Where does the rivalry with Blackburn rank?

[danm1992]

Just over a week to go before the massive derby at the Reebok...I mean Macron. Blackburn sold their 4,200 tickets in no time, and tickets in the Bolton end are selling like hot cakes. Well there'll be less empty seats than there usually are, let's leave it at that.

According to the survey in the link Blackburn and Bolton are each other's second biggest rivals. Does that sound about right to you?

I know a lot of Blackburn fans that would say Bolton are just irrelevant, yet they despise Burnley who are arguably a smaller club and only ten minutes closer. Equally, I know Bolton fans that don't mind beating Blackburn, but don't exactly rush out for the match tickets twice a season.

So what does this match mean to you, the league and Boxing Day aside? - view external link

[itsintheblood]

Go back along way with this, although nowadays it's just another game I want us to win.

60's and 70's I'd say for me it was at its best.

Remember working one Saturday morning, think 71? Then rushing for the train at Trinity St. To get to Blackburn for the match ... we won 3 -1

Another, this one I missed when Frankie Worthy scored The Goal that got us Promoted to Div 1.

[bwfcforever]

i was at that game , wasnt it a night game ..?

[hodgie]

More recently the game where we came from 3-1 behind and won 4-3 I think Djorkaeff scored the first goal and Nolan or Stellios got the winner was immense.

The 1-0 Win where Jussi saved 2 pens and Nolan got sent off was a great game as well.

[JimmyJazz64]

To me they are our closest and most long-standing rivals.

Funny how most fans put Man U as our biggest rivals but we don't register on their radar - same with Bury putting us as their biggest rivals.

Blackburn games have produced some of my best and worst memories

- Franky's goal in that night game at Ewood when we won promotion (1978??) - I was on a "Dad and Lad" ticket with my Dad in the stand opposite the dugouts - virtually the whole ground was Bolton fans and the place went mental at the end - took hours to get home over Tockholes after the game

- Stuart Holden's goal (2010 just before his injury?) at The Reebok - they'd scored to make it 1-1 and their fans were going mad - I remember two blokes with chickens on their head running onto the pitch - one of them tripped over the advertising hoardings and was collared by the stewards - as he and the others were being shoved down the tunnel they were giving it the big one to the West Stand not realising that Holden had scored from

[lord_hooray]

I don't actually personally know one Blackburn fan but know loads of City and United fans so i think that is why we class them as our rivals, though it now seems odd as they have pushed on since the seventies. Remember taking 10000 to United in the fa Cup once in 1991, I think they were shocked at our cockiness taking over the streets of Stretford for the day

It is strange though that Blackburn don't consider us being worthy of a rivalry and seem to hate Burnley, as they hardly ever play them, we have played Blackburn more times than any other club apart from Aston Villa.

[garyp1803]

Blackburn are behind Wigan for me, as Blackburn & Burnley have their own "little" rivalry. Wigan ****ing hate us and I hate them too!