The 2017–18 season was Blackburn Rovers' 130th season as a professional football club and its first playing in the League One following its relegation from the Championship the previous season.[2] Along with competing in the League One, the club also participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy. Thanks to a 0–1 win against Doncaster Rovers on 24 April, Blackburn were promoted back to the Championship.[3] As of 2024, this remains the only season any former Premier League champion has competed below the second tier of English football. The season covers the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.
| 2017–18 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Mike Cheston | ||
| Manager | Tony Mowbray[1] | ||
| Stadium | Ewood Park | ||
| League One | 2nd | ||
| FA Cup | Third round (vs. Hull City) | ||
| EFL Cup | Second round (vs. Burnley) | ||
| EFL Trophy | Group Stage | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Bradley Dack (18) All: Bradley Dack (18) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 12,173 | ||
Summer activity
May
On 8 May Rovers announced Paul Senior has resigned from his role as Director of Football and Operations.[4]
On 16 May Rovers owners Venky's have brought in accountancy firms Deloitte and KPMG to carry out an overview of the club.
On 18 May Rovers announced their retained list: Adam Henley, Gordon Greer, Jason Lowe, Hope Akpan, Danny Guthrie, Wes Brown, Ramirez Howarth and Joshua Askew have not been offered further terms. The following academy scholars will not be retained: Ben Ascroft, Alex Curran, Mason Fawns, Callum Hendry, Matthew Makinson, Tre Pemberton, Joel Steer and Ben Williams with non-contracted player Joshua Powell also released.
The club also announced that new contract offers had been made to Connor Mahoney and Lewis Travis. Whilst professional contract offers have been made to youngsters Charley Doyle, Joe Grayson, Tyler Magloire and Stefan Mols.[5]
June
On 2 June Rovers announced Mark Venus had joined as the club's Assistant Manager.[6]
On 8 June Rovers confirmed Tony Mowbray's backroom staff after the appointment of Mark Venus, David Lowe will take up the role as first team coach, David Dunn will revert to his role as assistant coach of the under 23s and Ben Benson will remain as goalkeeping coach.[7]
On 9 June Rovers announced Tony Mowbray has committed his long-term future to the club signing a new 2-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.[8]
On 13 June Rovers announced the signing of midfielder Peter Whittingham on a free from Cardiff City. The 32-year-old, became manager Tony Mowbray's first signing, putting pen-to-paper on a two-year deal at Ewood Park, which runs through to the summer of 2019.[9]
On 14 June Rovers announced promising young defender Lewis Travis has signed a new 1-year deal.[10]
On 16 June Rovers were drawn against Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena in first round of the EFL Cup, Tony Mowbray old club.[11]
On 17 June Rovers announced three of Rovers rising stars midfielders Joe Grayson and Stefan Mols and defender Charley Doyle had all signed their first professional contracts, signing two-year deals.[12]
On 20 June Rovers announced the signing of midfielder Richie Smallwood on a free from Rotherham United, putting pen-to-paper on a two-year deal with the option of a further year.[13]
On 26 June Rovers announced that another rising star, defender Tyler Magloire, has signed his first professional contract, signing a two-year deal.[14]
On 26 June Rovers announced that first team coach David Lowe has pledged his commitment to the club by putting pen-to-paper on a new long-term contract.[15]
On 27 June Rovers announced the signing of attacking midfielder Bradley Dack from Gillingham for a reported £750,000 plus add-ons, on a 3-year deal.[16]
On 28 June Rovers announced the signing of midfielder Ben Gladwin from Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee, on a 2-year deal.[17]
On 29 June Rovers commenced pre-season training.[18]
July
On 4 July Bournemouth announced the signing of midfielder Connor Mahoney on a 4-year deal after rejecting a new contract at Rovers, compensation to be agreed.[19]
On 11 July Rovers announced that Eric Kinder has left his position as the club's Head of Academy.[20]
On 18 July Rovers announced rising stars will continue to compete at the highest level of youth football after the club confirmed it will remain a Category One Academy.[21]
On 18 July Burton Albion announced the signing of midfielder Hope Akpan on a 1-year deal following his release from Rovers.[22]
On 19 July Rovers announced the signing of striker Dominic Samuel from Reading for an undisclosed fee, on a 3-year deal.[23]
On 20 July Rovers announced the signing of defender Paul Caddis following a successful trial at the club on a 2-year deal, he was a free agent following his release from Bury.[24]
On 21 July Rovers announced the departure of striker Anthony Stokes by mutual consent.[25]
On 21 July Rovers announced that defender Ryan Nyambe had signed a new long term contract, signing a 3-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months.[26]
On 22 July Rovers announced the signing of striker Joe Nuttall following a successful trial scoring 5 goals in 2 games for the u23s, on a 12-month deal with option of a further 12 months, he was a free agent following his release from Aberdeen.[27]
On 24 July Rovers announced the appointment of Stuart Jones as Head of Academy, he joined as the Academy as Head of Education in 2011, before moving up to the role of Head of Academy Operations four years later.[28]
On 26 July Rovers announced Jason Steele has joined Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.[29]
