Favourite Opening Day Memories

Can’t remember if it was Match of the Day or Star Soccer (remember that?), or maybe even Sportsnight With Coleman, but I recall this one game at the Baseball Ground in the 70s where they had to send groundsman on with a pot of caulking to paint a spot on the mud so they could take a penalty! :rofl:

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As everyone else has said that home game against the Baggies and the away game at Millmoor were the best I’ve watched.

I will admit though most opening day games live long in the memory.

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Last year was very much a false dawn, good comeback win over a Plymouth side that were fancied for the play offs but of course are now also in league 2.

Didn’t Leahy hit a cracking free kick for the winner? Blazing sun aswell.

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Great day that remember Robins s penalty been initially saved only to be retaken plenty of Sun plenty of Beer great start great end to the season as well

Memorable in a different way, I remember our opening game of the 2012/13 season, a 1-0 win against Brentford in the league cup. It was the second full season that Smith was in charge. Following a season and a half of grinding out results, I couldn’t believe that over the course of a summer we’d suddenly developed into a side that knocked the ball around effortlessly and was genuinely pleasing on the eye

Being candidates for relegation pre season, I remember saying to my mate “You wouldn’t mind us going down if we played like this every week”. For me that’s when I first thought Smith could have the makings of a top manager and I could really enjoy going to see us play

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MOTD

The fun starts at 1’04 into this clip.

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Not sure if it was opening day, but very early in 79/80 we played Northampton away in what was possibly our first 4th division game in many years. Although it was only 2-1 we tore them apart, with Don Penn absolutely rampant, so much so that they took off the guy who was trying, and failing, to mark him, after about 25 minutes. Would be great to have a repeat performance 40 years later this coming Saturday. Mind you at that level we had a pretty awesome team then, including Penn, Buckley and Paul. Happy days - hopefully now coming back.

Have to agree - happy days indeed…

… not to mention a certain Dean Smith at centre-back for Port Fail.

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85, I think. I remember it because I was working on the Isle of Wight and got no news at all. When I saw a Cross had scored, I assumed we’d signed David Cross.

West Brom by an absolute mile. Be surprised if anyone who witnessed it said anything different but stand to be corrected.

Win, lose or draw, Saturday will be up there.

The two worst keepers in Walsall (goalkeeping) history both played in that game!

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Found a few pictures from that Rotherham game

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I have good memories of that day. First away game I took my lad to.

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19th August 1961 Walsall 4 Sunderland and Cloughie 3 with nearly 19000 in FP. Moved away by the time of the Merson demolition of WBA but having watched the video that would have to be up there. Was driving to South Wales when the match commentary went over to the Bescot to report the 4th goal and I believed anything was possible.

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Rotherham away when we won 3-2 for me, singing “Robins, Robins, what’s the score” as the odious little turd walked off at the end was a highlight of my Saddlers watching life. :rofl:

Charlton at Home in 1972 was another, also a 3-2 win, a bostin’ free-kick from Chopper Evans, and also a goal from Chris Jones and a pen from Colin Harrison. All the players had great sun tans, except Stan Jones, who looked like he’d spent five years in prison with not a glimpse of the sun. The grass was the greenest it has ever been, the sun shone, we won, I was eleven years old…life was good. :smiley:

The Port Vale game from 2004 was another memorable one, also 3-2, and a win despite our keeper doing his best to give them a helping hand.

The Albion game was obviously fun, but as it wasn’t a 3-2 win, I don’t think it worthy of serious consideration. :crazy_face:

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Last years ■■■■ up at Northampton was fantastic. Realise how much you miss being able to do it now.

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Haven’t looked above, but has anyone mentioned Bristol City away in the mid 80s? Scorching hot day, we had Steve Daley making his debut and Nicky Cross and Steve Elliot up front. If I remember correctly, it was a 3-2 win and I have a feeling Elliot got a couple.

It was also the day of the Bristol Hot Air balloon festival in a nearby park and I remember sitting watching them all take off and having lunch prior to the game.

Nicky Cross’s debut, what a fine but of business signing him was. It was so hot that day, flying ants everywhere. Won with a late penalty.

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We have had some good ones, .I think my favourite Was Carlisle away think it was 93?

Have some stories to tell about that day! 4-3 win. Met Swifty that day (he wasn’t swifty then obviously) He was driving the mini bus, he only passed his driving test the day before ! Happy days.