KARL WHITEHOUSE SHARES A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FOR WOLVES VS BLACKBURN ROVERS
This will be the 107th meeting in all competitions including cup games of Wolves and Blackburn Rovers.
They have met 106 times in games with Wolves winning 41, Blackburn Rovers winning 40 and 25 draws.
They have met 10 times before in the FA Cup where the last meeting was on the 7th May 1960 FA Cup Final.
The first meeting of the two sides was on the 29th September 1888 in Division One the game finished 2-2.
Do you remember last league meeting at Ewood Park?
Blackburn 1 Wolves 1 29th October 2016
Wolves entered this game without a permanent manager following the dismissal of Walter Zenga. Caretaker manager Rob Edwards was tasked with halting the team’s poor run of form and guiding them to a much-needed victory.
The match began on a disappointing note for Wolves, as Blackburn Rovers took an early lead. Sam Gallagher smashed home a volley in the first half, giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Despite falling behind, Wolves created opportunities to level the score before the break. Dave Edwards and Conor Coady came close but couldn’t find the back of the net, leaving Wolves trailing 1-0 at halftime.
An early setback in the second half saw goalkeeper Carl Ikeme forced off with an injury. Andy Lonergan made his Wolves debut as a substitute and quickly impressed, making a key save to deny Gallagher from doubling Blackburn’s lead.
Wolves kept pressing and eventually found a breakthrough late in the game. A saved shot from Joao Teixeira fell kindly to Matt Doherty, who crossed to Dave Edwards. Edwards rose to head home the equalizer past Blackburn’s Luke Steele, securing a 1-1 draw.
The result extended Wolves’ winless streak to six games, but the late goal offered a glimmer of hope moving forward under Rob Edwards’ interim guidance.
Blackburn Rovers 1 (Gallagher 13): Steele, Lowe, Mulgrew (Hendrie 72), Lenihan, Greer, Marshall, Evans, Guthrie, Conway, Emnes (Stokes 80), Gallagher.
Subs Raya, Akpan, Feeney, Bennett, Samuelsen.
Wolves 1 (Edwards 78): Ikeme (Lonergan HT), Doherty, Borthwick-Jackson, Batth, Hause, Coady, Edwards, Saiss (Teixeira 56), Costa, Wallace (Cavaleiro 65), Bodvarsson.
Subs Silvio, Stearman, Saville, Dicko.
Attendance: 10,652
Do you remember the 1960 FA Cup Final ?
Wolves 3 Blackburn Rovers 0 7th May 1960.
Before the FA Cup final even took place, news broke from Blackburn Rovers that Derek Dougan—who would later become a Wolves legend—had submitted a transfer request, adding an extra storyline ahead of the big game.
The 79th FA Cup final was played under scorching conditions, with reports at the time describing it as one of the warmest finals ever, causing some spectators to faint in the heat. The game itself unfolded at a slow, cautious pace, with both teams deploying the offside trap consistently to stifle attacks. This defensive approach prompted one commentator to dub it “the offside final,” which turned out to be an accurate reflection of the game.
Wolves looked the more threatening side as the first half wore on. Jimmy Murray had a golden opportunity but mishit his effort in front of goal. Blackburn responded with a chance of their own when Peter Dobing broke through the Wolves defence, only to be denied by the heroics of goalkeeper Malcolm Finlayson.
This save became a turning point. Wolves eventually broke the deadlock when Barry Stobart delivered a low cross, which deflected off Mick McGrath and past Blackburn’s goalkeeper Harry Leyland to give Wolves a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, disaster struck for Blackburn. Dave Whelan, the Blackburn full-back, fractured his leg in a clash with Norman Deeley. Both players needed medical attention, but Whelan’s injury was far worse, and he was stretchered off. With no substitutions allowed at the time, Blackburn had to continue with 10 men—an uphill battle from that point onward.
Half-Time: Wolves 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
The second half began with Wolves holding the advantage. Norman Deeley, though still visibly struggling after the earlier collision, continued to play a vital role for his team. The offside traps continued to dominate proceedings, frustrating the crowd and stifling the flow of the game.
