The ACN Away Guide – Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

The ground

Nestled on the banks of the River Darwen, Ewood Park is, in my opinion, one of the League’s more scenically situated grounds. In terms of design, I always think it looks eerily like Carrow Road in a (clearly dystopian) parallel universe where Norwich play in blue and white – with its twin two tiered ends and smaller, older stand running along one side of the pitch.

The away end itself is pretty good. Not only is there an unimpeded view of the pitch, visiting sides are often given a whole tier behind the goal (sometimes the entire end).

Getting There

Those arriving by train will need to get a connection from Leeds or Manchester. The nearest station to Ewood Park is actually Mill Hill, which can be reached from Blackburn Station.

If arriving by car, leave the M65 at Junction 4 and follow signs to Blackburn. Accessible parking can be pre-booked by contacting Blackburn’s ticket office, whilst official offside parking is provided by The Big Parking.

Where to Drink

On one of the overlooking hills, just off Brokenstone Road, is the Black Bull pub. This traditional watering hole not only offers stunning views over the Lancashire countryside, it is also home to the Three Bs brewery – which produce a wide selection of excellent real ales (the Stoker’s Slake Dark Mild being my personal favourite). On my last visit, they also provided parking and a pre-match quiz. Can’t say fairer than that.

Footy Scran™

Like Wigan (Pie Barm), the Black Country (Orange Chips), Sheffield (Fishcake), to name but a few, Blackburn boasts its own chip shop speciality. The ‘John Bull’ is made of minced meat fried between two slices of potato, covered in batter and deep fried. The best one apparently comes from Holly Tree Chippy, a thirty minute walk (or 5 minute drive) from the ground.

Other Things to See and Do

Blackburn is on the doorstep of the Ribble Valley, so why not have a ramble along the 5.5 mile Tolkien Trail – which celebrates the connections between the Lord of the Rings author and the surrounding area.

Fun Fact

When thinking about Blackburn’s footballing successes, most people will likely look to Rover’s Premier League title in the 1994/95 season. But in 1883, the short lived Blackburn Olympic were the first northern, and first working class team, to win the FA Cup when they beat Old Etonians 2-1 at the Oval. A heavily fictionalised version of this story forms the basis of Netflix’s The English Game.

P.S. Rovers have a fanzine called 4000 Holes, which is an objectively great name.