2005–06 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season


During the 2005–06 season, Blackburn Rovers F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.

Season summary

After relegation struggles during the two previous season, Mark Hughes marked his first full season in club management by taking Blackburn to sixth place - four points off Champions League qualification - and reaching his second successive cup semi-final, in the League Cup, only to be knocked out by the eventual cup winners again, Hughes' old club Manchester United. Blackburn had been in mid-table for much of the season before gathering momentum to put real pressure on Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the crucial fourth place, eventually finishing in a UEFA Cup place. Rovers' good form was largely in part down to the good form of Welsh striker Craig Bellamy, a summer signing from Newcastle United, who scored 13 goals in the league. However, Bellamy would then exercise an option to enable him to move for £6 million to a Champions League club, signing for FA Cup winners Liverpool. As his replacement Hughes signed South African striker Benni McCarthy, who had helped fire Porto to the Champions League title two years earlier.

Final league table

Results

Blackburn Rovers' score comes first

Legend

FA Premier League

Results by matchday

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
13 August 2005West Ham UnitedA33,305Todd
20 August 2005FulhamH16,953Pedersen, Tugay
24 August 2005Tottenham HotspurH22,375
27 August 2005Aston VillaA31,010
11 September 2005Bolton WanderersA24,405
18 September 2005Newcastle UnitedH20,725
24 September 2005Manchester UnitedA67,765Pedersen
1 October 2005West Bromwich AlbionH26,310Kuqi
15 October 2005LiverpoolA44,697
22 October 2005Birmingham CityH18,341Dickov, Bellamy
29 October 2005ChelseaA41,553Bellamy
5 November 2005Charlton AthleticH17,691Emerton, Dickov, Pedersen, Bellamy
19 November 2005Manchester CityA44,032
26 November 2005ArsenalA38,192
3 December 2005EvertonH22,064
10 December 2005West Ham UnitedH20,370Dickov, Kuqi
17 December 2005FulhamA20,138Knight
26 December 2005MiddlesbroughA29,881Kuqi
31 December 2005Wigan AthleticA20,639Pedersen, Reid, Bellamy
2 January 2006PortsmouthH19,521Pedersen, Dickov
14 January 2006Bolton WanderersH18,180
21 January 2006Newcastle UnitedA51,323Pedersen
1 February 2006Manchester UnitedH25,484Bentley, Neill
4 February 2006West Bromwich AlbionA23,993
11 February 2006EvertonA35,615
15 February 2006SunderlandH18,220Bellamy
25 February 2006ArsenalH22,504Pedersen
5 March 2006Tottenham HotspurA36,080Sinama Pongolle, Bellamy
11 March 2006Aston VillaH21,932Todd, Bellamy
18 March 2006MiddlesbroughH18,681Bellamy, Pedersen
25 March 2006SunderlandA29,593Reid
3 April 2006Wigan AthleticH20,410Kuqi
8 April 2006PortsmouthA20,048Bellamy
16 April 2006LiverpoolH29,142
19 April 2006Birmingham CityA25,287Savage
29 April 2006Charlton AthleticA26,254Reid, Powell
2 May 2006ChelseaH20,243Reid
7 May 2006Manchester CityH25,731Khizanishvili, Kuqi

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R37 January 2006Queens Park RangersH12,705Todd, Bellamy
R428 January 2006West Ham UnitedA23,700Bentley, Neill

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R221 September 2005Huddersfield TownH11,755Bellamy, Khizanishvili
R325 October 2005Leeds UnitedH15,631Emerton, Dickov, Neill
R430 November 2005Charlton AthleticA14,093Kuqi, Thompson, Bentley
R521 December 2005MiddlesbroughA14,710Dickov
SF 1st Leg11 January 2006Manchester UnitedH24,348Pedersen
SF 2nd Leg25 January 2006Manchester UnitedA 61,637Reid

First-team squad

Left club during season

Reserve squad

Statistics

Appearances and goals

! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season

Starting 11

FA Premier League