Blackburn’s goalkeeper, Harry Leyland, worked hard to keep his team in the contest. Early in the second half, Leyland fumbled a cross from Des Horne, but Barry Stobart, flagged for offside, could not capitalise. Wolves held on to their narrow lead.
Jimmy Murray came close to doubling Wolves’ advantage, but Leyland made a vital save with his legs to concede a corner. From the resulting set-piece, Des Horne played the ball across the goal to find Norman Deeley at the far post, who calmly slotted it home to make it 2-0.
Wolves thought they had gone 3-0 up minutes later when Ron Flowers found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Blackburn, down to 10 men, struggled to create opportunities and offered little threat for the remainder of the game.
With only two minutes remaining, Norman Deeley sealed the victory with his second goal of the match. The Blackburn defence failed to clear the ball, and Deeley pounced to fire it into the top corner from close range, making it 3-0.
Full-Time: Wolves 3-0 Blackburn Rovers
Wolves’ captain, Bill Slater, led the team up the iconic Wembley steps to collect the trophy, presented by the Duchess of Gloucester. This marked Wolves’ fourth FA Cup triumph, a dominant performance in challenging conditions that further cemented their place in football history.
Wolves Route to Final:
3rd Round: Newcastle 2 Wolves 2
3rd Round Replay: Wolves 4 Newcastle 2
4th Round: Wolves 2 Charlton Athletic 1
5th Round: Luton Town 1 Wolves 4
6th Round: Leicester City 1 Wolves 2
Semi Final: Aston Villa 0 Wolves 1
Blackburn Rovers Team: Harry Leyland, John Bray, Dave Whelan, Ronnie Clayton (c), Matt Woods, Mick McGrath, Louis Bimpson, Peter Dobing, Derek Dougan, Bryan Douglas, Ally MacLeod.
Manager: Dally Duncan
Wolves Team: Malcolm Finlayson, George Showell, Gerry Harris, Eddie Clamp, Bill Slater (c), Ron Flowers, Norman Deeley, Barry Stobart, Jimmy Murray, Peter Broadbent, Des Horne.
Goals: Mick McGrath (own goal 41), Norman Deeley (67,88)
Manager: Stan Cullis
Attendance: 98,954
FA Cup Meetings
FA Cup (Semi-final) Saturday 16 March 1889 at Alexandra Ground, Crewe (Att 15,000)
Wolves (0) 1 (Wykes 51): Baynton, Baugh, Mason, Fletcher, Allen, Lowder, Hunter, Wykes, Cooper, Wood, Knight.
Blackburn Rovers (1) 1 (Haresnape 35): Arthur, James Southworth, Forbes, Douglas, Almond, Forrest, Haresnape, Walton, John Southworth, Fecitt, Townley.
FA Cup (Semi-final Replay) Saturday 23 March 1889 at Alexandra Ground, Crewe (Att 9,900)
Wolves (1) 3 (Hunter*, Wood*, Wood*): Baynton, Baugh, Mason, Fletcher, Allen, Lowder, Wykes, Brodie, Wood, Knight.
Blackburn Rovers (0) 1 (Townley 51): Arthur, James Southworth, Forbes, Douglas, Almond, Forrest, Haresnape, Walton, John Southworth, Fecitt, Townley.
FA Cup (Semi-final)- Saturday 8 March 1890 at Racecourse Ground, Derby (Att 14,788)
Wolves (0) 0: Rose, Baugh, C Mason, Fletcher, Allen, Lowder, Worrall, Wykes, Brodie, Wood, Booth.
Blackburn Rovers (0) 1 (John Southworth 85): Horne, James Southworth, Forbes, Barton, Dewar, Forrest, Lofthouse, Campbell, John Southworth, Walton.
FA Cup (Third Round)- Saturday 14 February 1891 at Ewood Park (Att 16,000)
Blackburn Rovers (0) 2 (Fletcher 56og, Baugh 80og): Gow, Brandon, Forbes, Barton, Dewar, Forrest, Lofthouse, Campbell, Southworth, Hall, Townley.
