First game of the season - 1981 onwards

[Carlton Blade]

Taking 1981 as the starting point (I was born that year) We have won 15, drawn 12 and lost 14 of our opening games. 19 away, 22 at home. Never started against a team from Yorkshire. Most common opponent is Gillingham and Portsmouth, 3 times each

Bournemouth, Birmingham, Liverpool, Reading, Shrewsbury, Swindon, Watford and Wolves twice each

Won 1, drawn 1, lost 6 of our last 8

Won 1 of the last 14 where we start the season away from home

Year	Division	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score
1981–82	Division 4	29-Aug-81​	Hereford United	H	D	2-2
1982–83	Division 3	28-Aug-82​	Portsmouth	A	L	4-1
1983–84	Division 3	27-Aug-83​	Gillingham	H	W	4-0
1984–85	Division 2	25-Aug-84​	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	D	2-2
1985–86	Division 2	17-Aug-85​	Stoke City	A	W	1-3
1986–87	Division 2	23-Aug-86​	Shrewsbury Town	H	D	1-1
1987–88	Division 2	15-Aug-87​	AFC Bournemouth	H	L	0-1
1988–89	Division 3	27-Aug-88​	Reading	A	W	1-3
1989–90	Division 2	19-Aug-89​	West Bromwich Albion	A	W	0-3
1990–91	Division 1	25-Aug-90​	Liverpool	H	L	1-3
1991–92	Division 1	17-Aug-91​	Norwich City	A	D	2-2
1992–93	Premier League	15-Aug-92​	Manchester United	H	W	2-1
1993–94	Premier League	14-Aug-93​	Swindon Town	H	W	3-1
1994–95	Division 1	13-Aug-94​	Watford	H	W	3-0
1995–96	Division 1	12-Aug-95​	Watford	A	L	2-1
1996–97	Division 1	17-Aug-96​	Reading	A	L	1-0
1997–98	Division 1	10-Aug-97​	Sunderland	H	W	2-0
1998–99	Division 1	08-Aug-98​	Swindon Town	H	W	2-1
1999–2000	Division 1	07-Aug-99​	Portsmouth	A	L	2-0
2000–01	Division 1	12-Aug-00​	Portsmouth	H	W	2-0
2001–02	Division 1	11-Aug-01​	Nottingham Forest	A	D	1-1
2002–03	Division 1	10-Aug-02​	Coventry City	A	L	2-1
2003–04	Division 1	09-Aug-03​	Gillingham	H	D	0-0
2004–05	Championship	07-Aug-04​	Burnley	A	D	1-1
2005–06	Championship	06-Aug-05​	Leicester City	H	W	4-1
2006–07	Premier League	19-Aug-06​	Liverpool	H	D	1-1
2007–08	Championship	11-Aug-07​	Colchester United	H	D	2-2
2008–09	Championship	09-Aug-08​	Birmingham City	A	L	1-0
2009–10	Championship	07-Aug-09​	Middlesbrough	A	D	0-0
2010–11	Championship	08-Aug-10​	Cardiff City	A	D	1-1
2011–12	League One	06-Aug-11​	Oldham Athletic	A	W	0-2
2012–13	League One	18-Aug-12​	Shrewsbury Town	H	W	1-0
2013–14	League One	02-Aug-13​	Notts County	H	W	2-1
2014–15	League One	09-Aug-14​	Bristol City	H	L	1-2
2015–16	League One	08-Aug-15​	Gillingham	A	L	4-0
2016–17	League One	06-Aug-16​	Bolton Wanderers	A	L	1-0
2017–18	Championship	05-Aug-17​	Brentford	H	W	1-0
2018–19	Championship	04-Aug-18​	Swansea City	H	L	1-2
2019–20	Premier League	10-Aug-19​	AFC Bournemouth	A	D	1-1
2020–21	Premier League	14-Sep-20​	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	L	0-2
2021-22	Championship	07-Aug-21​	Birmingham City	H	L	0-1

 

[Paisley Blade]

1984 and 1989 the standouts for me.

Both good performances on the backs of promotions ,both played in red hot weather in the Costa del Black Country. Straight in to town and then The Leadmill after the Wolves game wearing yellow away shirt. I must have stunk to high heaven

 

[K1 flabby stick]

How cheery.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Just shows that the first game result is not necessarily a good indication of how the season will pan out.

Lost 1-0 to Bolton in 2016-17 - finished with 100 points
Lost 2-1 to Swansea at home in 2018-19 - promoted to Premier League
Won 3-1 v Swindon in 1993-94 - relegated

 

[Hartley Hare]

Still trying to get over that Gillingham defeat.

That was a long drive home .............

HH

 

[JayGreen17]

Due an away win then

 

[Geordie Blade]

The 1989 game was my favourite opener. The first time we wore that shirt, we took everyone by surprise. We had a new corner routine where two ‘pairs’ swapped between the front and back posts just as the corner came in. West Brom couldn’t cope with that, or our general play, and it was obvious that Deane and Agana especially were more than capable of the step up.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Carlton Blade - going to new lengths to avoid talking to the wife and kids? Shoutbox not enough?

 

[Carlton Blade]

Carlton Blade - going to new lengths to avoid talking to the wife and kids? Shoutbox not enough?

5 minutes work for a Nerd like me Koz

 

[Paisley Blade]

The 1989 game was my favourite opener. The first time we wore that shirt, we took everyone by surprise. We had a new corner routine where two ‘pairs’ swapped between the front and back posts just as the corner came in. West Brom couldn’t cope with that, or our general play, and it was obvious that Deane and Agana especially were more than capable of the step up.

