With the countdown to the 2026-27 Premier League fixture release well and truly on, we asked for your stories of opening-day games – both good and bad – that have stuck in your minds most. And you delivered.
Here are some of your replies:
Mark: My memory is from 17 August 1996. It was Coventry City 0-3 Nottingham Forest, thanks to a Kevin Campbell hat-trick. The season looked so bright, but it was one of just six Premier League wins that season. We ended up bottom of the table.
Dave: I remember going to watch Forest play at the old Highfield Road for my 13th birthday with my old man. The Reds smashed Coventry 3-0 on a beautiful sunny day. It was the first of many road trips to come.
Arthur: Southend away in 1993 – the first away match of the new season when we were relegated. The match was on a Sunday, thousands of Forest fans went down the night before, however there wasn’t enough hotels rooms so we ended up sleeping in the car. The night out in Southend was brilliant – every pub and nightclub was full of Forest fans. There were so many that the police had to draft in reinforcements. The game was completely sold out and Teddy Sheringham was actually sitting with the Forest fans during the game. A cracking weekend away. Great memories.
Gary: Losing at Coventry 2-1 on the opening day of the 2021-22 season. They scored the winning goal in the 96th minute. Here we go again, we all thought – same old, same old. But we went on to win the Championship play-off final. Dreamland.
Jack: The very best opening-day memory was Everton away on 20 August 1977. Every pundit had written us off before the season had even started. Wasn’t it Bob Wilson with the “flash in the pan” remark? And, oh dear, we had the temerity to finish as champions and then win the European Cup – twice, in case anyone’s forgotten.
Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how the Reds’ 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.
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