Oh, and here’s a match report from Molineux. Lovely stuff:
And that’s your lot from the opening Saturday of the Football League and Scottish Premiership. Bristol City are the very early pacesetters in the Championship, but, well, y’know. However the action’s not yet over, because if you click below, former Nottingham Forest Chelsea legend John Terry makes his debut for Aston Villa against Hull. Barry Glendenning is anticipating your arrival. Don’t keep him waiting now!
The classifieds
Championship: Bristol City 3-1 Barnsley; Burton 0-1 Cardiff; Fulham 1-1 Norwich; Ipswich 1-0 Birmingham; Preston 1-0 Sheff W; QPR 2-0 Reading; Sheff U 1-0 Brentford; Wolves 1-0 Middlesbrough.
Scottish Premiership: Celtic 4-1 Hearts; Dundee 1-2 Ross County; Hibs 3-1 Partick; Killie 1-2 St Johnstone.
Noteworthy League Two tonking: Luton Town 8-2 Yeovil.
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And in the Championship ... Sheffield United have held on against Brentford; Preston have beaten Wednesday; Fulham and Norwich have drawn; Ipswich have seen Birmingham off; and they’re still playing at QPR, the hosts 2-0 up against ten-men reading. And up in the Scottish version, Dundee United have won 1-0 at Caley Thistle. Full classified check to come.
More of them! Hibs have seen off Partick Thistle, 3-1. St Johnstone have seen it out at Killie; they’re 2-1 winners.
A few results are coming in now. Cardiff have won 1-0 at Burton. Ross County have won 2-1 at Dundee. Wolves have beaten Middlesbrough 1-0. Bristol City are 3-1 winners over Barnsley.
GOAL! Bristol City 3-1 Barnsley (Hedges 90 +3)
The dictionary definition of consolation, right here.
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Norwich City (Olivera 88)
Wes Hoolahan sends Nelson Oliveira away, and Norwich get their reward for pressing and probing for the majority of the second half. Meanwhile a winner for St Johnstone at Kilmarnock, by the looks of it: Michael O’Halloran with that in the 89th minute of his debut.
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GOAL! Burton 0-1 Cardiff (Zohore 87)
A late goal for the Bluebirds, though it’s not exactly a smash-and-grab job, given they’ve been on top for the majority of the second half. Meanwhile Jack Hendry has pulled a goal back for Dundee against Ross County. Four minutes to level it: it’s still 2-1 to the Highlanders.
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GOAL! Preston 1-0 Sheffield Wed (Johnson 79 pen)
Not any more! Lees slides in on Hugill. He might have got the ball, he might not. A lot of controversy, certainly a lot of argument. But the ref points to the spot. Johnson slams it home.
Tommy Spurr of Preston has just clattered the woodwork against Sheffield Wednesday with a power header from a corner kick. But it remains goalless at Deepdale.
It’s still Luton 7-2 Yeovil. This is where we are. Opening day of the season!
Forest Green’s Football League debut is threatening to turn sour. They were 2-0 up at half-time after those quick-fire Doidge goals, but Barnet have dragged themselves back level, Akpro and Campbell-Ryce notching in a quick-fire five-minute burst. Meanwhile the Luton-Yeovil game is now 7-2! James Collins has scored a hat-trick on debut for the Hatters.
The biggest opening-day party is being thrown at Kenilworth Road. Luton Town are currently 6-1 up against Yeovil Town.
Ross County are now in total control at Dundee, Christopher Routis putting the Dingwall side 2-0 up on 61 minutes. Meanwhile Kris Boyd has equalised for Kilmarnock at home to St Johnstone: it’s 1-1 at Rugby Park.
GOAL! QPR 2-0 Reading (Washington 59 pen)
Reading are struggling uphill now. Ilori is sent packing for bundling Wszolek over, six yards from goal. Washington gets up and slams the penalty kick home.
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Charlie Mulgrew has pulled a goal back for Blackburn Rovers with a 53rd-minute free kick at Southend. It’s 2-1 at Roots Hall.
GOAL! Ipswich Town 1-0 Birmingham City (Garner 50)
A free kick for Birmingham comes to naught. The Tractor Boys trundle at speed up the other end through Knudsen. He crosses for Garner, who bundles home at the far post.
