BOBBY Downes has been named as Blackburn Rovers' new Head of Youth Development.

The vastly-experienced coach will leave Watford - where he was Director of Youth - to take up his post in the next couple of weeks.

As a midfield player with Peterborough, Rochdale, Watford and Barnsley, Downes, 47, made more than 400 League appearances.

He took the first steps on the coaching ladder with Blackpool, then worked under Graham Taylor at Aston Villa with both youth and reserve teams.

After three years as assistant to John Rudge at Port Vale, Downes rejoined Taylor as assistant at Wolves and took on the responsibility for their youth set-up before going with him to Watford.

Rovers aim to have an expanded and self-contained youth system which Downes will lead, aided by Jim Furnell, Chris Sulley and there could possibly be a future addition to the staff.

Even when there are managerial changes, the club want the youth set-up to remain unaffected.

"I think that's the right way to do it and more clubs are thinking on those lines," said Downes. "Blackburn are one of them and they have Premiership status and the facilities to do things I couldn't do at Watford and Wolves.

"I have worked at all levels but I made a conscious decision when I was at Wolves to concentrate on youth work."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.