Opening Day Rewind: Fancied Sides Always Come Unstuck!

We’re now just one week away from the big kick-off and after a long summer, the excitement is cranking up a notch. The matchday one fixture list is eye-catching, and with curtain-up days away the build-up continues.

So as we prepare for lift off next Saturday, we’ve taken a trip back 12 months to remember what happened last time…. And it’s a warning to many!

There were some very interesting results, including the eventual run-away winners getting a real shock by a side who would go on to get relegated. Two of the other well-backed sides were beaten on August 5 last year on a typically unpredictable first day.

After all the talk of a title challenge following a big summer of high profile additions, Oldham Athletic got off to the worst possible start as Southend United steam-rolled the Latics.

Callum Powell, Oli Coker, Dan Mooney and Harry Cardwell all on target as one of the most talked about team were simply blown away. It was a sign of things to come.

The same couldn’t be said of Bromley. Their 2-0 defeat at FC Halifax Town proved to be nothing more than an early blip as they made history nine months later by securing an EFL place for the first time.

Chesterfield were well fancied too after agony months before at Wembley. In the end they needed a late winner from Joe Quigley in a classic against Dorking which ended 4-3.

York City also had a strong summer of recruitment but didn’t have a good opening day - Jayden Mundle-Smith hit a late Wealdstone winner.

Aldershot Town hit Oxford City for five and Hartlepool United’s return ended in a 3-2 defeat at Barnet.

Boreham Wood showed spirit - they came from two goals down to draw at Gateshead while AFC Fylde also drew 2-2 with Maidenhead United

It was a rude awakening for two sides relegated into the National League South.

Torquay United chucked away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 at Dover, while Yeovil Town went down 1-0 at Hemel Hempstead, whose winner came from Joe Iaciofano.

Little did people know that the top two sides would meet on the first day in the National League North.

Danny Whitehead’s winner made it a three point first day for Scunthorpe United at Tamworth, bit it’s not how you start it’s how you finish.

The Lambs famously went on to win the division by eight points as the Iron’s rivals Boston United, who started with a draw at Buxton, defeated them in the play-offs. It would be the Pilgrims who also earned promotion.