Walker, Jack

▪ 2001

      British industrialist (b. May 19, 1929, Blackburn, Lancashire, Eng.—d. Aug. 17, 2000, Isle of Jersey), made millions in the steel industry and in aviation, then used his fortune to elevate the Blackburn Rovers, the local association football (soccer) team he had supported since childhood, from the obscurity of the Second Division to the 1995 Premier League title. Walker spent some £60 million ($80 million) on stadium improvements and new players, brought in a top-notch manager in Kenny Dalglish, and in 1992 paid a then-record £3.2 million ($4.6 million) for Alan Shearer, one of England's finest forwards. The gamble paid off in 1995 when Blackburn won its first championship since 1914, but the team's success was short-lived and the Rovers were again relegated to the Second Division in 1999.

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