EFL Fixtures: Remembering the good, the bad and the ugly from Yorkshirre's opening day showdowns
THE FULL 2025-26 fixture list is almost upon us, with Yorkshire's EFL sides – minus Premier League Leeds United – discovering their fate on Thursday at noon.
Chances are that the first day of term will also occupy plenty of attention too with the opening day of the season hogging plenty of headlines on fixture day.
Yorkshire's sides have had good and bad in equal measure over the years. Here's some of the best and worst for each club.
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 4, 2018. Barnsley 4 Oxford 0: Two goals from Mamadou Thiam and strikes from Brad Potts and Victor Adeboyejo gave Daniel Stendel his first win in charge of Barnsley as they opened their season with a stunning 4-0 win over Oxford. It was a campaign which ended in promotion for the Reds.
ONE TO FORGET: August 3, 2013. Barnsley 0 Wigan 4: There are several bad first days at the office for Barnsley, with the Reds' opening-day record not too hot. A horror 4-0 home loss to Wigan and a debut to forget for big summer recruit Dale Jennings, who is sent off, takes pride of place.
Bradford City
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 7, 1999. Middlesbrough 0 Bradford 1: A 'where were you' moment as a dramatic last-minute goal by Dean Saunders gave promoted City their first-ever Premiership victory in a 1-0 win at Middlesbrough.
Saunders, who came on as a substitute, was found by Lee Mills with a simple through ball and the former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker made no mistake - with his 'old man' celebrations as he pretended to walk with a stick being something to behold.
ONE TO FORGET: August 8, 2015: Swindon 4 Bradford 1: Rampaging Swindon wing-back Nathan Byrne scored a 16-minute hat-trick as City were on the receiving end of a second-half drubbing in Wiltshire, despite taking the lead.
The visitors went ahead early on when Josh Morris struck, before Billy Clarke's poor penalty was saved. After the break, Byrne took over.
Doncaster Rovers
ONE TO REMEMBER. August 9, 2008. Derby 0 Doncaster 1: Rovers' first second-tier match in half a century proved a memorable one as a goal from Lewis Guy gave them victory.
The Cumbrian put newly-promoted Rovers ahead on the hour mark at Pride Park when he touched in Brian Stock's free-kick - to leave Paul Jewell still waiting for his first league for the Rams, who included debutant and ex-Doncaster midfielder Paul Green.
ONE TO FORGET: August 6, 2011. Brighton 2 Doncaster 1: Rovers saw defeat heartbreakingly plucked from the jaws of victory after threatening to spoil Brighton's big day at their new Amex Stadium.
Doncaster led through Billy Sharp's first-half strike with the clock ticking, only for two late goals from substitute Will Buckley, including a stoppage-time winner, to dramatically turn the tables on an afternoon when home boss Gus Poyet was sent to the stands.
It was a game which was fateful in another way for Sharp, stretchered off in the second half.
Harrogate Town
ONE TO REMEMBER: September 12, 2020. Southend 0 Harrogate 4: Jack Muldoon scored twice as Harrogate started life in the English Football League with a brilliant victory by the seaside. Lloyd Kerry and Aaron Martin also netted for the slick Sulphurites.
ONE TO FORGET: , Aug ust 10, 2024. Harrogate 0 Bromley 2: Harrogate succumbed 2-0 at home to newly-promoted Bromley, who made the perfect start to life in the Football League with a 2-0 win at Wetherby Road.
Huddersfield Town
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 12, 2017. Crystal Palace 0 Huddersfield 3: Town made a dream start to their debut season in the Premier League as new Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer endured a miserable first game. The Terriers, playing in the English top flight for the first time since 1972, led when Mathias Jorgensen's header flew in off Palace's Joel Ward.
The Yorkshire side doubled their advantage when Steve Mounie powerfully nodded in and he cracked in the third.
ONE TO FORGET: August 9, 2014. Huddersfield 0 Bournemouth 4: Only one place to start. A thoroughly torrid afternoon ends with Mark Robins parting company with Town as the dust settled on a calamitous opening day as the Cherries ran riot.
