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:
Miles: Saturday, 19 August 1989. I was standing in the Stretford End and watched Michael Knighton showboating prior to us tearing Arsenal, the reigning champions, apart. Neil Webb also showed what he could do but, sadly, it didn’t work out.
Ethan: I remember the first day of the season when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was still in charge. We played Leeds United at Old Trafford- what a performance that was! The score was 5-1 and Bruno Fernandes got a hat-trick. I was on holiday and I woke up at 6am specifically to watch it. Every minute was life-changing.
Paul: I remember a certain teenager coming off the bench for his debut against Bolton at Old Trafford in 2003. The game ended 4-0 and I remember driving home thinking I’ve seen the perfect replacement for David Beckham. Yes, it was Cristiano Ronaldo’s first appearance.
Mark: From recent memory, my two favourites would be against Fulham in 2001-02, when Ruud van Nistelrooy scored two goals on his debut in a 3-2 win, and against Fulham in the 2006-07 season, after the infamous Ronaldo ‘wink’ which set the tone for a title-winning season. My least favourite has to be the first Premier League game against Sheffield United away, which we lost 2-1 and weren’t very good in, but it was another season to remember as it was the year we won our first Premier League title.
Keith: August 2014 – the start of the Louis van Gaal era. A home defeat by Swansea City and no discernible improvement from David Moyes’ time in charge. I remember thinking: maybe Van Gaal isn’t the answer?
Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how United’s 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.
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