Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the football season, and in particular the brand-spanking new npower Football League for the 2010-11 season. After a summer of World Cup action in South Africa, the country, well at least a small part of its', eyes switched to Carrow Road on Friday night as the season kicked off with Norwich's new £600k signing, Simeon Jackson, rolling the ball to Chris Martin, starting not only Norwich's returning season in the Championship, but also the season as a whole. The game lived up to expectations, although not predictions, as Watford caused an upset to secure a nervy, yet thrilling, 3-2 win, with captain John Eustace scoring the first goal of the new season as his shot deflected into the Norwich net before MotM Danny Graham scored two more, his last in the 81st minute, to secure a shock victory.
The Championship has never been a predictable league, and it lived up to this reputation today, with no side, as of yet, drawing a game, and only one game, between promotion hopefuls Burnley and Nottingham Forest, a Chris Iwelumo header giving Brian Laws' side a winning start. Elsewhere promotion hopefuls QPR secured a convincing 4-0 win over Barnsley, while Leceister shockingly went down 3-2 to one of the relegation favourites, in the form of Crystal Palace, after being 3-0 down at half time. Middlesbrough were on the other side of a game of two halves, having been leading 1-0 at the break, they were defeated 1-3 by Roy Keane's Ipswich side, at the same time as yet another thriller saw recently promoted Millwall shock Bristol City with a 3-0 away win, including two sending-offs, while recently relegated Portsmouth went down to a Freddy Eastwood brace for Coventry, and Hull's new loan signing John Bostock made a dream start as he scored on a winning debut, veteran club captain Ian Ashbee adding a second as Hull beat Swansea 2-0. Relegation favourites Scunthorpe also caused a shock, beating Reading 2-1 at the Madjeski, while Preston were less convincing, falling to the Arsenal of the Football League, as Doncaster secured a 2-0 victory, while Nigel Clough's Derby played some flowing football on the way to a 1-2 victory over Brian Clough's famously ex-team Leeds United in their return to the second tier.
Now for another saying that we all hear that the start of each season, League 1 looks the strongest it's ever been. With the likes of ex-Premiership sides Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton, as well as Plymouth, Huddersfield, Peterborough, Swindon and Brighton all challenging. Most of these sides actually faced each other in an exciting opening day, which started with Plymouth's Luke Summerfield giving them a 1-0 victory over Southampton, meaning there was little joy on the South coast, although Brighton brightened things up with a tight 2-1 away win over Danny Wilson's Swindon side. Sheffield Wednesday also got off to a winning start, beating Essex side Dagenham & Redbridge on their League 1 debut, thanks in part to an own goal from Scott Doe, with Clinton Morrison adding a second for the Owls. Peterborough also started in an exciting fashion George Boyd, Aaron Mclean and Grant McCann all scoring second half goals in a 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers, the opposite of a tight 1-0 win for Charlton over newly promoted Bournemouth, with 32 year old Eddie Howe's side not doing enough to secure the win. Elsewhere, another young manager, Karl Robinson at MK Dons, only 29 years old, starting his managerial career with a 1-2 win over Walsall, while Terry Skiverton, only 34 years of age, also enjoyed a 2-1 win over the man he replaced, Russell Slade, at Leyton Orient, despite an Alex Revell goal just before the break. In comparison, relatively old Paul Dickov saw a late Dale Stephens goal give him an opening win over Tranmere and Les Parry, as ex-team mate Lee Clark's Huddrsfield thrashed Notts County 3-0 despite their record breaking League 2 victory last year. Elsewhere, 38 year old Andy Scott saw his Brentford side defeated 2-0 by a convincing Carlisle side, new Colchester manager had Anthony Wordsworth's quick early double to thank for a 2-2 draw, as Exeter equalised late on, while Rochdale, in League 1 for the first time in 36 years, drew a blank at home to Hartlepool, drawing 0-0.
They will have been glad to escape the basement division for a 37th consecutive season, and two sides who dreaded returning there met today as recently relegated Southend faced Stockport. With both sides fielding almost completely new teams, and new managers, it was a hard one to predict. However, it may be Paul Simpson at Stockport who would claim victory as Paul Sturrock was sent to the stands after a controversial George Donnelly strike which saw the linesman put his flag up... and back down again, sparking mayhem. However, it was Sturrock who had the last laugh as his substitute, and son, Blair Sturrock secured an injury time equaliser. Less exciting games saw Accrington Stanley and Aldershot, and Burton and Oxford United both draw 0-0 on the opening days. League 2 did not disappoint though, as Adam le Fondre scored an 88th minute winner to give Rotherham a 2-1 win over Lincoln, and debutant Adebayo Akinfenwa secured a late equaliser for Gillingham as they drew 1-1 at home to Cheltenham. Recently relegated Wycombe also continued their fine form which almost saw them escape relegation from League 1 as they beat Morecambe 2-0, while Stevenage, who entered League 2 from the other end, as champions of the Blue Square Premier, saw Charlie Griffin equalise in the 89th minute against Macclesfield. Less close matches saw Torquay score three goals in six minutes, with half time in between, to defeat promotion hopefuls Northampton, and Shrewsbury's Jake Robinson showed that ten men can still do the job, as they had to for the last 21 minutes, as he scored a hat-trick to give them a 3-1 win over joint title favourites Bradford City. Hereford and Port Vale secured closer, 1-0 away victorys, over Crewe and Bury respectively, while Chesterfield, also down to ten men for a large section of the game, defeated Barnet 2-1.
