the most celebrated achievements in English football history.

The years following the title success brought both highs and challenges. Blackburn regularly competed in European competition and won the League Cup in 2002, but the club also experienced relegation from the Premier League in 1999 and again in 2012. Despite returning briefly to the top flight, Blackburn spent much of the following decade competing in the Championship.

Blackburn Rovers’ principal rivalry is with Burnley in the East Lancashire Derby, one of the oldest and most fiercely contested rivalries in English football. Additional rivalries exist with Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers, reflecting the club’s historic position within Lancashire football.

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