A New Era On Filbert Way & The Fairytale Begins – Classic Opening Day Clashes
Following a fifth-placed finish last term, which included the Club's second-highest Premier League points tally, the Foxes will compete in their eighth consecutive top-flight campaign in 2021/22. Let's look at how some of our previous campaigns got underway over the years...
City's biggest first-day success
Johnny Duncan’s Leicester City side recorded the biggest opening day win in the Club's history when they defeated Leeds United 6-2 on 21 August, 1948.
Playing on a freshly re-turfed Filbert Street, the home side’s inside-forward Don Revie scored in the second minute, but Ken Chisholm equalised for the visitors three minutes later. John Short then gave the visitors the lead after 12 minutes, before Revie scored his a second in the 19th.
Leicester went on to score four more in the second half with two goals each from Peter McKennan and Jack Lee.
Revie would take Leeds to great heights two decades later. He would also play for, and manage, England. Lee later starred for England. The fiery McKennan, who despite only signing for City in March 1948, left the Club six months later after falling out with Duncan.
Leeds goalscorer Chisholm joined the Foxes for an £11,000 fee four months later. Like Revie and Lee, he was a key figure in City’s fight against relegation that season, a struggle which coincided with the Filbert Street side reaching the FA Cup Final, where they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Overcoming Birmingham at Filbert Street
On the opening day of the 1969/70 campaign, the Club contested their maiden first fixture of a season outside the top flight since 1956. Despite reaching the FA Cup Final the previous season, the Foxes had been relegated in the last match of the campaign.
Leicester's side, which contained eight of the cup final team, took the lead in the 27th minute with a brilliant overhead kick by Rodney Fern. Those who saw this goal still talk about it today. Len Glover sent over a short cross and Fern, with his back to the goal, dispatched the ball into the net at the far post.
Birmingham should have equalised in the 33rd minute when John Sjoberg handled in the box. The Blues' Dave Robinson took the penalty, but Peter Shilton dived brilliantly to punch the ball away. Five minutes after half-time, Malcolm Manley put Leicester City further ahead.
It was a fierce shot, through a group of several players, after Glover’s effort had been blocked. With six minutes to go, Andy Lochhead headed in a cross from David Nish to make it 3-0. In the last minute, Phil Summerill smashed the ball into the net from a cross to gain a consolation goal for the visitors.
A new era on Filbert Way
Leicester City’s opening match of the 2002/03 season was also the first competitive game at the recently completed Walkers Stadium, now called King Power Stadium. It came after an 111-year association with Filbert Street came to an emotional end during the summer of 2002.
Newly relegated from the Premier League, Micky Adams’ side faced Watford in front of a crowd of over 31,000 people – the largest crowd the Club had ever hosted at an all-seater venue. The Foxes faithful would maintain those numbers throughout the season despite being in the second tier.
In the first minute of the second half, Muzzy Izzet weaved past two defenders to the byline before cutting the ball back to new signing Nicky Summerbee, whose cross was met by Brian Deane. The experienced striker then scored the first goal at the new stadium with a simple header inside the far post.
Seven minutes later, Deane netted his second when he side-footed a cross from James Scowcroft into the net.
Leicester won their first six games on Filbert Way and, despite the trauma of going into administration between October and February, the Club was promoted back to the Premier League at the end of the season as runners-up to Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth.
Back in the top flight
City’s first Premier League fixture for a decade ended in a pulsating 2-2 draw with nine times champions of England, Everton, on 16 August, 2014. The newly-promoted Foxes, managed by Nigel Pearson, had won the Championship with a Club record 102 points in 2013/14.
Argentine striker Leonardo Ulloa scored his first goal for the Foxes, with a close-range finish, to cancel out Aiden McGeady’s excellently-executed opener, only for Steven Naismith to restore Everton’s lead before the break. Leicester's return to the big time was turning in to a stern challenge.
The Foxes continued to battle and found a deserved equaliser with four minutes to play, as New Zealand international Chris Wood slotted past Tim Howard.
In their next two Premier League home games, Leicester drew 1-1 with Arsenal before famously beating Manchester United 5-3. A damaging run of form, however, would see Pearson's side tumble to the bottom of the table by Christmas – where they remained until early April.
Seven wins from the final nine league games, though, enabled the Club to perfect an extraordinary escape from relegation. In the end, Leicester finished in 14th. Although Pearson would leave in the summer, something very special was afoot on Filbert Way.
The fairytale begins
A commanding victory over Sunderland on 8 August, 215 provided the foundation for a remarkable title win. Under new manager Claudio Ranieri, the Foxes started the season with a dominant performance in which they scored three times in the space of 15 minutes.
Jamie Vardy’s opener was the first of his 24 Premier League goals that term, while a double from Riyad Mahrez set him on the way to 17 strikes. The Algerian would register a further 11 assists to help his side take the sporting world by storm.
Jermain Defoe pulled a goal back for Sunderland, but Marc Albrighton’s low finish made it 4-1, before Steven Fletcher scored what proved to be a consolation goal for the Black Cats. Ranieri's side went on to win at West Ham United a week later and would remain unbeaten until the end of September.
Thirty-five league fixtures after beating the Black Cats, Leicester were crowned champions of England.