The Championship has never been a predictable league, and it lived up to this reputation today, with no side, as of yet, drawing a game, and only one game, between promotion hopefuls Burnley and Nottingham Forest, a Chris Iwelumo header giving Brian Laws' side a winning start. Elsewhere promotion hopefuls QPR secured a convincing 4-0 win over Barnsley, while Leceister shockingly went down 3-2 to one of the relegation favourites, in the form of Crystal Palace, after being 3-0 down at half time. Middlesbrough were on the other side of a game of two halves, having been leading 1-0 at the break, they were defeated 1-3 by Roy Keane's Ipswich side, at the same time as yet another thriller saw recently promoted Millwall shock Bristol City with a 3-0 away win, including two sending-offs, while recently relegated Portsmouth went down to a Freddy Eastwood brace for Coventry, and Hull's new loan signing John Bostock made a dream start as he scored on a winning debut, veteran club captain Ian Ashbee adding a second as Hull beat Swansea 2-0. Relegation favourites Scunthorpe also caused a shock, beating Reading 2-1 at the Madjeski, while Preston were less convincing, falling to the Arsenal of the Football League, as Doncaster secured a 2-0 victory, while Nigel Clough's Derby played some flowing football on the way to a 1-2 victory over Brian Clough's famously ex-team Leeds United in their return to the second tier.
Now for another saying that we all hear that the start of each season, League 1 looks the strongest it's ever been. With the likes of ex-Premiership sides Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton, as well as Plymouth, Huddersfield, Peterborough, Swindon and Brighton all challenging. Most of these sides actually faced each other in an exciting opening day, which started with Plymouth's Luke Summerfield giving them a 1-0 victory over Southampton, meaning there was little joy on the South coast, although Brighton brightened things up with a tight 2-1 away win over Danny Wilson's Swindon side. Sheffield Wednesday also got off to a winning start, beating Essex side Dagenham & Redbridge on their League 1 debut, thanks in part to an own goal from Scott Doe, with Clinton Morrison adding a second for the Owls. Peterborough also started in an exciting fashion George Boyd, Aaron Mclean and Grant McCann all scoring second half goals in a 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers, the opposite of a tight 1-0 win for Charlton over newly promoted Bournemouth, with 32 year old Eddie Howe's side not doing enough to secure the win. Elsewhere, another young manager, Karl Robinson at MK Dons, only 29 years old, starting his managerial career with a 1-2 win over Walsall, while Terry Skiverton, only 34 years of age, also enjoyed a 2-1 win over the man he replaced, Russell Slade, at Leyton Orient, despite an Alex Revell goal just before the break. In comparison, relatively old Paul Dickov saw a late Dale Stephens goal give him an opening win over Tranmere and Les Parry, as ex-team mate Lee Clark's Huddrsfield thrashed Notts County 3-0 despite their record breaking League 2 victory last year. Elsewhere, 38 year old Andy Scott saw his Brentford side defeated 2-0 by a convincing Carlisle side, new Colchester manager had Anthony Wordsworth's quick early double to thank for a 2-2 draw, as Exeter equalised late on, while Rochdale, in League 1 for the first time in 36 years, drew a blank at home to Hartlepool, drawing 0-0.
They will have been glad to escape the basement division for a 37th consecutive season, and two sides who dreaded returning there met today as recently relegated Southend faced Stockport. With both sides fielding almost completely new teams, and new managers, it was a hard one to predict. However, it may be Paul Simpson at Stockport who would claim victory as Paul Sturrock was sent to the stands after a controversial George Donnelly strike which saw the linesman put his flag up... and back down again, sparking mayhem. However, it was Sturrock who had the last laugh as his substitute, and son, Blair Sturrock secured an injury time equaliser. Less exciting games saw Accrington Stanley and Aldershot, and Burton and Oxford United both draw 0-0 on the opening days. League 2 did not disappoint though, as Adam le Fondre scored an 88th minute winner to give Rotherham a 2-1 win over Lincoln, and debutant Adebayo Akinfenwa secured a late equaliser for Gillingham as they drew 1-1 at home to Cheltenham. Recently relegated Wycombe also continued their fine form which almost saw them escape relegation from League 1 as they beat Morecambe 2-0, while Stevenage, who entered League 2 from the other end, as champions of the Blue Square Premier, saw Charlie Griffin equalise in the 89th minute against Macclesfield. Less close matches saw Torquay score three goals in six minutes, with half time in between, to defeat promotion hopefuls Northampton, and Shrewsbury's Jake Robinson showed that ten men can still do the job, as they had to for the last 21 minutes, as he scored a hat-trick to give them a 3-1 win over joint title favourites Bradford City. Hereford and Port Vale secured closer, 1-0 away victorys, over Crewe and Bury respectively, while Chesterfield, also down to ten men for a large section of the game, defeated Barnet 2-1.
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