We've played 124 games on opening day, and scored in 95 of them. Of those goal-scoring games, I'm currently missing goal times for 2 but here's some info on the fastest time the other 93 were scored.
Henry Race's 1st minute goal against
Bury at the start of the 1935-36 season is the fastest goal we've scored in any season. The second fastest goal is a tie between
Jim Barret's and
James Collins who both managed 2nd minute goals, over 60 years apart.
Jess Willard of Brighton scored a 10th minute own goal for us in 1949, joining Mick Horswill (Plymouth Argyle, 1975) and Sam Currie (Leicester City, 1912) in that little group.
These are all earliest goals we've scored at the start of a season (for those goals that I have the time for):
Date |
Opponent |
Game Type |
Scorer |
Minute |
Result |
Aug 31, 1935 | Bury | League Tier 2 | Henry Race | 1 | 2-2 |
Sep 02, 1893 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | League Tier 1 | James Collins | 2 | 7-1 |
Aug 24, 1957 | Preston North End | League Tier 1 | Jim Barrett | 2 | 2-1 |
Aug 18, 1956 | Leyton Orient | League Tier 2 | Doug Lishman | 6 | 4-1 |
Aug 17, 2025 | Brentford | League Tier 1 | Chris Wood | 6 | 3-1 |
Sep 05, 1903 | Liverpool | League Tier 1 | Grenville Morris | 8 | 2-1 |
Aug 19, 1995 | Southampton | League Tier 1 | Colin Cooper | 8 | 4-3 |
Aug 03, 2019 | West Bromwich Albion | League Tier 2 | Matty Cash | 9 | 1-2 |
Aug 20, 1949 | Brighton and Hove Albion | League Tier 3 | Willard (OG) | 10 | 2-2 |
Aug 05, 2006 | Bradford City | League Tier 3 | Julian Bennett | 10 | 1-0 |
Sep 03, 1892 | Everton | League Tier 1 | Horace Pike | 11 | 2-2 |
Aug 25, 1973 | Luton Town | League Tier 2 | Tommy Jackson | 11 | 4-0 |
Aug 28, 1982 | West Ham United | League Tier 1 | Colin Walsh | 11 | 2-1 |
Sep 01, 1894 | Burnley | League Tier 1 | Thomas Rose | 12 | 2-1 |
Sep 05, 1895 | Bury | League Tier 1 | Albert Carnelly | 12 | 5-0 |
Aug 30, 1930 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | League Tier 2 | Billy Dickinson | 12 | 3-4 |
Aug 19, 1978 | Tottenham Hotspur | League Tier 1 | Martin O'Neill | 12 | 1-1 |
Aug 17, 1996 | Coventry City | League Tier 1 | Kevin Campbell | 13 | 3-0 |
Aug 27, 1927 | Port Vale | League Tier 2 | Harold Wadsworth | 14 | 2-2 |
Sep 02, 1911 | Leeds City | League Tier 2 | Grenville Morris | 15 | 2-1 |
Aug 25, 1928 | Stoke City | League Tier 2 | Noah Burton | 15 | 1-5 |
Aug 19, 1953 | Everton | League Tier 2 | Tommy Capel | 16 | 3-3 |
Aug 22, 1964 | Birmingham City | League Tier 1 | John Barnwell | 16 | 4-3 |
Aug 15, 1970 | Coventry City | League Tier 1 | Peter Cormack | 16 | 2-0 |
Aug 19, 1950 | Newport County | League Tier 3 | Collin Collindridge | 17 | 2-0 |
Aug 09, 2003 | Sunderland | League Tier 2 | Marlon Harewood | 19 | 2-0 |
Sep 01, 1910 | Preston North End | League Tier 1 | Bill Hooper | 20 | 2-0 |
Sep 03, 1913 | Leicester City | League Tier 2 | Robert Firth | 20 | 1-3 |
Sep 02, 1914 | Birmingham City | League Tier 2 | Tim Coleman | 20 | 1-1 |
Aug 23, 1952 | Blackburn Rovers | League Tier 2 | Freddie Scott | 20 | 1-2 |
Aug 11, 2001 | Sheffield United | League Tier 2 | Marlon Harewood | 20 | 1-1 |
Aug 15, 1993 | Southend United | League Tier 2 | Stuart Pearce | 22 | 1-1 |
Aug 21, 1976 | Fulham | League Tier 2 | Terry Curran | 23 | 2-2 |
Aug 06, 2016 | Burton Albion | League Tier 2 | Britt Assombalonga | 23 | 4-3 |
Aug 17, 2024 | Bournemouth | League Tier 1 | Chris Wood | 23 | 1-1 |
Sep 05, 1908 | Sheffield United | League Tier 1 | Thomas Marrison | 25 | 2-1 |
Aug 29, 1981 | Southampton | League Tier 1 | Trevor Francis | 25 | 2-1 |
Aug 09, 2014 | Blackpool | League Tier 2 | Michail Antonio | 25 | 2-0 |
Aug 25, 1934 | Newcastle United | League Tier 2 | Tom Peacock | 26 | 5-1 |
Aug 19, 1961 | Chelsea | League Tier 1 | Geoff Vowden | 26 | 2-2 |
Aug 20, 1960 | Manchester City | League Tier 1 | Colin Booth | 27 | 2-2 |
Aug 26, 1922 | Sunderland | League Tier 1 | Jack Spaven | 28 | 1-0 |
Aug 16, 1992 | Liverpool | League Tier 1 | Teddy Sheringham | 29 | 1-0 |
