The 1996-97 campaign delivered a turbulent season of transition for Blackburn Rovers as Rovers slumped to a 13th-place finish in the Premier League, their lowest since returning to the elite. The season was fundamentally defined by the world-record sale of talismanic striker Alan Shearer, which led to manager Ray Harford's early departure with the team bottom of the table after a disastrous winless start. Caretaker boss Tony Parkes, however, admirably steered the team to safety, anchored by the crucial goalscoring of striker Chris Sutton, whose 11 league goals proved vital in a campaign built on resilience and the sheer grit required to avoid disaster.