Best owners and administrators in English football - A Tribute to the late Mr. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

JACK WALKER

Blackburn Rovers won the league in 1995, after an immensely exciting title race with Manchester United. The Old Trafford club had won the league in 1993 and a League and Cup Double in 1994 and had emerged as the dominant force. Arsenal was winning cups under Graham, and Liverpool had descended from their place in the late 1980s. United was unchallenged, seemingly...

Well, not quite.

Jack Walker was a business magnate, who was a life-long fan of Lancashire club, Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn hadn't been in the top division for some time but had won the league before, albeit many decades before their 1995 triumph. Walker had one prime aim - to win the League for his club again - and he did it. And how.

His first task was to get in legendary former Liverpool manager (now Sir) Kenny Dalglish.

The next step was a ensure a high transfer budget, which enabled several top signings. David Batty from Leeds United joined, and perhaps the piece de resistance was Alan Shearer from Southampton. Chris Sutton joined from Norwich City, and the tools were in place to succeed in the then new Premier League.

Shearer's goals, supported by Chris Sutton, and the wing play of Wilcox, and the midfield strength of Tim Sherwood, gave Blackburn their first league title in 80 years. This also was supported by the redevelopment of Ewood Park, their home ground, to keep it in line with other top stadia of the period.

However, Blackburn's PL defense in 1996 was less than stellar. And once Alan Shearer was sold to Newcastle United, things started to decline. Blackburn was not traditionally as large a club as the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, etc. and Walker himself started to lessen his involvement due to ill health. He died in 2000 but his ownership showed how the love of a club can turn a team in the lower divisions to the top of the English game.