Wolves (0) 0: Rose, Baugh, Mason, Fletcher, Davies, Brodie, Wykes, Thomson, Worrall, Wood, Booth.
FA Cup (Semi-final)- Saturday 4 March 1893 at Town Ground, Nottingham (Att 25,000)
Wolves (2) 2 (Butcher*, Topham 45): Rose, Baugh, Swift, Malpass, Allen, Kinsey, Topham, Wykes, Butcher, Wood, Griffin.
Blackburn Rovers (1) 1 (Taylor 3): Walton, Murray, Forbes, Dewar, Anderson, Marshall, Taylor, Campbell, Southworth, Sawyers, Bowdler.
FA Cup (Second Round)- Saturday 13 February 1897 at Ewood Park (Att 8,000)
Blackburn Rovers (1) 2 (Wilkie 12, Dewar 85): Ogilvie, Brandon, Killean, Booth, Anderson, Dewar, Nicol, Haydock, Hargreaves, Wilkie, Chippendale.
Wolves (1) 1 (Beats 17): Tennant, Fleming, Wood, Griffiths, Owen, Malpass, Tonks, McMain, Beats, Smith, Miller.
FA Cup (Third Round)- Saturday 24 February 1912 at Ewood Park (Att 40,000)
Blackburn Rovers (1) 3 (Chapman 2, Aitkenhead 50 75): Ashcroft, Crompton, Cowell, Walmsley, Smith, Bradshaw, Simpson, Orr, Chapman, Aitkenhead, Anthony.
Wolves (2) 2 (Halligan 30 36): Boxley, Collins, Garratly, Groves, Young, Bishop, Harrison, Hedley, Halligan, Needham, Brooks.
FA Cup (First Round) Saturday 10 January 1920 at Ewood Park (Att 22,000)
Blackburn Rovers (0) 2 (Reilly 58, Reilly 86): J Duckworth, Barton, Rollo, A Walmsley, Reilly, Bradshaw, McClure, Shea, Dawson, Hawksworth, Hodkinson.
Wolves (1) 2 (Richards 45, Richards 79): Peers, Baugh, Garratly, Price, Groves, Riley, Harrison, Wright, Lea, Richards, Brooks.
FA Cup (First Round, Replay) Thursday 15 January 1920 at Molineux (Att 36,800)
Wolves (1) 1 (Lea 41): Peers, Baugh, Garratly, Price, Groves, Riley, Harrison, Wright, Lea, Richards, Brooks.
Blackburn Rovers (0) 0: J Duckworth, Rollo, A Walmsley, A Walmsley, Reilly, Bradshaw, Hodkinson, Shea, Dawson, Hawksworth, F Duckworth.
FA Cup Final: Wolves: Wolves 3 Blackburn 0 7th May 1960 match information detailed in a classic match report.
Playing for Both Teams
Alan Ainscow
Played for Wolves 1984-1986 made 58 appearances scored 5 goals and played for Blackburn Rovers 1986-1989 made 65 appearances scored 5 goals.
Keith Andrews
Played for Wolves 1999-2005 made 72 appearances scored 1 goal and played for Blackburn Rovers 2008-2011 made 76 appearances scored 5 goals.
Mark Atkins
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1988-1995 made 257 appearances scored 34 goals and played for Wolves 1995-1999 made 126 appearances scored 8 goals.
Danny Batth
Played for Wolves 2009-2019 made 212 appearances scored 16 goals and currently playing for Blackburn Rovers 2024 made 28 appearances scored 2 goals
Elliott Bennett
Played for Wolves 2007-2009 made 2 appearances and played for Blackburn Rovers 2016-2021 made 192 appearances scored 9 goals.
Nathan Blake
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1998-2001 made 55 appearances scored 13 goals and played for Wolves 2001-2004 made 75 appearances scored 24 goals.
Jay Bothroyd
Played for Blackburn Rovers in a loan spell 2004-2005 made 11 appearances scored 1 goal and played for Wolves 2006-2008 made 55 appearances scored 12 goals.
