BLACKBURN Rovers stars of the past, present and future joined forces to pay tribute to the club's greatest ever goalscorer as Simon Garner celebrated his Blackburn career in glorious style yesterday.

Players representing four different decades of Ewood history returned to the famous old ground as Rovers' championship-winning squad of 1995 took on the Worthington Cup winners of 2002.

But the real winner at the end of an afternoon of pure indulgence was Garner himself as a crowd of 13,397 turned out to honour their hero.

For 90 nostalgic minutes, it was just like the old days as fans and players alike revelled in turning the clock back to 1995... and beyond!

Title-winning boss Kenny Dalglish looked on from his seat in the Ewood dug-out as Stuart Ripley whipped over a succession of teasing crosses for the in-rushing Mike Newell and Kevin Gallacher.

At the back, Tim 'that's bottle for you' Flowers patrolled his 18-yard box with the kind of authority you'd expect from a former England keeper.

And what about Mark 'Super Atko' Atkins, who delivered his usual unsung hero's performance in the centre of midfield.

Then, to cap it all, came the moment everyone had been waiting so patiently to see.

Garner, slightly more rotund these days than Rovers fans might remember him, suddenly grabbed the ball after referee Eddie Wolstenholme had spotted a 'blatant' foul in the area.

Up stepped the 43-year-old with the kind of swagger you'd expect from a man with 194 goals to his name in a Rovers shirt and he expertly converted number 195 before saluting the Blackburn End in true Garner fashion.

"Walking out there again brought back a few memories, especially scoring at the Blackburn End," said Garner.

"But it was a great day and I really enjoyed it. It's taken a lot of hard work but it was just great to see so many fans here."

Garner had warmed up for his big day in the only way he knows how.

The night before, he and his family had stayed at Northcote Manor where he bumped into PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor and, before he knew it, the champagne had started to flow.

"You've got to do it, haven't you?" joked the Ewood goalscoring legend.

"I always used to do it when I was playing so there's no point stopping now.

"But, seriously, I had a great night. We stopped at Northcote, I had a lovely meal, a few drinks, and a bottle of champagne with Gordon Taylor.

"So blame him for my calf injury."

That's what makes Garner such a popular figure even now, a full decade after he played his last competitive game in a Blackburn shirt.

He was a true working class hero -- the kind of man fans could relate to because he was so like them.

Off the pitch, he enjoyed a pint and a cigarette with the best of them but what made him unique was his ability to score goals, which he did in abundance.

Throughout the 1980s, Garner was the scourge of Second Division defenders as he built up a fearsome reputation as a penalty-box predator.

By the time he moved on to West Brom in the summer of 1992, he had broken Tommy Briggs's record as Rovers' all-time leading scorer -- and all that in the pre-Jack Walker era.

For that reason, he will always have a special place in the heart of all Rovers fans everywhere which is why they turned out in force yesterday to pay homage to one of their most famous sons.

One fan even travelled over from Tokyo especially for the occasion and was bowled over to meet her hero in the flesh!

The game itself was a thoroughly absorbing contest.

A few waistlines might have expanded and the odd hairline receded, but the Championship team of '95 still managed to conjure up some magic memories against a backdrop of chants from a golden era.

Supplemented by a few of the stars of Rovers' Under 19 squad, they even had the audacity to take the lead courtesy of a smart finish from Alex Bruce in the opening five minutes.

That stoked the modern-day Rovers into life and goals from Egil Ostenstad, Dwight Yorke and Craig Hignett saw them surge into a 3-1 interval lead.

Then enter Garner who came on as a half-time sub and within five minutes he was back on the scoresheet again after confidently dispatching a penalty in front of the Blackburn End.

Sadly, a calf injury then brought the striker's afternoon to a premature end but he left the pitch to a standing ovation.

In the meantime, the goals continued to fly in at both ends.

Ostenstad completed his hat-trick with two clinical strikes either side of a Damien Duff effort.

But the champions were always in the hunt as Newell weighed in with a classic finish before Atkins tucked away another spot-kick.

To cap it all, Tugay illuminated proceedings with some sublime touches in midfield to round off a truly memorable afternoon.

But there was no denying who the day belonged to for there really is 'only one Simon Garner'.

ROVERS XI: Kelly, Tugay, Todd, Dunn, Johansson, Hignett, Yorke, Taylor, Ostenstad, Douglas, McEveley. Subs: Duff (for Douglas, 46), Robinson (for Kelly, 46), Gallagher (for Yorke, 46), Douglas (For Hignett, 70), Corvino (for Newell, 73)

GARNER XI: Flowers, Taylor, Morgan, Bruce, Taylor, Gallacher, Newell, Ripley, Atkins, Sellars, Hughes. Subs: Mimms (for Flowers, 29), Garner (for Hughes, 46), Danns (for Gallagher, 52), Saunders (for Garner 56), Gallagher (for Ripley, 79), Renton (for Mimms, 79).