Memorable Opening Day Debuts Through The Years

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Memorable Opening Day Debuts Through The Years

Ahead of the release of our 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship fixtures, we’ve taken a look back through history at some of our opening day debut delights.

2025-06-24T09:00+01:00

by Matthew Temple

Published

24 Jun, 2025

Memorable Opening Day Debuts Through The Years

Ahead of the release of our 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship fixtures, we’ve taken a look back through history at some of our opening day debut delights.

Matthew Temple

2025-06-24T09:00+01:00

Memorable Opening Day Debuts Through The Years

Ahead of the release of our 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship fixtures, we’ve taken a look back through history at some of our opening day debut delights.

Matthew Temple

2025-06-24T09:00+01:00

Memorable Opening Day Debuts Through The Years

Ahead of the release of our 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship fixtures, we’ve taken a look back through history at some of our opening day debut delights.

Matthew Temple

2025-06-24T09:00+01:00

Memorable Opening Day Debuts Through The Years

Ahead of the release of our 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship fixtures, we’ve taken a look back through history at some of our opening day debut delights.

Matthew Temple

2025-06-24T09:00+01:00

Let’s take you back some years, 76 years to be exact, to Saturday, 19 August 1950. It was the opening day of the 1950-51 Second Division season, and Leicester City beat Bury 3-2 at Gigg Lane, but while very few can recall the game, most will remember a name to make his City debut that day; Arthur Rowley.

Nicknamed ‘The Gunner’, Rowley was famous for his incredible goal-scoring ability, and after eight seasons with the Club, scored a total of 265 goals, including a first on his debut at Filbert Street - a late winner against the Shakers.

Les Ferdinand making his debut against the Saints in 2003.

He left as our second all-time top scorer, behind his namesake, Arthur Chandler, who remains our greatest-ever goalscorer with 273 after making his debut on 25 August, 1923 in a 1-1 draw with Hull City, but surprisingly, didn’t score.

Jumping ahead to the current millennium, Les Ferdinand had a debut to remember on Saturday, 16 August 2003, when City welcomed Southampton to Filbert Way.

Signing from West Ham United at the age of 36, it only took the veteran 10 minutes to find the net and double our advantage – the scores eventually ending level after goals from Fabrice Fernandes and James Beattie. Ferdinand went on to score 12 goals that season, the most of any Leicester player.

Heading home on his first appearance.

We end with the most recent, when Belgian full-back Timothy Castagne impressed the Foxes faithful on the opening day on the 2020/21 season, in which we made the short trip to the Hawthorns, winning 3-0.

In the 56th minute, Castagne headed in a cross from fellow Belgian Dennis Praet before Vardy converted two penalties later in the match, confirming all three points in a game played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A reminder that our 2025/26 championship fixtures will be released at 12pm BST on Thursday – check back then to find out who City will face first and across the campaign.

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