On 31 July Kilmarnock announced the signing of defender Gordon Greer following his release from Rovers.[30]
On 31 July Rovers announced Goalkeeping Coach Ben Benson has signed a new long term deal at the club.[31]
August
On 2 August Rovers announced the signing of Canadian International Goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler from Shrewsbury Town on a 2-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[32]
On 2 August Hibernian announced the signing of striker Anthony Stokes on a 2-year deal following his release from Rovers.[33]
On 4 August Rovers announced the signing of midfielder Harry Chapman on loan for the season from Middlesbrough.[34]
On 11 August Rovers announced the signing of forward Marcus Antonsson on loan for the season from Leeds United.[35]
On 14 August Rovers announced the appointment of Tony Carss as the academy's Head of Coaching.[36]
On 15 August Kerala Blasters announced the signing of Wes Brown for the upcoming Indian Super League season, following his release from Rovers.[37]
On 31 August Birmingham City announced the signing of Jason Lowe on a 12-month contract following his release from Rovers.[38]
On 31 August Rovers announced the signings of midfielder Rekeem Harper on loan for the season from West Brom,[39] defender Sam Hart from Liverpool on a 2-year deal for an Undisclosed fee [40] and defender Paul Downing on loan for a season from Milton Keynes Dons.[41] It was also announced that midfielder Liam Feeney has gone out on loan to Cardiff City until 1 January 2018.[42]
September
On 11 September Rovers announced that defender Scott Wharton had signed a new 3-year contract.[43]
October
On 5 October Rovers announced that striker Daniel Butterworth had signed his first professional contract, a 2-year deal.[44]
On 5 October Rovers announced that midfielder Elliott Bennett had signed a new 2-year contract.[45]
November
On 3 November Rovers announced that midfielder Willem Tomlinson had signed a new and extended contract until 2019.[46]
On 13 November Rovers announced that goalkeeper Andy Fisher had signed a new and extended contract until 2019.[47]
On 28 November Rovers announced that midfielder Lewis Hardcastle had signed a new and extended contract until 2019.[48]
December
On 18 December Rovers announced that defender Matthew Platt had signed a new and extended contract until 2019.[49]
On 18 December Rovers announced the appointment of Steve Waggott as the club's new chief executive.[50]
Winter activity
January
On 2 January Rovers announced West Brom have recalled Rekeem Harper from his loan spell.[51]
On 5 January Rovers announced that midfielder Liam Feeney will remain on loan at Cardiff City until the end of the season.[52]
On 8 January Rovers announced that defender Paul Downing has signed permanently from Milton Keynes Dons following his loan spell for an undisclosed fee.[53]
On 9 January Rovers announced that striker Adam Armstrong has joined on loan for the remainder of the season from Newcastle United.[54]
On 16 January Rovers announced that attacking midfielder Jack Payne has joined on loan for the remainder of the season from Huddersfield Town.[55]
On 17 January Rovers announced that defender Sam Hart has joined Rochdale on loan for the remainder of the season.[56]
On 18 January Rovers announced that striker Joe Nuttall has signed a new 3+1⁄2-year deal, until 2021.[57]
On 19 January Rovers announced the signing of defender Amari'i Bell from Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee on a 2+1⁄2-year contract.[58]
On 26 January Rovers announced that midfielder John Buckley had signed his first professional contract, until 2020.[59]
On 30 January Rovers announced that defender Elliott Ward has joined Milton Keynes Dons on loan for the remainder of the season.[60]
On 31 January Rovers announced that the club has agreed to terminate the contract of young midfielder Connor Thomson by mutual consent,[61] young center-back Scott Wharton has joined Lincoln City on loan until the end of the season,[62] academy midfielder Callum Wright has joined Leicester City for an undisclosed fee.[63]
February
On 1 February Rovers announced that goalkeeper David Raya has signed a new 3+1⁄2-year deal, until 2021.[64]
On 2 February Rovers announced that young versatile midfielder Lewis Travis has signed a new 3+1⁄2-year deal, until 2021.[65]
On 7 February Rovers announced that midfielder Jack Evans had signed his first professional contract, until 2020.[66]
On 14 February Rovers announced the signing of highly rated young forward Okera Simmonds from Liverpool on a 1+1⁄2-year contract and will link up with the u23s squad.[67]
On 16 February Rovers announced that defender Hayden Carter had signed his first professional contract, until 2020.[68]
On 14 February Rovers announced the signing of goalkeeper Oliver Byrne, who was recently with Cardiff City on a 1+1⁄2-year contract and will link up with the u23s squad.[69]
On 22 February Rovers announced that defender Jack Doyle has joined Derry City on loan for the remainder of the season.[70]
March
On 3 March Rovers announced that young Canadian midfielder Ben Paton had signed his first professional contract, until 2019.[71]
On 16 March Rovers announced that young attacking midfielder Jack Vale had signed his first professional contract, until 2020.[72]
On 20 March Rovers announced that young defender Lewis Thompson had signed his first professional contract, until 2019.[73]
April
On 3 April Rovers trio David Raya, Charlie Mulgrew and Bradley Dack have all been included in the EFL League One Team of the Year.[74]
On 15 April Rovers star Bradley Dack has been named as the League One Player of the Year.[75]
On 18 April Rovers players Bradley Dack, Charlie Mulgrew, Danny Graham and Amari'i Bell were announced in the PFA League One Team of the Year.[76]