Marc Pugh fired the visitors ahead after just 26 seconds and further goals arrived from debutant Callum Wilson (2), who also missed a penalty and Yann Kermorgant as Town were besieged.
Hull City
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 13, 2016: Hull City 2 Leicester 1: The champions were dethroned as managerless relegation favourites Hull cast aside a torrid summer to claim a famous win - the first time that the reigning champions had lost on the first day since 1989.
Under caretaker boss Mike Phelan, Hull took the lead when Adama Diomande and Abel Hernandez combined acrobatically, with Diomande awarded the goal. Riyad Mahrez replied from the penalty spot at the start of the second half. But Robert Snodgrass earned the Tigers victory.
ONE TO FORGET: Aug 11, 2007. Hull 2 Plymouth 3: The Tigers start to the Championship season in the short-lived Phil Parkinson era was ruined after Sylvain Ebanks-Blake scored a late winner.
Middlesbrough
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 16, 2008: Middlesbrough 2 Spurs 1: Mido returned to haunt his former club as Middlesbrough eased to a comfortable victory over Spurs at the Riverside - one of the happiest moments in a 2008-09 campaign which ended in relegation from the top-flight.
David Wheater bundled home the opener after Afonso Alves had hit the bar. And substitute Mido wrapped it up as he fired in from 12 yards, before Rob Huth put through his own goal late on.
ONE TO FORGET: – see Bradford City 'one to remember'.
Rotherham United
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 10, 2002. Millwall 0 Rotherham 6: One of the most staggering opening-day results ever saw Ronnie Moore's magnificent Millers go berserk at the New Den on an afternoon when Darren Byfield scored four times in what proved a memorable 2002-03 for the club.
Further goals for Rotherham, who hit four goals after the break, were notched by Martin McIntosh and Chris Sedgwick.
ONE TO FORGET: August 8, 2015: Rotherham 1 MK Dons 4: The Millers suffered a horror first day at term, crashing 4-1 to promoted MK. The visitors celebrated their first-ever Championship game in style with Rob Hall firing in an early opener, cancelled out by Matt Derbyshire.
After that, it was all MK, who led 3-1 at the break through Jordan Spence and Dean Bowditch before Carl Baker fired another.
Sheffield United
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 15, 1992. Sheffield Utd 2 Manchester United 1: A milestone goal from Brian Deane in front of the Shoreham Street End created history as the frontman became the first player to score in the new Premier League on a sweltering opening day to the 1992-93 campaign.
Deane fired the hosts in front just five minutes in and added a second from the spot in the 50th minute. Mark Hughes pulled one back just after the hour, but it was the Blades’ day.
ONE TO FORGET: August 8, 2015. Gillingham 4 Sheffield Utd 0: Nigel Adkins' first match in charge turned into a nightmare at the pre-season promotion favourites crashed at the Priestfield Stadium.
Luke Norris scored the opener for the Gills before on-loan defender Deji Oshilaja added a second on his bow for the club. Future Blades captain John Egan made it 3-0 before Bradley Dack's drive completed victory.
Sheffield Wednesday
ONE TO REMEMBER: August 9, 2008: Sheffield Wed 4 Burnley 1: Marcus Tudgay and Akpo Sodje scored two goals apiece as the Owls blew away Burnley at Hillsborough. Tudgay put the Owls ahead inside 60 seconds, with Sodje doubling the lead three minutes later.
Martin Paterson pulled one back, but Sodje restored Wednesday's two-goal lead on 17 minutes after a blistering opening. Tudgay killed the game on 65 minutes with an emphatic finish.
ONE TO FORGET: August 7, 2004: Sheffield Wed 0 Colchester 3: Wednesday crazily conceded three goals in the last five minutes to slip to a thoroughly embarrassing loss to the U's.
Craig Fagan slotted home before a long-range effort from Sam Stockley and a spectacular Joe Keith free-kick sealed the U's win.