9th Aug: A day of debutant goalkeepers

[ClaretTony]

Some games played on this date.


Looking back at games played on 9th August there are two stand out, not so much because of the results but because of the ridiculous temperatures they were played in.

August 1997 was supposed to be a big day in our history as we travelled to Watford with new manager Chris Waddle in the team. He wasn't the only new player in the starting line up either; he was joined by Michael Williams, Steve Blatherwick, Mark Ford and Phil Eastwood.

On an incredibly hot day, we didn't turn on the heat at all and in a disappointing performance were beaten 1-0 to a goal scored by Jason Lee who may or may not have had a pineapple on his head that day.

It was even hotter six years later when Crystal Palace came to the Turf to kick off what proved to be Stan Ternent's final season as manager. This time Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Mo Camara and Luke Chadwick were the new boys with goalkeeper Jensen having something of a nightmare afternoon.

Dougie Freedman gave Palace the lead very early from the penalty spot but things soon changed in our favour. Wayne Routledge was sent off, Robbie Blake failed to score from the resulting penalty but tucked home the rebound and on 19 minutes we were in front with a first Burnley goal from Roche. All looked good against ten men but Freedman equalised and then, midway through the second half, completed his hat trick to give Palace the lead. They even tried to help us a bit more with Shaun Derry then sent off leaving us some 22 minutes against nine men but there were no more goals and the season kicked off with a defeat.

Going back in time, there was also a debutant goalkeeper in 1969 at Derby, our first visit there since 1953 after they'd won promotion under Brian Clough that summer. We had played them at home in the FA Cup in the previous season and won but this one ended 0-0 with Peter Mellor, that debutant goalkeeper being forced off with an injury late in the game. Eric Probert came on as substitute with Les Latcham going in goal.

Two more league games against teams from the Steel City. Firstly, having lost at Crewe on the opening day, we were beaten 2-1 by Sheffield United at home on the Tuesday night. Against a team who included Jon Harley in their team just weeks before his move to Burnley, we were 2-0 down at half time to goals scored by Neil Shipperley and Chris Morgan. Ade Akinbiyi pulled one back but it was played two, lost two to kick off the season.

If opening day games give an indication as to how a season will go, our trip to Hillsborough in 2008 definitely doesn't fit in with that theory. All high hopes, big signings Diego Penny (another goalkeeper to debut on this day) and Remco van der Schaaf in the team, it all seemed a formality. What a shock. Marcus Tudgay scored in the first minute and Akpo Sodje added a second just four minutes in. Martin Paterson did pull one back almost immediately but we were soon 3-1 down with Sodje getting a second. Tudgay got his second midway through the second half and the season had started with a 4-1 defeat.

Just a couple of cup ties now, firstly against Burton in the League Cup in 2011. We got two hours of football, nine goals and another goalkeeping error to take it into extra time. Incredibly it was 0-0 with almost an hour gone and then we won two penalties in quick succession. The first of them was a very poor decision by Craig Pawson but nevertheless both were converted by Jay Rodriguez. Burton pulled one back but it all looked over when Charlie Austin made it 3-1 with seven minutes remaining. Not so, they scored again five minutes from the end and in stoppage time Lee Grant parried a shot straight back at Jacques Maghoma who made it 3-3. Extra time belonged to us. Jay scored twice more with Ross Wallace netting a goal too to give us a 6-3 win.

Two years ago we played a Europa League qualifier against which ended in a rather stale 0-0 draw but yet again on this day we had a debutant in goal with Joe Hart following Mellor, Jensen and Penny in playing their first Burnley games on this date.