On 20 April Rovers U23 were crowned champions of the Premier League 2 Division 2.[77]
On 24 April Rovers won promotion back to the Championship, following a 1–0 at Doncaster Rovers.[78]
May
On 5 May Rovers announced Bradley Dack as the Player of the Season, he also won Goal of the Season with his goal against Peterborough.[79]
On 7 May Rovers held their end of season awards the winners follow:
Young Player – David Raya,Players’ Player – Charlie Mulgrew,Best Newcomer – Richie Smallwood,Unsung Hero – Elliott Bennett,Man of the Match (Seasonal) – Bradley Dack,Goal of the Season – Bradley Dack,Player of the Year – Bradley Dack,Special Achievement – Tony Mowbray.[80]
Squad information
| Squad No. | Name | Nationality | Position(s) | Date of Birth (Age) | Contract Expires | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||
| 1 | David Raya |  | GK | 15 September 1995 | 2021[64] | ||
| 13 | Jayson Leutwiler |  | GK | 25 April 1989 | 2019[32] | Option for 1-year extension | |
| 37 | Andy Fisher |  | GK | 12 February 1998 | 2019[47] | ||
| Defenders | |||||||
| 2 | Ryan Nyambe |  | DF | 4 December 1997 | 2020 [26] | Option for 1-year extension | |
| 3 | Derrick Williams |  | DF | 17 January 1993 | 2019[81] | ||
| 5 | Sam Hart | | DF | 10 September 1996 | 2019[40] | On loan at Rochdale[56] | |
| 14 | Charlie Mulgrew |  | DF/MF | 6 March 1986 | 2019[82] | Club Captain | |
| 15 | Elliott Ward | | DF | 19 January 1985 | 2018[83] | On loan at Milton Keynes Dons[60] | |
| 16 | Paul Caddis | | DF | 19 April 1988 | 2019[24] | ||
| 17 | Amari'i Bell | | DF | 5 May 1994 | 2020[58] | ||
| 25 | Paul Downing | | DF | 26 October 1991 | 2019[53] | Option for 1-year extension | |
| 26 | Darragh Lenihan | | DF/MF | 16 March 1994 | 2019[84] | ||
| 34 | Scott Wharton | | DF | 3 October 1997 | 2020[43] | On loan at Lincoln City[62] | |
| 35 | Lewis Travis | | DF/MF | 16 October 1997 | 2021[65] | ||
| 36 | Jack Doyle | | DF | 2 February 1997 | 2019[85] | On loan at Derry City[70] | |
| 39 | Matthew Platt | | DF | 3 October 1997 | 2019[49] | ||
| Midfielders | |||||||
| 6 | Richie Smallwood | | MF | 29 December 1990 | 2019[13] | Option for 1-year extension | |
| 7 | Liam Feeney | | MF | 21 January 1987 | 2018[86] | Option for 1-year extension On loan at Cardiff City[42] | |
| 8 | Harry Chapman | | MF | 5 November 1997 | 2018 (loan)[34] | On loan from Middlesbrough | |
| 11 | Peter Whittingham | | MF | 8 September 1984 | 2019[9] | ||
| 19 | Jack Payne | | MF | 25 October 1994 | 2018 (loan)[55] | On loan from Huddersfield Town | |
| 22 | Ben Gladwin | | MF | 8 June 1992 | 2019[17] | ||
| 23 | Bradley Dack | | MF | 31 December 1993 | 2020[16] | Option for 1-year extension | |
| 28 | Willem Tomlinson | | MF | 27 January 1998 | 2019[46] | ||
| 29 | Corry Evans |  | MF | 30 July 1990 | 2019[87] | ||
| 31 | Elliott Bennett |  | MF | 18 December 1988 | 2020[45] | ||
| 32 | Craig Conway | | MF | 2 May 1985 | 2018[88] | ||
| 42 | Joe Rankin-Costello | | MF | 26 July 1999 | 2019[89] | ||
| 43 | Stefan Mols | | MF | 31 January 1999 | 2019[12] | ||
| 44 | Lewis Hardcastle | | MF | 4 July 1998 | 2019[48] | ||
| Forwards | |||||||
| 9 | Dominic Samuel | | FW | 1 April 1994 | 2020[23] | ||
| 10 | Danny Graham | | FW | 12 August 1985 | 2018[90] | Option for 1-year extension | |
| 18 | Adam Armstrong | | FW | 10 February 1997 | 2018 (loan)[54] | On loan from Newcastle United | |
| 20 | Marcus Antonsson |  | FW | 8 May 1991 | 2018 (loan)[35] | On loan from Leeds United | |
| 38 | Joe Nuttall | | FW | 27 January 1997 | 2021 [57] | ||
| 41 | Lewis Mansell |  | FW | 20 September 1997 | 2018[91] | ||
| 45 | Daniel Butterworth | | FW | 14 September 1999 | 2020 [44] | ||
Pre-Season Friendlies
As of 17 June 2017, Blackburn Rovers have announced six pre-season friendlies against Barrow, Morecambe, Grimsby Town,[92] York City,[93] Carlisle United[94] and Sparta Prague.[95]
| 8 July 2017 Friendly | Barrow | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 15:00 BST | Richie Bennett  68' | Report | Conway 41' Graham 91' | Stadium: Furness Building Society Stadium Attendance: 891 (418 Rovers fans) |
| 14 July 2017 Friendly | Sparta Prague | 1–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Salzburg, Austria |
| 16:00 CEST | Janko 50' | Report | Stadium: The SAK Stadium Nonntal |
| 18 July 2017 Friendly | York City | 0–8 | Blackburn Rovers | York |
| 19:30 BST | Report | Dack 12' Evans 17' Gladwin 27' 44' Caddis 53' 59' Graham 74' Bennett 84' | Stadium: Bootham Crescent Attendance: 1,037 (276 Rovers fans) |
| 21 July 2017 Friendly | Morecambe | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Morecambe |
| 19:30 BST | Turner 40' | Report | Graham 10' Bennett 31' | Stadium: Globe Arena Attendance: 1,714 (1,122 Rovers fans) |
| 25 July 2017 Friendly | Grimsby Town | 0–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Grimsby |
| 19:30 BST | Report | Graham 64' | Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 1,692 (157 Rovers fans) |
| 28 July 2017 Friendly | Carlisle United | 3-1 | Blackburn Rovers | Carlisle |
| 19:45 BST | Nyambe (o.g.) Lambe 41'S. Miller 90+1' | Report | Graham 17' | Stadium: Brunton Park Attendance: 1816 (312 Rovers Fans) |
League One
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wigan Athletic (C, P) | 46 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 89 | 29 | +60 | 98 | Promotion to the EFL Championship |
| 2 | Blackburn Rovers (P) | 46 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 82 | 40 | +42 | 96 | |
| 3 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 60 | 39 | +21 | 87 | Qualification for League One play-offs[a] |
| 4 | Rotherham United (O, P) | 46 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 73 | 53 | +20 | 79 | |
| 5 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 74 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
Result by round
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matchday
| 5 August 2017 1 | Southend United | 2–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Southend-on-Sea |
| 15:00 BST | Leonard 27' Kightly 38' | Report | Mulgrew 53' Lenihan  55'Nyambe 70'Williams 72' | Stadium: Roots Hall Attendance: 9,257 Referee: Lee Swabey |
| 12 August 2017 2 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–3 | Doncaster Rovers | Blackburn |
| 15:00 BST | Mulgrew 66' Evans 74'Samuel 87' | Report | Marquis 46' Coppinger 67' (pen.)May 82' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 12,223 Referee: David Webb |
| 19 August 2017 3 | Bradford City | 0–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Bradford |
| 15:00 BST | Dieng 23' McCartan 37'McMahon 67'Kilgallon 90+3' | Report | Samuel 45+1' 47' Smallwood 59' | Stadium: Valley Parade Attendance: 21,403 Referee: Peter Bankes |
| 26 August 2017 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 4–1 | Milton Keynes Dons | Blackburn |
| 15:00 BST | Williams 2' 35' Mulgrew 29' 77' Samuel 83' | Report | Upson 25' Lewington 75' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,111 Referee: Scott Duncan |
| 9 September 2017 5 | Rochdale | 0–3 | Blackburn Rovers | Rochdale |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Smallwood 10' Antonsson 57' Dack 70' Graham 79' | Stadium: Spotland Attendance: 6,524 Referee: Steve Martin |
| 12 September 2017 6 | Scunthorpe United | 0–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Scunthorpe |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Antonsson 58' Graham 90+3' | Stadium: Glanford Park Attendance: 4,330 Referee: Seb Stockbridge |
| 16 September 2017 7 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–1 | AFC Wimbledon | Blackburn |
| 15:00 BST | Bennett 69' Evans 89' | Report | Appiah 16' Nightingale 60'Fuller 86' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,833 Referee: Trevor Kettle |
| 23 September 2017 8 | Shrewsbury Town | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Shrewsbury |
| 15:00 BST | Nsiala 57' | Report | Dack 56' 85' | Stadium: New Meadow Attendance: 8,202 Referee: David Webb |
| 26 September 2017 9 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Rotherham United | Blackburn |
| 19:45 BST | Downing 23' Antonsson 27'Samuel 45+3'Evans 71'Chapman 85' | Report | Rodák 45+3' Wood 80'Vaulks 90'Moore 90+4' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,228 Referee: Mark Heywood |
| 30 September 2017 10 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–0 | Gillingham | Blackburn |
| 15:00 | Samuel 31' Chapman 85' | Report | Byrne 11' Clare 23' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,844 Referee: Robert Jones |
| 14 October 2017 11 | Oldham Athletic | 1–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Oldham |
| 15:00 BST | Dummigan 16' Menig 90' | Report | Smallwood 61' Bennett 73'Chapman 75'Dack 79' | Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 7,784 Referee: Darren Handley |
| 17 October 2017 12 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–1 | Plymouth Argyle | Blackburn |
| 19:45 BST | Smallwood 13' Dack 45+2' | Report | Carey 31' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,011 Referee: Eddie Ilderton |
| 21 October 2017 13 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–0 | Portsmouth | Blackburn |
| 15:00 BST | Dack 38' Graham 58'Nyambe 60'Samuel  87'Conway 90' | Report | Donohue 54' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: Chris Kavanagh Referee: 11,673 |
| 28 October 2017 14 | Wigan Athletic | 0–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Wigan |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Bennett 43'  58' Smallwood 56' Whittingham 82' Chapman 85' | Stadium: DW Stadium Attendance: 11,211 Referee: Darren England |
| 31 October 2017 15 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–2 | Fleetwood Town | Blackburn |
| 19:45 GMT | Smallwood 44' Dack 53'Nuttall 77'Williams 88' | Report | O'Neill 64' 68' Burns 82' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,399 Referee: Darren Drysdale |
| 11 November 2017 P | Blackburn Rovers | v | Walsall | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Ewood Park | |||
| Note: On 31 October, the scheduled home fixture against Walsall was postponed due to international call-ups.[96] | ||||
| 18 November 2017 16 | Bury | 0–3 | Blackburn Rovers | Bury |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Antonsson 12', 37' Dack 63' | Stadium: Gigg Lane Attendance: 7,159 Referee: Dean Whitestone |
| 21 November 2017 17 | Oxford United | 2–4 | Blackburn Rovers | Oxford |
| 19:45 GMT | Payne 45+2' Obika 85' | Report | Mulgrew 6', 22' (pen.) 74' Antonsson 17'Nuttall 71'Downing 82' | Stadium: Kassam Stadium Attendance: 6,965 Referee: John Brooks |
| 25 November 2017 18 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–1 | Bristol Rovers | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Mulgrew 61' (pen.) Samuel 67'Nyambe 78' | Report | Harrison 58' 58' Leadbitter 86' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 11,660 Referee: Ross Joyce |
| 28 November 2017 19 | Blackpool | 2–4 | Blackburn Rovers | Blackpool |
| 19:45 GMT | Mellor 29' Ryan 42'Philliskirk 75' | Report | Antonsson 25' Smallwood 42'Dack 45'Mulgrew 63'Downing 67'Williams 78' | Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 5,302 Referee: Andy Madley |
| 9 December 2017 20 | Peterborough United | 2–3 | Blackburn Rovers | Peterborough |
| 15:00 GMT | Baldwin 3' 90+5' Taylor 11'Marriott 90+3' Tafazolli 90+5' | Report | Antonsson 30' Mulgrew 48'Dack 51', 58'Smallwood 61' | Stadium: London Road Stadium Attendance: 6,164 Referee: Nick Kinseley |
