The 2013–14 season is Blackburn Rovers 126th season as a professional football club and its second playing in the Football League Championship since the club's relegation during the 2011–12 Barclays Premier League season.[1]
Caretaker for the final few games of the previous season, Gary Bowyer, was given the job permanently.
Grzegorz Sandomierski, Cameron Stewart, David Bentley, David Jones, Todd Kane and Colin Kazim-Richards, all of which were on loan at Rovers during the 12-13 season did not secure permanent contracts, though Todd Kane has returned to Rovers for a third loan spell. Mauro Formica and Diogo Rosado, who were both loaned out for the final half of the 12-13 season left the club during the summer transfer window, the former being sold and the latter having his contract terminated. Rubén Rochina and Bruno Ribeiro who were also loaned out towards the end of the 12-13 season have returned to the club and are part of the first team, though both are currently injured.
Fan favourite, David Dunn's future is now no longer uncertain, as talks over a new contract with his hometown club resulted in a one-year contract extension.[2] Grant Hanley and Lee Williamson have also gained contract extensions.
With this season being the second for Rovers in the Football League Championship, and a reported £2 million a month being lost through player wages, the club have been trying to move on higher earning players whose salaries don't match their number of appearances in an attempt to lighten the wage-bill in preparation for the Fair-Play rules which are to be introduced in the 14-15 season. With players such as Dickson Etuhu and Leon Best reported to be on as much as £35,000 a week, the club may cut their losses.[3]
Pre season
On 24 May 2013, Rovers owners Venkys rewarded Gary Bowyer's performance as 'Caretaker manager', and an impressive record with a 12-month contract as the club's manager.[4]
Bowyer wasted no time in adding to his team making a triple Free transfer signing of midfielder Chris Taylor (Millwall), midfielder Alan Judge (Notts County) and goalkeeper Simon Eastwood (Portsmouth), all of whom are joining the club after their contracts ran out with their clubs.[5] He further indictated that funds had been made available to him by the club's owners, and he would be making changes both incoming and outgoing before the start of the new season.[5]
On 4 June 2013, it was announced that the club had decided to release Micah Evans, Osayamen Osawe, Chris Dilo, Jamie Maclaren, Reece Hands, Peter Wylie, Ryan Humphreys and Danny Laverty at the ends of their contracts (30 June 2013).
The club had also confirmed that young players John O'Sullivan, Raheem Hanley, Hugo Fernandez, Will Beesley, Curtis Haley, Kellen Daly and Darragh Lenihan had all been offered new deals. All were due to be out of contract on 30 June 2013. Young goalkeeper Matthew Urwin[6] and 1st team defender Grant Hanley[7] have also signed new contracts at the club.
On 7 June 2013 Operations Director Paul Agnew was fired by the club owners Venkys.[8]
On 10 June 2013, Blackburn Rovers installed Terry McPhillips as assistant manager and Tony Grant as first-team coach, while Carlisle United youth team coach Eric Kinder re-joins Rovers as head of the youth team.[9]
On 21 June 2013, Blackburn Rovers welcome back former player Craig Short who joins Gary Bowyer's backroom staff as first team coach.[10]
On 3 July, Blackburn Rovers announce new shirt sponsor as RFS (Regulatory Finance Solutions Ltd), a management consultancy business.[11]
Pre-season friendlies
Rovers XI
- Blackburn Rovers XI matches consisted of the U21s, 1st team players recovering match fitness post injury, U18s and trial players.
- the Blackburn Rovers XI matches against Fleetwood Town and Bury were played behind closed doors (without a crowd).
Championship
Blackburn's game against Derby County was a fixture released early to mark the special 125th anniversary of the Football League.[12] Gary Bowyer's first game as manager would ironically be against a club he coached at previously before joining Rovers in 2005.
BBC Football
Team statistics
League table
2013–14 Football League Championship table
Source:
BBC SportRules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Result by round
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | A | H |
| Result | D | L | L | W | W | D | L | D | W | W | L | L | D | W | L | D | W | L | D | W | W | D | L | W | W | L | D | D | W | D | W | L | L | L | W | D | D | D | D | W | W | D | D | W | W | W |
| Position | 11 | 17 | 22 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
Last updated: 25 March 2014.
Source: Statto.com
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.
Overall summary
Summary
- As of 3 May 2014
| Games played | 49 (46 Championship, 2 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
| Games won | 18 (18 Championship, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
| Games drawn | 18 (16 Championship, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
| Games lost | 13 (12 Championship, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
| Goals scored | 75 (41 Championship, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 72 (63 Championship, 6 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
| Goal difference | +3 (+8 Championship, -5 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 15 (15 Championship, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) |
| Yellow cards | 80 (76* Championship, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cup) |
| Red cards | 5 (4 Championship, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) |
| Most yellows | 8  Lowe |
| Most reds | 2  Hanley |
| Best result | 5–2 vs Barnsley |
| Worst result | 5–0 vs Man City |
| Most appearances | 49 Rhodes |
| Top scorer | 25 Rhodes |
| Points | 70 |
- Leon Best gained a booking from the bench.
|
|
Cup Competitions
League Cup
Rovers started their League Cup campaign earlier than usual against League One outfit Carlisle United, it was the first time Rovers appeared in the first round since 2000.
Details
- Gary Bowyer rested 8 players from the previous game.
- Carlisle opened the scoring in the first quarter-hour.
- Rovers levelled the score with Tom Cairney's deflected shot in the second half.
- David Dunn's low penalty was saved before taking the lead with Chris Taylor's header.
- A lapse of concentration by Josh King in defence gifted Carlisle an equaliser which forced the game into extra time.
- Alan Judge retook the lead with a fine volley from inside the box, this was later cancelled out again by Carlisle.
- Rovers then went down to 10 men with Tom Cairney's second yellow.
- After extra-time the game ended level at 3–3.
- In the penalty shoot-out Rovers lost out 4-3
- Chris Taylor and Josh Morris missed fourth and fifth penalties while Carlisle missed only their first penalty.
FA Cup
Club
Technical staff
Last updated: June 2013
Source: [14]
|
Medical staff
| Position |
Staff |
|---|
| Doctor |
 Duncan Robertson |
| Strength and conditioning coach |
 Chris Neville |
| Youth team Doctor |
Chris Dalton |
| Physiotherapist |
Dave Fevre
Paul Kelly
Mark Palmer |
Last updated: October 2011
Source: [14]
|
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
- As of 3 May 2014
Assists
- As of 16 August 2014[15]
Transfers
Summer
In
- Total spent
~ Undisclosed (~ £1,600,000+)
Out
- Total sold
~ Undisclosed (~ £2,600,000+)
Loan in
Loan out
Youth Loan out
Winter
In
- Total spent ~ undisclosed (est ~ £900,000)
Out
- Total sold ~ undisclosed (est ~ £1,500,000+)
Loan in
Loan out
References
External links
{{2013–14 in English football}}