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Portsmouth, on their return to the third tier, are a goal up against Rochdale. Brett Pitman has opened the scoring at Fratton. Hibs meanwhile are 3-1 up now against Partick Thistle, Simon Murray increasing their lead from the penalty spot.
First day of the season. New season, right here!
A slow start to this second half. But then that’s how the first 45 began, and it warmed up soon enough.
Half-time reading: A must-read this. Barry Glendenning on a righteous David-versus-Goliath skirmish between the FSF and the Premier League.
Some worrying news at Portman Road, where Ipswich Town’s talented young midfielder Andre Dozzell was carried off with what may be a serious knee injury. Off on a stretcher, an oxygen mask covering his face. God speed young man.
The half-times in the big matches, then.
Championship: Bristol City 3-0 Barnsley; Burton 0-0 Cardiff; Fulham 1-0 Norwich; Ipswich 0-0 Birmingham; Preston 0-0 Sheff Wed; QPR 1-0 Reading; Sheff Utd 1-0 Brentford; Wolves 1-0 Middlesbrough.
Scottish Premiership: Dundee 0-1 Ross County; Hibernian 2-1 Partick Thistle; Kilmarnock 0-1 St Johnstone.
You wait 128 years for your first Football League goal, then two come along in two minutes. Christian Doidge has capitalised on a Barnet defensive mix-up, and Forest Green are two up.
Forest Green Rovers have scored their first-ever goal in the Football League! Christian Doidge converts a corner on 41 minutes against Barnet, and there he is in the latest edition of The History Book.
Coventry City haven’t finished in the top six of any division for 47 years. They have won the FA Cup and the Football League Trophy during that period, mind you. However, they’ve been relegated three times as well, and now they’re in the fourth tier for the first time since 1959. But this campaign has started well, Jodi Jones with their opener on 29 minutes against Notts County. Meanwhile three-time English champions Blackburn are now 2-0 down at Southend, Michael Kightly with the second for the Shrimpers.
GOAL! Sheffield United 1-0 Brentford (Sharp 39)
The Blades were looking blunt in the early exchanges, but Billy Sharp has just crashed home a header. Bramall Lane erupts on United’s return to the second tier after that long period of slumming it in League One.
Some news from Scotland. Hibs have gone 2-1 up against Partick Thistle, Steven Whittaker on 33 minutes. Meanwhile Ross County, the only Highlanders left in the Premiership, are leading at Dundee, Jamie Lindsay with the opener at Dens Park on 35 minutes.
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Middlesbrough (Bonatini 33)
The debutant Bonatini puts promotion hopefuls Wolves in front at Molineux, latching onto a piss-poor Ayala defensive pass and smacking it home.
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GOAL! Bristol City 3-0 Barnsley (Reid 30)
Barnsley have fallen apart. By all accounts, Bobby Reid was one of three Bristol City players waiting to score. It’s his second of the afternoon, and this is how to start a new season. City haven’t played in the top tier since 1980. Could they? Well, what’s the point in football if you’re not allowed to dream? They’re top of the table and going up as things stand. Just 45-and-a-half games to see out.
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Blackburn Rovers, champions of England as recently as 1995, are playing in the third tier this season. And they’re a goal down at Southend, Ryan Leonard opening the scoring there on 27 minutes.
GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Norwich (Martin og 25)
Good work from Ayite causes a kerfuffle in the Norwich defence, and the City defender Martin is panicked into turning the ball into his own net.
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GOAL! Bristol City 2-0 Barnsley (Diédhiou 25)
Bobby Reid returns the favour to Famara Diédhiou, setting up the City debutant and record signing for City’s second.
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GOAL! QPR 1-0 Reading (Washington 22)
Reading came so close to the Premier League last season, but Huddersfield won the day at Wembley, and so it’s another season in the second tier for Jaap Stam’s side. Sometimes it’s difficult to go again, and they’ve started slowly this time round. QPR have been on top from the get-go, and now the home side have got something to show for it. Freeman crosses from the right, and Conor Washington smacks a header into the net from close range.
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The Coventry game’s underway, incidentally. No goals yet. Way of things.
GOAL! Bristol City 1-0 Barnsley (Reid 16)
The first Championship goal of the day! New signing Diédhiou is sent through. He’s denied by Davies in the Barnsley goal, but Bobby Reid is on hand to bang home the rebound.
An equaliser for Hibs! Martin Boyle takes advantage of some penalty-box pinball to haul Neil Lennon’s side level against Partick Thistle.
