No matter how old we get there is still something about the start of a new season, the season can be anything at all. Optimism is still in the cautionary stages at Old Trafford for the new season, even with the new signings and the INEOS honeymoon period implementing real changes.
The first game of the season has thrown up some good and bad memories in the Premier League era, from Brian Deane scoring twice to help Sheffield United beat Manchester United in the first Premier League fixture in the 92/93 season to Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo destroying Fulham 5-1 in the 06/07 season.
Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United 17th August 1996
One of the most memorable opening day games of the Premier League era, on paper this looked like a routine United win, but the third goal is one of the most famous goals ever.
Brian McClair pokes the ball towards the halfway line and a young David Beckham looks up and sees Neil Sullivan off his line and the rest is history. I remember coming home that day and a neighbour stopped me and said, did you see Beckham score from the halfway line?
This was back in the day when you didn’t see goals as soon as they went in, the fact my dad allowed me to stay up to watch Match of the Day to see it was one of the best moments of being a young football fan and witness the birth of a new superstar.
An exciting time with some of the biggest names in football coming over to England after Euro 96 a few months earlier, as a young 7-year-old this was an amazing time to get into football and to see it in glorious sunshine makes it even sweeter.
Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United 15th August 2004
The hype this game had at the time was huge, a big game like this was always going to catch the imagination but factoring in the debut of The Special One tops it off.
Jose Mourinho made his bow in English football months after running down the Old Trafford touchline as his Porto side knocked United out of the Champions League the previous season.
As for the match itself, it was notable for Roy Keane playing centre-back as United had a crisis in defence (sound familiar?). The goal was a scruffy one by Eidur Gudjohnsen and that is mostly what I remember about this game and the smugness of Mourinho, you hated him but by God did you respect him.
I asked a couple of the other writers from Stretty News to share some of their opening day memories and here are their memories.
Philip Morrissey
“We were all told that it was going to be a case of Erik Ten Weeks. The summer had been plagued with off-field problems ranging from a sulking Cristiano Ronaldo to a banged-up Harry Maguire to questions over the future of others. Still, it was opening day and us fans were willing to believe yet again. The signings he had made seemed to be promising, but no-one knew what system we were gonna play. It just happened that I was flying out to Norway for the weekend for an extreme metal festival so was hoping to catch at least some of it.
“It was a banger of a time with plenty of partying, sight-seeing, boozing and a ton load of great bands. I dragged my broke and weary carcass out of the hotel to get on the road. Due to the city, we were in, I needed a connecting flight to get back to Dublin. All went to plan; I arrived back on Irish soil ahead of schedule. I was faced with the dilemma of chancing an earlier bus back down to Cork or watching the game in the Airport. I said ‘f*** it’ and jumped on the bus. ‘Sure I’ll watch Sky Go on the way down’. Turned it on just to see the second of a brace by Pascal Gross. Not even an own goal could save us. This is going to be a long hard season…”
Jonathan Kahn
“The year was 1995. Manchester United had allowed 3 key players from the side who had won the double two years prior to leave. Their replacements? Well actually no one, instead (Not yet Sir) Alex Ferguson opted to replace Hughes, Ince and Kanchelskis with players from the club’s much vaunted Youth Academy. 90 minutes later the doom mongers were out as Manchester United slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa and looked way off the pace. The result sent shockwaves through football to the point that that evening on Match of the Day, the BBC pundit Alan Hansen declared famously, or infamously that, You Can’t Win Anything with Kids.’ We all know how that turned out. “
So, will it be a good result to start the season off or will it be everyone wishing we could have a few more weeks off? That’s part of the fun, the unknown but as football fans we really wouldn’t have it any other way.
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