Most disappointing opening match of the season?

[luke95]

too many to single one out  .


tho for a more definate answer could well be worth asking me again in 3 weeks time  .

Oh dear, I think I will go and end it all now.

Are you the guy who complains about Peter Withe not getting a cleaner strike on the ball?

No not at all ,id happy take a few in off the shin goals if it meant winning.

We've only won 9 of the 32 1st games since i started going. its fair to say there is a more than a couple of disappointments in all those games .
& I can't see the West Ham game being anything other than a dour unmemorable draw .

[garyshawsknee]

Count yourself lucky. My first game was the aforementioned Spurs 3 Villa 0.

Worst first home match of the season was when Blackburn thumped us four nil.

 I got in the ground at 6pm before kick off really looking forward to seeing Collymore in the shirt,then we were so bad.

[bertlambshank]

The season opener after we won the European Cup

Villa 1 Sunderland 3

Agreed and I'd add the season opener 1981/82 lost 1-0 at home to newly promoted Notts County.

Both of them.

[pooligan]

Plenty to choose from thats for sure. The one that stands out for me is our first game in the 2nd division in 1967/68. It was at Sheffield United and they thrashed us 3-1,our goal being a late pen by Willie Anderson. Worse still,when we got back to our coach it had most of the windows smashed in and we had to wait hours for Stockland coaches to send out a replacement.The things we do to watch our team .

[Zhong Yi]

Was at the '86 0-3 debacle

the match programme read "all roads lead to Villa Park"
concerning the signing of three so-called high profile players, whilst the World Cup was being played.

Without sounding pedantic Keown was signed from Arsenal the next summer.

so it has to be a toss up between this one and the earlier mentioned Villa 1 Sunderland 3

[Pat McMahon]

9th August 1969. Lost 1-0 at home to Norwich.

A massive blow when you are starting out as the bookies favourites for promotion, hugely significant in the history of Aston Villa.

Yeah, that was a hammer blow, and the next 2 home games were defeats against Swindon and Leicester, making 3 home defeats in August!

And you try telling that to the kids today ...

I was at that game as a 6 year old - my first ever opening match - and can still recall Ken Foggo's winning goal at the Witton End and looking in vain at my dad for him to tell me the goal had been disallowed for an infringement that I had failed to grasp.

[Pat McMahon]

The season opener after we won the European Cup

Villa 1 Sunderland 3

Agreed and I'd add the season opener 1981/82 lost 1-0 at home to newly promoted Notts County.

Both of them were horror shows - I remember David Geddis getting pelters from the Holte and him turning to berate fans, all on his home debut v Notts County. And the following year we seemed to be stuck in treacle against a very average Sunderland, for whom Ally McCoist scored at least one. However, top marks to Sunderland fans for their standing ovation to the Villa youth team who paraded the European Cup before kick off. Rotterdam felt a long way away by full time.

[andyaston]

it just has to be Spurs 0-3 in 86.

Millwall at home in 1988 could of been a shocker. We had both been promoted the year before, looking forward to a game against the big boys we got that lot in the first game and after 20 odd mins we were 2-0 down. Thankfully we fought back for a respectable draw.

Can also remember getting legged as a 15 year old by their mob towards Aston station, it looked like the SS in jeans and shirts.

[The Left Side]

Losing 1-0 to spurs about 5 years ago with a lucky redknapp goal.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

Was at the '86 0-3 debacle

the match programme read "all roads lead to Villa Park"
concerning the signing of three so-called high profile players, whilst the World Cup was being played.

Without sounding pedantic Keown was signed from Arsenal the next summer.

so it has to be a toss up between this one and the earlier mentioned Villa 1 Sunderland 3

No he wasn't. He was bought in the summer of 86 along with Cooper and Thompson.

[JJ-AV]

In the Premier League era you won't find a worse one than Wigan, surely?

[Flamingo Lane]

I'd also plump for Norwich at home 0-1 in 1969.  If ever a first game set the tone for the entire season then that was it.  I recall also the two pre-season friendlies, when we'd played so well against Dunfermline and Italy under 21s.

[TopDeck113]

Whilst the opening days of both 81-82 and 82-83 put a cold shower on any lingering celebrations from the previous campaign, I too will go for the 3-0 defeat at home to Spurs in 1986.

As a pointer to the coming campaign, no opening match since has been so apposite.

[dave.woodhall]

The season opener after we won the European Cup

Villa 1 Sunderland 3

Agreed and I'd add the season opener 1981/82 lost 1-0 at home to newly promoted Notts County.

Both of them were horror shows - I remember David Geddis getting pelters from the Holte and him turning to berate fans, all on his home debut v Notts County. And the following year we seemed to be stuck in treacle against a very average Sunderland, for whom Ally McCoist scored at least one. However, top marks to Sunderland fans for their standing ovation to the Villa youth team who paraded the European Cup before kick off. Rotterdam felt a long way away by full time.

Is that the same David Geddis we signed two years earlier?

[Damo70]

At the start of '85-86 I thought we would struggle. A 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford proved me right.

After signing Hodge, Stainrod, Elliott, Hunt, Blair and then Keown, Cooper and Thompson I thought '86-87 would go better. The much mentioned Spurs game proved me wrong.