Fondly recalled by many a long-suffering Rovers fan, the Lancs Manx Cup was a pre-season competition which revived the old Lancashire Cup (in the days of the 1880s when the league teams of later still took part) and was sponsored by the Isle of Man tourist board (hence the name). The winners of the Lancs Manx Cup were then invited to take part in the Isle of Man football festival the year after.

The format of the competition consisted of eight clubs split into two groups. After playing each other team in their group (but only once, they didn’t play each team home and away), the winners of each group then met in the final, with the team with the best record in their group having home advantage. The competition was seen as a means to attracting larger pre-season gates due to the element of local rivalry and also as a replacement for the old Anglo-Scottish Cup. Rovers withdrew from the competition before the 1992 tournament by which time they were a Premiership side. After their withdrawal, the competition struggled on but when Bolton later withdrew the competition slowly died a death. The Isle of Man football festival continues to be played every summer on the island.

In total, Rovers took part in ten Lancs Manx competitions, reaching the final on six occasions, winning the Cup four times. The most eagerly awaited ties tended to be those against Burnley, their bitterest rivals. The teams met six times in the competition, Rovers winning three and drawing two. Burnley won just the one game between the two sides; in 1987 at Turf Moor. There were two sweetest moments for Rovers fans, one at Ewood and one at Turf Moor. Glenn Keeley lifted the 1985 trophy at Ewood after beating the Clarets 1-0. In 1989, the ‘Blue and Whites’ triumphed over the ‘Claret and Blues’ at Turf Moor on their way to winning the competition that year. This competition also meant that, despite not meeting in league football, the rivalry between Blackburn and Burnley continued to be as strong, passionate and fierce as always. Only when Rovers left the competition and competed in the Premiership could the enmity between the two have been said to have lessened at all.

ROVERS IN THE LANCS MANX CUP

• 1982
  • GROUP MATCH (G) – BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Blackpool 2
  • G - Bolton Wanderers 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Preston North End 1
  • FINAL - Bury 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

• 1983
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 4 Blackpool 2
  • G – Burnley 1 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 4 Preston North End 1
  • FINAL - BLACKBURN ROVERS 0 Bury 0 (Rovers 3-1 on penalties)

• 1984
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Bury 2
  • G – Bolton Wanderers 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Preston North End 0
  • FINAL – Wigan Athletic 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

• 1985
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Wigan Athletic 2
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 6 Blackpool 0
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 0 Preston North End 0
  • FINAL - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Burnley 0

• 1986
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Rochdale 1
  • G - Blackpool 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0
  • G - Bury 3 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

• 1987
  • G - Bolton Wanderers 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2
  • G - Burnley 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Blackpool 2
  • FINAL - BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Wigan Athletic 2 (Rovers won 4-3 on pens)

• 1988
  • G – Blackpool 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2
  • G – Burnley 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 3
  • G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Preston North End 2

• 1989
  • G – Wigan Athletic 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 3
  • G – Burnley 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2
  • G – Bolton Wanderers 3 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
  • FINAL – Blackpool 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

• 1990
  • G – Bury 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0
  • G – Preston North End 4 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2
  • G – Rochdale 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2

• 1991
  • G – Preston North End 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
  • G – Burnley 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
  • G – Bury 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1