Harry Kewell’s reign as Crawley manager has started in the manner of his 2005 Champions League final. Michael Tonge has put Port Vale a goal up at Broadfield after nine minutes. Meanwhile David Wotherspoon has put St Johnstone one up at Kilmarnock. The Scottish Premiership pulling its weight today: seven goals so far. The Championship needs to get its gameface on. And while we’re north of the border, the big game in the Scottish Championship has started well for fallen giants Dundee United. Paul McMullan has put them ahead at newly relegated Inverness Caledonian Thistle, a 13th-minute penalty doing the trick.
The first goal in the Scottish Premiership, and it’s bad news for newly promoted Hibs. Partick Thistle have gone a goal up at Easter Road, Chris Erskine slotting home neatly with his left peg after seven minutes. Meanwhile here’s the first red card of the Football League campaign: Lee Novak of Charlton Athletic going in over the top on Stuart Sinclair of Bristol Rovers. Six minutes he’s lasted. New season!
Coventry City are playing in the fourth tier for the first time since 1958-59, the very first year of the old Fourth Division. Or rather they’re waiting to play. The kick-off of their game with Notts County has been delayed due to torrential rain and lightning. Other than that, there’s little to report in the early exchanges of the big games. New season!
Here we go, then! The big kick-off! All those hopes and dreams! It’s all downhill for most of us from here. Hey, part of the charm.
Today's Scottish Premiership teams
Dundee: Bain, Kerr, Waddell, O’Dea, Holt, Kamara, Allan, Deacon, Wolters, O’Hara, Moussa.
Subs: Vincent, Williams, Parish, McGowan, El Bakhtaoui, Hendry, Spence.
Ross County: Fox, Fraser, Kelly, Davies, Naismith, Gardyne, Routis, Lindsay, Chow, Dow, Schalk.
Subs: Malcolm, Mikkelsen, Tumility, McCarey, van der Weg, Kellior-Dunn, Russell Dingwall.
Hibernian: Marciano, Whittaker, Ambrose, Hanlon, Stevenson, McGeouch, Bartley, McGinn, Swanson, Boyle, Simon Murray.
Subs: Stokes, Matulevicius, Slivka, Porteous, Fontaine, Laidlaw, Fraser Murray.
Partick Thistle: Cerny, Elliot, Keown, Devine, Booth, Barton, Osman, Bannigan, Lawless, Doolan, Erskine.
Subs: Nitriansky, Turnbull, McLaughlin, Scully, Nisbet, Penrice, McCarthy.
Kilmarnock: MacDonald, Taylor, Broadfoot, Burke, McKenzie, Boyd (c), Jones, Thomas, Greer, Wilson, Frizzell.
Subs: Bell, Waters, Power, O’Donnell, Samizadeh, Erwin, Graham.
St Johnstone: Mannus, Alston, Shaughnessy, Anderson, Davidson, Wotherspoon, Paton, Foster, Scougall, Easton, Cummins.
Subs: Clark, Tanser, O’Halloran, McClean, Kane, Craig, Gilchrist.
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The first result of the day is in. And it’s a comfortable win for the Scottish champions Celtic, who have gubbed Hearts 4-1 at Parkhead. Barry Glendenning was watching every kick, and here’s how the bhrilliant Bhoys began their second unbeaten season in a row.
Today's Championship teams
Bristol City: Fielding, Pisano, Wright, Hegeler, Bryan, Brownhill, Pack, Smith, Paterson, Diedhiou, Reid.
Subs: Engvall, Magnusson, Vyner, O’Neil, Lucic, Flint, O’Dowda.
Barnsley: Davies, McCarthy, Jackson, MacDonald, Yiadom, Potts, Joe Williams, Moncur, Mowatt, Ugbo, Bradshaw.
Subs: Hammill, Townsend, Pinnock, Payne, Brown, Bird, Hedges.
Burton Albion: Bywater, Lund, Buxton, McFadzean, Warnock, Murphy, Mousinho, Irvine, Akins, Sordell, Dyer.
Subs: Naylor, Varney, Palmer, Akpan, Campbell, Barker, Sbarra.
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Bamba, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Peltier, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Bennett, Tomlin, Hoilett, Zohore.
Subs: Richards, Ward, Pilkington, Halford, Mendez-Laing, Damour, Murphy.
Fulham: Button, Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Sessegnon, Norwood, Johansen, Kebano, Cairney, Ayite, Aluko.
