A Blackburn Rovers fan said he was overjoyed his granddaughter got to meet some of the players as he took her to her first football match.

Season ticket holder Andy Maxfield and Georgia were pitch side as the team kicked off their 2024-25 pre-season with a 2-1 victory against Accrington Stanley.

Andy has supported the club he loves from the Ewood Park terraces for more than 50 years and said he introduced Blackburn Rovers to his granddaughter, Georgia, when she was just nine hours old.

Georgia was the club’s youngest-ever season ticket holder when Andy purchased her one when she was born in September 2022.

Now, 22 months on, Georgia has experienced what it is like to cheer Blackburn Rovers on live and kicked off her Rovers journey with a win.

Andy said: “She enjoyed her first game.

“Georgia was clapping when everyone else was and she was taken by surprise when we scored by the noise when we all cheered.

“Georgia was a little tired towards the end but she enjoyed her first game and seemed to take everything in.”

The club has proudly run through the veins of Andy and Georgia’s family for many generations, starting with Andy’s father and aunty.

Andy’s daughters, who are Georgia’s mother and aunty, have both had season tickets, and her nana, Andy’s wife, also attends games each season at Ewood Park.

He said: “Georgia was born on the 27 September 2022 just after midnight and as soon as the ticket office opened at 9am I contacted the club to purchase her a season ticket.

“This was to ensure that she was raised a Blackburn Rovers supporter as her dad is a Manchester United fan.”

Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are still on sale ahead of the Championship opener against Derby County at Ewood Park on Friday 9 August. 

Andy said the Accrington game was Georgia's first match

All U12 tickets will now be able to access a season ticket for the equivalent of just £1 per game, courtesy of our 'Kids for a Quid' offer, as we look to welcome the next generation of supporters to Ewood Park. 

Andy added: “I have supported Blackburn Rovers now for 51 years and have been a season ticket holder for the majority of that time. I was initially taken to games by my aunty Doris and my dad, James, was also a season ticket holder before he passed away.

“Both my daughters Kathryn, (Georgia's mum) and Kaitlyn (Georgia’s aunty) have also been season ticket holders from around the age of four.

“The seat Georgia now occupies is actually the seat in which both Kathryn and Kaitlyn occupied as I have sat in the same seat in the Blackburn End since the stand was built.”

The family were delighted to be meeting with Rovers stars 

Andy said Rovers' game at neighbours Accrington was her first match.

He said: “The Accrington match was Georgia's first game - despite her being a season ticket holder from a young age she was too little to take to the games and I would be unsure if she would like it.

“We thought taking her to a pre-season game would be a more gentle way to introduce her to a football match.

“We have bought her a new 2024-25 home kit so she can be a true supporter and she has been practicing singing Rovers songs, despite being only 22 months old and not having the biggest vocabulary.

“But, if we say Rovers, Rovers to her she will say ra, ra, ra!”