| 16 December 2017 21 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Charlton Athletic | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Best 30' (o.g.) Nuttall 90' Graham 90+4' | Report | Forster-Caskey 32' Pearce 35' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 10,907 Referee: Geoff Eltringham |
| 23 December 2017 22 | Northampton Town | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Northampton |
| 14:00 GMT | Pierre 21' O'Toole 90+3' | Report | Ward 36' Downing 43' Dack 48' | Stadium: Sixfields Stadium Attendance: 6,541 Referee: Gavin Ward |
| 26 December 2017 23 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Rochdale | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Smallwood 24' Ntlhe 35' (o.g.) Mulgrew 42' (pen.) Williams 84' Nuttall 85' | Report | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 15,115 Referee: Michael Salisbury |
| 30 December 2017 24 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–2 | Scunthorpe United | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Graham 6', 47' Smallwood 75' Dack 84' Bennett 88' | Report | van Veen 12' Hopper 38' Townsend 56' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 12,784 Referee: Andy Haines |
| 1 January 2018 25 | Rotherham United | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Rotherham |
| 15:00 GMT | Dack 66' Mulgrew 77' | Report | Ball 89' Ajayi 90+4' | Stadium: New York Stadium Attendance: 9,347 Referee: Martin Coy |
| 6 January 2018 P | AFC Wimbledon | v | Blackburn Rovers | Norbiton |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Kingsmeadow | |||
| Note: On 3 December, it was announced that the away trip to face AFC Wimbledon was to be rearranged due to FA Cup third round involvement.[97] | ||||
| 13 January 2018 26 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–1 | Shrewsbury Town | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Mulgrew 6', 70' (pen.) Raya 35' Graham 60' | Report | Beckles 13' Nolan 35' (pen.) | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 13,579 Referee: John Brooks |
| 20 January 2018 27 | Fleetwood Town | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Fleetwood Town |
| 15:00 GMT | McAleny 55' | Report | Dack 28' Smallwood 83' | Stadium: Highbury Stadium Attendance: 4,391 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 27 January 2018 28 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–1 | Northampton Town | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Graham 74' | Report | O'Toole 12' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 12,555 Referee: Anthony Backhouse |
| 30 January 2018 29 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–1 | Walsall | Blackburn |
| 19:45 GMT | Graham 5', 32' Dack 47' | Report | Edwards 37' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 11,241 Referee: Steve Martin |
| 4 February 2018 30 | Plymouth Argyle | 2–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Plymouth |
| 15:00 GMT | Lameiras 25' Taylor 37' | Report | Samuel 46' Dack 47'Bennett 75' | Stadium: Home Park Attendance: 11,801 (1,226 away) Referee: Charles Breakspear |
| 10 February 2018 31 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–2 | Oldham Athletic | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Mulgrew 63' Armstrong 71' | Report | Nazon 26', 38' Pringle 32' Fané 45+4' Davies 62' Moimbé 82' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 13,665 Referee: Darren Drysdale |
| 13 February 2018 32 | Portsmouth | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Portsmouth |
| 19:45 GMT | Thompson 30' Chaplin 50' | Report | Dack 3' Armstrong 21', 87' Travis 90+2' | Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 18,152 Referee: Oliver Langford |
| 19 February 2018 33 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Bury | Blackburn |
| 19:45 GMT | Graham 51' Armstrong 67' | Report | Cameron 86' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 12,038 Referee: John Busby |
| 24 February 2018 34 | Walsall | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Walsall |
| 15:00 GMT | Fitzwater 45' Dobson 85' Ngoy 88' | Report | Graham 17', 26' | Stadium: Bescot Stadium Attendance: 6,893 Referee: Ross Joyce |
| 27 February 2018 35 | AFC Wimbledon | 0–3 | Blackburn Rovers | Kingston upon Thames |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Nyambe 7' Dack 30', 69' Bennett 64' | Stadium: Kingsmeadow Attendance: 4,401 Referee: Graham Scott |
| 4 March 2018 36 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–2 | Wigan Athletic | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Armstrong 6' Bennett 17', 60' Evans 25' Nyambe 86' | Report | Morsy 35' Elder 54' Jacobs 63' Powell 68' Power 73' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 16,142 Referee: Geoff Eltringham |
| 10 March 2018 37 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–0 | Blackpool | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Dack 45' Evans 48' Armstrong 69', 90' Mulgrew 85' | Report | Vassell 51' Delfouneso 59' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 13,230 Referee: Lee Probert |
| 29 March 2018 38 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Bradford City | Blackburn |
| 19:45 BST | Dack 68' Bell 70' Conway 80' | Report | Knight-Percival 5' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 13,443 Referee: Chris Sarginson |
| 2 April 2018 39 | Milton Keynes Dons | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Milton Keynes |
| 15:00 BST | Pawlett 72', 76' | Report | Armstrong 12', 45+1' Williams 75' | Stadium: Stadium MK Attendance: 11,215 Referee: Kevin Friend |
| 7 April 2018 40 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–0 | Southend United | Blackburn |