Sep 01, 1906 | Grimsby Town | League Tier 2 | Grenville Morris | 30 | 1-3 |
Aug 27, 1921 | Crystal Palace | League Tier 2 | Walter Tinsley | 31 | 1-4 |
Aug 16, 1975 | Plymouth Argyle | League Tier 2 | Mick Horswill (OG) | 31 | 2-0 |
Aug 18, 1951 | Rotherham United | League Tier 2 | Tucker Johnson | 32 | 2-1 |
Aug 22, 1959 | Manchester City | League Tier 1 | Jim Iley | 33 | 1-2 |
Aug 20, 1977 | Everton | League Tier 1 | Peter Withe | 33 | 3-1 |
Sep 02, 1905 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | League Tier 1 | Grenville Morris | 35 | 3-1 |
Aug 23, 1947 | Bury | League Tier 2 | George Lee | 36 | 2-1 |
Aug 21, 1965 | Newcastle United | League Tier 1 | Frank Wignall | 36 | 2-2 |
Aug 08, 2021 | Coventry City | League Tier 2 | Lyle Taylor | 36 | 1-2 |
Aug 25, 1984 | Sheffield Wednesday | League Tier 1 | Peter Davenport | 37 | 1-3 |
Aug 19, 1967 | Sheffield United | League Tier 1 | Frank Wignall | 38 | 3-1 |
Aug 14, 1971 | Liverpool | League Tier 1 | Ian Storey-Moore | 38 | 1-3 |
Aug 09, 1997 | Port Vale | League Tier 2 | Kevin Campbell | 39 | 1-0 |
Aug 20, 1994 | Ipswich Town | League Tier 1 | Bryan Roy | 40 | 1-0 |
Aug 04, 2017 | Millwall | League Tier 2 | Barrie McKay | 41 | 1-0 |
Sep 02, 1907 | Liverpool | League Tier 1 | Edwin Hughes | 42 | 3-1 |
Aug 20, 1955 | Liverpool | League Tier 2 | Peter Higham | 43 | 1-3 |
Aug 06, 2005 | Huddersfield Town | League Tier 3 | Scott Dobie | 45 | 2-1 |
Aug 18, 1979 | Ipswich Town | League Tier 1 | Tony Woodcock | 46 | 1-0 |
Aug 04, 2018 | Bristol City | League Tier 2 | Daryl Murphy | 46 | 1-1 |
Aug 25, 1990 | Queens Park Rangers | League Tier 1 | Nigel Jemson | 50 | 1-1 |
Sep 05, 1896 | Derby County | League Tier 1 | Chas Richards | 51 | 1-1 |
Aug 27, 1932 | Grimsby Town | League Tier 2 | Billy Dickinson | 52 | 1-1 |
Aug 25, 1923 | Everton | League Tier 1 | Jack Spaven | 53 | 1-2 |
Aug 17, 1985 | Luton Town | League Tier 1 | Neil Webb | 53 | 1-1 |
Aug 03, 2013 | Huddersfield Town | League Tier 2 | Henri Lansbury | 53 | 1-0 |
Aug 07, 2004 | Wigan Athletic | League Tier 2 | Gareth Taylor | 55 | 1-1 |
Aug 15, 1987 | Charlton Athletic | League Tier 1 | Lee Glover | 59 | 2-1 |
Aug 19, 1989 | Aston Villa | League Tier 1 | Garry Parker | 59 | 1-1 |
Aug 10, 1968 | Burnley | League Tier 1 | Jim Baxter | 60 | 2-2 |
Aug 17, 1991 | Everton | League Tier 1 | Nigel Clough | 60 | 2-1 |
Aug 28, 1926 | Blackpool | League Tier 2 | Noah Burton | 61 | 2-0 |
Sep 04, 1897 | Notts County | League Tier 1 | Arthur Capes | 62 | 1-1 |
Sep 07, 1912 | Leicester City | League Tier 2 | Sam Currie (OG) | 62 | 1-3 |
Aug 18, 1962 | Sheffield United | League Tier 1 | Calvin Palmer | 62 | 2-1 |
Aug 28, 1937 | Sheffield United | League Tier 2 | Meynell Burgin | 63 | 1-2 |
Aug 31, 1946 | Barnsley | League Tier 2 | Sailor Brown | 65 | 2-3 |
Aug 27, 1988 | Norwich City | League Tier 1 | Steve Chettle | 66 | 1-2 |
Aug 18, 2012 | Bristol City | League Tier 2 | Adlene Guedioura | 71 | 1-0 |
Aug 20, 1966 | Stoke City | League Tier 1 | Joe Baker | 73 | 1-2 |
Aug 07, 1999 | Ipswich Town | League Tier 2 | Chris Bart-Williams | 76 | 1-3 |
Aug 28, 1920 | Stoke City | League Tier 2 | Sandy Higgins | 77 | 2-2 |
Aug 26, 1933 | Brentford | League Tier 2 | Billy Dickinson | 77 | 1-1 |
Aug 29, 1931 | Charlton Athletic | League Tier 2 | Billy Dickinson | 78 | 1-3 |
Aug 17, 1998 | Arsenal | League Tier 1 | Geoff Thomas (1997-98) | 78 | 1-2 |
Aug 12, 2000 | West Bromwich Albion | League Tier 2 | Jon Olav Hjelde | 78 | 1-0 |
Sep 01, 1902 | Sunderland | League Tier 1 | Grenville Morris | 80 | 1-0 |
Sep 01, 1909 | Preston North End | League Tier 1 | Grenville Morris | 80 | 1-0 |
Aug 26, 1939 | Barnsley | League Tier 2 | Colin Perry | 80 | 1-4 |
Aug 12, 2023 | Arsenal | League Tier 1 | Taiwo Awoniyi | 82 | 1-2 |
Aug 23, 1958 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | League Tier 1 | Roy Dwight | 88 | 1-5 |
And these are the opening day goals that I don't
yet have the time for: