[bournemouth baggie]

As usual there's a fair degree of pessimism on the forum although it's probably the one day for pure optimism.

With that in mind what memories are there of best and worst first games of the season. I'll start with beating Liverpool 3-0 in 2012 with Gera on song in the sun - we even missed a penalty! Contrast that to losing 4-1 to Merson-inspired Walsall in 2003.

[costa blanca baggie]

Ally Brown scoring after about 20 seconds against Ipswich (I think) at the home.

[TheJacko2000]

First ever game in the 3rd tier. A surreal 6-3 home win against Exeter City.

[Baggies]

I'm going with the Liverpool game too. Easily the best opening day i've been to. Gera's goal was a beauty and you really felt we were on to something that season under new leadership (especially a couple of months later when we beat Chelsea at home and were sitting top 6/7).

[caravanc58]

Villa away 83-84, we lost 4 -3 but a great day out. Hot sunny day drinking in a packed Blue Gates after earlier session in an early opening Star and Garter and looting all the shops on the way back.😄
FTV.

[Standaman]

One of the best and earliest opening day memories was the 2:0 away win at Southampton 69-70, not that I was at the game but watched the results come in on Grandstand (in black and white) and then ran round to the newsagents to pick up a copy of the Sports Argus.

Our new £100,000 signing Colin Sugget scored both goals. Nine year old me expected us to sweep all before us in the coming season. I also firmly believed Colin Sugget who I had never seen other than as a sticker in my collection of football stickers and came from Sunderland was quite probably the best player in England and therefore by definition the world. As hot takes goes it was somewhat wide of the mark.