| 15:00 BST | Graham 59' Smallwood 84' Downing 90' | Report | Cox 90' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 13,186 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 10 April 2018 41 | Gillingham | 0–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Gillingham |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Lenihan 90+3' | Stadium: Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 6,361 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 14 April 2018 42 | Bristol Rovers | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Bristol |
| 15:00 BST | Broadbent 61' Clarke 63' Lines 90+4' | Report | Mulgrew 65' (pen.) Lenihan 83' | Stadium: Memorial Stadium Attendance: 10,029 Referee: Kevin Johnson |
| 19 April 2018 43 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–1 | Peterborough United | Blackburn |
| 19:45 BST | Dack 54', 90+4', 90+5' Evans 78' Graham 83' | Report | Edwards 36' Mulgrew 44' (o.g.) Anderson 90' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 11,679 Referee: Ross Joyce |
| 24 April 2018 44 | Doncaster Rovers | 0-1 | Blackburn Rovers | Doncaster |
| 19:45 BST | Marquis 79' | Report | Mulgrew 46', 80' Conway 55' | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium Attendance: 10,443 Referee: Eddie Ilderton |
| 28 April 2018 45 | Charlton Athletic | 1-0 | Blackburn Rovers | London |
| 15:00 BST | Pearce 19' Page 34' Forster-Caskey 85' | Report | Payne 41' Lenihan 65' Smallwood 72' Downing 90+5' | Stadium: The Valley Attendance: 17,310 Referee: Robert Jones |
| 5 May 2018 46 | Blackburn Rovers | 2-1 | Oxford United | Blackburn |
| 17:30 BST | Lenihan 12' Payne 76' | Report | Eastwood 41' Rothwell 61' Henry 66' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 27,600 Referee: Carl Boyeson |
EFL Cup
The first round draw of the EFL Cup took place on 16 June 2017 and Blackburn Rovers were drawn away to Coventry City.[11] A home tie against Burnley was confirmed for the second round.[98]
| 8 August 2017 First round | Coventry City | 1–3 | Blackburn Rovers | Coventry |
| 19:45 BST | Nazon 22' Camwell 28' | Report | Evans 16' 34' Smallwood 33' Samuel 53' 56' Bennett 69' | Stadium: Ricoh Arena Attendance: 5,372 Referee: Darren England |
| 23 August 2017 Second round | Blackburn Rovers | 0–2 | Burnley | Blackburn |
| 19:45 BST | Bennett 90' | Report | Cork 27' Brady 45+5'Bardsley 54'Long 64' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 16,313 Referee: Simon Hooper |
FA Cup
In the FA Cup, Blackburn Rovers would face Barnet at home in the first round[99] and Crewe Alexandra at home in the second round.[100]
| 4 November 2017 First round | Blackburn Rovers | 3–1 | Barnet | Blackburn |
| 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time | Evans 60' Nuttall 63' Graham 70' Antonsson 81' | Report | Akinola 31' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 3,710 Referee: Carl Boyeson |
| 3 December 2017 Second round | Blackburn Rovers | 3–3 | Crewe Alexandra | Blackburn |
| 14:00 GMT | Samuel 11', 20' Graham 15' Harper 33' Bennett 57' | Report | Walker 27' Porter 35' (pen.), 66' Nolan 63' Ng 90' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 4,472 Referee: David Webb |
| 13 December 2017[a] Second round replay | Crewe Alexandra | 0–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Crewe |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Graham 24' Harper 29'Ward 89' | Stadium: Gresty Road Attendance: 2,241 Referee: Anthony Backhouse |
| 6 January 2018 Third round | Blackburn Rovers | 0-1 | Hull City | Blackburn |
| 15:00 GMT | Williams 30' Tomlinson 44' | Report | Aina 58' 71' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 6,777 Referee: Oliver Langford |
EFL Trophy
The first round fixtures of the EFL Trophy (named Checkatrade Trophy for sponsorship reasons) are scheduled for week commencing Monday 28 August.[102]
Blackburn entered the competition at the first round group stage and were drawn against Bury, Rochdale and Stoke City u23s in Northern Group C.[103][104]
2017–18 EFL Trophy Group C Northern Section
Group C
| Pos | Lge | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L1 | Rochdale (Q) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 | Round 2 |
| 2 | L1 | Bury (Q) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 6 | |
| 3 | L1 | Blackburn Rovers (E) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | ACA | Stoke City U21 (E) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 2 |
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated
| 29 August 2017 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–0 | Stoke City U21s | Blackburn |
| 19:45 BST | Nuttall 77' | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 1,501 |
Backroom staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Tony Mowbray |
| Assistant manager | Mark Venus |
| First-team coach | David Lowe |
| Goalkeeping coach | Ben Benson |
| Head of Academy | Stuart Jones |
| Head of Academy coaching | Tony Carss |
| Under-23 lead coach | Damien Johnson |
| Under-23 assistant coach | David Dunn |
Last updated: May 2017
Source: [105]
1st Team squad statistics
Appearances and goals
- As of 7 May 2018[106]
