Blackburn was born in the village of
Billington, Lancashire and first joined his local club,
Blackburn Rovers, in March 1895. After three years of reserve-team football, he spent the 1898–99 season with
Northamptonshire club
Wellingborough playing in the
Midland League. He returned to Blackburn in the summer of 1899; by now his brother
Fred had become established at
outside-left. Arthur once again spent most of his time at
Ewood Park playing in Rovers' reserve team while keeping fit by voluntarily working on the renovation of a church, Blackburn was unable to regain his place and in the summer of 1901 he returned to his home-town club where he made two further appearances in
the 1901–02 season. ==Later career==