Blackburn Rovers’ gold away kit 25-26

This season Blackburn are sporting a very striking gold kit which has printed onto it the shapes and silhouettes of some of Blackburn’s most iconic and historic buildings. From a distance this perhaps isn’t entirely clear and the patches on their kits may sometimes kit ridicule from away fans – but up close it is undoubtedly a thing of beauty – and one well worth deconstructing a bit more as we #GetTheShirtIn and find out what we can learn!

Firstly, as context, it is obvious that Blackburn played a significant role in Britain’s Industrial Revolution. It grew rapidly in the 19th century as cotton spinning and weaving expanded and came to power Britain’s rise as a superpower. For those of you that remember high school history lessons, James Hargreaves, a local inventory, devised the ‘Spinning Jenny’ which massively increased the productivity of cotton workers – and demand for the raw material.

Blackburn’s population rose sharply as mills, railways, and housing transformed the town. This growth brought both opportunity and pressure, making Blackburn part of wider national developments in public health, transport, religion, access to land, and organised sport. The landmarks on this shirt reflect how those changes took shape within one of the most important areas on Earth during this time – so let’s take them all in turn:

Corporation Park opened in 1857, when industrial towns across Lancashire were responding to overcrowding, pollution, and poor health caused by rapid urban growth. Reformers increasingly argued that access to green space could improve physical health and social stability in mill towns like Blackburn.

The name Corporation Park is significant. It was funded, owned, and managed by Blackburn Corporation, using public money rather than private donation. This reflected a wider shift towards modern local government, with councils taking responsibility for welfare, sanitation, and leisure. The park was intended as a permanent public asset, not a charitable gift from a local industrialist. People power.

Blackburn Cathedral began as the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, consecrated in 1826 to serve a rapidly growing industrial population. Across Lancashire, new churches were built to provide structure and moral guidance in expanding working-class communities – where the sudden emergence of urban pubs and concert halls may well offer too much temptation to the working man…

In 1926, the church became a cathedral following the creation of the Diocese of Blackburn. This change reflected the importance of East Lancashire within the Church of England as it reorganised to manage densely populated industrial regions. Church leaders involved in northern reform, including figures such as William Temple, shaped thinking about the Church’s social role in industrial society.

Later extensions show how religious buildings adapted as attendance declined, becoming spaces for education, music, and civic events. The cathedral’s development mirrors the changing relationship between religion and community in the North West.

Blackburn Railway Station opened in 1846, integrating the town into the rail network that powered Lancashire’s cotton economy. Railways allowed raw materials and finished goods to move quickly, supporting industrial expansion and linking Blackburn to national and global markets.

Blackburn became the ideal site for the industrial revolution due to its geography and climate. The relative dampness was said to be good for cotton quality – and the River Blakewater provided the power for large waterwheels, like the one at Wensley Fold Mill, to make the factory machinery turn. However, as coal came to replace waterpower the railways provided Blackburn with the ability to quickly import both the fuel for the factories – and the raw materials. And in turn, to quickly get their finished cotton to market.

The surviving late-19th-century frontage reflects a period when railway companies invested in architecture to signal civic importance. Rail travel also reshaped daily life, enabling commuting, leisure travel, and mass attendance at events, including football matches.

The station’s redevelopment in 2000 reflects a later shift from freight to commuter and regional services. Despite these changes, Blackburn Station remains central to how the town connects with the wider North West, showing the long-term impact of industrial-era infrastructure.

Darwen Tower was built between 1897 and 1898 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, but it also became linked to wider political and social movements. In industrial Lancashire, access to open countryside was a growing issue as surrounding moorland was often privately controlled.

Around Darwen, local campaigners challenged landowners who restricted access to the moors, and the tower became associated with late-19th-century efforts to assert public rights of way, part of a wider northern movement that later influenced national access legislation.

Designed to be climbed and used, the tower reflects a regional tradition of civic landmarks tied to popular participation rather than ceremony alone. Its continued use highlights the importance of countryside access to industrial communities.

Ewood Park opened in 1882, as organised sport, and particularly football, became an important part of working-class life in industrial Britain.  Blackburn Rovers were one of the original 12 founding teams of the English League. Blackburn Rovers settled at Ewood Park permanently in 1890 and later secured ownership, giving the club stability at a time when many teams lacked permanent grounds.

In the early 1990s, Jack Walker transformed the club by investing heavily in players and infrastructure, funding the modern redevelopment of Ewood Park and playing a decisive role in Blackburn Rovers’ 1994–95 Premier League title, linking local industry with football success. And, the rest as they say, is history. Blackburn, especially in the 1990s was one of the most successful teams in England.

It is quite the shirt.