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | League One | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | ESP | David Raya | 47 | 0 | 45+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | CAN | Jayson Leutwiler | 5 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 37 | GK | ENG | Andy Fisher | 3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | NAM | Ryan Nyambe | 35 | 0 | 27+2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | IRL | Derrick Williams | 51 | 1 | 45+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | SCO | Charlie Mulgrew (C) | 46 | 14 | 41+0 | 14 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | SCO | Paul Caddis | 20 | 0 | 13+1 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Amari'i Bell | 12 | 0 | 6+6 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Paul Downing | 30 | 1 | 26+2 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | IRL | Darragh Lenihan | 14 | 1 | 13+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | ENG | Lewis Travis | 10 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | ENG | Matthew Platt | 3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Richie Smallwood | 52 | 3 | 46+0 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Harry Chapman (on loan from Middlesbrough) | 16 | 1 | 1+11 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Peter Whittingham | 23 | 0 | 14+6 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Jack Payne (on loan from Huddersfield Town) | 18 | 1 | 7+11 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Ben Gladwin | 11 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Bradley Dack | 45 | 18 | 37+5 | 18 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Willem Tomlinson | 7 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | NIR | Corry Evans | 36 | 1 | 26+6 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | JAM | Elliott Bennett | 47 | 2 | 40+1 | 2 | 2+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | SCO | Craig Conway (VC) | 28 | 2 | 19+5 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 42 | MF | ENG | Joe Rankin-Costello | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 43 | MF | ESP | Stefan Mols | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 44 | MF | ENG | Lewis Hardcastle | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Dominic Samuel | 41 | 8 | 19+17 | 5 | 2+0 | 2 | 1+1 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Danny Graham | 48 | 17 | 29+13 | 14 | 3+1 | 3 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | ENG | Adam Armstrong (on loan from Newcastle United) | 22 | 9 | 17+5 | 9 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | SWE | Marcus Antonsson (on loan from Leeds United) | 33 | 8 | 22+8 | 7 | 1+1 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 38 | FW | ENG | Joe Nuttall | 19 | 5 | 3+10 | 2 | 2+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+2 | 2 |
| 41 | FW | WAL | Lewis Mansell | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 45 | FW | ENG | Daniel Butterworth | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Players out on loan: | |||||||||||||
| 5 | DF | ENG | Sam Hart (on loan at Rochdale) | 7 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Liam Feeney (on loan at Cardiff City) | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Elliott Ward (on loan at Milton Keynes Dons) | 15 | 0 | 9+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Scott Wharton (on loan to Lincoln City) | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 36 | DF | ENG | Jack Doyle (on loan to Derry City) | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| Players that played for Blackburn Rovers this season that have left the club: | |||||||||||||
| 4 | MF | ENG | Rakeem Harper (on loan from West Bromwich Albion) | 9 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
Goalscorers
- As of 7 May 2018[106]
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | MF | Bradley Dack | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | 10 | FW | Danny Graham | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 3 | 14 | DF | Charlie Mulgrew | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 4 | 18 | FW | Adam Armstrong | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 5 | 20 | FW | Marcus Antonsson | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| = | 9 | FW | Dominic Samuel | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 7 | 38 | FW | Joe Nuttall | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 8 | 6 | MF | Richie Smallwood | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | 31 | MF | Elliott Bennett | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| = | 32 | MF | Craig Conway | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 | DF | Derrick Williams | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | 8 | MF | Harry Chapman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | 25 | DF | Paul Downing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | 29 | MF | Corry Evans | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| = | 26 | DF | Darragh Lenihan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | 19 | MF | Jack Payne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| — | — | — | Own goal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 82 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 94 | |||
Disciplinary record
- As of 7 May 2018[106]
| No. | Pos. | Name | League One | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| 1 | GK | David Raya | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Ryan Nyambe | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Derrick Williams | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Rakeem Harper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | DF | Sam Hart | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Richie Smallwood | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Harry Chapman | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Dominic Samuel | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | FW | Danny Graham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Peter Whittingham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | Charlie Mulgrew | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | Elliott Ward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Amari'i Bell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | Jack