MENTION the name Derek Dougan to any Rovers fan and they'll only remember one thing - slapping in a transfer request on the eve of the 1960 FA Cup final.

But his younger brother Dale is keen to put the record straight.

The former Rovers, Aston Villa and Wolves star sadly died last month at the age of 69.

His glory days were at Molineux with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the late 1960s and early 1970s but it was with Rovers that he began to earn his reputation as an awesone finisher.

And although it's true that the big striker did put in a transfer request before the trip to Wembley to take on Wolves - a game they ultimately lost 3-0 after Dave Whelan broke his leg - Mr Dougan said he thought the rest of the team were going to do the same after a row over bonuses.

But they didn't and the young Northern Irish striker was left high and dry and his reputation in the eyes of Rovers fans was tarnished forever.

But in an exclusive interview with the Lancashire Telegraph, Mr Dougan told his brother's side of the story.

He said: "Blackburn were on a fantastic Cup run and, the further they went in the Cup, Derek was promised fantastic bonuses. The sky was the limit.

"Derek played a pivotal role in getting Blackburn into the final and the bonuses they were promised did not happen.

"Derek told me that all the players got together to talk about how to deal with it and they decided to put in transfer requests en masse. So that's what Derek did. The only problem was, nobody else did. He told me that he felt betrayed by his team-mates.

"He thought the players and management would double bluff each other and then come to some agreement to suit everyone.

"So he went into the FA Cup final having put in a transfer request."

Rumours that Dougan went into the game carrying an injury did little to improve the striker's standing with Blackburn fans.

His younger brother added: "I wasn't aware that he had fitness problems prior to the match.

"But Blackburn are a big club and if they had any doubts about his fitness, especially with him having put in a transfer request, he shouldn't have played.

"He was heart-broken to leave. He didn't mean for it to turn out the way it did. He thought the team were going to double-bluff the management. It's a real shame. I'm sure he would have gone on to have a long an illustrious career at Blackburn and the fans would have seen what an asset he could have been to the club.

"The experience made him grow up quickly and he made sure it never happened again."

It was a sad end to a promising career for the boy from Belfast. He arrived at Ewood from Portsmouth for £15,000 in 1959 as a striker who had been converted from a centre-half.

He made his debut on March 14 of that year against Arsenal and became an instant hit.

Mr Dougan added: "Derek was only a young boy when he moved from Distillery to Portsmouth in the 1950s. He was only 16 when he went to Portsmouth. He moved to Portsmouth as a centre-half but Distillery didn't know that they planned to turn him into a centre-forward.

"Had they known that they would have been after a lot more than the £4,000 they got for him. Forwards were worth a lot more then because the centre-halves were just stoppers.

"We were ecstatic when he moved to Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn had a phenomenal team and were one of the powerhouses of English football. They were dominant in the north and had a fantastic reputation.

"Derek didn't want a transfer from Portsmouth but they needed the money and Blackburn were prepared to pay £15,000 for a young up and coming star. He was still learning his craft."

And he certainly paid back his transfer fee with 34 goals in 76 appearances in a blue and white shirt.

Mr Dougan added: "When we came to see him, we would travel over by boat and then by train to Ewood and once we got near to the ground it was a fantastic sight.

"The atmosphere would build the closer you got to kick-off and the crowds would herd like wildebeest to Ewood Park and the fans loved their team.

"Being in the ground and being part of that was unbelievable. I was only about 14 when Derek played for Blackburn and to see my brother on the pitch playing alongside world class players like Bryan Douglas and Peter Dobing, as equals, and playing against world class stars made me and my father very proud.

"To be there and see how the crowd loved him and how he loved playing for them made those times special.

"Derek loved it at Blackburn. We have a montage of photos and the one that would be the best to remember him by was the goals that he scored to get Blackburn into the Cup final.

"He's really close to the crowd and they are giving it to him and he's giving it to them. He was really over the moon that the crowd erupted around him.

"He would have made a big impact for the club, I'm positive of that. It's a case of what might have been.

"The people of Blackburn should remember that Derek was a very young player, I believe he could have been better supported by the management."