THE pioneer of a new era in sports broadcasting is celebrating its 15th anniversary of helping Blackburn Rovers fans worldwide keep track of their heroes.

Radio Rovers became the first football club station in the country when it launched on October 30 1993, for a midweek Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Since then the flagship club radio station has clocked up more than 3,000 hours of programming – with many of their more glamorous rivals trailing in their wake.

Manchester United, Newcastle, Everton, Leeds, Norwich, Bradford and Chelsea have all followed Rovers’ example and set up their own dedicated stations – but it was Radio Rovers who led the way.

Radio presenter turned avid Rovers fan, Gerald Jackson, was a member of the original launch team back in 1993 and has fronted the matchday broadcasts ever since.

Fellow launch team members Wendy Howard and Alan Yeardley, both Rovers fans, are also still involved with the station - Alan as the executive producer of Radio Rovers and Wendy as the matchday reporter.

Yeardley said: “Now thanks to the internet and Blackburn Rovers’ website, www.rovers.co.uk, Rovers matchday broadcasts can be heard world-wide and an army of ex-pats tune in to keep tabs on their favourite football team.

“Each match Radio Rovers receives e-mails from far-flung locations, including one from a listener on Bondi Beach in Australia listening on his laptop as Rovers battled through winter storms.”

Yeardley’s eldest son, Neil, is the newest member of the Radio Rovers team and commentates on all Rovers matches.