Payne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | Marcus Antonsson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | Bradley Dack | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Paul Downing | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | Darragh Lenihan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Willem Tomlinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | Corry Evans | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | Elliott Bennett | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | MF | Craig Conway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | Scott Wharton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | DF | Lewis Travis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | FW | Joe Nuttall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 62 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 1 | 5 | ||
Transfers
Summer
Transfers in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2017 | CF | | Kyle Connell | Motherwell | Undisclosed | [107] |
| 27 May 2017 | CF |  | Callum Dolan | Manchester United | Undisclosed | [107] |
| 27 June 2017 | CM | | Bradley Dack | Gillingham | £750,000 | [16] |
| 28 June 2017 | CM | | Ben Gladwin | Queens Park Rangers | Undisclosed | [17] |
| 1 July 2017 | CM | | Richie Smallwood | Rotherham United | Free | [13] |
| 1 July 2017 | CM | | Peter Whittingham | Cardiff City | Free | [9] |
| 19 July 2017 | CF | | Dominic Samuel | Reading | Undisclosed (~£500,000)[108] | [23] |
| 20 July 2017 | DF | | Paul Caddis | Free agent [a] | Free | [24] |
| 22 July 2017 | CF | | Joe Nuttall | Free agent [b] | Free | [27] |
| 2 August 2017 | GK | | Jayson Leutwiler | Shrewsbury Town | Undisclosed | [32] |
| 13 August 2017 | GF | | Charlie Albinson | Free agent [c] | Free | [111] |
| 13 August 2017 | GK | | Aaron Dillon | Free agent [d] | Free | [111] |
| 31 August 2017 | DF | | Sam Hart | Liverpool | Undisclosed | [40] |
Total outgoing: +/- ~£1,250,000 (undisclosed fee)
Transfers out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2017 | CM |  | Hope Akpan | Burton Albion [a] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | LB | | Joshua Askew | Salford City [b] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | CB | | Wes Brown |  Kerala Blasters [c] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | CB | | Gordon Greer | Kilmarnock [d] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | CM | | Danny Guthrie |  Mitra Kukar [e] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | RB | | Adam Henley |  Real Salt Lake [f] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | LW | | Ramirez Howarth | Skelmersdale United [g] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | CM | | Jason Lowe | Birmingham City [h] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | LB | | Ben Williams | Barnsley [i] | Released | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | CM[clarification needed] | | Connor Mahoney | Bournemouth [j][118] | £425,000 (+ add ons tribunal) | [5] |
| 1 July 2017 | CF[clarification needed][clarification needed] | | Callum Hendry | St Johnstone [k] | Released | [5] |
| 12 July 2017 | RW | | Tre Pemberton | Stoke City [l] | Released | [5] |
| 21 July 2017 | CF[clarification needed] | | Anthony Stokes | Hibernian [m] | Mutual Consent | [25] |
| 26 July 2017 | GK | | Jason Steele | Sunderland | Undisclosed fee | [29] |
Total incoming: +/- ~£ £425,000 + further Undisclosed fee's ( * Connor Mahoney transfer fee £425,000 as determined by tribunal including additional add on fee's – ** Jason Steele transfer Undisclosed, however estimated to be around £560,000 with add ons.)
Loans in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Length | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 August 2017 | MF | | Harry Chapman | Middlesbrough | Season-long | [34] |
| 11 August 2017 | CF | | Marcus Antonsson | Leeds United | Season-long | [35] |
| 31 August 2017 | CM | | Rekeem Harper | West Bromwich Albion | Season-long (recalled 2 January 2018) [a] | [39] |
| 31 August 2017 | DF | | Paul Downing | Milton Keynes Dons | Season-long (signed permanently)[b] | [41] |
Loans out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Length | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2017 | MF[clarification needed] | | Liam Feeney | Cardiff City | 5-month loan (extended)[a] | [42] |
Winter
Transfers in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 January 2018 | DF | | Paul Downing | Milton Keynes Dons | Undisclosed | [53] |
| 19 January 2018 | DF | | Amari'i Bell | Fleetwood Town | Undisclosed | [58] |
| 14 February 2018 | FW | | Okera Simmonds | Liverpool | Undisclosed | [67] |
| 17 February 2018 | GK | | Oliver Byrne | Cardiff City | Free | [69] |
Transfers out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 January 2018 | CM | | Connor Thomson | Halifax Town [a] | Contract Mutually Terminated | [61] |
| 31 January 2018 | RW | | Callum Wright | Leicester City | Undisclosed Fee | [63] |
Loans in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Length | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 January 2018 | FW | | Adam Armstrong | Newcastle United | Season-long | [54] |
| 16 January 2018 | MF | | Jack Payne | Huddersfield Town | Season-long | [55] |
Loans out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Length | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 January 2018 | DF | | Sam Hart | Rochdale | 6-month loan | [56] |
| 30 January 2018 | DF | | Elliott Ward | Milton Keys Dons | 6-month loan | [60] |
| 31 January 2018 | DF | | Scott Wharton | Lincoln City | 6-month loan | [62] |
| 14 February 2018 | GK | | Aaron Dillon | Bray Wanderers | 5-month loan | [122] |
| 22 February 2018 | DF | | Jack Doyle | Derry City | 5-month loan | [70] |