Six Of The Best: Opening Day Games

Six Of The Best: Opening Day Games
10:57, 11 Aug 2017

The opening day of the new football season brings with it a sense of optimism and anticipation like no other, along with the often misguided belief for football fans everywhere, that this year could, in fact, be; “our year.”

And every now and again this treasured fixture throws up the most incredible drama and excitement as the shackles of two football-free months are well and truly shaken off.

So here are just a handful of the best curtain raisers from top-flight football down the years that have had supporters up and down the land overcome with optimism for the coming campaign or resigned to reality for the 10 months that lay ahead.

Swansea 5 Leeds 1, 1981

When newly promoted Swansea City faced Leeds on the opening day in 1981, there looked to be only one winner; but the team from Elland Road obviously hadn’t read the script.

In the top-flight for the first time in their history the Swans put their English visitors to the sword with strikes from Alan Curtis and a nine-minute hat trick from debutant Bob Latchford as it rained goals at The Vetch.

The heavy defeat would ultimately take its toll on United who would be relegated come the end of the season after 18 years in Division One while Swansea finished a respectable 6th.

Manchester United 4 Arsenal 1, 1989

Having won the title with virtually the last kick of the game at Anfield the previous May, Arsenal were brought crashing down to earth in spectacular fashion by a Manchester United side who had their own reasons to be cheerful: or so they thought.

Prior to kick off businessman Michael Knighton announced he had apparently purchased the club for £20 million and the news obviously inspired the Red Devils, who thumped the champions thanks to goals from Steve Bruce, Brian McClair, Mark Hughes and new summer signing Neil Webb.

But things soon turned sour as Knighton admitted that he didn’t actually have the funds to complete the deal after all, while United battled against relegation for much of the season; though they did go on to win the FA Cup.

Sheffield Wednesday 2 Aston Villa 3, 1991

When Ron Atkinson left Sheffield Wednesday for Aston Villa, just weeks after leading them to a League Cup triumph over Manchester United at Wembley, you just knew the “random” fixture generator would ensure that the two sides met on 

the opening day the following season.

What followed was the ultimate humdinger as “Big Ron’s” new side, which boasted the attacking prowess of Dalian Atkinson and Cyrille Regis, fought out a five goal thriller with his old side in the August sunshine.

It looked like Wednesday would get at least a smidgen of revenge when they stormed into a 2-0 lead, only for the aforementioned Regis, Atkinson and a Steve Staunton last gasp effort to convince Atkinson, temporarily at least, that he’d made the right move.

Arsenal 2 Norwich City 4, 1992

The opening weekend of the new Premier League season paired Arsenal, Champions twice in the last four years, and Norwich, who had finished the previous campaign just three points above the drop zone; but the form book was well and truly thrown out of the window in the sunshine of Highbury as City mounted the most astonishing comeback.

The Gunners had taken an early two-goal lead through Steve Bould and Kevin Campbell and looked set to claim all three points; that was until goals from Fox, Phillips and new boy Mark Robins in the last 20 minutes turned the game completely on its head.

The win was just a sign of things to come for Norwich, who topped the table for much of the season and eventually finished in 3rd.

Sheffield Wednesday 3 Tottenham 4, 1994

Not only did new signing, and latest Premier League import, Jurgen Klinsmann become an instant hit after scoring on his Spurs debut at Sheffield Wednesday in the first game of the 1994/5 season; his diving celebration would go down in folklore too.

Spurs' lethal attack had combined to put them 2-0 up at Hillsborough through Teddy Sheringham and Darren Anderton, only to be pegged back by a Colin Calderwood own goal and a Dan Petrescu strike.

But just as it looked like Tottenham had thrown away three opening day points, Nicky Barmby and Klinsmann's now legendary headed match winner ensured a dramatic win that was typical of Tottenham under Ossie Ardiles at the time.

Middlesbrough 3 Liverpool 3, 1996

When Fabrizio Ravanelli joined Middlesbrough’s “Foreign Legion” in 1996 Manager Bryan Robson described him as “one of the best strikers in the world;” but there were some who doubted the ability of a man that, at £7 million, was now one of the most expensive signings in the game.

However, any doubters were quickly proved wrong as the “Silver Feather” joined the likes of Mickey Quinn, Bob Latchford and Tony Cottee by scoring an opening day hat-trick to cancel out goals from Stig- Bjørnebye, John Barnes and Robbie Fowler.

Unfortunately for Boro, though, this was one swallow that did not make a summer as - after a rollercoaster season that saw them reach two cup finals – they were eventually relegated from the top-flight on the final day of the season.

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