Blackburn Rovers have put out an appeal for any druids in the local area.  This follows discussions about building a new railway station on land adjacent to the football ground.

It seems the land was once the site where fertility rituals were held by an ancient druidical sect.  In the druidic faith, all ground is sacred.  They choose to delineate a portion of already-sacred space for ritual use either permanently, or for a certain period of time.  Building a new railway station on what could be a religious site could alienate Blackburn’s Druid community.  Even more so desecrating a burial site, this could open up a whole new can of worms for the football club.

Rovers are mindful of what happened at Derby County’s old home – the Baseball Ground.  The Rams had occasionally used the stadium for their home matches and, with their partner baseball club in decline, made it their permanent home in 1895. A party of Gypsies was forced to move and legend has it, before leaving, they put a curse on the ground, preventing Derby County winning the F.A. Cup.  This was in force until 1946, when the Derby captain sought out a gypsy encampment to have the curse lifted before the club’s FA Cup Final appearance that year.  They agreed and the Rams went on to win 4-1.

Druids were originally recorded in Blackburn by Roman legions travelling through the town on their way to Ribchester.  They were quickly captured, enslaved and put to work on the Roman road which passes nearby, a short distance away from Ewood Park.  Legend has it, these Druids swore revenge and cursed all future Roman places of worship and entertainment in the vicinity where they were captured.

Ewood Park could resemble a Roman amphitheatre in the eyes of some latter-day Druids.  But Rovers, with their equal opportunities policy and multi-faith prayer room, remain convinced our own stadium would not have faced the Druid’s wrath.  Their adherents would certainly be made welcome.  Although they won’t be allowed to align standing stones, using the centre circle, during half time and a special licence would be needed to be granted for human sacrifices.

Being such a secretive sect, nobody really knows what offering needs to be made to the Druids to appease them.  It is thought some representatives of the club would be prepared to take part in one of their rituals.  Usually donating a few sprigs of mistletoe, then dancing naked around their camp fire should placate them.  Perhaps a few pints in the White Bull later may also do the trick.

No decision has been made yet on where the new railway station will be sited.  If the site of the old druidical land is chosen, perhaps respect could be paid to its former occupants by giving the station a name with druidical connections. Instead of Blackburn South and Ewood Park, how about Etis Lacidiurd?

The campaign for a railway station at Ewood can be found at:

www.funplace2b.co.uk/rovers-train/about.htm