A shiny new stadium brings with it the hope of instigating a new chapter in a club’s history. Excitement abounds as something rundown is replaced with a state-of-the-art arena As Everton prepare for their first competitive game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Brighton on Sunday, we take a look at how other Premier League clubs got on in their domestic debuts at a new home.
Sunderland 3-1 Manchester City, 15 August 1997
The Stadium of Light was named in honour of the local coal-mining community and the Davy lamp used by miners. It was, therefore, suitable that the first match came on a Friday night under new floodlights. Manchester City were the visitors, arriving with optimism that they would challenge Sunderland in the promotion race from the second tier. The Roker Park roar came with the new stadium, helped by the City defender Tony Vaughan playing a dreadful backwards pass straight to Niall Quinn, who subsequently cemented his place in history. Alan Kernaghan helped boost the party atmosphere by getting sent off before Georgi Kinkladze equalised from the penalty spot for the 10-man visitors after being tripped in the area by Kevin Ball.
Home fans had no need to worry, however, as they witnessed the first combination of Quinn and Kevin Phillips, the latter making his Sunderland debut. A booming free-kick was headed down by the Irishman, allowing his partner to jab home. Lee Clark, who had also joined the club, put the cherry on top of the housewarming cake, firing into the corner from just outside the area to ensure most of the 35,568 spectators in attendance had a night to remember at their new home.
Manchester City 1-1 Portsmouth, 23 August 2003
After beating Barcelona in a ceremonial friendly and Total Network Solutions in a European qualifier, the City of Manchester Stadium was ready for Premiership football. Kevin Keegan was the man in charge and had amassed a glorious collection of players. David Seaman was in goal, while Robbie Fowler and Nicolas Anelka led the attack in a lineup that felt like the top-flight equivalent of the Traveling Wilburys.
City struggled to adapt to their new surroundings, which had hosted the Commonwealth Games the previous year, helping to regenerate the area of east Manchester in which it sat, and fell behind to Yakubu’s 2fourth-minute goal after he capitalised on a David Sommeil error to give Harry Redknapp’s side the lead. The 46,287 in attendance probably expected that to be that only for Sommeil to pop up with a 90th-minute equaliser to make amends for gifting the opener. An ultimately positive beginning, then, but it did not start a glorious new era as City secured five home league victories all season, eventually going on to finish 16th, two places above relegation.
Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa, 19 August 2006
A 17-year-old by the name of Theo Walcott was summoned from the bench by Arsène Wenger to help turn things around after Olof Mellberg had given Aston Villa the lead. The scampering winger did the trick, sprinting down the left and finding Gilberto Silva in the middle of the area from where the Brazilian smashed in an 84th-minute equaliser. The hosts subsequently laid siege to the Villa goal but Martin O’Neill’s side clung on as the Emirates Stadium was given the christening present of a solitary point.
There were 60,023 people in attendance, 20,000 more than Highbury could hold. “The seats are big enough to fit me and my missus in and we’re a pair of big units,” Arsenal fan Steve told Anna Kessel after his maiden trip to the Emirates. The views were better, too, with no pillars in a venue that set the standard for modern grounds. Almost 20 years on, however, it has yet to witness a Premier League trophy lift.
Brighton 2-1 Doncaster, 6 August 2011
It meant more for Brighton than most to move to a new ground. The Amex Stadium was 16 years in the making after their previous home, the Goldstone Ground, had been sold off. The Seagulls were evicted in 1997 and began a somewhat nomadic existence, ground-sharing 75 miles away at Gillingham in Kent. A move back to Brighton was arranged but the Withdean Stadium was built for athletics primarily and needed work to become a Football League-compliant venue. Planning permission delayed the construction of the Amex but it did at least mean the first game was played in the Championship following promotion under Gus Poyet.
Billy Sharp did his bit to make Brighton supporters question if it had all been worth it, but where there is a will there is a way, specifically Will Buckley, who did the business with two late strikes. His first was a drilled first-time shot from the edge of the area while his second, scored in the 98th-minute, was a sublime finish resulting from some quick-footed play by Craig Noone. Cue a long-awaited party, despite Poyet being sent to the stands for over-zealous complaints to officials.
West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth, 21 August 2016
Like Manchester City before them, West Ham moved into a venue that had hosted a major sporting event. From Danny Boyle’s stunning opening ceremony to Super Saturday, the Olympic Stadium was the site of many great moments during the 2012 Games and, long after it was all over, West Ham took over the tenancy, beating off competition from Tottenham and Leyton Orient in somewhat controversial circumstances.
Slovenia’s NK Domzale were the first visitors to the London Stadium, the newly named new home of the Hammers, losing 3-0 in a Europa League playoff, and then came the arrival of Bournemouth for the first Premier League game there. Michail Antonio marked his name in West Ham folklore by scoring the only goal of the afternoon, leaping to meet a cross from Gökhan Töre in the 85th minute.
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace, 3 April 2019
Wembley had been Tottenham’s home while White Hart Lane was knocked down and replaced with a space-age new version. Admittedly, despite initial suggestions, the fromagerie never came to fruition. What was erected, however, was a stunning facility, glistening in silver and offering some of the steepest walks up a stand in England.
Crystal Palace headed to north London for the ribbon-cutting – as well as a rare mid-season stadium move – and with the intention of ruining the festival atmosphere. But ultimately Roy Hodgson’s side failed in that attempt as Son Heung-min cemented his status as a Tottenham legend by scoring the first goal at the club’s £1bn new home, albeit his strike was helped into the corner of the net by a Luka Milivojevic deflection. Christian Eriksen added a second 10 minutes from full time to give most of the 59,215 spectators present a night to remember.
