IN troubled waters at the deep end of the Premiership, Blackburn Rovers are still not safe from sinking a league lower.

And fans must surely hope that the side does not share the fate of the ship named after them in the 1930s. For six years after its launch, the North Sea steam trawler GY102 "Blackburn Rovers," went down -- when, like today's team, it was destined for Europe.

But the augury need not altogether alarm the club's supporters. For there's a happier sequel as another "Blackburn Rovers" trawler succeeded the sunken one and finished up in a sunny position. Launched in 1962, she was the Grimsby boat GY706 pictured here in port during her fishing career before her conversion in 1981 as an oil-rig supply vessel.

But, asks Blackburn reader Tom Kennedy, who sent Looking Back records of the second ship, what is the tale behind the "Rovers" trawlers?

Sadly, in the case of the original boat, it is one that ends in tragedy. She was was sunk on June 2, 1940 -- either by a mine or Nazi submarine -- while taking part in the World War Two "miracle" evacuation of more than 330,000 trapped Allied troops from Dunkirk by the historic armada of "little ships."

The ship had been requisitioned by the Admiralty the previous year for anti-submarine duties and her peacetime crew of 17 replaced by naval personnel -- one of whom, killed in the sinking, is buried in a military grave in Dover.

Also sunk at the same time as the 158ft-long "Blackburn Rovers" were two armed boarding vessels that were well known to East Lancashire people -- the "Mona's Queen" and "King Orry" which before the war served on the Isle of Man route, taking thousands of holidaymakers from Lancashire to Douglas.

The 300-ton trawler was launched in 1934 to join the fleet -- then 16 strong -- of Grimsby fishing vessels named after football clubs.

The ships belonged to Consolidated Fisheries whose chief, Sir John Marsden, operated a soccer-style league, with the trawlers' positions being determined by value of their catches. Eventually, a total of 26 trawlers sailing from the famous fishing port were named after football teams -- with "Grimsby Town" inevitably among them.

"Blackburn Rovers" was always a strong contender for honours in the league and was runner-up to "Leicester City" in her first full season.

Being a newer vessel capable of sailing three knots an hour faster than older rivals, she was able to make two more fishing trips a year and also earn extra because her catches were landed in a fresher condition.

When Grimsby Town played Rovers at Ewood Park in September, 1935, on behalf of Consolidated Fisheries, the visitors presented the Blackburn club with a framed photograph of the trawler and at the post-match ceremony were the boat's skipper George "Nat" Camburn and Jack Evans, skipper of "Stoke City" and Bob Harris, skipper of "Grimsby Town."

And the following January when Rovers travelled to Grimsby, players and officials were guests aboard "Blackburn Rovers" while she was in harbour alongside "Grimsby Town" and "Huddersfield Town."

When the ship was commandeered by the Royal Naval Patrol Service, a shield, made in Blackburn, showing the vessel's name was fixed to her bridge.

And only days before she was sunk, the football club received a photograph of its new crew under its Royal Naval Reserve captain, W Martin. Sadly, neither of these mementoes can be found today at Ewood Park.

"It seems they have got lost over the years as we have no mention of them recorded in our collection of Rovers memorabilia, which goes back quite some time," said a club spokesman.

The second "Blackburn Rovers," weighing 439 tons gross and 137ft-long, was built at Goole for Consolidated Fisheries and made her maiden trip from Grimsby in January, 1963.

On several occasions she set new records for catches by a vessel her size. The first was in November, 1965, when she landed 1,300 boxes of fish caught during a 24-day trip to the White Sea fishing grounds.

In 1978, the diesel-powered ship was sold to a Lowestoft-based fishing company and given the number, LT306, but was never actually used for fishing duties.

Three years later she was converted for oil-rig supply work but in 1987 she sailed to new owners in Limassol, Cyprus, where she resumed her fishing career after being renamed "Giant Fish."

Her later history is unknown.

Some 250 converted trawlers of the Royal Naval Patrol Service were lost in action during the Second World War, including the "Aston Villa" and "Notts County."