BLACKBURN woke up today with a smile as wide as the Jack Walker stand after Graeme Souness's heroes put Rovers in wonderland.

Thirty thousand ecstatic fans who made the journey to Cardiff and tens of thousands more back home began a giant party when the final whistle secured a superb 2-1 victory over Spurs - and the celebrations continued long into the night.

In a memorable and thrilling Worthington Cup final, staged in the magnificent Millennium Stadium, Rovers showed flair, desire and sheer guts to collect their first major cup since the 3-1 win over Huddersfield in the 1928 FA Cup Final.

The famous victory, secured thanks to predatory strikes by Matt Jansen and £8million golden boy Andy Cole, gave Rovers a passport to Europe in the UEFA Cup next season.

But super-stopper Brad Friedel was the man of the match after pulling off a series of amazing saves to deny Spurs.

His display prompted manager Souness to say he was the best goalkeeper in England.

Fans almost raised the stadium roof - which had made the game the country's first indoor final - when stand-in captain Henning Berg and suspended skipper Garry Flitcroft lifted the trophy on the pitch.

And in some emotional scenes on the pitch, Souness gave all his stars a victory hug.

Before and after the match Rovers fans created a carnival atmosphere on the streets of the Welsh capital.

Pubs were a sea of blue and white as landlords did some of their best business of the year and fans began shouting for their heroes, creating a wonderful atmosphere inside the ground long before kick-off.

Not even long motorway tailbacks and rain showers could dampen the celebrations as people returned home - tired but jubilant.

Those who did not make the journey to Cardiff crowded into pubs and front rooms across East Lancashire to will the team on - they even said prayers for the team at Blackburn Cathedral.

The town is set to unite for another huge party later this week when the team returns with the cup.

And leader Coun Bill Taylor confirmed that Blackburn with Darwen Council was going to organise a civic thank-you to Souness and the team.

Business leaders claimed the win would help to put Blackburn back on the international map and productivity in local manufacturing firms is expected to increase, thanks to a happy workforce boosted by the success.

Celebrity fans, politicians, Blackburn Mayor Coun John Williams and hundreds of supporters joined in a wave of congratulations for the Ewood Park aces.

And everyone made time for a special thought for the man they all thank for the club's success - Uncle Jack Walker.

A number of Uncle Jack's family were at the Millennium Stadium to see Rovers' victory, the second major success for the club since his death from cancer in August 2000.

Afterwards his son Ross said: "He would have been the happiest bloke in the world today."

Blackburn MP Jack Straw spoke for fans everywhere when he said: "It is a wonderful achievement for Blackburn Rovers.

"It was a great game of football to watch but it was nerve-racking.

"By the end, I was just willing the referee to blow his whistle."

The victory temporarily lifted the gloom surrounding the team's battle against relegation from the Premiership.

But everyone at the club knows they have got another 12 cup finals between now and the end of the season if they are to survive.

After the euphoria of yesterday, they just can't go down now.