Paul Bradshaw
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1973-1977 made 78 appearances and played for Wolves 1977-1984 made 200 appearances.
Gordon Cowans
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1991-1993 made 50 appearances scored 2 goals and played for Wolves 1994-1995 made 37 appearances.
Derek Dougan
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1959-1961 made 59 appearances scored 26 goals and played for Wolves 1967-1975 made 258 appearances scored 95 goals.
Barry Douglas
Played for Wolves 2017-2018 made 42 appearances scored 5 goals and played for Blackburn Rovers in a loan spell 2020-2021 made 31 appearances.
Tim Flowers
Played for Wolves 1984-1986 made 72 appearances and played for Blackburn Rovers 1993-1999 made 217 appearances.
Michael Gray
Played for Blackburn Rovers 2004-2007 made 64 appearances and played for Wolves 2007-2009 made 41 appearances scored 4 goals.
Jemal Johnson
Played for Blackburn Rovers 2004-2006 made 10 appearances scored 1 goal and played for Wolves 2006-2007 made 24 appearances scored 3 goals.
David Jones
Played for Wolves 2008-2011 made 76 appearances scored 8 goals and played for Blackburn Rovers in a loan spell 2012 made 12 appearances scored 2 goals.
Ben Marshall
Played for Blackburn Rovers 2013-2017 made 140 appearances scored 16 goals and played for Wolves 2016-2018 made 25 appearances scored 2 goals.
Charlie Mulgrew
Played for Wolves 2006-2008 made 9 appearances and played for Blackburn Rovers made 109 appearances scored 27 goals.
Robbie Slater
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1994-1995 made 18 appearances and played for Wolves 1998 made 6 appearances.
Dave Wagstaffe
Played for Wolves 1964-1976 made 324 appearances scored 26 goals and played for Blackburn Rovers 1976-1978 & 1979 made 77 appearances scored 7 goals.
Andreas Weimann
Played for Wolves in a loan spell 2017 made 21 appearances scored 3 goals and currently plays for Blackburn Rovers 2024 made 26 appearances scored 6 goals.
Dennis Westcott
Played for Wolves 1936-1948 made 128 appearances scored 105 goals and played for Blackburn Rovers 1948-1950 made 63 appearances scored 37 goals.
Other Players Who Played for Both Clubs
Len Astill, Jack Beattie, Norman Bell, Marcus Bent, Tony Bond, Charlie Bowdler, Laurie Calloway, Niall Ennis, Ryan Giles, Freddie Goodwin, Danny Graham, Bill Holmes, Ken Knighton, Andy Lonergan, William McCall, Jackie Oakes, Darren Peacock, Chris Pearce, Darren Potter, Jason Roberts, Dion Sanderson, Frank Talia.
Played, Coached, Managed Both Teams
Bobby Mimms
Played for Blackburn Rovers in 2 spells which included a loan spell 1987 & 1990-1996 made 134 appearances and was goalkeeping coach 2001-2008 at Wolves.
Keith Downing
Played for Wolves 1987-1993 made 228 appearances scored 11 goals and is currently Blackburn Rovers assistant coach as of February 2024.
Graham Hawkins
Played for Wolves 1962-1968 made 35 appearances also was Wolves manager 1982-1984 managing 90 games and played for Blackburn Rovers 1974-1978 made 131 appearances scored 4 goals.
Scott Sellars
Played for Blackburn Rovers 1986-1992 made 202 appearances scored 35 goals and was head coach of Wolves U23’s 2014-2018 also assistant head coach under caretaker manager Rob Edwards and ex technical director at Wolves.
ARTICLE BY KARL WHITEHOUSE
I’ve been a dedicated Wolves fan for over 30 years, supporting the team through the highs and lows of the 80s, 90s, and 00s. I’ve followed them home and away, growing my love for the game into a passion for analyzing Wolves’ performances, especially diving into the stats behind their Premier League matches.
As the go-to person for Wolves stats on podcasts, I also love exploring football history for deeper insights. One of my proudest achievements is completing the journey to all 92 Football League grounds.