Walsall were the headline makers on Day 1 of the Nationwide league. They entertained local rivals West Brom and beat them 4 - 1. Paul Merson scoring twice. That puts the Saddlers top of the table, in second place are Stoke City, they came away from Pride Park with a thumping 3 - 0 win over Derby County.
Other impressive results came at Turf Moor where Crystal Palace finished with 9 men but still beat Burley 3 -2 thanks to a Freedman hat trick. Wimbledon, in front of just 1145 people beat Crewe 3 - 1, despite the Railwaymen taking an early lead.
Cardiff were the only promoted side to earn a point. Wigan went down 2 - 0 at Millwall.
As for the relegated Premiership teams, well as mentioned above WBA were humbled at the Bescot, Sunderland did not fayre much better as they went down 2 - 0 at Nottingham Forest but there was a win for West Ham who beat Preston 2 - 1.
The game at Vicarage Rd between Watford and Coventry was postponed due to the unfortunate death of Watford's on loan player Jimmy Davis. The 21 year old was on a year long loan deal from Man Utd. He was killed on the M40 in a car smash in the early hours of Saturday morning. A dreadful tradgedy.
Full scores.
| Bradford | 2 | Norwich | 2 | |
| Muirhead 84 Branch 90 | Rivers pen 44 Easton 47 | |||
| Attend: 13,159 | Half-time: 0-1 | |||
| Burnley | 2 | Crystal Palace | 3 | |
| Blake 11 Roche 19 | Freedman pen 6 , 32 , 67 | |||
| Attend: 12,976 | Half-time: 2-2 | |||
| Derby | 0 | Stoke | 3 | |
| Noel-Williams 15 Greenacre 20 Neal 90 | ||||
| Attend: 21,517 | Half-time: 0-2 | |||
| Ipswich | 1 | Reading | 1 | |
| Miller 90 | Sidwell 59 | |||
| Attend: 24,830 | Half-time: 0-0 | |||
| Millwall | 2 | Wigan | 0 | |
| Wise 53 Cahill 74 | ||||
| Attend: 10,898 | Half-time: 0-0 | |||
| Nottm Forest | 2 | Sunderland | 0 | |
| Harewood 19 Louis-Jean 41 | ||||
| Attend: 23,529 | Half-time: 2-0 | |||
| Preston | 1 | West Ham | 2 | |
| Lewis 2 | Defoe 5 Connolly 69 | |||
| Attend: 18,246 | Half-time: 1-1 | |||
| Rotherham | 0 | Cardiff | 0 | |
| Attend: 8,176 | Half-time: 0-0 | |||
| Sheff Utd | 0 | Gillingham | 0 | |
| Attend: 21,569 | Half-time: 0-0 | |||
| Walsall | 4 | West Brom | 1 | |
| Merson 18 , 39 Leitao 45 Corica 57 | Koumas 70 | |||
| Attend: 11,030 | Half-time: 3-0 | |||
| Wimbledon | 3 | Crewe | 1 | |
| Agyemang 15 Tapp 54 Reo-Coker 62 | Brammer 8 | |||
| Attend: 1,145 | Half-time: 1-1 | |||