Leeds United
What Have Scunthorpe United Got In Common With....
By Batfastard
August 7 2008
....Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal? Well, at the moment, probably nothing. But hopefully by Saturday afternoon they will be able to include themselves alongside the Premiership big boys on the victim-list of one the most astonishing unbeaten runs in English football.
Despite Leeds United’s recent fall from grace, they have managed to maintain what is probably a record-breaking sequence of opening day fixtures without defeat, which stretches back a full 19 years. Now, the more astute amongst you will have noticed the use of the word ‘probably’ in the above statement and could well be querying its usage in the above context. Well, it’s quite simple really – I couldn’t be bothered looking it up. But I certainly think it’s a record and – whether it is or it isn’t – it is certainly a hugely impressive achievement.
And it certainly started back in 1990 when a newly-promoted Leeds United played their first top flight game in 8 years as they visited Goodison Park and raced into a 3-0 half-time lead against Everton, with goals from Chris Fairclough, Gary Speed and Imre Varadi. The game is perhaps best remembered, though, for Everton goalkeeper, Neville Southall’s infamous half-time sulk, in which he returned to the field and spent the entire half-time break slouched against one of the goalposts. He later explained that he didn’t feel the dressing room rollicking his team mates were receiving applied to him – an explanation that did not endear him to the home fans, who regaled their former dustman ‘keeper with an array of “Once a binman, always a binman” banners at subsequent matches.
And – although his freshly-rollicked team mates pulled two second half goals back – Leeds held on and the opening day run had begun. It continued the following year as we began our Championship winning season with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Elland Road , courtesy of a goal by current manager, Gary McAllister; while a brace from Lee Chapman secured a 2-1 home win over Wimbledon, the following season.
The next two seasons both saw opening day away draws – Brian Deane netting in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at Maine Road in 1993-4; whilst the lads scrapped to a goalless draw at West Ham the season after. Upton Park was again the venue for our curtain-raiser to the 1995-6 season, where legend Tony Yeboah bagged both goals in a 2-1 victory, before firing home the eventual goal of the season just two days later with his unforgettable volley against Liverpool at Elland Road in front of the Monday night Sky cameras.
We then enjoyed four consecutive opening day draws: 3-3 at Derby County (Harte, Bowyer and an own goal from Laursen); a 1-1 home draw with Arsenal marked by a blistering debut goal from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink; goalless at Middlesbrough the following year and goalless again against Derby, this time at Elland Road.
In 2000-01 we beat Everton 2-0 at Elland Road 
with a brace from Alan Smith to kick off the season that would mark our zenith under David O’Leary with a Champions League Semi Final appearance. And Smithy was on target again with a sublime finish the season after against Southampton, having come on as a substitute. Lee Bowyer grabbed our other goal in a 2-0 victory.
2002-03 marked the beginning of Terry Venables’ short tenure and things started promisingly with a 3-0 home victory over Manchester City.
A year later and Peter Reid became the third manager in as many years to preside over our opening match. Alan Shearer opened the scoring at Elland Road for Newcastle United, but goals from Mark Viduka and another cool finish from Alan Smith put us ahead. For Smith this was 3 goals in 4 years on opening day and he marked the feat with a display of badge kissing passion that was to immortalise him in the eyes of Leeds fans everywhere for almost precisely nine months, after which we hated his guts. Back to the game and a late second goal from Alan Shearer denied us a deserved victory as the Geordie striker demonstrated why he holds the record for being the most prolific opposing striker in Elland Road history. Well, probably anyway.
The season after – our first in the Championship – and yet another new manager, Kevin Blackwell was in the hot seat as we won our 
opening game (once again against Derby County) with a Frazer Richardson goal at Elland Road. Our other two Championship seasons opened with a 2-1 home win over Milwall (David Healy brace) and a 1-0 victory over Norwich City (David Healy penalty) in the season which was to see us relegated to League One.
This time we had Dennis Wise in charge and our opening fixture involved a trip across the M62 to Tranmere. The home team dominated the first half and deservedly led 1-0 at the break and our record looked on the verge of collapse….. but a rallying second half performance saw an equaliser from Matt Heath and then – almost unbelievably – in the final minute up popped Tresor Kandol to score a very great goal in the Scou – erm – opponent’s net, thus fulfilling the prophecy foretold in the song. Or perhaps the song came afterwards. I guess we’ll never know.
Either way, the record remained in tact and here we are, with the excitement once again mounting towards the big kick off and Scunthorpe United have the opportunity to succeed where the likes of Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal all failed. Although it is many years since we last met the Iron in a league fixture, it is undoubtedly a mark of our descent that they are the next obstacle to maintaining our proud record. And if we lose? Well, all good things come to an end eventually….but, take heart. Our last opening day defeat was a 5-2 thumping at Newcastle’s St James Park, way back in 1989 in the old Second Division…. and guess what? We recovered from that defeat and went on to win the title – the last Leeds team to achieve a promotion! So whatever happens on Saturday – there’s a good omen in there somewhere!
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07/08/2008 07:34
Opening Day Victory is what Im looking forward to now.
SA
IM MEMORY OF THE BEST CAPTAIN AND GREATEST MANAGER IN OUR HISTORY--RIP BILLY AND DON
2013 PREDICTION LEAGUE---5TH
Neil mccdonald(lufc coach) missed a pen for everton that day.....
My LUFC forum
05 SUMMER LEAGUE WINNER
05/06-(06/07 Joint
)PREDICTION LEAGUE WINNER
CBC WINNER 08/09
''Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.''
RIP Welsh Pete