Subs: Odoi, Madl, Piazon, Edun, Cisse, Kamara, Rodak.
Norwich City: Gunn, Martin, Zimmermann, Franke, Wildschut, Vrancic, Reed, Maddison, Husband, Watkins, Jerome.
Subs: Ivo Pinto, Oliveira, Murphy, Hoolahan, Godfrey, Tettey, McGovern.
Ipswich Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Iorfa, Chambers, Smith, Knudsen, Ward, Skuse, Dozzell, Sears, Garner.
Subs: Gerken, Webster, McGoldrick, Celina, Downes, Nydam, Kenlock.
Birmingham City: Stockdale, Nsue, Morrison, Roberts, Grounds, Davis, N’Doye, Gardner, Maghoma, Adams, Donaldson.
Subs: Shotton, Kieftenbeld, Kuszczak, Keita, Brock-Madsen, Gleeson, Harding.
Preston North End: Maxwell, Fisher, Huntington, Spurr, Cunningham, Pearson, Barkhuizen, Browne, Johnson, Robinson, Sean Maguire.
Subs: Rudd, Vermijl, Horgan, Hugill, Gallagher, Davies, May.
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil, Boyd, Hutchinson, Bannan, Reach, Forestieri, Rhodes.
Subs: Jones, Fox, Fletcher, Hooper, Nuhiu, Wildsmith, Wallace.
QPR: Smithies, Perch, Onuoha, Lynch, Bidwell, Wszolek, Scowen, Luongo, Freeman, Mackie, Washington.
Subs: Furlong, Ingram, Borysiuk, Smith, Robinson, Ngbakoto, Sylla.
Reading: Mannone, Gunter, Moore, Tiago Ilori, Blackett, Swift, Kelly, Evans, Popa, Bodvarsson, Clement.
Subs: Mendes, Jaakkola, Barrow, Rinomhota, Richards, Smith.
Sheffield United: Blackman, Stearman, Basham, O’Connell, Freeman, Coutts, Carruthers, Fleck, Stevens, Clarke, Sharp.
Subs: Lundstram, Wright, Duffy, Lavery, Lafferty, Eastwood, Brooks.
Brentford: Bentley, Dalsgaard, Egan, Bjelland, Henry, Mokotjo, Woods, Jota, McEachran, Jozefzoon, Vibe.
Subs: Colin, Yennaris, Maupay, Watkins, Sawyers, Daniels, Barbet.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: John Ruddy, Roderick Miranda, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Douglas, Enobakhare, Jota, Leo Bonatini.
Subs: Edwards, Bennett, Batth, Dicko, Graham, Ronan, Norris.
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, de Roon, Clayton, Howson, Fletcher, Assombalonga, Braithwaite.
Subs: Konstantopoulos, Da Silva, Leadbitter, Bamford, Fry, Forshaw, Gestede.
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Welcome home to Clocko!
Sixty-eight days ago, Huddersfield Town beat Reading on penalties to seal promotion to the Premier League. And with that the 2016-17 Football League season came to a close. Since then, England have won the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Chris Froome triumphed yet again in Le Tour, 17-year-old amateur Choi Hye-jin nearly won the women’s US Open golf, Jordan Spieth took Birkdale by storm, the breezy dominance of Roger Federer and Garbine Muguruza rendered both Wimbledon finals rather boring, and England have beaten South Africa in a couple of Tests. It’s all happened in the blink of an eye, and now football’s back, baby!
In fact, it’s already started! Nottingham Forest’s Barrie McKay, their new signing from Rangers, belted home a winner against Millwall last night, while Sunderland and Derby shared the spoils in an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light. But now the rest of the League gets going. Here are the big 3pm kick-offs in the Championship:
- Bristol City v Barnsley
- Burton Albion v Cardiff City
- Fulham v Norwich City
- Ipswich Town v Birmingham City
- Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday
- QPR v Reading
- Sheffield United v Brentford
- Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough
And of course we’ll be keeping an eye on events elsewhere in England ... plus all this from the top flight in Scotland, where normality is resumed upon the return of Hibs:
- Dundee v Ross County
- Hibernian v Partick Thistle
- Kilmarnock v St Johnstone
It all kicks off at 3pm. Team news the minute we have it, and goals whenever they come. After 68 days, Clocko’s back ... and it’s on! Welcome home!
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