The previous season there had been two divisions between the teams and we took them apart. Quite a number of their fans stayed in the main stand and clapped us off at the end.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

Just shows that the first game result is not necessarily a good indication of how the season will pan out.

Lost 1-0 to Bolton in 2016-17 - finished with 100 points
Lost 2-1 to Swansea at home in 2018-19 - promoted to Premier League
Won 3-1 v Swindon in 1993-94 - relegated

1980-81, first three league games all won.
Someone has to be a miserable sod on a Thursday morning.

 

[Rufus Smalls]

1984 and 1989 the standouts for me.

Both good performances on the backs of promotions ,both played in red hot weather in the Costa del Black Country. Straight in to town and then The Leadmill after the Wolves game wearing yellow away shirt. I must have stunk to high heaven

Same for me Paisley, heading back from Wolves our mini bus must have stopped at every village between the midlands and Sheffield 8 ! It was the old Molineux and plenty of Blades basking in the sunshine for a great 2-2 draw in glorious weather.

The WBA match in 1989 was a fantastic performance from the Blades, 3-0 victory with Deane 1 and Agana 2 goals, needs clarifying if my memory is correct. We took a bus from the local pub and it was rammed. Obviously plenty of booze and high spirits before and after the match. Was this the game where Reg Brearley was stood with us on the away end behind the goal ?

UTB !

 

[Pollingtonblade]

If we'd have held on for 1 more minute against Birmingham in 08....

 

[RammyBlade]

Taking 1981 as the starting point (I was born that year) We have won 15, drawn 12 and lost 14 of our opening games. 19 away, 22 at home. Never started against a team from Yorkshire. Most common opponent is Gillingham and Portsmouth, 3 times each

Bournemouth, Birmingham, Liverpool, Reading, Shrewsbury, Swindon, Watford and Wolves twice each

Won 1, drawn 1, lost 6 of our last 8

Won 1 of the last 14 where we start the season away from home

Year	Division	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score
1981–82	Division 4	29-Aug-81​	Hereford United	H	D	2-2
1982–83	Division 3	28-Aug-82​	Portsmouth	A	L	4-1
1983–84	Division 3	27-Aug-83​	Gillingham	H	W	4-0
1984–85	Division 2	25-Aug-84​	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	D	2-2
1985–86	Division 2	17-Aug-85​	Stoke City	A	W	1-3
1986–87	Division 2	23-Aug-86​	Shrewsbury Town	H	D	1-1
1987–88	Division 2	15-Aug-87​	AFC Bournemouth	H	L	0-1
1988–89	Division 3	27-Aug-88​	Reading	A	W	1-3
1989–90	Division 2	19-Aug-89​	West Bromwich Albion	A	W	0-3
1990–91	Division 1	25-Aug-90​	Liverpool	H	L	1-3
1991–92	Division 1	17-Aug-91​	Norwich City	A	D	2-2
1992–93	Premier League	15-Aug-92​	Manchester United	H	W	2-1
1993–94	Premier League	14-Aug-93​	Swindon Town	H	W	3-1
1994–95	Division 1	13-Aug-94​	Watford	H	W	3-0
1995–96	Division 1	12-Aug-95​	Watford	A	L	2-1
1996–97	Division 1	17-Aug-96​	Reading	A	L	1-0
1997–98	Division 1	10-Aug-97​	Sunderland	H	W	2-0
1998–99	Division 1	08-Aug-98​	Swindon Town	H	W	2-1
1999–2000	Division 1	07-Aug-99​	Portsmouth	A	L	2-0
2000–01	Division 1	12-Aug-00​	Portsmouth	H	W	2-0
2001–02	Division 1	11-Aug-01​	Nottingham Forest	A	D	1-1
2002–03	Division 1	10-Aug-02​	Coventry City	A	L	2-1
2003–04	Division 1	09-Aug-03​	Gillingham	H	D	0-0
2004–05	Championship	07-Aug-04​	Burnley	A	D	1-1
2005–06	Championship	06-Aug-05​	Leicester City	H	W	4-1
2006–07	Premier League	19-Aug-06​	Liverpool	H	D	1-1
2007–08	Championship	11-Aug-07​	Colchester United	H	D	2-2
2008–09	Championship	09-Aug-08​	Birmingham City	A	L	1-0
2009–10	Championship	07-Aug-09​	Middlesbrough	A	D	0-0
2010–11	Championship	08-Aug-10​	Cardiff City	A	D	1-1
2011–12	League One	06-Aug-11​	Oldham Athletic	A	W	0-2
2012–13	League One	18-Aug-12​	Shrewsbury Town	H	W	1-0
2013–14	League One	02-Aug-13​	Notts County	H	W	2-1
2014–15	League One	09-Aug-14​	Bristol City	H	L	1-2
2015–16	League One	08-Aug-15​	Gillingham	A	L	4-0
2016–17	League One	06-Aug-16​	Bolton Wanderers	A	L	1-0
2017–18	Championship	05-Aug-17​	Brentford	H	W	1-0
2018–19	Championship	04-Aug-18​	Swansea City	H	L	1-2
2019–20	Premier League	10-Aug-19​	AFC Bournemouth	A	D	1-1
2020–21	Premier League	14-Sep-20​	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	L	0-2
2021-22	Championship	07-Aug-21​	Birmingham City	H	L	0-1

Thats some good research well done - not won in last 4 years !

 

[sheff_blade90]

i didnt realise how shocking we were on opening day, lost 6 of our last 8 since david weir & with the only coming v brentford. which we did get very lucky as blackman kept us in that game with a man of the match performance