Around One – Opening Day

Last updated : 11 August 2003 By Tony Scholes

Eddie Lewis - he scored the first goal of the season
They grabbed the lead with just a couple of minutes on the clock but West Ham were level within no time through Jermain Defoe and went on to win it 2-1 with a David Connolly goal. Having picked up Connolly the league’s best goal scorer for a snip The Sinister One Glenn Roeder then elected to leave him out, apparently on the orders of Gerard Houllier who wanted loan player Neil Mellor in the starting line up.

Connolly won it for the Hammers and then blasted Roeder for not playing him and starting with a player they picked up on the motorway services on route to the game. Roeder and Connolly – looks like a match made in heaven.

West Ham were the only one of the three relegated clubs to pick up the points with West Brom involved in the shock results of the day, a 4-1 defeat at Walsall who were inspired by Paul Merson. Having said that Walsall will struggle to score another four goals like that all season, they were all stunners, and there was much belief that this scoreline didn’t reflect the game at all.

Poor Mick McCarthy is still looking for his first point as Sunderland manager. The Mackems have collected just one point in 2003, courtesy of a 0-0 home draw against Blackburn back in January. They looked a much different side on their return to Division One. Sorensen, McCann, Haas, Craddock and Bellion are all gone whilst they chose to play without any of Reyna, Phillips, Gray and Flo.

After a bright start Forest got on top and in the end won the game comfortably 2-0 and McCarthy’s wait for a point continue. He took over a mess of that there is no doubt, but just how long the Sunderland fans will keep patience with him remains to be seen, his record is now played ten, lost ten.

Your are unlucky if you come up against one of the promoted clubs on the first day many will tell you, these sides tend to do well as we found to our cost last year with Brighton. Not this year though and the three of them picked up just one point between them in the three games that attracted the three lowest crowds in the division.

Alan Lee - set for a move from Rotherham
It was Cardiff who collected a point in a less than entertaining game at Rotherham that ended 0-0. What a surprise, another goalless game at Millmoor. In fact the only talking point of the game was the situation regarding former Burnley striker Alan Lee who was apparently Rotherham’s best player.

It is clear that Rotherham really do want to sell him despite Ronnie Moore’s earlier words and are doing their level best to get as much as they can for him. Cardiff have already had one bid turned down and Burnley will be watching this one closely having ensured a sell on clause.

Moore said after the game, "Alan Lee proved why Cardiff want him so badly. He murdered their two centre halves - they were hardly in the game today. But at the moment he is still a Rotherham United player and that will not change until they make another move."

JJB money bags Wigan went into the new season with the same squad as won them promotion, apart from Gary Walsh as goalkeeping cover. Their first ever fixture at this level against Millwall at the Den though ended in a 2-0 defeat. Wise and Cahill were the scorers.

Wigan boss Paul Jewell said after the game that there will have to be an improvement just for his side to survive this season, is he trying to talk himself out of a job already.

In the big game of the day Crewe finally found out last week just where their game at Franchise would take place. Now forgive us for believing this lot when they said their game against us last season was their last at Selhurst Park, but there they were again at the same venue.

It is difficult to understand what is going on. Barnsley only received permission late on Friday for their game to go ahead in Division Two against Colchester, they are in administration. But Franchise carry on regardless flouting just about every rule in place. Their game attracted a small gathering of 1,145 but to be honest that is 1,145 more than they deserve.

A new look for the Bradford City ground
Bradford City came back with two late goals to earn a point in a 2-2 draw against Norwich at their rented Bradford & Bingley Pulse Valley Parade owned by Flamingo Land Pensioners Stadium.

Last week Bradford, whose Chairman Gordon Gibb owns Flamingo Land, sold their ground to the trustees of the Flamingo Land Pension Fund and will now rent it back. It makes you wonder just what will be going on there this season.

As for the game though they did look out of it until they stormed back with those two goals in the last six minutes, a first ever goal from Ben Muirhead and a debut goal for our skipper’s cousin Michael Branch.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has been able to bring in a number of new signings during the summer and they got off to a cracking start at George Burley’s Derby County. It was certainly a new look Stoke with seven new signings in the starting line up, just the number of new players that Pulis said he would bring in last May.

Burley’s hardly recognisable young Derby side were ‘taken to the cleaners’ according to the manager and he said he will be stepping up his attempts to strengthen the squad just as soon as possible.

But they did have five substitutes, as did every other club in the First Division apart from Burnley, so that suggests they are better off for players than we are.

The scene at Vicarage Road after the postponement of the game against Coventry
No round up of the weekend’s fixtures could be complete either without mention of our defeat to Crystal Palace that gave us the first hat-trick hero of the season, Dougie Freedman who will probably never score an easier hat-trick. He said it had always been an ambition to score a hat-trick on the opening day of the season, he must have been rubbing his hands when he saw the fixtures.

Two of last season’s play off teams picked up points. Sheffield United were unable to break down a resolute Gillingham defence in which Ian Cox was outstanding and had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane. Hessenthaler was delighted with their performance and pointed out that but for injuries to forwards they would have won that game.

Reading got what on paper looked a good result at Ipswich, earning a point in a 0-0 draw. But they would have won it but for a last minute penalty that looked somewhat dodgy. One of those that away teams never get.

Talking penalties and back to the Burnley game. How on earth could referee Foy have ever pointed to the spot when Routledge brought down Luke Chadwick. Having seen this one again on video it is not even close and is some five yards outside the box. No wonder managers complain about referees.

One manager collapsed on Saturday, Nottingham Forest’s Paul Hart. But everything is OK and it was down to the heat (apparently it was warm in Nottingham) and a migraine.

The other match that should have been played was Watford v Coventry but this was called off following the tragic death of Jimmy Davis in a road accident on the M40. The decision to call off the game was without doubt the correct one and again we send our thoughts to his family and friends.

The forthcoming fixtures in Division One are as follows with games kicking off at 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise shown:

Saturday 16th August

Cardiff City v Bradford City
Coventry City v Walsall
Crewe Alexandra v Ipswich Town
Crystal Palace v Watford
Gillingham v Derby County
Norwich City v Rotherham United
Reading v Nottingham Forest
Stoke City v Franchise
Sunderland v Millwall
West Bromwich Albion v Burnley (5:35 p.m.)
West Ham United v Sheffield United
Wigan Athletic v Preston North End